By now, most of you have probably heard about Black Caviar’s horrible laminitis death on Aug 17. While she never raced in the U.S., Black Caviar was an internationally-famous racehorse. After a “career” of 25 “wins” in 25 races, she was “retired” to the breeding shed. It was there she died, one day shy of her 18th birthday. Here is how trainer Peter Moody described it to racing.com (all emphases mine):
“She had a milk infection about a week ago and we just treated it like you do with all broodmares. But…it went straight to her feet. Basically, it killed her feet. She had the foal this morning…and they put her down shortly after that on humane grounds. They scanned her feet yesterday and there was no blood flow at all to her feet. There was minimum blood flow to her feet anyhow but there was none and she’s such a big girl.”
Yes, that’s right, she gave birth first – that would be her ninth baby in 11 years – then was euthanized. That final foal, turns out, died just two days after his mom did. Bastards.
As I’ve written previously, the breeding shed is its own kind of servitude, creating its own kind of suffering. With zero control over their own wants and needs, the “stud” and the “mare” are but machines whose sole purpose is to produce successful – as defined, of course, by “earnings” – progeny. And when those machines begin breaking down from overuse, the humane course, real retirement, is still denied. All so that a few more widgets – new racehorses, that is – can be produced.
For more context on the above, here are some excerpts from a couple of articles on the unholy breeding process (links to full pieces at bottom). First, this from Lucie Morris-Marr at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (she was not working for the ABC when she originally filed her story):
“[One of the stud managers] was talking me through how the impregnation process worked for Black Caviar and casually revealed that they had to use a ‘twitch’ restraint device on her face, which they could tighten if she protested when a prized stallion mounted her. Or ‘covered’ her as they say in the horse breeding industry. The risk of injury for both valuable animals is high in this acute and challenging moment of copulation so this device, which can consist of a small twisting rope, was considered vital. It stilled her. It made her compliant.
“I could tell this was normal and acceptable in the horse breeding world, but as an outsider I felt uncomfortable. Was this fair to Black Caviar after all she had achieved? How painful was this restraint? Was this method kind to any broodmare, a champion or not? Most importantly, I felt that the millions of Australians who still adored this horse…should know the facts. My editors at the time had other ideas. They were happy with a more positive piece about Black Caviar’s new life as a mum and sweet pictures of her beautiful latest foal. The racing industry holds a lot of power in media advertising….”
Then this from a Conversation article penned by Dr. Cathrynne Henshall, a fellow at the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University:
“In the wild, the mare usually initiates mating by approaching the stallion and performing a range of courtship behaviours before allowing him to mate…. If she’s not ready to breed, she will refuse the stallion’s advances, which may including kicking and biting him or galloping away.
“But at the stud…the mare will be fitted with equipment designed to ensure she can’t react during the procedure. To minimise kicking, she may be fitted with breeding hobbles or boots that limit the movement of her hind legs. … A device known as a twitch may be used as an additional form of restraint. This is a loop of string or rope that is twisted tightly around the upper lip…. She may also have a foreleg held up while the stallion mounts to further restrict her ability to avoid the stallion.
“The stallion’s natural mating behaviour is also restricted during mating. Instead of a courtship between two animals, the stallion is taught to mount the mare on command under the control of the handler.”
On Black Caviar: “[D]uring covering, she would have been restrained like any other mare, having no agency in regards to who she was mated to or what happened to her.”
Gee, I don’t know, kind of sounds like rape to me.
And finally: “Stallions are also affected by standard industry practices. Once a stallion retires to stud, it will most likely be socially isolated from horses other than during covering for the rest of their lives. Stallions living in the wild not only have the company of their mares, they also regularly play with their foals.” In other words, the almost unfathomably cruel solitary confinement continues beyond the racetrack. Evil.
You are right Rebecca. Another money machine was Goldakova from France. Foaled in Ireland, she raced in France, England, and America. She won the Breeders Cup Mile 3 years in a row and her earnings totaled over 7 million.
But of course that was not enough!!! It never is enough for these abusers.
She had 7 foals and according to her trainer, Freddy Head, died of a “heart attack” or a “burst artery” at 16. He was quick to add she was not in foal, although he didn’t know what she died of!!
Sounds like her breeding days were done. I will let people draw their own conclusion!!
Also, some stallions are shipped to the southern hemisphere for the breeding season once the northern season ends. Sometimes they never come home, like Put it Back was left in Brazil.
This money grubbing business knows no bounds, no amount of cruelty is off the table and there is not an ounce of consideration or compassion for the horse.
Then to top it off , the business is a master of deception – duping the fans and other gullible individuals into believing the horses are treated “better than most humans”
But slowly the curtain is being lifted on this despicable business thanks to people like Patrick.
Shame on those who know what goes on and do nothing even though they could.
PETA sends a muddled message on horseracing, leading me to believe that, at least on this issue, they are compromised on some level. To not call for an outright end to horseracing and all its attendant cruelties and killing is a blatant betrayal of their core mission (“Animals are not ours to…”). In short, ignore PETA on all things horseracing.
Finally the horrors that are done to horses are seeing the light of day…..how can these sass holes live with themselves. In industry people can depend on OSHA what do the horses have.Everyone knew..sick and ghoulish. PETA where are you.
Yes, Patrick. All that, and in addition just look at the pedigree of 2022 Kentucky Derby winner RICH STRIKE. All of that inbreeding is perverse to nature.
Finally, the cruelty of the horse breeding industry is being disclosed. Northern Dancer was abused for years and nobody challenged the treatment he received because The Dancer was owned by a powerful, internationally renowned corporate magnate. Buckpasser had his life shortened shortened by too many trips to the breeding shed. The ancient Greeks had a saying. “you can’t suppress the truth, it eventually arrives on the arm of time.” When all the barbarisms of racing are fully exposed then justice will prevail! Nota Bene: The Dancer’s owners were also breeders of Black Angus cows which were bred for the sole purpose of profit by slaughter. Too many of the “heroes” of horse racing are in reality nothing but the dregs of humanity.
Just another example proving that no matter how successful, how famous, how “beloved” by fans a racehorse is, they are still essentially money machines with no ability to function beyond the dictates of their handlers.
No open fields, no herd mates, no gentle interaction with a human who actually gave two s**** about her as an intelligent sentient being. Rest in peace, sweet baby.
The equine industry practices anything but natural methods of teaching horses to be ridden or [passing on their genetics! Have seen all the practices above & more. Racing industry still has lots of power in the now more present social media spreading the lies now that print media is slowly but surely being replaced.
All of this cruel mistreatment of horses is considered “normal” because it is done by human beings who want to manipulate the “gene pool” and usually for a specific market.
Some animal species are kept isolated in dark barns and then hand-raped by a human being who collects the sperm from the male and then they use the sperm to artificially inseminate the females of the species. In some cases, they have manipulated the gene pool to get characteristics that make it impossible for the animals to mate in the normal way; in other words, they can’t reproduce without artificial insemination. Broad-breasted turkeys bred for the Thanksgiving dinner market is a prime example of this.
Breeding stallions are essentially treated as semen machines kept in isolation and forced to impregnate up to three mares daily over a six-month breeding season sometimes for as long as 20 years. Breeding mares endure an almost unbroken cycle of pregnancy with delivery times manipulated through hormone injections, other drugs, and extended exposure to artificial light during the winter months. This is a form of slavery and torture forcing horses to breed against their will. And yes, rape.