If you were going strictly by the official (Equibase) chart, Eagle Down’s run in the 1st at Ruidoso Saturday was utterly normal – in fact, the 3-year-old “won,” “earning” $5,100 for his people in the process. But, it turns out, this would be Eagle’s last race won – or at all. I have confirmed that Eagle Down “bled out” immediately following that race and is dead. His owner, Misti Broughton:
For Broughton, this, according to Equibase, was her very first race as an owner. So, she was obviously quite emotional about it all. Because of that, I’m sure, she fails to see her own complicity. But here’s the thing, Ms. Broughton, as the owner of this poor animal, you had complete control over his activity. Forcing him to race led directly to his death, and no amount of self-delusion can alter that truth in the least.
By the way, apparently there is a video of Eagle Down dying; it has since been taken down. That’s unfortunate, because the world needs to see these horrors.
Wow you people are the ones that are absolutely delusional!!! First off she’s NOT a first time owner!! She’s had her owners license since she was 13! You idiots have no clue the money that was put into that horse! He LOVED to run! It was a freak deal & you freaking idiots are running with it like it was done on purpose or like she knew he was going to die. You people are tucked in the head!!!
Ummm…the horse was raced on purpose.
Racing owner’s license at 13? – WOW, I thought you’d have to be an adult to own a racehorse – you know, to have the financial means and responsible maturity to CARE for an animal that requires so much….oh but this is horseracing we’re talking about – breed ‘em, use ‘em, dump ‘em.
FYI, the National Racing Compact sets minimum age for licensure at 18. There’s no way she could have had her owners license at 13. The bottom line fact; had the horse not been raced he would have still been alive.
Juan Esteban, thank you. The excuse that was used in a lame attempt to justify the forcing of a 3-year-old immature, still growing colt, named EAGLE DOWN, to race against other horses, run at top speed while carrying extra weight, over 100 pounds more than normal, was….that the same horrible internal injury leading to his death, could have or would have happened if EAGLE DOWN had been out playing in a pasture.
It is somewhat hyperbole (but not far off) to interpret this excuse as saying that this horse could have suffered death by “spontaneous combustion” at its essence and therefore, the owner, Misti Broughton, takes no responsibility for her sadistic and barbaric choice to force EAGLE DOWN to race. This mentality of the people involved in racing horses is exactly why horseracing cannot be reformed. Therefore horseracing must be banned.
It wasn’t my first race you are a bunch of heartless jerks. You’re horrible. His death could have happened playing in the pasture. I’ve been on a track for over 30 years and this is the first horse I have ever lost on the track. So if you want to ask me questions then please do so but writing some bs story that you don’t have all the facts from shows your ignorance.
Just basing it on this, Ms. Broughton: https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=People&searchType=O&eID=2183341&rbt=QH. But even if not your first (race or horse dying), what difference would it make? As the owner, you are responsible for what happened to this horse.
Horses are fragile beings. I promise if you spent time around them actually working with them one on one you would find this out. I’m sorry that you are so close minded you only see your side. I’ve got plenty here at my house that I feed that will never make me a dime or never go to the track. I applaud you for trying to expose the bad guys in the business but know that not all of us are bad. I was born into horse racing and will continue to care and love my horses.
I did not say or imply that you are a bad person. But you participate in an industry that kills – on-track, in stall, at the slaughterhouse – 15,000 or more racehorses every year. And for nothing more than $2 bets. It is vile; it is cruel; it is morally indefensible. And the thing is, as we report these facts, the public is increasingly seeing it that way. It’s but a matter of time, and in your heart of hearts, you know it.
You report the facts? But the fact is that the colt did not bleed out? The entire headline is wrong. I’m not saying the horse racing business is perfect but there are horrible people in every business. If you report all the facts then you need to learn all sides of the stories and that includes the owner and the trainer and the jockey. How am I too judge an abnormality in the horse when you are lying to me?
