Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have confirmed the following deaths at Golden Gate Fields. (The Board redacted the names of the dead.)
unidentified 3-year-old female, Mar 23
“Horse was found in stall, down and unable to move – equine herpesviral myeloencephalopathy. Spinal Cord: moderate to severe multifocal myelopathy with multifocal vasculitis, hemorrhage, and axonal degeneration and necrosis. Brain: mild multifocal lymphocytic meningoencephalitis. Stomach: focally extensive gastric ulcer.”
unidentified 3-year-old female, Mar 23, training (found dead Mar 24)
“Sudden death, OK at 10 pm; found dead in shedrow at 4 AM. The cause of death in this horse was identified as a cervical fracture with completely severed spinal cord.”
unidentified 3-year-old male, Mar 29
“Sudden neurological symptoms beginning after 5 pm; horse had been sick 6 days. Brain: mild to severe suppurative and fibrinous meningitis.”
This is Totally Unacceptable to have these and other poor beautiful precious loving horses did like this. IT MUST STOP!!!!
Seriously people do you read these postings and think that this is the “norm.” We are talking about 2 horses with completely severed spinal cords – like this just happens overnight – Jesus H Christ will the abuse and slaughter of these poor horses never ever end. This racing is one of the most abusive areas for animal abuse in the world. It needs to stop and we need to get rid of these cruel and useless owners, trainers and jockeys. This is a money sport and that is all it is – aside from that it is a torture den for these gorgeous horses. Humans are despicable creatures and their greed never ends and they go to any length to get what they want. Stop the horse racing everywhere and save the lives of these horses – screw all the rest of the idiots involved – right up there with the racing commissions and politicians. Shame on all of you that each day go out to destroy more of these horses.
You have a point, but there’s NO need to blaspheme JESUS in your statement. He’s not responsible for this, nor does He sanction the destruction of His creation. Clean it up!
I didn’t perceive this to blaspheme Jesus at all; the person was just expressing horror, and rightly so.
Perhaps neither Jesus nor any other religious deity is responsible for or sanctioning this and all the horrific cruelty that humans perpetrate on animals. However, I don’t see any of these divine entities – if they exist at all – doing anything to STOP it either. For that matter, if they are so “divine,” how did they create anything as flawed as Man? You’re worried about cleaning up the wrong crime.
Speaking of flawed, you might at least have the guts to post your name instead of hiding behind anonymity.
How in the holy Hell does a horse COMPLETELY SEVER HER SPINAL CORD WHILE IN HER STALL???!!!! And the cause listed as “sudden death”? Really???!! This was an injury caused during training, and this poor horse was just dumped back in her stall even though in all probability she was displaying signs of distress, since as long as as horse is still standing somewhat upright the racing industry considers him ” okay”. Why is this not being investigated? Protested? Questioned, even? Transparency time, you butchers! The report even states she had been worked earlier that day – something major happened and you don’t have the balls to admit it because you’re desperately trying to hold on to the tattered filthy shreds of your “we love our horses” banner. You don’t even have the decency to tell us this poor little filly’s name!
But the HSUS and PETA assure us that horse racing is not abuse, and the passing of the Horseracing Integrity Act will prevent horrors like this from happening. You honestly couldn’t make this shit up.
Did you notice the time frames the injury is finally addressed????
Abdominal distention. My guess is colic with nobody there, flipped in her stall, and broke her back.
What will it take to end this butchery masquerading as “sport”???
There was a time when the horse was the most important companion a human could have, when the theft of one was an offense that was punished by hanging, when the bond between human and horse was a special valued gift.
The horse remains noble through all its transitions, but humankind has sunk into a depraved miasma that stinks of corruption, unmitigated cruelty and utter lack of conscience.
This is not the norm! This is extremely extremely abnormal. This kind of stuff does not happen to healthy well taken care of horses! Horses can live till they’re 32 years old and up, but apparently and the racing industry they’re dying at 3 years old, unbelievable! This needs to be addressed by The Humane Society in each City / state! All of these tracks need to be shut down immediately!
This vile business and the vile people in it continue to deliberately hide the facts by not disclosing the names of racehorses who suffered horrific, egregious acts of inhumane suffering.
By not disclosing names they protect the racehorse killers and possibly foul play, but what can you expect when their bogus investigations rarely lead to anything?
The details of these deaths are gruesome and clearly shows that these racehorses suffered greatly without immediate vet care which would garner Felony Animal Cruelty charges in any other setting.
I’m mortified that this is going on in 21st century America and it’s equally disturbing that people participate and support this public butcher show.
So sorry for all the anonymous victims.
I pledge to be a voice for all of you so that your deaths are not in vain.
Horse Racing with todas deaths must stop, be ban from continuing. Horses being abused with training at far too young an age. Horses being raced at too young an age. Drugs, over work, horses forced to run too fast causing internal bleeding, cracks and bones fracture, and medical going unattended, total abuse of these magestic, incredible creatures. Horse racing must be ban for good, and forever. They were not put here on earth for humans to use however they please, using them as money making machines. Obviously the owners care about one thing and that is almighty dollar. They are criminals.
Horrible beyond words. This is one of the worse animal abuse situations that exists and I can’t believe the Humane Society or PETA can’t be effective in this. If horses were found with broken spinal cords in a private backyard barn, the owner would be arrested and all animals remaining removed. This situation certainly fits the criteria. Well, it may take down, but there is hope. Public pressure got rid of Ringling Brothers elephants, and Sea. World has pretty much lost all its abusive practices with orcas. Maybe something will happen for these poor horses.
To all you apologists: how dare you support and defend this?
You are mentally deranged to perpetrate such cruel and inhumane business practices on your voiceless victims.
All the entities from the HBPA, to the racing commissions, to the vets and shockingly animal rights groups (HSUS, PETA, OPSCA) etc. are all aiding and abetting this public butcher show.
You are all life-sucking parasites.
Incidentally, the OPSCA just donated $30,000 to racehorse aftercare. This money coming from public donations. Outrageous! They should have donated this money to this site, horseracingwrongs, to shut this down because no amount of money will stop the unwanted racehorse problem that this multi-billion dollar industry does little to nothing about.
They require the dumping at the kill auctions, and the subsequent dying on the slaughterhouse floor to get rid of their disposable gambling chips after they are done maiming and killing them and that’s why it needs to end.
So sorry for yet another set of victims who couldn’t even defend themselves, but suffered greatly at the hands of those who claim to care for them like “family members.”
Horse racing – your day of reckoning is here and it will come in the form of legal reforms because once your handouts ends so will your vile business.
It can’t come soon enough for these poor racehorses.
This is Satanic.
Anyone who supports this industry the horse owners, television sponsors, gamblers and spectators need to know this is Abuse and Sick.
How would you like it if your Family members were forced to race and them the next day you found your parent or sibling slumped over on the floor dead ?
What gives people the right to treat any other living being with such malice, horror and cruelty?
Surely these people behind harming horses 🐎 or innocent animals will not make it to Heaven.