Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following details on some of that state’s kills in 2025 (previous ones here).
“open fracture”: bone broke through the skin
“comminuted fracture”: bone shattered into multiple pieces
“displaced fracture”: bone snapped out of place
One Favorite Racy, Feb 23, Los Alamitos R
“Complete, displaced fractures of the intermediate, ulnar, third, and fourth carpal bones of the LF leg.” One Favorite would have turned three in four days.
Low and Fast, Mar 2, Los Alamitos R
“[Multiple] complete, displaced, comminuted fractures; torn joint capsule; severe hemorrhage.” Low and Fast was three.
Julio Lauxmont, May 2, Cal Expo R
“Severe hemorrhage [during race] leading to hypovolemia, shock, and sudden death.” Julio was 13. 13.
Browwn Sugar, May 27, Los Alamitos T
“Complete tearing of several tendons and ligaments with open, displaced luxation of the pastern.” Browwn Sugar was two.
It’s very disturbing to say the least that so many horses can be exploited to the point of catastrophic injuries and death in what we call “regulated” racing.
There is also an underground trade for horses that have been dumped into the pipeline of horses that are considered unwanted. I recently read a post on Facebook about some specific horses, some Thoroughbreds with racing records and some other breeds as well, in feedlots needing to be rescued from this underground or unregulated trade. The group making the post made it known that there are horse traders who buy horses to “play” with them. Some horses are used for tripping in the “Big Loop” roping event where the roper rides a trained roping horse in an arena and ropes a different horse chosen for this extremely barbaric abuse of an “unwanted” horse. When they rope horses in the “Big Loop”, they go after both front legs to trip them. Of course, the horse that gets tripped falls on the ground hard and suddenly and is injured. That’s what these morally depraved people call entertainment.
People with deep pockets are involved in these different types of unregulated events that involve this hideous cruelty to horses which also includes, according to the Facebook post, ramming horses with vehicles and medieval types of torture. I have no information on what exactly these types of medieval torture consist of, but it is beyond disturbing!!!!! (This is in 2026.)
Not all of these people can be brought to justice and the horses spared due in part to the fact that these evildoers have ways of making law enforcement officers/investigators disappear such as in a large vat of acid.
Obviously, the horses are doomed and that’s why the group attempts to find adoptive homes for at least some of the horses in the slaughter pipeline that are standing in feedlots before they get sold to the next horse trader looking to make a buck at the horses’ expense.