Through a FOIA request to the Maryland Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks last year. Please note: Maryland provides the most detail in the nation. Therefore, I will post in installments so that each of these deaths can be fully appreciated (previous ones can be found here).
La Aitana, Jan 24, Laurel S
“Horse had been sick for approximately four weeks [and was] treated for a lung infection. Horse developed pneumonia – with a large lung abscess – became weak, and stopped eating. Horse was euthanized in her barn.”
La Aitana was just three years old.
Music Mandate, Mar 25, Laurel T
“Horse had difficulty entering the starting gate. The crew was able to push horse into the gate. [Horse] started kicking the gate and eventually sat down. The crew opened the gate and determined that the horse was injured. Vet arrived and determined that the injury was an open [through skin] cannon fracture, with tendon destroyed. Euthanized on the track.” Also: “marked degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].”
Trainer Elizabeth Horn was asked: “Are there any circumstances that you believe may have contributed to this injury?” She responded: “Just a bad situation.”
Dr. Daniel (commission vet): “I have heard rumors that this horse had a history of bad behavior and was a threat to possibly hurt someone at some time.”
Music Mandate, below, was just three years old.
Monarch Beach, May 14, Pimlico R
“Horse broke down on the muddy track: LF, [multiple] open fractures, dislocation of joint, severe ligament damage. RF, fracture. Euthanized on the track.”
Yes – she broke both front legs. Monarch Beach, below, was just three years old.
King Seraf, Jun 10, Laurel S
“Trained in morning. [Onset of] acute colic, fast deterioration. Horse was unable to stand without severe pain and quickly became shocky. Euthanized at 8:50 pm.”
King Seraf was just three years old.
The racing industry people are morally depraved people. They abuse horses relentlessly and blame it on the horse when the horse fights the abuse.
Trainer Elizabeth Horn and the Maryland Racing Commission veterinarian are two examples of the morally depraved horse-abusing, horse-doping, horse-killing mentality of exploiting horses for racing and wagering.
What was the purpose of Dr. Daniel’s saying he had heard “rumors” of a history of bad behavior and the horse (Music Mandate) was a threat to “possibly hurt someone at sometime”?!!
I just find it an odd statement for a professional to make.
Does Dr Daniel think that racing a horse with “marked degenerative joint disease” of all four limbs was okay, or could it have had anything to do with the horse’s behavior?! (If indeed the “rumors” he said he heard were true!!)
Ignoring such a significant finding of disease and focusing on “rumors” of behavioral issues is, again, unprofessional!!
But of course, he is a commission veterinarian…
It’s called blame the poor horse for their lack of empathy.
Rose, that stood out to me, too – she “heard rumors”? – oh OK, then certainly don’t continue to spread the RUMOR you heard! – what “professional” does that? Clearly, Libby Daniel does…
But then she outs herself and her reason for perpetuating the rumor – as a paid employee of racing, she suggests WHY Music Mandate ending up dead…it was her “bad behavior”…then even puts blame on the filly by including in her report the “[possibility of the filly hurting] someone”.
Never mind, Libby Daniel, that Music Mandate was struggling physically, psychologically or most likely both. She tried the only way she knew how to ask for help but as usual, no one in your damn industry listened to her.
To put it bluntly, it’s called blaming the victim because they’re sadistic, narcissistic horse exploiting killers of racehorses. It was and is their cowardly way of refusing to take any responsibility for their own actions. Passing the buck onto the horse is their morally depraved way out of taking responsibility for the fact that they abused and neglected the horse. They’re guilty of abuse and neglect and they want to blame it on the horse because they are chicken s*** assholes. They’re called “professional” because they receive financial compensation for their egregious cruelty to horses and whatever racketeering they are involved in to manipulate the outcome of races for the lowlife scum that bet on horses to win without any regard to the horses as sentient beings.
Of course, they are not going to admit that they are wrong about the way they treat horses.
I lay a huge part of the blame on the vets. Total INCOMPETENCE.
The lack of a backbone to do the right thing and just do what they’re told to do by the corrupt “authority” of the racetrack that pays them to be their “yes” man or “yes” woman; it’s all corrupt. The veterinarians that go into being a “track vet” and stay in it have to be just as immoral as the one who signs their paycheck.
The misery frozen on the faces of these horses is soul shattering. There’s a special place in Hell for people who abuse children and animals – and it’s too good for them.
There is NO worst sin than violating babies and ANIMALS. It can’t get more EVIL. May they rot.
Thank you, Rebecca…agree a million times over.
The real “bad behavior” here is pushing that poor horse to her death…
Forget the oath of “do no harm” instead deliberately cause harm and death to the horse. How many spineless wonders did it take to shove a fractious horse into the starting gate? So an extremely incompetent person masquerading as a track vet makes up a chicken**** excuse for a callous disregard for the welfare of the horse, MUSIC MANDATE, by saying that the horse was a *possible* threat to hurt someone. So don’t scratch the horse. By all means do every stupid, incompetent, willful, evil scumbag thing to cause the death of the horse. These people all belong in jail for animal cruelty.
Did this moronic “vet” have a clue about the horse having Degenerative Joint Disease in all four limbs? Oh, well, this is “Horseracing” so who cares?!!! Certainly not the so-called vet! Certainly not the so-called trainer! Certainly not the scumbag owners of the horse or the racetrack! Nobody in horseracing cares about the welfare of the horse!
those involved in baltimore racing do not recognize when a horse has all 4 legs in pain and is forced to race and then tries to kick out to not race and then dies at the gate and then the trainers say the horse had bad behavior.
what the hell is going on in racing in maryland to do this abuse to horses anyway