I’d like to ask you a question, Misti, if I might. I won’t even attack you, call you names, nor make up a witty personae (like, say, ‘Screwyou’ for instance). So here goes:
Why would you ever imagine you should post your personal antics and emotions on social media, for, quite literally, the whole world to see, and then expect that nobody will every criticize you in any way?
There you go.
Honestly because I love my horses. I spend time with them more than people and a majority of my friends and family I never see. They are my life and my friends love seeing them as well. Just as you would post pics of your dogs cats or family I post mine. When it’s good bad or ugly it’s there. I did nothing wrong with this horse and what he had go wrong there was no way to prevent. The necropsy on the horse revealed an issue inside the lung that was an abnormality and the horse could have passed away walking around. Sometimes we can’t fix everything and we aren’t god. I love my animals and I’m sorry that some people in the world can’t see that. I know there are bad people in every business and even with animals. There’s good guys out there as well. I can’t bash people that I do not know and I can’t quote people that I do not talk to. If I got donations like this page gets I would have more retired horses at my place that never made me a penny. If you guys think 5100 is a bunch of money….that doesn’t cover my feed bill a month. Money isn’t why I run a horse. It’s because the horse loves it. This one in particular really did. I know y’all guys won’t believe me but we are just hard working folks who love our animals. I’m sorry that y’all can’t see that.
Misti, I’m sorry that you can’t see that you are being cruel to your horses to force them to be confined to a stall 23 hours a day and then forced to run faster and faster than they ever would if the horses had a choice. I’m also sorry that you can’t understand how your self-righteousness is enough to make people vomit!!!!!
I and MANY others here don’t get donations and yet we have YOUR industry’s discarded horses that we are taking care of for the rest of their lives…and they didn’t make US one penny. It’s so telling when industry members like yourself think only horses that have made you money are worthy of being provided for – nothing asked of them for the next 20-plus or minus years.
Not trying to stir up anything negative, but the reality is there is absolutely No Reasoning behind horse racing. It’s just another abusive way we use animals for entertainment. And in this sense your horse died for nothing. To say it could have happened in a pasture is truly looking for excuses as reasoning, as nobody really knows if that would have happened or not. If you own more of these beautiful animals I truly suggest enjoying them and not placing them purposely in danger. Don’t race horses PERIOD. You have 10 years on me but, I have worked with these animals and have seen countless mistreatment and Owners who only care about prize $ not the welfare of the animal. Truth hurts…….
“Facts Please”, here, per Misti; “His lungs were full. Something burst…”
“Something burst” and “his lungs were full” – what do you think his lungs were “full” of after “something burst” OTHER than blood?
With all due respect, have you ever stopped to compare the horses in your stall to those from the early 20th century, or even those of your childhood; they’re nothing alike! The New York times summed it up perfectly when they said the industry is “Breeding for Speed, Ignoring Durability”. Racehorses today are “precocious, fast and fragile runners” and they’re less sound than ever. 60 years ago the average American racehorse made 11.3 starts a year, now it’s closer to 5. The most expensive sires barely register on the durability list, and on average, for thoroughbreds, only about 71% of offspring make it to the track.
Horseracing used to be a pasttime and now it’s a business. In turn, the auction market has literally changed the physical characteristics of the modern racehorse; they’re hyper muscular, toed-in, wide-chested, and lighter-boned horses built for speed. You didn’t hear of these catastrophic accidents and deaths 60-70 years ago.
Again, with all due respect, care and love becomes irrelevant when you are dealing with the purpose bred, extremely fragile creatures
This headline is classic. “Colt Bleeds Out…Owner Sad”
Thank you, Patrick.
Colt didn’t bleed out. They don’t even know the entire story and quoting things that weren’t said. The entire article is false and should be taken down. 30 years and 100s of horses for me and this is the first one I’ve ever lost on the racetrack. You people have zero idea of what goes on with us. Come walk in my shoes and come work with me. You’ll see how much they are loved and well taken care of. I invite anyone and all.
