In the 2nd at Parx Sunday, this from Equibase: “GEORGIA BONNET was outrun while just off the rail, raced on her wrong lead and was lugging in through early stretch, her rider switched his whip to his left hand and hit GEORGIA BONNET repeatedly on the left side of her head through deep stretch.” The abuser atop, Tyrone Carter.
In the 2nd at Zia yesterday, “DUBLINS WILDBERRY flipped behind the gate then got loose briefly before being caught by the outrider, was a little fractious once in the gate, pressed the pace from inside a rival but off the fence, faded.” Yes, “faded” to the tune of 36 lengths back – after, again, “flipping,” “getting loose,” and being “fractious.”
This is horseracing.
I have this posted to facebook each day. Everyone do the same.
Thank you, Mary. I echo your sentiments – spread far and wide. Educate and expose.
Racehorse beaters like Tyrone Carter are protected by this vile business that condones this with slap on the wrist warnings and minute financial fines that are laughable.
Most commissions will even reserve 3 day suspensions for non-racing days which is outrageous, and confirms their commitment to the ongoing cruelty, abuse, and inhumane treatment of racehorses.
This vile industry and the vile people in it are all enablers of this cruelty, and abuse including the owners.
As far as the doping/vet records go, they are a road map to their maiming and/or deaths, and that’s precisely why this industry fights hard to be completely non-transparent when it comes to these records.
It’s an entire system of abuse and it’s blatant, legitimized racehorse cruelty that belongs in the annals of history.
I am not a horse person so rely upon you who are. But from what I gather, if a horse if “fractious” and fights the gate, isn’t it usually because s/he is in pain or upset for a special reason? Re: whipping in the face: That post stands for itself. To think that this is passed over is heartbreaking and enraging.
Hi, Martha,
I can only offer this as a reason for ‘fractious’.
These animals are often trained to the gate while they’re still very young. A three year old may have the body of an adult, but they have the sensibilities of a human child. They are often treated roughly, so much so that they react poorly to simply being handled: they believe every infraction will merit the whip.
Some enter the gate, and are claustrophobic; the gate is narrow, and the rider’s legs are tight against them. It can be a stressful feeling.
I had a ‘racetrack reject’, a lovely four year old Thoroughbred who had been raced at small tracks as a two year old. He could not tolerate having his head immobilized. Tying him to a hitching post stressed him. I could only try and understand what must have happened to him to cause this.
Someone once summed up the sentiments surrounding racehorses for me by telling me Thoroughbreds were “a dime a dozen”. Those who profit off them do what’s most expedient to get the horse in the gate and around the track. It’s extraordinarily rare to find an owner, trainer or rider who has the time or inclination to treat a horse with the gentleness and understanding they need, or the affection they so desperately crave.
Thank you, Lisa.
How true your words are! Every horse we have ever handled craved aff3ection / attention! Sadly at the races such attention / affection is lacking for the most part in our experience.At our rock bottom level of racing in our state the only commercial track is supported by card games and other types of gaming which should not be allowed. Another well known breeder is now operating a hard liquor distillery in an attempt to keep their farm operating knowing there is no $ in racing in our state. As an English jockey once told us racing is just a crooked, crummy , gamboling game! He said he had seen more wrecks in our state than he would have seen in a lifetime in England!
Even in our minor league racing state any horse that flips in or outside of the gate is scratched from that race! We have had the experience of working out a horse who he and ourselves attained the fastest workout of the day at our local track.. This occurred after a rider galloping the horse the week before hit the poor horse as hard she could in the face with her whip as he ,the horse, sometimes was slow to turn where you wanted to go.We begged the owner / trainer of the horse to let us ride him as we knew we were a better fit of a rider for the horse. We proved it by NOT using any whip or spurs as well as the horse being barefoot behind, still achieving the fastest workout the horse had ever had and the fastest workout of the day.We always told the horse people love and passion for the horse will get you farther than excessive force and whipping. Of course they all laughed not understanding anything.
There is an article on paulick that shows the blatent cruelty and abuse of this buissness, and even though i am banned from commenting now for speaking the truth, i wrote ray thanking him for this article. What these videos show is once again the people in charge that could end shit like this casually sit back and do nothing, just buissness as usual another day at the races, the horse sufferes nothings done and folks accept how the industry is and continue to allow it. The public has to end this game because the industry has no will to change it themselves.
This brutal industry must be SHUT DOWN permanently — the more I learn about the horrors to the horses, the less I sleep — SHAME on all those in the industry who turn a blind eye — there are many ways to earn a living — BUT, leave the horses out of it — leave all animals out of it — enough of the depraved abuse and exploitation — there are many ways to be entertained and profit from it — BUT, leave the horses OUT of it — LEAVE THEM OUT OF your equation.