Equibase’s account of the 7th at Turf yesterday: “Thunder Basin was pulled up suffering a severe injury then euthanized.” Thunder Basin was eight, and this was his 49th time under the whip. He was also about as cheap as a Thoroughbred racehorse can be – “For Sale” at $3,000 prior to dying.
This is horseracing.
It’s a crying shame that this horse had to be subject to the routine abuse that is a part of the racing world as we know it.
I hope more people will get involved in donating to rescues for saving these horses from certain death either at the race track or the slaughter house.
Rest In Peace you beautiful horse, Thunder Basin.
Eight years of exploitation and abuse, then simply thrown away. Disgusting.
Tossed like trash after he made over $116,000.
Like most racehorses he started off in a sale where he was privately sold for around $200,000.
He wasn’t able to compete (for whatever reason) at upper levels and was quickly dumped in the gallows of claiming where he continued to be whipped to perform.
Track to track, owner to owner, trainer to trainer – all parasites who squeezed every dime they could out of him.
Of course the secret doping/vet records not following him, never a diagnostic tool like an x’ray or high resolution MRI machine or anything to even given this horse MINIMUM protection.
This is horse racing, and about 90% of racehorses end-up in the claiming ranks running for their lives.
Most are running with serious pre-existing conditions that are not disclosed to the public.
Hell, they could be running with screws in their cannon bone as I’ve seen before.
Folks, this is massive suffering and carnage of living beings and this has got to go!
These parasites don’t deserve to be around such a beautiful animal whom they treat like a trash.
Another life ended solely due to horse racing and the parasites who defend this horror show.
How much is Churchill paying you to not report on their breakdowns?
Elaborate.
Tigers Rule “went wrong” and was vanned off at Churchill yesterday. “Went wrong” is one of Racing’s favorite euphemisms for dead, but I am still seeking confirmation. If that’s what you are referring to.
Carol, why would you (or anyone, for that matter) accuse Patrick Battuello of Horseracingwrongs of being paid by anyone to not report on their injured, euthanized, killed horses? That doesn’t make any logical sense. Your question exudes malicious intent. Please reply.
I’m concerned an Eleven almost Twelve year old chestnut gelding Smart Alex’s Posse is still being forced to race, poor guy just raced 14th of this month at Hawthorne. This Gorgeous Chestnut must be saved I can’t even believe it, almost 12 and still in bondage!!!!!!! Please someone SAVE this old man!!
It occurs to me that claiming races are the “slaughter grounds ” and should be dismantled. If claiming is taken away as an option, horses will not be subject to winding down and will be still in the purview of their “connections”
Actually, there’s a good chance they would just go to slaughter sooner.
Yes, if they are bent on either using the horse for racing or selling it, the horse would be taken to a livestock auction most likely and there is probably a 50% chance the horse would be bought by a kill buyer. Either a direct ship to Mexico or Canada to slaughter or to a feedlot where horses are subject to all kinds of pathogenic illnesses or viruses. Some viruses are potentially fatal so vet care and quarantine expenses are for those with more funds than a lot of people can spend.
I don’t understand how claiming races would be considered “slaughter grounds” since horses in Grade One and Grade Two races are just as expendable to racing folks as any lower class of racehorse are in my view.
You should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting that a horse should be used and abused until it breaks down because the anonymity of the claiming race shuffle keeps the horse “alive”. anyone saying that the horse would go to slaughter sooner, and please don’t take that away from them is part of the problem. Without the claiming racing the owner and breeder of the horses would be evident in the care of these horses whi would receive much better care. And without the claiming race the incentive to breed would be restricted just Because there is no outlet. You don’t accommodate criminal neglect as a form of protection. That’s just ignorant
I have no idea what you’re trying to say jan. Nobody suggested that horses should be “used and abused”. The simple reality is that they are now used and abused and claiming races are just one way to dispose of them. Remove that option and people choose the other option. They’re not going to pay to care for horses who don’t make money and thinking they will is ignorant. Getting rid of claiming races won’t prevent horse slaughter, getting rid of racing will prevent horse slaughter.
Alan, I agree with most of what you are saying. The only thing that you said here that I disagree with is that last part of your last sentence.
I disagree that getting rid of horseracing will prevent slaughter. It would reduce the number of horses that are exploited, abused, and killed by “breeders, owners, trainers, veterinarians, jockeys, race track employees, racing commissioners, pro-racing corporations”; it would reduce the number of horses that are subject to the routine abusive practices of regulated horseracing by these criminal and incorrigible animal abusers. However, getting rid of racing will not shut down the slaughter houses in Mexico, Canada, Japan, France and any other foreign country.
In addition to regulated horseracing are the tracks in New Mexico (that I am aware of) that are not regulated. The drug abuse and any other kind of abuse against horses is an ongoing thing that will be with us on this Earth as we know it until the end of the Earth as we know it.
It needs to be stopped, of course, but that doesn’t guarantee that serial animal abusers are not going to stop hurting horses somewhere somehow. There will still be those looking to exploit horses for fame and fortune or at least in the quest of financial gain.
There will continue to be a market for horse meat regardless of the breed of horse or what it was used for, if it lived long to be hauled on a slaughter truck to its destination.
Yes Wanda, I was referring to the slaughter of racehorses, as was Jan. Interestingly, I was able to find statistics for Australia. On a per capita basis they slaughter more racehorses than does the US even though claiming races are very rare there.
Let’s SHARE THIS WORLDWIDE PAGE in order to close those death traps called greedy race tracksin orderto watch those “horse owners/abusers/killers” GO UNDER
I bet those …… “people”/horse abusers count their blessing every day NOT to have been born horses and they bloody well know why………………… – They too would be whipped and forced to run around tracks that are often made of hard-packed dirt at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their backs. – Those …… “people” would also be drugged up in order to fatten-up the owners’ and dumb tourists’ bank accounts.
Racehorses are the victims of a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with drug abuse, injuries, and race fixing, and many horses’ careers end at the slaughterhouse. YOU TOO “BIG USELESS HORSE OWNERS and TRAINERS WOULD END UP AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES.
“One trainer was suspended for USING a drug similar to ECSTASY in five horses, and another has been kicked off racetracks for using CLENBUTEROL and, in one case, for having the leg of a euthanized horse cut off “FOR RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.”
DUMB TOURISTS: When will you …… “people” realize that you are encouraging and promoting the suffering of horses and their killing either on tracks or in slaughterhouses????????????? WAKE UP FOR GOD SAKES AND BOYCOTT THESE CRUEL RACES. I bet you too …… “people” count your blessings every day………………
DUMB TOURISTS send horses to slaughterhouses in Canada, Mexico, or Japan where they ARE TURNED INTO DOG FOOD and GLUE.
Their flesh is also exported to countries such as France and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy.
PEOPLE AT LARGE:
Let’s SHARE THIS WORLDWIDE PAGE in order to close those death traps called greedy race tracks in order to watch those “horse owners/abusers/killers” GO UNDER 😃
End the needless suffering of these horses and stop breeding them just so they can be killed. This is abuse no more and no less.