If you love horses in an unselfish way and not for the money you might earn from purse winnings and/or wagering, you would not put the horse’s life at risk by running it so hard. You can make excuses all day long for the rest of your life but the fact remains you chose to force the horse to run at top speed and the horse died. The horse’s death is your responsibility!!!!!
Misti,
I’m not here to pile on, but I am truly curious about people who love horses wanting to have anything to do with racing them? Horses may love to run, but in a field, on their own terms–no drugs or whips. With the appalling number of horse deaths every year on United States tracks, I don’t see how this qualifies as a sport. Can you imagine any other sport where the athletes die in such numbers? If you love horses, you can enjoy them in so many different, non-lethal ways.
Yes, we do know because we’ve been there.
What do u owners do with a horse’s that dont win or make u money? Bullet , killers?
Okay, clearly you still don’t understand that most of us are long-time horse people ourselves. And as much as I’d love to keep debating the “merits” of racing with you, I need to get to mine. Thank you for caring for your horses that don’t race, as well as those whose racing career is (thankfully!) over, Misti. But, please (and this applies to all racing industry folks, as well), stop inviting us to visit racing barns/stables/backstretches, so that we can “see firsthand how well cared-for/loved/pampered/worshiped the horses are.” We know, believe me. But we also know what’s behind that curtain of so-called care for the extreme vast majority of racehorses. And it’s truly the ugliest, most horrific sight, and cannot be unseen.
That’s why we will win this war, and U.S. horse racing will be shut down.
Your colt didn’t bleed out? – “His lungs were full. Something burst…”? – if not blood, Misti, what were his lungs full of? Lungs full of blood and the horse dying due to that? – he bled out.
Even on Lasix, the extreme exertion of being made to run as fast as physically possible causes pulmonary vessels to burst. Being purposefully dehydrated BEFORE running a race is just cruelty – and it says something about the extreme exertion these horses are under when pulmonary vessels STILL burst when hypovolemic.
You need to make up your mind. “He didn’t bleed out” but above you say “his lungs were full”. You think they were full of water?
tell that to the 100’s of horses that have suffered and died on the track for your entertainment
So agree
Shameful and tragic.
Misti is totally ignorant to the whole racing industry. She sounds like a newbie. Hopefully she will hear more about what goes on in the racing industry and why all of these animals are just dying out of nowhere.
I just read that she is not a newbie, which is even more shocking because she acts so surprised. I know all about the horse racing industry, ever since I was about 7 years old. If you don’t think there is anything wrong with the horse racing industry Misty, then you’re living under a rock. The amount of doping that they do still goes on all across the country. When you’re having two and three year old horses dropping like flies, you really have to ask yourself why are these horses dying? Horses can live up to 28 years old and more, but for some odd reason in the horse racing industry they’re lucky if they live to be seven or eight years old. You really have to ask yourself what is going on, your horse is not the first horse to have this happen to hundreds have succumb to horrible deaths. Please rethink the horse racing industry, it is not kind to animals in any way. These horses are pushed to the Limit. They die of broken legs, aneurysms etcetera, these are not natural deaths, they are induced deaths due to the racing industry. Horse racing must end!
30 years…good luck with being a newbie. Actually born into it and I’m proud of my family for being the good ones in the business. If you guys want to ask questions I’ll gladly answer.
How can you not see that the horseracing industry that you were born into is killing horses? How can you not see that racehorses are being used as gambling chips in every race that they are entered in?
Lol. Everyone is the good guy in the business. I spent 15 years in the business and 95% are slime balls yet 100% claim to be the good guy. If you are involved in horse racing you are complicit in the abuse and slaughter.
Are there “good” abusers?
Sport of kings my ass.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
If you want to place a bet guaranteed to win bet that horses will continue to die at California race tracks.
