I have confirmed that Fashion Shot is dead after “[going] wrong” in the 8th at Belterra Friday. Apparently, the 2-year-old “blew a tendon.”
This is horseracing.
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I have confirmed that Fashion Shot is dead after “[going] wrong” in the 8th at Belterra Friday. Apparently, the 2-year-old “blew a tendon.”
This is horseracing.
Comments are closed.
This poor baby horse – the stress on the amazing working of the equine’s fetlock and lower limb killed this filly (or may have been a colt). Wouldn’t be surprised if this baby suffered a complete collapse of the suspensory apparatus.
Indefensible and utterly sickening.
Only two years old and dead after his third race. Unbelievable….oops….I forgot that this is horseracing where the horror stories play out day after day after day. Totally believable….
How does anyone who has a heart and a soul and that professes to love horses support this vile industry? Those who support it must be living in the enchanted forest because, underneath the surface, it is a “killing machine” that is rotten to the core.
Standardbreds bow tendons and are laid up and lead productive lives. Why was this youngster put down without a chance to heal? Didn’t they want to spend the time and money? What happened to Rhode Island during a race at Belmont yesterday? Also I would like to know how many standardbreds died on tracks this year.
Karen, yes, horses with bowed tendons can go on to lead productive lives but this was a very serious tendon injury. To rehab a horse with a severe injury like this would, most likely, takes months and quite possibly up to a year and even then the tendon may heal poorly. Nevertheless, the horse will be laid up for a lengthy period of time and rehab will be very labor intensive. Remember….a horse standing in a stall is unable to produce revenue for those immersed in racing. Therefore, it was easier to just euthanize than to continue on with a horse that was low level in the first place. These animals mean very litttle to their connections unless they are generating revenue.
Karen. Check nyra race replays and see . I’ll look also for you.
I just think someone may have known someone interested in a free horse with the ability and time to rehab this young horse. If nothing else, a farm that helps servicemen and people with disabilities who just want to groom a horse for therapy. So many avenues out there but no one gave a thought, just stick in a needle and drag the carcass off and dump it in a field for fertilizer.
I can answer that for you, I bred Standardbreds for about 15 years. Standardbred deaths on the track are exceedingly rare and when they do occur they are usually the result of an accident involving multiple horses and bikes. I can’t recall one incident of a horse just breaking a limb. They are a completely different beast, much sturdier, the gait is much safer, and they are trained extensively, several miles per day, and often turned out when not training because the majority do not stable at the track.
With that said, standardbred owners and trainers are no different. They will inject a horse with alligator piss if someone tells them the horse will go faster and the horses still meet the same fate at slaughter. There seems to be some romantic notion of retired Standardbreds retiring to pull Amish buggies but it’s pure bullshit. The Amish are the biggest traders of horse meat and generally treat their horses like crap, from what I’ve observed. Took me a year or two to find good homes for all my horses when I went out of business despite the fact that they’re infinitely more docile and trainable than a retired thoroughbred.
Thank you for sharing that, Alan.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
End horse racing now
Total YES Debra,it’s the only way to SAVE these innocent souls.The thing I would enjoy the most,is seeing some of these evil lazy losers,with “jobs” in the “industry”. Get A Real Job,rather than torturing and abusing helpless ANIMALS. Go away you leeches,collecting a paycheck from Murder. You “horse” people,probably already know your incapable of working a real job.
Two year old Fashion Shot is one of the countless young immature horses destroyed by this industry. Fashion Shot will be counted as a racing death because she was euthanized at the track due to her injury,
But there are many others with severe and chronic injuries never counted because they are taken off the track before their deaths.Some are even for sale as “broodmare prospects”! Many wind up on the slaughter- bound trucks and others are euthanized at rehab/rescues because they are not fit for “second careers” and are deemed not adoptable.
The only hope for these injured horses is a sanctuary situation and ongoing treatments such as joint injections and pain medications. And even then, they suffer and their life expectancy is greatly reduced. To add to this situation there are few sanctuaries and those in existence are at capacity with waiting lists.
These horses have been robbed of their future. The only humane option for these horses is euthanasia. They have been destroyed by racing dumped and die prematurely. These deaths are not counted as racing deaths – but they most certainly are !
So true Rose. I just went on the New Vocations site. For those who don’t know about New Vocations- it is one the biggest and most marketed racehorse rehoming organizations, operating in multiple states. They rehome both Standardbreds and thoroughbreds.
I looked at their “horses in rehab” link. Holy cripes. They have a LONG list of broken racehorses, including sesamoid, knee, suspensory, and tendon injuries. Sadly, these are discards from their “sport”, and what are the chances most of them will ever find a long-term, loving, permanent home? And I would bet that many of them are youngsters. It’s so disheartening to see that all these injured horses may live the rest of their lives in potential discomfort, and were so unnecessarily injured for “sport”.
I have experience with New Vocations. Dot is the sister in law of an old friend, I believe Winnie is her daughter. They are lovely, caring people and they run a class operation with an extraordinary placement rate. They are very careful, the adopter never actually owns the horse according to the contract. They require extensive background checks, facility visits, periodic reporting and all sorts of safeguards. NV owns the horse and it must be returned if the adopter is ever unable or unwilling to care for it. They will keep a horse as long as it takes and they are particular about the intended use. If they deem a horse unridable it will be adopted as a pasture mate which happens more than one might expect. They do incredible work.
Sadly, for every horse they take, I’m sure dozens are slaughtered. I look forward to the day they are no longer necessary.
Alan, I’m also a former standardbred owner, they are my favorite breed. I lost my last one in 2016, we had him for 20 years and I held his lead when it was time for him to cross that bridge. Too many do drug, and mistreat their horses physically but there are the good ones who do the best they can when the horse is no longer racing. Amish are butchers, they have moved into my area and I drove around to see how the horses were being treated. They are the last people I would want to get a horse, any horse is better off dead than in their care.
Yes Karen, there are good people everywhere, unfortunately they are few and far between in racing. I have known some, here is the Facebook page of a horse I bred and who belonged to some very nice people. He was donated and repurposed after racing (along with his brother). He’s a multiple world champion pleasure horse and dearly loved. Sadly, most don’t get this chance, they all should. https://m.facebook.com/SilverMatchTB472/
Trainers and owners of all racing horses cause the deaths of these animals. Horse racing should be banned. Stop killing these horses! This is animal CRUELTY and it must come to an end now.