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).
Matanzas Creek, Mar 16, Santa Anita R (euth Mar 17)
“Breakdown after crossing finish line: [multiple] complete, displaced, comminuted fractures; multiple torn ligaments; complete tear of joint capsule; regionally-extensive hemorrhage.” All that destruction and they still waited a day before euthanizing. And listed as “incidental”: “gastric ulceration.” Matanzas was three years old.
Perky Cowgirl, Oct 5, Los Alamitos R
“Fell during race, unable to rise (hind limb paralysis): [multiple] complete, catastrophic vertebra fractures; complete transection of spinal cord.” As if not enough: “[multiple] complete, displaced, comminuted rib fractures.” Perky was two years old. Two years old.
Five Karat, Oct 18, Los Alamitos S
“Two-day history of colic [with] 360-degree rotation of colon.” Then, listed as “incidental”: “roundworms in small intestine; E. coli in liver.” Five Karat was but two years old and had been raced just three days before the onset of the colic.
Do these “horsemen” deworm their horses? !!!
Roundworms are very common in 2 yr. old horses and younger. Roundworms can cause colic.
Further, the poor horse also had E. Coli in the liver which would require long term antibiotics. Considering the horse was not even dewormed the chances of the infection being treated were nil.
Neglect, abuse, horrific injuries, unimaginable suffering and death are the norm for the horses in this subculture.
These babies’ stories are just nauseating. In all my 50+ years of riding I have never known of anything even approaching the horror of these incidents. Yes, horses get themselves into bad situations and have some terrible wrecks, but these are just grotesque. Today I rode by the Rolling A Ranch, “home of running quarter horses” owned by Ed Alred, and watched this year’s beautiful bunch of new babies grazing on green pastures with their fellow foals and broodmares, knowing that in about a year their idyllic life will end as they are taken to sales, put in rushed training, headed for Los Alamitos, and for this hellish torment. And the mares will be impregnated again, year after year, living out their own special kind of hell.
Wanda, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The behavior and the actions of the people who cause fatal injuries to horses should land them in jail. Waiting another day to euthanize a horse they injured so badly that euthanasia is the only option is sadistic behavior on top of sadistic behavior.
These people seriously belong in jail for multiple and repeated violations of Animal Welfare.
Horseracing is so overwhelmingly cruel. It needs to be banned.