If I got donations like you do I’d have more horses here to care for. I go out of my way to make sure horses are taken care of. I honestly don’t have much more time to discuss this because it’s starting to get hot here today and I need to be out with the animals. If you go back and watch my colts race you’ll see that the rider never hit him with a stick or anything. As a matter of fact he actually was trying to hold the horse back because he didn’t want him to run any faster than he wanted to. If there was even a chance that he could have been saved I would spend every dollar I have. We are middle class working people and horses haven’t made a dent in what they cost. Again, $5100 purse winnings doesn’t pay my feed bill each month. Yes people are jerks and there’s plenty of sorry people in the business. But point blame on those guys that don’t care and point blame on those guys that do abuse. Accidents happen. I’ve had horses walk through a fence and get hurt, I’ve had a perfectly fine mare that’s been hauled from coast to coast that I needed to load to go to the vet for a check up and she died from an aneurysm walking to the trailer, I’ve spent 1000s of dollars trying to save a horse that wasn’t worth $500 because someone starved it. I clean up plenty of messes that others leave. I wish I could do more but again I don’t get donations. I’m sorry you have been around the bad ones and take advantage of an accident that can’t be prevented.
“Take advantage of an accident that can’t be prevented.” How dare you. You raced him; you killed him.
Misti,
If it is such a financial strain, why on earth do you do it? I’m confused. Yes, I have horses, and I know they can have accidents anywhere; however, when people truly love their horses, they don’t intentionally put them in harm’s way.
It’s getting hot there? – what does that have to do with anything? – didn’t you run Hunkette in the blazing heat? And FYI, for being around horses for 30 years, I’m amazed you don’t know it is anatomically impossible for a horse to swallow her tongue…like you claimed your filly did – was that when she struggled to come in 40-some lengths behind? – or maybe one of the two where she was 20-some lengths behind? Well whatever day it was, as Broughton Farm mentioned, it was going to be a “HOT ONE”.
You make zero sense, I think you’re full of BS. You’re “middle class working people” but your monthly feed bill is more than the median family income in the US?
And if you’ve got horses walking through fences and getting hurt, I suggest a fencing change.
It’s not magically delicious but it is somehow magical that you can have so much experience (wow, 30 years, as if no one else has any experience with horses) and yet be so magically clueless as to what happened to the horse that you magically refuse to take responsibility for his death.
Misti,
There were also many slave owners who treated their slaves well (in comparison to other slave owners). They too thought of themselves as good people. But the people they enslaved were still slaves. It doesn’t matter how well you think you treat your horses nor how many years you have been in the racing industry nor how much money you’ve spent on the horses. Horse racing is still cruel and unjust just as slavery is cruel and unjust.
Horses are fragile beings, you say Misti? – they certainly are – yet you make your living by putting those fragile beings at an increased risk of injury and death by making them participate in an activity even industry members admit is dangerous for horse and rider.
“Money isn’t why I run a horse. It’s because the horse loves it.” 1), of course money is why you run a horse! – it’s how you make your living! – are you telling us you’d be doing this for the last 30 years for FREE? – if that’s the case, please give your share of Eagle Down’s earnings to one of the racehorse rescues that are struggling to feed and fix the horses discarded by your beloved industry. And 2), if the horse loves it, then PLEASE, let him – of his own accord, without a whip-wielding jockey on his back, without bets being placed on his order of finish, without any number of the legal (and illegal) drugs in his system, without his tongue tied and his mouth bitted…just LET him.
For those of us here who share our lives with horses and love them like family (unlike industry members who just claim they do), we can’t imagine risking their well-being, their lives, by racing them. You admit there are “bad guys in the business” yet you put your horses in races where it’s highly likely the “bad guys” have horses running, too – injured, drugged, leg(s) they can’t feel from ESWT too close to race time – but you take the chance one of those horses doesn’t go down right in front of your own. Misti, when we TRULY love our horses, we do everything in our power to MINIMIZE the risks for these fragile beings. Yes, they can become ill or injured all “on their own” – and they will, as all living beings do, eventually die. But racing horses doesn’t minimize risk of death, it increases it…as Jay Hovdey said it best, racing “put[s] their lives on the line”.
