To those who profit from, bet on, watch, or otherwise support horseracing, the burden falls to justify the following in 21st Century America.
Some of the racehorses killed in 2021 (I have not included California, Maryland, and Kentucky deaths; those states provided the most detail and merit stand-alone views):
Love Train, Jan 25, Louisiana
“fell – acute head trauma”
Djokovien, Feb 23, Delaware
“severe, acute pulmonary hemorrhage coming off track”
Sisters Cartel, Mar 6, Louisiana
“fractured pelvis, severed muscle, [bled out]” (first-ever race)
Bombay Shaker, Apr 3, Louisiana
“[broke both left legs]” (two years old)
In For the Chase, May 14, Illinois
“horse dropped and died – likely due to extensive hemorrhage within the lungs”
Brakeaway Dash, May 18, Louisiana
“fell – fractured skull, fractured spine”
Scatalycat, Jun 12, Washington
“comminuted, compound fractures [both] forelimbs”
Splash, Jun 19, Delaware
“sudden death” (two years old; chart said: “stopped abruptly”)
Classy Cay, Jun 19, North Dakota
“stumbled, collapsed – fractured both front legs”
Great Scott, Jun 19, Washington
“[broke both shoulders] – comminuted, acute, severe”
Lotta Jb, Jun 19, Wyoming
“shattered knee” (two years old, second-ever race)
Shacks Your Daddy, Jun 22, Illinois
“severe diarrhea, severe colic – horse expired [not euthanized, just died] in stall”
Siesta Moon, Jul 13, New Jersey
“crashed through metal gate: humerus shattered into approximately 11 distinct fragments and numerous small, crushed fragments”
Love Conquers, Jul 16, Louisiana
“collapsed after wire – sudden death”
Commander Chachi, Jul 21, Ohio
“collapsed and died during morning workout – multiple pulmonary blood clots”
Donut Lord, Jul 29, Virginia
“acute cardio-respiratory failure, pleural hemorrhages” (two years old)
Fame to Famous, Aug 3, New Jersey
“severe, acute laminitis – all four feet” (four years old)
Son of Patriot, Aug 5, Louisiana
“acute open [through the skin] fracture in gate”
Diction, Aug 5, Washington
“[broke] both forelimbs, severely ruptured ligaments”
Abiding Star, Aug 7, New Jersey
“collapsed [and died] – severe epistaxis [bleeding from nose]”
Relentless Oatman, Aug 7, Wyoming
“fractured knee, euthanized on track” (two years old, first-ever race, won the race)
Chublicious, Aug 8, New Jersey
“wide exposure of the MC3, bone separated into three fracture components, small amount of tissue holding the site together, heavy contamination with dirt and gravel, complete rupture and tearing of multiple tendons and ligaments”
Cousin, Aug 11, Ohio
“collapsed and died – [multiple] hemorrhages, head, neck, chest”
Belle’s Cachet, Aug 16, Virginia
“extensive hemorrhages in small intestine”
The Tabulator, Aug 19, Ohio
“[multiple] open [through the skin], compound fractures”
Knockout Punch, Aug 21, New Jersey
“severe, complete neck fracture, fragments displaced into the surrounding tattered musculature”
Yeahiknow, Sep 3, Ohio
“collapsed and died” (after finishing last, 28 lengths back)
Dame of the West, Sep 11, Washington
“[broke both front limbs]”
Very Best Skunk, Sep 13, Indiana
“found deceased – abdominal hemorrhage”
King of Miami, Sep 16, Illinois
“collapsed and died – pulmonary hemorrhage”
Make the Call, Sep 22, Ohio
“collapsed, agonal breathing, died”
Wall Streete, Sep 25, Idaho
“traumatic injury after collision with inside rail” (two years old)
Executive Trust, Sep 26, New Mexico
“[broke two legs] past wire”
Three Amigos, Sep 29, Illinois
“chronic, severe degenerative osteoarthritis; no rescue would accept [him]” (four years old)
Golden Lily, Oct 5, Illinois
“came off track in respiratory and cardiac distress – collapsed, paddled, and died”
Cornstalker, Oct 6, Colorado
“acute 180° colonic torsion with rupture”
Sassy Coyote, Oct 8, Illinois
“hit head, seized, and bled from nose, mouth, and ears”
Kings Beach, Oct 10, Ohio
“fractured bone into at least nine fragments, tissues torn and shredded”
Ghost Dancer, Oct 11, New Mexico
“sick three days; found deceased in stall” (two years old)
She’s All I Need, Oct 11, Oklahoma
“explosion fracture”
Briannas Gift, Oct 20, Louisiana
