The Thoroughbred Daily News has been asking industry insiders what racing’s biggest problem is. Here is HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus’ response:
“Racing’s biggest problem is the perception – and at times the reality – that our industry treats horses as commodities rather than athletes and partners. When the public believes horses are viewed primarily as economic assets instead of sentient beings, the sport’s social license to operate is at risk. Without that license, we jeopardize governmental support, subsidies, and ultimately the future of horseracing itself.”
Other than the “at times the reality” – the commodification of the horses, all the horses, is inherent to what they do – she’s spot-on. And I particularly like the acknowledgment that “governmental support”/subsidies (they’re the same thing) is the whole ballgame.
She adds: “While most within the industry treat horses with the care they rightly deserve, a small minority still behave in ways that reinforce this damaging perception. Their actions create serious challenges: concerns about horse welfare, the slaughter pipeline, and the limited options available to Thoroughbreds when their racing careers end. These issues erode trust and threaten the long-term stability of the sport.”
Swap the places of “most” and “a small minority,” and replace “sport” with “exploitation,” and we’re done here.
These animals are raced before they are physically and mentally mature. If an expert in equine health told me this is a direct cause of most race horses problems, I’d believe it. Fractures, strains, torn muscles, osteoarthritis, and other changes to joints and bones that aren’t generally seen until a horse is elderly, gastric ulcers, all seem to be found in so many horses necropsies are performed on.
If they could race foals, I know some people would do it.
If there must be racing, no horse should be raced until a veterinarian who specializes in equine development certifies that horse is physically mature. That would mean horses would be expensive pets for 5-7 years, you could teach them tricks, how to walk alongside you, come when called, to stand still for a vet or farrier, allow itself to be petted. I doubt many people have the means to support a big dog with its expensive feed, housing and vet bills for that long, even if the horse is now sound enough to race until the age of 12 or 13.
So, let’s stop the entire racing industry. It’s a drain on the taxpayer, it’s nowhere near as popular as it was in the 30’s and 40’s, the industry must be hemorrhaging money since so many tracks get government subsidies. It’s simply government supported animal abuse.
All livestock are treated as commodities. Thoroughbreds are livestock and are produced for the sole purpose of being commodified by the equine industry.
The ‘Thoroughbred Daily News” and all of the other racing industry publications make a big damn deal about the highest priced horse sold at KEENELAND Breeders’ Sales auctions, FASIG-TIPTON Breeders’ Sales auctions, & OCALA Breeders’ Sales auctions in the United States. That is not counting the high-end Breeders’ Sales auctions in Europe or Australia or anywhere else.
The horseracing industry has the Hall of Fame trainers who “train” as well as kill multiple horses for the sake of the MILLIONS and BILLIONS of DOLLARS to be made through PURSE MONEY, GAMBLING MONEY, TAX WRITE-OFFS, INSURANCE CLAIMS, STUD FEES, SELLING YOUNG HORSES for OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH PRICES at the HIGH-END BREEDERS’ SALES AUCTIONS.
And when people get sick and tired of the abuse inflicted on the horses and the doping by trainers and veterinarians to keep lame and sore horses performing as though they were “fit to race” and “sound”; and when they bet on horses and get cheated and they finally at some point come to the knowledge that they were definitely cheated out of their “rightful winnings” under the law regarding Pari-mutuel gambling AND STOP placing bets on racehorses, it becomes a matter of GAMBLING revenue cannot support the continuation of this so-called sport! At which point, the industry insiders are there to lobby for MORE MONEY through GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES and, in the case of the New York Racing Association, a New York State-Backed Bond Loan. This sealed the deal that VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINAL PAYMENTS and any other government subsidy to horseracing in that jurisdiction could not be terminated! As a consequence, the people OUTSIDE OF THE RACING INDUSTRY who would have benefited from those government subsidies can go pound sand; thanks, but no thanks, thanks in part to Gov. Hochul.
How is it possible that anyone would “perceive” that Thoroughbred racehorses are treated as a commodity or economic asset??? Duh…go figure…
Isn’t it obvious that it’s not just a perception; that it’s a reality that horses exploited by the racing industry are ABSOLUTELY a commodity!!!!!
The swapping of terms is exactly correct! The minority of racing participants care & treat their horses well. Those that do care don`t last long & quit the industry.
It would seem that Ms. Lazarus is concerned about the public’s perception of racing ONLY because it jeopardizes their governmental support, not because she’s particularly concerned with the reality of it. And it’s interesting that she offers no solutions to the problem. Maybe because the only real solution is to end horse racing.
If you cause cause gastric ulcers in a vast majority of participants, then there is no “social license is to operate”.
Slaves don’t have “careers”. Replace careers with “economic usefulness”.