And I have to wonder where all of your “100’s of horses” you’ve had/raced are…
Please accept my love and sympathy for the loss of your horse It is tragic because they are
So kind hearted and innocent just devastating.
Please know that many of us really do care and feel your pain. God Bless
To All involved in The Horse Racing Industry:
Whenever you involve any animal to be used and abused for human entertainment and / or to make money for you , it is called animal abuse.
This is the truth.
Not only the horse has lost its freedom; but also, it is being used and abused as a money making machine.
This is not love.
This is animal abuse.
How would you feel if the same was done to you?
Would you feel loved?
Please answer honestly.
Misti
Please take time to rethink and feel everything.
Racing horses to death is simply not ok.
The reason to post that video is so that the world sees the true horror of the racing industry. I’d be shocked if the horse’s lungs were “full” before the race – he would not have been able to run. So something DURING the race damaged his lungs. Racing is a brutal, cruel “sport”, no matter how much you love and pet your animal.
It sounds like the horse could have had a pulmonary hemorrhage or embolism but Misti has had 30 years of experience after being born into horseracing and acts magically innocent and refuses to admit she did anything wrong. She is just magically clueless. It was something wrong with the horse. The horse had an abnormality. That attitude is typical of incorrigible criminals who will never change their behavior because they refuse to admit to anything and refuse to apologize. They refuse to do anything differently. The abnormality the horse, EAGLE DOWN, had is called Misti Broughton.
#Endhorseracing
Misti states it was her first horse to die on the track…how many were bred and didn’t make the grade to race and were sent directly to meat auctions? how many were sold to auction after short unsuccessful careers? how many were injured and sent to meat auctions? Misti, we aren’t stupid and if you have been in this business for 30 years you aren’t either. How many of your horses went to sanctuaries? Rescues? And what have you contributed to Former Race Horse Rescues?
Misti will not answer your questions because, like all those in the business, she will never be truthful.
Lies and deceit are integral to racing.
Just another so-called ‘owner’ bleating how much she loved her horses, how much she cared for them…..yea right, loved them all the way to the bank and when that stopped, loved them even more when she got the slaughterhouse money for them or the insurance money if they died ‘in an accident’ Well, that’s love for you…..
I want to say one thing about racehorses that no longer can race for whatever reason. People normally do not keep a racehorse if it can no longer race. They are not considered family pets, in fact some owners prevent attachment with the racehorse. They are strictly for profit. In Pennsylvania some of these racehorses are brought to livestock sales not to be sold, but to be connected with a driver in a truck transporting them to Canada or Mexico to a slaughter house. Many of these magnificent horses are already in poor shape and hidden from public sight and beaten into trucks. Some die while on the trip because the trucks are not securing their bodies as they travel. It’s sickening to think of the abuse these horses endure after their racing career is completed.
Misti,and all of you,if an activity leads the majority of the time to SLAUGHTER….then,it’s a big time FUCKING no. I love animals more than people. Go bet on people.
Aptly put. Soo agree
Nailed it, Bonnie!!
Our family bred Morgans for 50+ years, we just lost our last at age 32!! We always attended the Saratoga races until a 3 year old filly won a race and suddenly went down just after the finish line? Blue sheet, but no information. Unfortunately, Blue sheet is the death knell. Nothing was said, they just cleaned up the death, how did they get her into the trailer/really? Everyone raced (get it) to cash in their $2 bets and nothing was said about the winning filly? Cruel? My husband searched for information and discovered the truth from HORSE RACINGS WRONGS. Enough is enough. We have never attended another race.
The same thing happened to me. I used to love going to Saratoga, stupid as I once was. I was cheering on a 3 year old gelding who actually WON the race and dropped dead after the finish line. I was speechless and what was more horrific to me was that the announcer didn’t say much at all to acknowledge the poor horse’s death. There was a pause while they whisked the horse away, and then on with the show….No remorse for the horse, not even an acknowledgement. Sick!! And this is at the “boutique” Saratoga. I will never set foot in that place (or any other track) again, unless they make it a museum, which is what it should be.
