Notes from the Delaware Park stewards:
On Jun 15, the claim (sale) of 4-year-old Addy’s Laddy T N T was voided by the vet because – “the horse bled through both nostrils.” Both nostrils. The chart, by the way, said nothing of this bleeding.
On Jun 17, 3-year-old Shackinthebox was scratched by the vet in the “post parade” because he was lame. Shack had been sold in his prior race, Apr 15 at Laurel. So, his new abusers – Damon Dilodovico, Amaren LLC – intended to race him lame, first time out.
Last Saturday, 4-year-old Maybe It’s Time brought up the rear, some 29 lengths back. He then proceeded to “collapse” on the way back to the barn. Although the stewards say that “after a few minutes of applying water, horse was able to get to his feet and walk off,” perhaps the jockey, Daniel Centeno, should have known/done something earlier?
Wednesday, 5-year-old Crownedcountcristo, like Shack above, was scratched in the post parade for lameness. This one may be even worse, for Crowned had just been raced ten days prior, finishing 18 lengths back. His abusers: Mario Serey Jr., Electric Rooster Racing.
And finally: While aboard 3-year-old Candy Coop Jun 17, jockey Raul Mena “struck horse with goggles when he lost his crop.” Yes, “struck horse with goggles when he lost his crop.” But hey, it worked: Candy finished 3rd and “won” $2,750 for Mena, trainer Greg Compton, et al.
In 2020, Paul McGreevy, Professor of Veterinary Science at U. Of Sydney concluded whipping hurts horses.Whipping hurts horses.
Professor McGreevy and colleagues examined whether horses are likely to feel as much pain as humans would when whipped. Using microscopic samples of skin from 10 deceased humans and 20 euthanised horses, they looked for differences between the species’ skin structure and nerve supply.
The results revealed “no significant difference” between humans and horses in the concentration of nerve endings in the outer layers of skin, nor any difference in thickness of this skin layer.
“This was not surprising, as horses, like humans, need robust yet sensitive skin to respond to touch, say, from flying insects or other horses,” said Professor McGreevy.
“From this, we can deduce that horses are likely to feel as much pain as humans would when being whipped.”
“Repeated strikes of the whip in horses that are fatigued as they end a race are likely to be distressing and cause suffering. A horse’s loss of agency as it undergoes this kind of repeated treatment is thought to lead to learned helplessness.”
No whip. No problem Goggles work.
Elizabeth, thank you for mentioning Paul McGreevy’s work. Dr Lydia Tong was the veterinary scientist who discovered that the nerve endings in the equine were closer to the skin than that of the human.
Paul has worked tirelessly for many, many years in relation to the whipping of the racehorses. I was a co-author of Paul’s study along with Dr Jennifer Hood and Professor Phil McManus of Sydney University.
Dr Bidda Jones, former chief scientist of the RSPCA Australia has also also worked tirelessly in relation to the whipping of the racehorses. If you google Bidda and Paul, it should reveal studies/articles written by them on the use of the whip in horseracing. If my memory serves me correctly, they did a critique of the British Horseracing Authority on its article/opinion on the use of the whip in horseracing.
Several years ago, the RSPCA requested an authority of the Australian horseracing industry to contribute some funds to assist towards the cost of a scientific study on the effect upon the horse when struck with the whip. Such horseracing authority flatly refused.
I find it unacceptable that the GLOBAL horseracing industry continually ignores the science on the pain and suffering of the horses when struck with the whip.
In fact in my view, one doesn’t have to be a scientist to know that when a living sentient being such as a horse is struck with a tool/instrument such as a whip, the living creature feels pain.
These poor, poor horses.
Technically speaking, I believe that it is a rule violation for a jockey to lose his or her whip. Hitting the horse with the goggles is disgusting; but everything that is done to horses to get them to cross the finish line is disgusting abuse of the horses. The human exploiters should be whipped as far as I am concerned.
I agree that human exploiters should be whipped. This would teach them a lesson to stop their evil abuse of the horses.