In the 5th at Churchill May 14, Scales of Justice, said the chart, “went wrong near the half-mile pole then was pulled up and vanned off.” In fact, according to the Racing Commission, the 4-year-old’s injury – “[multiple] fractures, complete disruption of the suspensory apparatus” – was fatal, and he was euthanized back in the barn.
This is horseracing.
All those bits in his mouth can’t be comfortable can they? He must be struggling to swallow never mind drinking and eating, unless THEY decide when he is hungry and thirsty?
Shameful treatment of beautiful animals ALL FOR MONEY.
Its vile.
Stella Colletti, the bits are used to control the horses while they are being ridden. The trainer or someone working for the trainer puts the bridle (with the bit, etc.) on the horse for the early morning galloping/ exercise/ training session around the racetrack when an exercise rider does the riding. After the exercise rider rides the horse back to the barn/stable area where the horses are kept for about 23 hours a day (without bridle and bit/s), they take the bridle off and use the halter and lead strap or rope to control the horses and walk them to cool the horses out for about 45 minutes. The horse is usually put on a thing called the “hot walker” without the bridle and bit, but with the halter and lead on. In the “old days” they would hand walk the horses to cool them out before returning the horses to their stalls.
Basically the same general routine happens with racing except that racing is a lot more stressful for the horses and jockeys ride the horses during the actual race.
It is all stressful for the horse but they don’t leave the bridles on with bits in their mouths 24 hours a day. No! They don’t do that, but there is plenty of every day, routine cruelty to go around for the horses, especially since they are used as slaves to perform as gambling chips.
When I worked for a “leaky roof circuit” trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, the trainer did not use chains running through the horse’s mouth for extra control of the horse. The halter and lead was enough for control. In the pictures and videos of racehorses nowadays and I think especially the higher level horses, you will see the halter and lead strap but with a long chain. The chain attached to one end of the lead strap is snapped to a ring in the halter and run through the mouth of the horse. This is part of the way they control racehorses when the horse is not being ridden.
Racehorses are not considered to be pets. Once the horse is exercised or raced, unsaddled, unbridled, cooled out, he or she is returned to the stall where the horse’s stall floor has been cleaned, clean straw or shavings for the horse to stand in and/or lie down on, and water and hay has been provided for the horse to drink and eat with no bits in the mouth.
I can’t say about what injuries may have been caused by the bit and tongue tie. Yes, that has to be absolutely painful for the horse when the bit and the tongue tie has cut into the flesh of the horse’s tongue. I don’t know how often it happens but I am estimating it happens every day somewhere to a young horse that was born into this gambling racket.
And in the same race the winner was a voided claim by the veterinarian.
The business of injured, unsound horses earning a living for humans that fail them.
No person or group should be allowed to get away with felony animal cruelty!!!!!!!!!
#HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
#EndHorseracingNOW
Have any of you viewed races at Nogoya in Japan? Their riders are some of the most cruel whip users we have ever seen! That track has an AWFUL looking surface, dry as a desert, & the air pollution of the area appears to be terrible as well.Noticed in walking ring they had misters so must have been extremely hot race day as well. The harsh conditions & excessively cruel methods of handling horses are clearly not just limited to the US. All this for a “crooked , crummy , gamboling game.” Feel so sorry for all the horses in this gamboling business worldwide.