Melnickt,and all the others who witnessed the absolute horror of seeing a horse die BECAUSE of a stupid ass race,I have total empathy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOTAL. I will never get that look on the face of the gorgeous chestnut I loved SOOOOO much out of my mind, it has scarred me for life, and fuels my hatred of this useless,unnecessary nonsense….that is NOT a ‘sport’.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ouisa.
What’s it going to take before this place is shut down? I seriously can’t believe it’s still open. All I hear about is horses… BEAUTIFUL MAJESTIC CREATURES. These beautiful animals wouldn’t ever hurt anything, damn they’re even vegetarian! Where are the animal abuse laws? Where are all these so called animal protective organizations?? When is somebody going to step up for these sweet beautiful animals??? C’mon people, I’m sick of opening up my email just to see how many more horse’s have been killed or somehow died at this place.
Misti, you are full of shit. The naivete and superficiality in your words indicate either a really, really young person or an incredibly dumb one.
You make me sick.
Humans are still savage and there is nno doubt about it. The species that pays the price for this is animals. What a bunch of heartless human scum forcing horses to race just to make money. Horses should be living their truth, living as it was designed for them to live not the way humans want them to live. But humans would sell their mother if it was profitable. Sorry but I am heart broken and furious at the same time.
Misti, wrong platform to cry crocodile tears. No, we do not feel sorry for you, nor do we care to hear how much you loved Eagle Down! You raced him, you killed him, you do not love him! You are insolent and heartless. Just like the rest of your “buddies” in this horrific, antiquated industry. If you have even a shred of decency or heart, get out of this industry and start caring for and really loving your horses… the way they deserved to be loved. And if you are unable of true love and empathy, find a hobby that doesn’t involve abusing, maiming and killing beautiful animals!
Right on, Andrea. Misti is a self-righteous, attention seeking drama queen, born into horseracing and proud of it, that wants to believe that we are all stupider than sticks and cannot put two and two together. She wants us to believe that somehow she is not responsible for putting her horse’s life at high risk of injuries by entering him in a race, thereby causing his death. EAGLE DOWN died of internal injuries induced by being expected to run faster than the other horses in the race and fast enough to win the race. So, according to a horse-killer, this horse had “an abnormality” and EAGLE DOWN could have had his lungs fill up with blood (for no apparent reason) by just playing in the pasture. Wow! That is really special!
For anyone who believes that incredible load of bullshit, there is someone out there who has a bridge for sale; the Brooklyn bridge.
You’re right, Andrea! I definitely have no sympathy for a filthy liar that kills a horse and “is proud of her horseracing heritage” and will not humble herself to take responsibility for her own actions that caused the death of EAGLE DOWN.
#Endhorseracing
SPEAKING OF ABUSIVE HORSE TRAINERS- and ABUSERS OF HORSES
https://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/baffert-suspended-horses-dqd/
Baffert suspended, horses DQ’d
Posted on Jul 16, 2020 by Fund for Horses
You must be as tired of hearing about Baffert as we are of reporting on him. Today we post only to follow up on his suspected doping at Oaklawn Park. The results, as they say, are in.
The BloodHorse reports:
Open quote
Oaklawn Park stewards have announced a 15-day suspension for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert after two of his standout horses failed post-race drug tests May 2 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track.
Following a July 13 hearing, the stewards forwarded decisions, dated July 14 and announced July 15, calling for a Baffert’s suspension beginning Aug. 1, and the disqualification of both Charlatan, who won a division of the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1), and Gamine, a filly who won an allowance-level race on the same card and later won the Longines Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in record time.
Baffert is appealing the decision. While no one could care less about a suspension than Bob Baffert, he doesn’t like the DQ’ing of his horses. Please just go away Bob.
15 days? That’s all???
