5-year-old Love Rules suffered the following in the 9th at Parx yesterday: “…dueled for command three wide, went bad on the turn and was euthanized” (Equibase).
“Went bad and was euthanized.”
Another horse, The Pooch, fell over Love Rules; no word as yet on his condition (or lack thereof). This is horseracing.
Again – another horrific wreck of multiple horses cartwheeling over each other. I can’t imagine The Pooch may have fared any better than Love Rules, as he went completely up in the air and crashed hard, then vanned off. This wreck actually caused 5 horses to not finish the race – and one of the jockeys was so injured his heart stopped. They were able to bring him back, he is in a coma now. Again- why is this ok? Are the bettors so insensitive, unfeeling, and hardened that this is just a thing, then they are desperate to place that next bet on the next horse??
This is an accident in horse racing. And a jockey lost his life as well. Maybe you should spend your time and energy praying for those who lost their animals and their father, husband, son, friend instead of bashing an entire industry.
Yes, over 2,000 “accidents” a year. “Pray for those who lost their animals”? Abhorrent. Absolutely abhorrent.
Request a necropsy report from the pa dept of agriculture…..since you will never get the vet treatment sheets….then you will see the truth of the “accident” people have a choice people know the risks the innocent they just do what they are asked…..look at the realities of racing its a recipe for disaster one that is supported time and time again on a DAILY basis….and for what?
Stacie, those who lost their animals play russian roulette with their horses lives. They know every time they burst from the gate may be their last. They also know their horse may be claimed in any claiming race they enter him. And they know their horse is getting drugs that also put him at risk. Yes, Stacie even Lasix is a drug, and a very potent one with many undesirable side effects.
In the racing business, the horse is the disposable commodity and that is the cold hard fact, Stacie.
Racehorses dying are not accidents.
Racehorses dying qualify as VEHICULAR EQUICIDE. (commonly referred to vehicular homocide).
I’ve provided a simple definition for you Stacie as I’m sure you require it:
“Vehicular homicide, also known as vehicular manslaughter, is the reckless or negligent killing of another through the use of a vehicle.”
The racehorse is the vehicle, and it’s usually a doped up vehicle so this is equivalent to a drunk driver.
Not only does the doping affect their performance, it often pushes these racehorses beyond their capabilities, but it also masks chronic injuries so it’s a PREVENTABLE occurrence just like drunk driving is.
Everything leading up to a race is a recipe for vehicular equicide.
There will be many more racehorses DIE and possibly people until this insanity shuts down.
I suggest you pray for the shutting down of this business, and hopefully the (wo)man who supposedly sits up in the clouds, watching the massive suffering going on in the world, will respond to your pleas.
That’s the problem: This ‘industry’ simply should not exist.
Well “Stacie”, the “time and energy” it took for anyone reading and commenting here wasn’t any greater than the “time and energy” it took YOU to read and comment here…..so you’re wasting your OWN “time and energy”?
Your flimsy attempt at “shaming” only pointed the shame right back at you – right where it belongs. Because firstly, anyone of faith who believes in a higher power and in prayer can do MORE than simply pleading for comfort, peace and healing – we can apply our faith AND use our intellect, our strengths, our voices, our passion and MORE to better the lives of all living beings. Working towards compassionate goals and praying/meditating can be done simultaneously – not a second of “time and energy” wasted.
Secondly, you’ve outed yourself as an apologist who has her own selfish interests at heart. You don’t comment here on the countless horses that suffer unnecessary, horrific deaths in the racing industry – they hold no importance to you. Shame on YOU, “Stacie”.
Finally, I would bet you’re one (considering your admonishment to pray) who states the tired, old “Run free, [dead racehorse], in heaven’s green pastures!” when a horse is killed in training or racing. That statement by insiders and apologists has always perplexed me, considering the source – shouldn’t you exclaim, “You will forever be stall-bound, with an occasional gallop on heaven’s racetrack…Lasix in your veins, a whip-wielding jockey on your back, your joints recently injected, perpetually making money for whomever happens to own you now”? – now THAT would be racehorse heaven, right?
If horse heaven is running FREE in heaven’s green pastures it follows that horse hell is being held CAPTIVE in a stall 23hrs. out of every 24 as well as everything else the horse is forced to endure in this business.
Exactly, Rose…we know that…and that’s why I find it odd that apologists – who always claim what a GREAT life a racehorse has and how much they LOVE having a “job” – say “Run free in heaven’s green pastures”…the exact OPPOSITE of a racehorse’s life. Surely, being free to do what they desire in expansive, green pastures cannot be “racehorse heaven”, right?……
….according to the apologists, that is…
Excellent, Joy. Thank you.
Stacie, please don’t assume to know who we do or do not pray for. First and foremost, I do pray for this family, as now a 7 yo will grow up without his father, and a family without their loved one, as he died very unnecessarily due to that “accident” and “this industry”.
But, I also have enough compassion in me to also pray for the poor horses that were killed, or maimed, In this “accident”, and if the others involved did survive their falls, may they never have to be tormented by having to step foot on a track again to ” battle their foe”, again taking chances that they may have to cartwheel across a track!
And lastly, I also have enough compassion in me to be able to pray for the horses that are still alive, being used by this “industry”, day after day, and I pray that they may leave the track behind somewhat sound enough to find a forever loving home, or possibly a successful second career, as opposed to being cast aside and sent on a death ride to a slaughterhouse.
Why do we humans dress up and go to watch horses race, knowing there WILL be injuries and death to the animals, yet we (generally) despise dog fighting?
What a tragic loss of life and that includes BOTH the jockey and the horse, Love Rules. The apologists would like for everyone to believe that we, who are against the exploitation of the TB racehorse, are cold-hearted when it comes to the death of Jose Flores and nothing could be further from the truth. I NEVER want to see a jockey lose his or her life in an industry that cripples, maims, and KILLS, daily, but Flores knew, or should have known, the risks he took on a daily basis. He had a CHOICE…Love Rules didn’t. Loves Rules’s connections put the horse’s life “on the line” and Flores put his “life on the line.” This time that risk ended horrifically.
As I have previously stated, ad nauseum, the racing industry always incriminates itself. They certainly don’t need us to do that for them. From the Paulick Report on the death of Flores, CEOMike comments that “…drug use is at the heart of safety and I would bet if vet records were looked at Love Rules had a lot of shots of corticosteroids, which are legal and have only a 15 day to racing restriction. They may help a horse recover but repeated use causes weakening of the bones. Love Rules broke its shoulder, funny this is also a common occurrence in people who take too many corticosteroids.”
CEOMike then goes on to say that “Safety will start by getting rid of the drugs. Publish all vet reports and do out of comp testing.” Of course, those of us, who have been around the block a few times, know that is NEVER going to happen. Drugs, just like slaughter, are part of racing’s culture. The racing industry has NO redeeming values no matter how you twist and spin the story and that is why I continue to applaud racing’s precipitous decline.
The bottom line is that the jockey had a CHOICE, the horse did not.
This is a corrupt, ugly business – the inside players are greedy crooks and the audience is no difference than those who gave thumbs up/thumbs down to Christians and lions fighting in the Coliseum. This whole mess needs to end.
The bottom line is, the jockey has a CHOICE, the horse does not.
Racing is corrupt, ugly business.
It needs to end.