At one of our recent protests at Saratoga, a young man came out of the track, telling Nicole and I that after seeing the horses in the post parade, he simply had to leave. He was very emotional. It so happened that on this particular day we had a pair of activists interviewing track-goers. Nicole asked if he’d be willing to tell his story on camera. After a brief hesitation, he agreed, and for that we offer the most heartfelt thank you…
As a follow-up, Dr. Robert Cook’s devastating statement on bits.
He is absolutely correct in saying that this is no way that a horse should be treated.
Calling for the end of horseracing is the right thing to do!
#EndHorseracingNOW
#HorseracingIsAnimalCruelty
This video is educating and inspiring thousands here and on the Horseracing Wrongs social media. Thank you for allowing us to capture this moment.
Hi Pat and Nicole,
I was so glad to see this video! It was the first, I think, that I have seen at a race in which one attendee decides to turn around ahead of time. Not because of the protestors, either! Simply because of what he saw. (I wonder if he was influenced by the protesters, though, and if he looked at the horses with a critical eye for that very reason. I really don’t know.)
I think that this kind of video is great for sharing and so I am sharing all over the place, as many places as I can. Huge thanks to this young man being willing to have his face and words shown on the Internet. That takes trust and courage, and I want him to know that what he did is CARE about another feeling, thinking being who just doesn’t happen to be human. Would we ever put our dogs or cats at risk for their very lives, even frighten them as much as these horses are frightened? No!! Of course we wouldn’t. I keep telling people that, hoping they will listen.
(A few years back, I showed literature to a middle aged, dressed up Black lady and her friends as they were about to cross the street to attend the Belmont Stakes. She stopped and looked taken by surprise when I told her the facts. The deaths, all of it. She looked at the literature (flyers do help!) and God bless her, she said, “Well, I had no idea! This changes things a bit for me.” I don’t know if she went home or crossed the street to enter the gates, but she was very distressed at learning what we all know. )
At the end of this video, when the interviewed man said about the upcoming horserace, “…. not something I wanted to participate in, in the slightest,” ………… he was, in my opinion, more of a TRUE man, i.e., than many men I know.
[‘Hope his wife will eventually come to the same ~ethical/humane/compassionate~ conclusion AS her husband apparently has, though!!]
A great educational video- a huge “Thank you” to the man for taking a stand and being a voice for the horses.
Restrained, forced to parade around the field, dragged around with a metal bit in the mouth and painful pressure as he is tugged on the o-rings, tongue tied, frightened look in eyes. Could you fit anymore items in this innocent horses mouth?
I am sick and disgusted by the public abuse of this industry.
Finally the public is getting it. Thanks for posting.
Shut this vile industry down!