Details from the Kentucky Racing Commission on two more of the Churchill kills…
Rio Moon, May 14: “This colt suffered a catastrophic injury to his LF near the finish line: open [through the skin] fracture; extensive comminution [many pieces] which included fragments imbedded in the ligament.” Also: “multifocal ulceration of the stomach.”
Swanson Lake, May 20: “This filly pulled up after the race with an injury to the LH: multiple fractures [at least four] within the fetlock joint, marked soft tissue disruption.”
It’s worth noting that the 3-year-old Swanson – again, with multiple fractures – was not euthanized on the track. Instead, “[she] was sedated and taken to her barn for further evaluation,” which included x-rays and “consultation.” This, remember, was at the height of the Churchill kill cluster (she was the 10th of 12), with all eyes on that besieged track. The last thing they needed was another dead horse, and most certainly not another in full public view. And, in my opinion, this poor girl suffered longer because of it.
The saddest place on earth is the back of the track where bodies of dead horses pile up until taken away presumably to slaughter houses north or south of the border or rendering plants here. As Wanda commented in one post:
“IF ALL the videos of horses getting horrifically injured in harness racing [or TB and Quarter horseracing] were replayed for all of the fans to see and ponder, there would be fewer fans over time.”
YouTube is a great visual medium. I’d like to put out there, so would be an investigative documentary film.
The United States Department of Agriculture only tags and chips live horses for slaughter before shipping to the slaughterhouse. Some of the horses that were killed at the racetracks are necropsied. I don’t know what kind of “system” is used to determine which deceased racehorses are necropsied and which ones are not. Some horses were dumped in the landfill in West Virginia that I know of. You might remember the story of BRIDGET MOLONEY.
I personally discovered the videos on YouTube about where racehorses go to “retire” and other atrocities before I discovered the Horseracing Wrongs blog. There is absolutely no way that I can see a racehorse on video without thinking about how much pain and suffering the horse is going through because of the people who either don’t know or don’t care and continue to exploit them.
I can no longer stomach to watch the videos, but it’s clear that the breeding industry has totally destroyed our thoroughbreds. For the most part they are unsound, unhealthy, and fragile.This is not normal. It’s the result of human beings interfering in nature on a myriad of levels. There won’t be any justice served to these noble beasts until both facets of the industry are dealt with, as well as, and foremost, slaughter.