Through a FOIA request to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, I have confirmed the following four kills on Nevada tracks in 2017. It should be noted, however, that Nevada is one of the lightest racing-states, with but nine days of live racing in 2017. So, that’s four kills in nine days. With more gambling options than any other state, hasn’t the time at long last arrived for Nevada to eliminate the only form that kills animals in its normal course of business? Mercy, Nevadans. Mercy.
Mr Lane, August 18, White Pine, race 3
“broke down (shoulder) on the track following the race”
Siberian Rush, August 19, White Pine, race 8
“collapsed and died exiting the track following the race”
(9-year-old, 51st race, but coming off a nearly one-year layoff – “collapsed and died”)
Eb Traffic Rock, August 20, White Pine, race 3
“impact to the track caused the horse to severely injure both front shoulders”
(this was his second race in three days – trainer/owner, Rodger Ewell)
Big Daddy Etb, August 27, Elko Fair, race 2
“broke down (fractured left humerus) following the race”
Second race in 3 days. What a scum. Like he was going out of his way to kill the horse.
And to top it off -he was a quarter horse- so the strain they have running is harder than throughbreds as they have to have a faster burst of speed for a shorter distance and an abrupt slow down at the end.
The abuse & cruelty to these magnificent animals is so heartbreaking, there are no words … — let’s keep at it until HORSE-RACING IS BANNED FOREVER!
My heart breaks for all of these four horses that suffered cruel deaths in Nevada.
Siberian Rush in particular is especially heartbreaking. Though 9 years of age is young for a horse, a racehorse ages with the stress he endures from training/racing, confinement, doping, whipping, injuries, being overused, overridden, etc.
After having 50 race starts, then a whole year off these jokers decide to race him again. It is likely that he wasn’t brought back into training slowly and carefully so his body could adapt and be properly prepared for the stress of high speed exercise. It was too much for his body and heart to cope with. I don’t have the time to look at his racing history, but it would not surprise me if this horse did not recover well after racing and it would be interesting to know the reason for his one year off. Did he sustain an injury, suffer cardiac arrhythmia, respiratory distress, etc during his racing career?
Did they retire him and then change their minds on a whim to see how he would go again?
One thing is for sure, this horse would have been showing signs that he wasn’t coping with racing. These creeps took a gamble with him and forced him to race again. I hate to think of what was going through his mind as he was being saddled up – bet he was sweating up and/or displaying in his behaviour anxiety/fear. Then he suffers a cruel and inexcusable death, COLLAPSES and DIES.
These creeps are doing what they damn well like with these innocent horses.
So sorry, Siberian Rush. Makes me ashamed to be a human being.
If horse racing were to end, I wonder if the number of horses going to slaughter would decline? For those who know the gruesome details of death in a slaughterhouse, breaking down on the track and being euthanized is almost kind. Most horses going to slaughter are thoroughbreds, and their fate in Mexico is torturous and absolutely appalling. I know this site promotes the illegalization of racing, but I’d be thrilled to just tackle the issue of our unfettered merciless butchering of horses, truckloads of horses, bound for hell, tens of thousands of noble equines who will die like rattlesnakes on the kill floors of a packing houses. Maybe the lucky ones have aneurysms and drop dead after a race, or are euthanized on the track. The fact is, for every thoroughbred born this year, a thoroughbred will end up in a Mexican slaughterhouse being brutally stabbed to death. It’s pretty bad when the issue isn’t even saving them as much as it’s keeping them from a torturous death.
There’s only one solution Karen: SHUT THIS CRUELTY CIRCUS, CORRUPTION, AND DEATH PIT DOWN!
Then there will be no racehorses dying for this VILE exploitation nor dying on the slaughterhouse floor.
If horse racing were to end all the bullshit that comes along with it would be gone also, all those unwanted horses the slaughter of them all the exploiting that comes with this industry would go away slaughter would still hang around for some time but at some point it would disappear due to lack of supply imo…..no more young non mature horses being run into the ground and being used up to live the rest of their 30yr or so life maimed and crippled because of what this industry has done to them…..this change would not happen overnight but it would be a matter of time before it all just goes away and yes the thoroughbred breed would still survive because these horses can be ANYTHING they just need that chance
Yes Gina, and what shall we do about all the horses who are not thoroughbreds being shipped to slaughter? If this country has no conscience about sending hundreds of thousands of horses to be butchered in horrific ways in Mexico, do you think you are going to shock their conscience with deaths from racing injuries? Dream on. If they ended legal horse racing tomorrow, it would not stop people from exploiting and racing horses underground, creating a far worse scenario. It’s a monumental problem, and ending racing is the tip of the iceberg. Where are the advocates fighting for laws and legislation that would make transporting horses to slaughter illegal? Until we get that, we’ve got nothing.
Sadly, horse slaughter will “hang around” until human beings are obliterated from the earth. I’m hoping horse slaughter in America can someday be stopped. I’ll be happy with that much.