A timely follow-up to yesterday’s post on the different types of racing people…
At first blush, this seems a good story, and indeed the end – a horse being saved from slaughter – is. But then there’s the rest of the story, a classic example of that delusion (cognitive dissonance perhaps?) I wrote about. While Mr. Miller presents himself as some sort of hero – virtue signaling at its worst, by the way – he is in fact anything but. Seemingly lost (by him) amid his great “self-sacrifice,” are all the hallmarks of what make this industry so vile:
“This dude always raced his heart out for me never missing checks. … This dude is the reason I could afford my first new truck.” (all emphases are mine)
Worse: “I leased him for awhile; had him claimed [bought].”
And worst of all: “Unfortunately I made the decision to retire him from racing due to an injury. Last I heard he was doing great as a barrel race horse.”
So, Mr. Miller, you exploited this poor animal for all he was worth, then you dumped him, directly or indirectly, into another abusive industry (“retired from racing” he was not). And you dumped him injured. And now you want us to laud you for saving him from slaughter? ‘Twould be risible if not for the deadly gravity of it all.
they all should have homes not slaughtered. all of them. every single one.
On Sun, Jan 9, 2022 at 9:35 AM Horseracing Wrongs wrote:
> Patrick Battuello posted: “A timely follow-up to yesterday’s post on the > different types of racing people… At first blush, this seems a good > story, and indeed the end – a horse being saved from slaughter – is. But > then there’s the rest of the story, a classic example of ” >
Incredible, isn’t it? – a horse RETIRED due to an injury becomes a BARREL horse? – you exposed a HUGE red flag with that revelation, Mr. Miller.
Scares the hell out of me that Miller is now going to be “responsible” for this fella. It’s the knee-jerk reactions when taking on the responsibility of an animal that requires an enormous amount of time and money (not to mention the need to have at least one other equine to provide the security and companionship horses crave) – and typically for many years – that set horses up for bad outcomes. Texas Shoot K isn’t safe by any stretch of the imagination.
I agree, Joy.
I wish I could believe Miller but there are too many red flags.
I hate to be so cynical, but I wonder was he saving the horse or saving face for the moment.
Spot on, Joy.
Well I am prepared to give some credit where credit is due, he could have just walked away.
That’s it – no more. The treatment of all race horses makes me so sad and so angry too.
Ray, Miller and every other individual who used Texas Shoot K is responsible for him and it’s an expectation that they provide for him for life. That life should be one of safety, security and the enrichment all horses deserve – they never asked to be born and used. Texas Shoot K was another “lucky” racehorse headed to slaughter as he was noticed in the kill pen and presented to the public, begging for salvation…tens of thousands of horseracing’s unwanted and discarded aren’t so lucky.
Could Miller have chosen to do nothing? – of course, and many do. But just as I don’t deserve an OUNCE of credit for taking care of my animals for the whole of their lives (and not one of mine bought me a new truck), neither does Miller. Making CERTAIN Texas Shoot K was safe and happy for life was the least Miller and all of the gelding’s other connections SHOULD have done – that’s a simple expectation and there’s nothing heroic about it.
It seems like a desperate cry for attention which is really sad and pathetic. He wants attention that he did all this stuff with the horse within his subculture of harness racing. He seems to want more attention by posting this stuff on social media and saying more or less “look, see what I did. I did this wonderful thing. I saved the horse (that I made enough money off of to buy a truck) from slaughter and I am going to feed him…drum roll… carrots!!!!” It’s so pathetic that it’s just sickening. He got a call from someone that TEXAS SHOOT K was in a kill pen and the green USDA SLAUGHTER TAG is still attached to the horse’s withers. The condition of this horse is questionable. His hair looks like he has been rained on. How many miles away is the kill pen from his house? Couldn’t Jordan Miller have taken a few more pictures to show what the kill pen looks like and what “deplorable” conditions he brought his horse out of?
The place where they are standing doesn’t look all that comfy for a horse especially when the weather gets bad. The horse doesn’t look happy and I can’t help but think that the horse expects to be used again. That is to say for something other than an opportunistic photo shoot.
And Wanda, take a good look at the gelding’s legs in the photo with Miller – I’ll bet my life that wasn’t done when he was “barrel racing” (insert eye roll) and we can be certain not done in the kill pen but instead, by those who loved him like their own child and treated him better than their own family members. GEEZ what kind of horrific lives do those children and family members live?!?
Joy, I saw the pattern of dots on his cannon bones below his knees and hocks. I have not seen that particular pattern before but I have seen the pattern of holes on a Thoroughbred racehorse’s front cannon bones, a tell-tale sign that the horse had been pin-fired.
Same idea, these are freeze-marks. Freeze firing is more common in STBs but I did have an OTTB with those ugly marks up and down his front legs, as well as pin fire marks. Kinda hints to some issues, right? It didn’t matter, my poor guy was raced til 11. Talk about used and abused.
Funny thing, a vet I took my horse to said that though those have been standard treatment modalities, after much study, it has been proven that both treatments are pointless. But, the racing community continues to do both.
There is such a thing as feeding a horse too many carrots. Feeding a horse too many carrots can cause certain health problems. Does this guy, Jordan Miller, really know or care about feeding his horse a balanced and healthy diet that won’t cause an imbalance of vitamins and minerals, colic, choking, or some other condition that will cause pain and suffering to the horse? It just sounds incredibly stupid to me to read what he says about his horse living out his life getting lots of carrots as if everyone is supposed to be impressed by the feeding of carrots to a horse that Jordan Miller already exploited to the maximum point that he could without actually killing his horse himself. What about hay and a small amount of grain if TEXAS SHOOT K needs the extra feed to keep weight on, in other words, a healthy body score? How about turning his horse out on a pasture that is fit for equines and not forced to stand in a mud pen?
It is because of YOU, Jordan, that this horse ended up in the deplorable surroundings he was in. You exploited him, you had him claimed – even after he earned you all kinds of money – then sold him into further servitude knowing full well he was injured. You betrayed him, almost to his death. I have no idea how you can look that horse in the eye. I even have my doubts about you keeping him rather than throwing him out to some other “good home” when the newness of your heroics wears off.