Saratoga, again. Giuseppe the Great was euthanized today for “severe laminitis.” For those who may try to dismiss this as a “non-racing” casualty – read: “not on us” – that old sleight of hand won’t work anymore. First, any horse who dies whilst still in servitude to the industry is an industry casualty. Full stop. But second, Giuseppe the Great was very much active in this current Saratoga meet: raced twice (after two spring starts at Saratoga’s sister track, Belmont), worked out three times. So yes, Nick Zito, you and all your brethren own this kill, just the same as if Giuseppe had snapped his neck or severed his spine (yes, that happens) out on the track.
Giuseppe makes it 6 dead this week at Saratoga, 9 since last Friday, 15 on the summer. Officially, the track now stands at one over its historical average. In other words, ignore all their blather (“reforms,” “safety initiatives”). Horseracing is inherently cruel and inevitably deadly.
This killing of horses is insane. The killing never stops at Saratoga. Can’t someone step in and put a stop to this insane and unnecessary racing and killing of racehorses??????
Hello, humane society, Governor, anybody???
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Fifteen, huh, Saratoga? Seems like only yesterday y’all were boasting about how super-safe that new Spa surface was for your “precious” athletes. Great drainage, you raved. Record-low horse deaths, claimed your NYRA lackeys. Oh, but that was waaaay back on August 2nd, when you were still pretending you could keep the deaths at “only” three for the meet.
But don’t feel too bad about all your horse killing, New Yorkers. You’re far from alone. Here, out west, Del Mar decided to use Derby day for its “first” racing death of the meet. Plus, our good friends at Los Alamitos just vanned off TWO MORE horses in the LAST HOUR.
So, see? Everything is just fine in the wonderful world of horse killing/racing.
Another horse–over and over again. Today is the first time in a few years that I refused to watch the Kentucky Derby. No more support from me and I’ll ask my friends to give up any support for this atrocity called horse racing. For all individuals who were also naïve about horse racing, please stop your support! We, as humans, need to care for these beautiful animals with compassion and caring.
Just where and when will this heinous atrocity stop???? Day after day, worldwide, racehorses are dying, racehorses are suffering and racehorses are being sent to slaughter, and for what…..so heartless, gutless, brain-dead POS can make money on these innocent animal’s utter misery, pain and servitude. Oh but we mustn’t forget that these so-called owners, trainers and jockeys LOVE their horses, year all the way to the bank!!!
I cannot support horseracing as too many horses die and pay the price. This must be stopped!
Horse racing has always been a barbaric sport, just like dog racing.
What’s eating away at the thoroughbred industry?
Licensing! We license some of the worse people possible. They have no desire to become horsemen. They know very little about the horse and how to train one. Read the form. It’s all right there.
The test is ridiculous when you think about what is at stake. Horsemen are becoming a thing of the past. Any of us probably can point to less than a dozen. So very few trainers know that when horses reach 5 years old, they go through a mental change. They become adults, if you will. How many times have you seen an older horse get a freshening and expected to need one, romp with top speed numbers? Only to be run back in 21-28 days and watch the numbers digress, race after race. Now, the horse is mentally ruined because he told his trainer, the only way he knows how to communicate and got ignored. Now he starts a pattern of cheating. He gave up. Why? Because his trainer has no desire to become a horseman.
The fix: Anyone applying for a trainers license must take a horsemanship course, designed to teach about speed horses and stayers and the vast difference in training. Training the horses mind. Knowing how to get a horse ready for 2 turns without it being a big surprise. A course that also sets them on a path to horsemanship. I mark really nice horses to stable mail and watch 80% of them go right down hill due to shear ignorance. I’m SICK of it. Back in 1972, I remember full fields, all day. I also remember no shortage of true horsemen. As they died off, they left us with pretenders. They intern turned out more pretenders. It’s time to stop this destructive snowball and teach trainers how to train. Make testing far more intensive. Employ real horsemen to put together a course that works..
Okay now, Millennials. All at once, OKAY BOOMER!!!
Are you going to bitch or get the right thing done. I know that answer too. BITCH!
“Getting the right thing done” is ending this vile, rotten-to-the-core industry.
Jason Reed,
You need to take a course in horsemanship if you think it is okay to force young, underdeveloped horses to run fast on a race track or training track. Forcing horses at the age of 18 months to 24 months of age to begin race training and actual racing is so wrong! It is wrong to force underdeveloped horses to perform as though they are or were adults. Horses are said to be fully developed at the age of six-years-old. That is 60 (sixty) months old. It is not just about their psychological development. Their physical maturity is essential to performance. Racing is cruel and sadistic and barbaric and inhumane!!!! It needs to be terminated from government subsidies. Period.
Correction: 5-years-old is 60 months; 6-years-old is 72 months. Is it not obvious that forcing horses to run at 18-months-old to 24-months-old is sadistic, barbaric, cruel torture of a horse???
Oh do I ever WISH that the only thing we did (and to do) was BITCH about this antiquated and unnecessary gambling industry that chews horses up and spits them out, Jason Reed – just BITCHING would be so much easier on my mind, heart and bank account. But instead, we RESCUE the horses your industry cripples and discards…day after day after day. And we STILL cannot save them all.