| Horse racing is a global, multi-million dollar industry. | | | | worst part of it is, Barbaro did not have to die. Even |
| There's flash, there's glamour, there's lots of money | | | | though Barbaro's injury occurred during a race, and it |
| being thrown around. Modern Thoroughbred racing has | | | | was labeled a "freak accident," there are those who |
| been nicknamed "The Sport of Kings." | | | | theorize that the conditions that led up to his |
| But what about the horses? Putting aside for the | | | | susceptibility to that injury started long before that day. |
| moment the negative effects horse racing has on | | | | So what's the problem? On February 8, 2007, an ABC |
| growth and development, the race itself can be a | | | | news report, "Danger Out of the Gate," reported that |
| dangerous undertaking for both jockey and horse. | | | | for every 1000 horses that started a race, 1.5 of them |
| During a race, a stumble that would otherwise not be | | | | collapsed and died at the gate or on the track. |
| cause for alarm can quickly become a deadly situation. | | | | In large part, it's just plain overwork. Horses are |
| Horses running at full tilt in close quarters with blinders | | | | allowed to start racing at a very young age, |
| on are unable to react to the misstep of another horse | | | | sometimes even before they have turned a full year |
| and get out of the way. A jockey, thrown from his | | | | old. Their bones, tendons, and ligaments are still |
| horse in such a situation, faces being trampled and | | | | developing at this age, and are easily damaged from |
| seriously injured or even killed. | | | | too much work. Damage to young bones and joints |
| Also, remember that horses are prey animals, and as | | | | can lead to early problems with arthritis. Damage to |
| such they run first and think about it later. If a horse | | | | developing tendons and ligaments can lead to lifelong |
| spooks and tries to break away and leave the track, | | | | problems with shin splints and other forms of tendonitis. |
| the jockey may have no control over what direction | | | | The ABC report mentioned above also pointed out |
| the animal chooses to run, even if it's back toward a | | | | that the use of drugs (both legal and illegal) can also |
| pack of oncoming horses. Just getting a horse to enter | | | | lead to injury and death on the track. In particular, |
| the starting gate and overcome its fear of being | | | | there's a drug (it's actually legal, if you can believe that) |
| unable to flee while trapped in tight quarters can be a | | | | called Salix that's given to a horse on race day to |
| challenge. Some horses have to be blindfolded and led | | | | improve performance. Salix is used to "control |
| to the gate in chains! | | | | 'bleeding,' an exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, |
| However, the negative impacts of racing begin long | | | | in which a horse's capillaries burst in the lungs." |
| before a horse ever enters the starting gate at the | | | | Obviously, "blood in the lungs will mean that |
| track. Take Barbaro, the beautiful Thoroughbred who | | | | oxygenation does not proceed as before," and thus, |
| made headlines in 2005. He won the Kentucky Derby | | | | performance will be diminished. |
| that year, then two weeks later shattered his leg | | | | The bottom line is that horses were not meant to be |
| during the Preakness. It took two years, many painful | | | | ridden, much less worked hard and raced, before age |
| surgeries, long bouts of laminitis, and lots of suffering | | | | 3 or 4. Next time you're watching that "exciting" horse |
| for both owner and horse before it was finally | | | | race, think about what it's doing to the animals providing |
| acknowledged that Barbaro was not going to get | | | | you with entertainment. |
| better. He was euthanized on January 29, 2007. The | | | | |