Outside of “star” horses and/or those occurring at major races – i.e., when lots of money is involved – the only racing kills reported by mainstream media are the ones where riders are also injured. It’s always, and only, about the humans. Case in point, the death of Battleshoe Hart Saturday at The Meadows, a two-bit harness track in western PA.
In a “report” filed by KDKA, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, Barry Pintar writes: “While Mike Wilder [Battleshoe’s driver] is now recovering at home, his horse had to be euthanized after the accident; a painfully difficult thing to do, according to all who are part of this harness racing world. They say the animals become family.”
And that’s it. No pushback. No hard questions. No perspective from the other side (ours). Just “a painfully difficult thing to do,” racehorses as “family.” It’s irresponsible, it’s unprofessional – it’s lousy journalism.
Here’s a reminder of what the death of this family member looked like:
His name is “Party Bus” and he has been banned from Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association events.
Horseracing and bull riding are completely unnecessary. People with intelligence and empathy can certainly find ways to entertain themselves that don’t involve Animal Cruelty.
“When it has to happen”?? Really? I would guess if one loves them like family, it doesn’t “have to happen”. Nor do they need to head to the Amish for more abuse- then to slaughter, if they are family!
That`s precisely what our human family did! Got out of racing many years ago.
Sure. When the horses become family you get out of racing.
Just a few days ago here in Sisters Oregon there was a bull who jumped the arena metal panels & injured several people. From what we read & saw it was the bulls 1st time at a rodeo. Rodeos are just like horse racing! Abusive of all the animals involved. S.H.A.R.K has many videos depicting the cruelty of rodeos.
There is a report in ‘Wyo4News’ about the loss of two horses in a rodeo which sounds similar to horse racing in that they were like family members to the stock contractor. One horse had a broken neck and one horse had a broken leg and despite all their efforts, they could not save the horses.
(Stock contractors would dump a horse that can stand and walk but ISN’T USEFUL to them in the slaughter pipeline in a heartbeat the same as the people in the horse racing industry would do. I believe it is common knowledge that stock contractors exploit horses for money in any way they can just as the racing industry people do.)
It was more of a public relations piece than anything just as this “report” of an incident involving a harness racing horse is not investigative journalism.
Hopefully, some individuals will see through the snowjob and understand what kind of cruelty is being inflicted on horses used for entertainment purposes.