While I can certainly appreciate the usefulness, if not downright necessity, of social media, personally I am loath to engage, preferring instead to say what I have to say here and through more traditional media platforms. Fortunately, we at HW have a wonderful group of volunteers fighting the Facebook and Twitter wars – promulgating truth, exposing lies, and, because it comes with the territory, addressing idiocy. Still, every once in a while, I myself feel compelled to deal with the last, though it almost always leaves my distaste for the medium reconfirmed.
Two years ago, a particularly smug apologist took to Facebook with the inane question, “What is your plan for the 100,000 horses who would be out of work should you get what you want (an end to horseracing)?” Vegans, of course, are quite familiar with this tactic – you know, “if the world goes vegan, what will happen to…?” Like I said, stupid. What I didn’t like and what prompted me to respond, however, was her assertion that upon polling some of our Saratoga protesters, all she heard was “crickets.” So, breaking my self-imposed rule, I engaged:
All was good until the “sterilize to extinction” part. Although I pride myself on writing as clearly and succinctly as possible, here I came up a bit short. In my defense, it was at the end of a long day and I was in no mood for vacuity wrapped in the guise of cleverness. What I meant, and what most reasonable people have no difficulty seeing, is that we are against the breeding of horses for racing – using (the decidedly racing terms) Thoroughbreds, Quarterhorses, and Standardbreds as a substitute for racehorses in general. Again (and of course), we do not want to kill off all horses. We are out to end horseracing; by extension, and as I wrote two years ago, when that last track closes, no more breeding racehorses. Clear? I should hope so.
Thank you Patrick for posting this I’m sure hopefully it will clear up some confusion I took quite a beating yesterday on social media defending horses that are used and thrown away by this industry realizing that everything has to always become so desperate..how it ever came to the extinction of horses I’ll never understand but that is how some people think and we all know once that seed is planted some people just don’t see beyond their nose I will continue to stand fast in defending these voiceless animals thank you for all the work you do and I’m trying my best to make people aware of it without losing my mind trying to explain to idiots.
Janine Camerlengo Rebel red Rescue farm and sanctuary
Thank you Patrick, for once again trying to explain to the average racing follower what’s really happening in this “Sport of Kings”.
I don’t think “sterilize to extinction” is realistic. There will always be people in the US who want horses for various purposes, some are well taken care of, some not…
If the US were to shutter the present form of horse racing, many horses might make their way to the “bush tracks” then what?
In the meantime, start placing a 10 percent tax on every purse, auction, claim, etc. Stop paying trainers or owners to enter horses in races. Immediately implement a mandatory fee to breed a horse.
The fees and taxes can go directly into a trust fund managed by competent volunteers, that will purchase and maintain horse retirement properties, farms, ranches. Of course wait until the breeding farms are in distress and purchase at fire sale prices. Or maybe the breeding farms could be seized for illegal breeding and put into the trust.
If horse racing were to start up again, it should be modelled after Hong Kong and Australia, with additional owner/trainer restrictions, much lower jockey, exercise rider weights, limiting rider weight/ horse weight ratio, older starting age, and no syndicates of more than 5 owners.
Please look into Belmont where Ro Bear was left to die in his stall. Someone Needs to be held Accountable!!! Please I Beg of You
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
RO BEAR will only get justice when, and ONLY when Felony Animal Cruelty laws apply to racehorses.
This business, for years, has been providing public wallpaper in the form of racing commissions.
The racing commissions are nothing more than extended management arms of the tracks.
The tracks sole purpose is to fill races and increase wagering profits especially when they are in collusion with the major wagering outlets and they most certainly are.
Look no further than The Stronach Group and Xpress Bet.
Nevertheless, the commissions are not there to “protect” the racehorses as they would like you to think.
Rather, they are there to protect wagering profits at the expense of the racehorses.
We see this time and time again – so many examples – too many and most have been listed herein.
“Investigations” that lead to nowhere, no repercussions, total lack of transparency and deliberate omission of facts for follow-up public scrutiny.
From racehorses who so obviously are suffering (finishing last by lengths repeatedly beaten) being continually run in order to fill a $2 bet to previous fractures and chronic conditions that are buried in the SECRET doping/vet records.
The ongoing abusive practices of this business, and it is a business, would qualify under Felony Animal Cruelty laws, but this business goes to no lengths to protect the abusive killers.
Every time you place a $2 bet, every time you go to the races you are supporting the massive pain, suffering, and dying of racehorses.
So go somewhere else, gamble on an inanimate object, stop supporting this public butcher show and we must bang on politicians doors to stop the money flow to tracks and put it into the communities instead.
RO BEAR so sorry for you. Racehorses are the true victims of these heartless human parasites.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. It’s SICK how the apologists will ignore THOUSANDS of DEAD horses (horrible suffering and painful deaths!) to try to discredit the people that are trying to save their lives! What is so important to them about horseracing that they don’t care about Thousands of horses dying? SICK, disgusting individuals.
Over the past few days, Patrick’s clarification has been provided to those who had questions and by way of that, to those who didn’t. The latter already knew what we at Horseracing Wrongs are working towards and it is crystal clear – the end of horse racing. Yet even then, those who “questioned”? – it was obvious they were not looking for clarification…they want only to discredit Patrick’s work and to deny the facts he obtains from the industry itself. But they can’t – because it’s truth. You see, that is one more thing we have over the pro-racing apologists – we are factual, we are truthful.
For those who wish to dig deeper and get a better understanding of those individuals and groups who oppose the HW cause YET work to appear as if they are horse advocates – in other words, of those who support horse racing and some so vehemently that they will lie about our cause – you might want to look into the following:
– from All Equines and Wildlife Deserve Life, this: “Horseracing Wrongs shameful EMBARRASSMENT endangers America’s equines. [Patrick] has cost racehorses more lives”. When provided the facts, this FB group blocks. Lie and block.
– and from an administrator of The American-Canadian Horse Warrior Forum (of which I was banned from posting and commenting because racehorse deaths do not have “national implications” per Allen Warren), this: “This group [HW] and his followers want the extinction of all horses – extinction and pro slaughter, real similar actions.” After this pro-racing supporter/administrator of the ACHWF got her last comment in, she turned off commenting for that post. Lie and block.
You can read on their sites and read here…and decide for yourself. The TRUTH always prevails.
Just an additional note regarding the All Equines and Wildlife Deserve Life Facebook group – they refuse to identify who they are.
We are transparent – we are all identified in “Who We Are” right here on the blog.