A 15-day suspension does not sound like much but to have the two drugged horses that “won” their respective races be disqualified is priceless. All winning purse money must be forfeited, to the best of my knowledge. Baffert and the owners will take a hit in the pocketbook or bank account which is awesome!!! That is a language they can understand. Meanwhile, Baffert will be able to “train by proxy” through an “acceptable” assistant if one does exist. It’s about time he got ‘slapped on the wrist’ even though it isn’t enough. At least it’s something to acknowledge that there was cheating going on. Now for horseracing to be banned!!! Onward march!!!!
#Endhorseracing
Wow, the owner is sad, he/she should be, making the horse run! Only sad because the horse can’t be raced anymore, he’s DEAD! This just gets worse everyday!
Horse racing is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! Sure, horse owners and trainers love their horses, but they clearly love their horses making them money more than their pure love for the horses, because nobody who owns an animal and loves that animal would force the animal to do something that is killing other animals. I encourage all of you in the industry to reread that last sentence. And while they claim that horses love to run, which is very true about horses, they love to run when they want to run; not when they’re forced to run. Forcing a horse to run on your schedule is pure, shameful negligence, and clearly puts your pathetic greediness above the well-being of the horse. More than 60 horses have died at California race tracks in 2020 thus far, and we are barely halfway thru the year. To race your horse knowing very well that your horse may die doing so is extremely greedy and heartless, and shows all too clearly that HORSE RACING IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, AND NOT ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOUR HORSE. I welcome any opposing opinions and am eager to read your rationalizations.
Michael, I agree with you wholeheartedly. One commenter referred to people who exploit their horses for money as loving them all the way to the bank. Well said!
Well said, Michael. But I’m afraid you won’t be getting much in the way of opposing opinions. In my limited experience, Misti, here, is the exception. Nearly all others who are still actively involved in this anti-sport have taken their act underground. They’re ashamed. They’re embarrassed. And, they’ve got no retort with which to defend their disgusting addiction to horse killing. I do give credit to Misti for at least caring enough to keep her (surviving) ex-racers around and fed, if that is in fact the case for all of them.
In other words, I’m pretty confident we won’t be hearing from any of the others, like, say…Joshua C. Faulkner, for instance. Today, JOSHUA C. FAULKNER earned himself nearly all the “glory” to be had for killing off Hopper Hunter in Race 7 at Woodbine. Since Joshua C. Faulkner is the sole Breeder, Owner, Trainer, and Killer of poor HH (I’m still trying to figure out how he wasn’t his jockey, as well), one would think he’d be happy (sad) to try and explain his horse’s death to us. Especially since, prior to today, JOSHUA C. FAULKNER had kept poor, 3-year-old HH sidelined from racing for the past NINE MONTHS. Hmmmmmm…
I suppose that Joshua (C. Faulkner, in case you forgot) just didn’t feel like he wanted to race his (beloved) horse for all this time. And this breakdown and on-track euthanasia of Hopper Hunter today, well, that was just one of those “unpreventable” accidents that HH “just as easily could have had while playing in a field,” since he had clearly “loved to race.”
Whoops, *EDIT: Thistledown, not Woodbine. Sorry, Joshua C. Faulkner;)!
By not admitting to their abuse of their horses which includes killing them in one way or another, they (the pro-racing people) “protect” themselves. At least, as individuals they can fool some of the people but they can’t fool well-informed people about how horrible horseracing is for the horses and for people who are appalled and horrified by the cold, callous and casual destruction of equine life. By casual, I mean that it is just part of the program, the routine. Killing horses in horseracing appears to be a “mundane” activity in horseracing.
#Endhorseracing
Every day I receive more deaths of horses from Horseracing Wrongs in my e-mail. I’m totally shocked at the horrifying deaths that these beautiful animals experience. The pain and terror that the horses must feel is totally ignored by the participants at the race tracks. Of course, you don’t hear it on the news anywhere. What would happen if we saw photos on the TV news of the details and closeups of the joints of the legs that have been twisted and splintered? Would that make a lot of people sick to their stomachs? Would it help the viewers to fight for cancellation of this abuse and cruel sport? The media certainly have a way of not pursuing the true story behind horseracing. Wonder what’s behind that!