The horse racing industry is a study in contradictions when it comes to the horses in their care. The Jockey Club registers fewer numbers of horses than most other breed registries. However, the race horse’s “useful” life is shorter than any other industry. Horses that sell for thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars can end their lives thrown away when they are not winning or no longer winning. The industry as a whole seems to support programs to provide for the horses when they “retire” from racing, but seem bent on using up horses faster than is necessary.
Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of the industry and what you can do to help make life better for the horses.
PRO's
- The majority of trainers, owners, jockeys and even tracks support a ban on slaughter and work to prevent race horses from going to slaughter.
- The industry has set up and supported programs to re-home retiring race horses.
- When an issue is presented that would make racing safer for the horses the industry works to implement changes. In other words they seem to do a decent job of self-regulating.
- The industry provides an outlet for the horses’ natural ability and is something that the horses really do enjoy.
CON's
- The unscrupulous in the racing industry are not always ostracized or penalized for mistreating the horses or sending them to slaughter.
- The programs for re-homing horses are not funded well enough and not enough programs exist to help the retiring horses. Many horses fall between the cracks.
- While the industry does recognize some issues it ignores others and those that it does work to implement are not implemented quickly enough.
- There is no safety net for horses that aren’t a natural athlete. Most of these horses wash out before they ever hit the track and there are no programs for these horses.
Most future racehorses are broke to race around the age of 18 months. At this age the horses’ bones are not yet finished developing and growth plates are not yet fused. This means that the horses are not old enough or mature enough to handle the strain of carrying weight on their backs. These animals suffer injuries and long term disabilities that they wouldn’t have if their training began later in life.
The surface of the track that they run on is also hard on the joints which lead to injuries and arthritis in fairly young horses. While the industry is regulating the change of surface to one that is known to be better for the horses, they aren’t requiring it for years and most tracks haven’t and won’t change until it is required.
The majority of trainers, not all, prefer that the horse is taught only the minimal requirements for racing. In their early training it is up to the horse to figure out how to balance himself with a rider on his back. This can lead to avoidable injuries early on. The jockey rides with very little use of legs and minimal flexibility in the neck is preferred when teaching the horse to travel in a straight line and on proper leads around the track. This means that the horse is not prepared for life after racing and can develop very bad habits that can take a lifetime to overcome. It also means that some muscles become stiff and unyielding making retraining harder on both the horse and trainer. It can take months for the off the track horse to develop the muscles to ride in small arenas and for him/her to move in any other gait but the gallop on a straightway.
Most of those in the racing industry have a funny attitude about their horses developing bad habits. They think and often even say things like /"My racehorse can kick me, bite me or do just about anything to me as long as he wins". / They don't, of course, overlook the necessary training of the horse for required tasks, such as standing for the farrier or bandaging. However, no one requires any unnecessary discipline of these horses, like we would in other horse industries. When this poor horse finally enters the riding world of horses and behaves that way, he is often perceived as mean or dangerous. This means that the race horse has many bad habits that take a while to overcome when they move into their new homes or new “jobs”.**
These horses are very well fed and very well taken care of. To most trainers, riders and grooms these horses are their life and livelihood. They are fed high quality and high quantities of grain and hay. They are accustomed to having hay in the front of them most of the time. A normal feeding schedule can be traumatizing and they can be very picky eaters. Getting them used to a normal routine can cause them to lose weight and cause frustration and tantrums. This can give them the appearance of being bad tempered or “crazy”. However, this isn't a long term problem and can be overcome with time.
After spending a long time on the track, these horses will become somewhat “indoor” creatures. Most spend up to 23 hours a day in a stall. They are expected to reserve their energy for the race. This means that they aren’t prepared for a life of working when they are used to a quick burst and then nothing but rest. It also means that they may become slightly neurotic, claustrophobic or even afraid of being turned out. They don’t adjust easily to life outside the barn, something that is hard for new owners to adjust to. Some issues are easier to overcome than others, but it all depends on the individual horse. However, these issues leave them at risk for failed adoptions or sale at auction which is a fast track to slaughter.
Often these horses are on various enhancers and supplements and they'll become dependent on them, especially hormones/steroids. Horses like this will go through “cold turkey” withdrawal symptoms when they leave the track. It takes time for these horses to return to normal or for some injuries to become apparent as the drugs cover a multitude of problems. Again, some issues are easier to overcome than others, but some injuries can be so severe that the horse may need to be euthanized or on medications for its life making it not suitable for retraining or the purpose for which it was obtained. These animals are then at risk for sale at auction and/or slaughter.
Some tracks have implemented a no slaughter policy, where any owner or trainer who has sold a horse to slaughter may not race. They also have a program where a small percentage of the gate or even the purse go toward retirement programs. However, most tracks simply turn a blind eye to the issue of slaughter. Some even provide a “service” of allowing the killer buyers access to the stables and trainers. HBO’s Real Sports did an expose on one track, Mountaineer Race Track in West Virginia where the “meat man” drove into the stable areas every week to pick up horses for slaughter. That track and others like it do NOT provide any type of retirement or placement services for the owners or trainers. Some trainers simply stop feeding horses that are no longer winning leaving it to the tracks to seize and “dispose” of the horse.
The horse racing industry has made some strides toward providing for the horse athletes, but not enough. Changes need to be made to protect the horses in the industry and they need to happen much more quickly than they are.
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