Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following details on some of that state’s kills last year (previous installments here).
Honest Coop, Mar 1, San Luis Rey S
“Found dead in stall – cold, stiff, difficult to lift.” Cause: “aortic rupture.” Honest was but two years old. “Found dead in stall.”
Lilly’s Journey, May 11, Golden Gate T
“Shattered LF P1 at 1/4 pole – at least 17 fracture fragments, complete tear of joint capsule.” Also, there were two screws in the other front limb from a previous surgery, and (of course) stomach ulcers. Lilly’s was just three.
Dads Dream, Jun 21, Pleasanton S
“Colic, acute diarrhea, unrelenting pain. Euthanized.” Of further note: “colon presented a 260-degree clockwise torsion.” Dads was also just three and had last been raced May 26.
How could a horse be found cold & stiff with proper care & observation?! We have had 26 year old horses pass & they were never already in that condition! It was clearly not a well monitored barn. Only 2!! How sad for that horse to pass with out notice.
If there was an ‘aptitude’ test for people who engage in die-hard horse-killling and the pleasure they get from seeing horses suffer and, of course, being the one or ones who inflict that suffering on horses, these people (who call themselves horsemen) would have scores so high that there wouldn’t be enough squares on the chart to measure it on a chart. In other words, their aptitude or propensity for being cruel and sadistic would be “off the charts”!
It’s the height of cruelty and stupidity to race a horse – especially one that is still physically undeveloped – with a limb held together by screws.