“fell – [broke both front legs]” (second-ever race)
Hail Michigan, Oct 23, Virginia
“fell over a jump and was dead by the time vet arrived”
Cajun Moon, Oct 28, Illinois
“jockey heard a pop: [multiple] fractures”
Insane Lifestyle, Nov 1, Illinois
“collapsed on track dead with blood in nostrils”
Flash Patriarch, Nov 23, Ohio
“found dead in stall around 7 am – cecal rupture” (three years old)
Mora Valley, Nov 26, Illinois
“yesterday the horse had profuse bloody diarrhea; found dead this morning”
Shark Control, Nov 29, Ohio
“suddenly broke cannon when asked to accelerate…caught after about 200 yards”
Half Cocked, Nov 30, Arizona
“severe, acute avulsion fracture; joint is disarticulated with bone exposure and hemorrhage in surrounding tissue”
Naughty Swagger, Dec 14, Arizona
“collapsed, fell, and died past wire: complete fracture of the second cervical vertebrae with exposure of the spinal cord – [cord] partially severed”
Pocket Money, Dec 31, Louisiana
“fractured pelvis, fractured femur” (second-ever race)
From my perspective, (i.e., as a retired Career R.N.), one of the many things which I find to be astonishingly sad —[and fatally ironic for all these poor, doomed horses!]— is that when a horse, as in the Above photo, collapses on track, all the betting folks in the stands and those watching on TV ………… seem to express some degree of “relief” that human beings ………… just VERY quickly “rush out” TO the poor, downed horse ………… to “DO something.”
As you know, those folks (who profit from, bet on, watch, or otherwise support horseracing) completely/sadly fail to recognize ………… **The Truly Breathtaking Evil Within These Particular Human Beings**, i.e., right-in-front-of-their-eyes on the TRACK ………… ~and~ also within THEMSELVES, too.
The “evil” inside of human beings is seemingly bottomless.
To understand a situation fully and to recognize the full implications of; to appreciate.
Horseracing is definitely evil. The evil, the moral depravity of this magnitude, cannot be reformed.
No dubious database can change this evil.
#HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
Regarding the toe grabs and other traction devices on horseshoes, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is “really” looking out for the horses by reducing the musculoskeletal injuries common to the use of toe grabs and other traction devices on horseshoes during training and racing. With fewer horses being injured, there will be more horses to fill the race cards.
Quote from PR article: “Lower racehorse attrition will enhance racetrack welfare by having greater racehorse inventory to fill races, larger race fields, and consequently greater pari-mutuel betting.”
Well, I’m only surprised that they admit that “racetrack welfare” is much more important than the “welfare of horses” used for racing.
Wouldn’t you know that the all-important thing is inventory of horses to fill races. 😑
If this isn’t vomit-worthy, what is!!!!?
A testament to the unadulterated violence of this so called sport.
I couldn’t bring myself to complete reading the list of catastrophic injuries and deaths. What is it going to take to shake the authorities and racing communities out of their unacceptable complacency? Must it take witnessing horrible breakdown (be patient! one is surely coming your way racing fans and bettors!) at every track, every day to stop this? Just imagine if this was basketball, or hockey? In every game a player is badly injured or dies? How long do you think it would continue before people in every walk of life would say. “What is going on? This can’t continue!” But…because these are horses, and they are the pawns of brutal, greedy, owners, trainers and subjects of betters who think they’ll get rich without having to work a day in their life, few people really care enough to speak up. And we have the unmitigated gall to call ourselves “humans”? Not!
Right, ladypurr9; the unmitigated gall to say that they “love horses” and participate in this horrendously unacceptable abuse of horses AND attempt to “defend” it as owners, trainers, jockeys, exercise riders, grooms, lawyers, and the list goes on.