Does anyone out there LOVE horse racing?

Question

I do!!! The heart that these animals have is unequaled. It does break my heart when one has to be put down, my joy of watching Big Brown win was then turned to sorrow for Eight Bells but...she was a champion with the heart and desire to win. Yes, there are owners out there that just want to say they own a racehorse but the people that train and handle these animals daily do it because they LOVE horses. I get goosebumps watching these magnificent animals, they run not because they're made to but because they love it. For you others out there that do jumping/eventing that can be just as harmful. What about the horse last year in the Rolex that had to be put down? Accidents happen. These animals are treated better then most people's children. If you are against racing then you must be against riding a horse at all.

Answer 1

NO I DO NOT.. and would not encourage anyone to take up this hideous barbaric sport.. I would never do a horse this way its horrible and inhumane..

Answer 2

why do they have to be whipped to go faster in a race? You make it sound like eight bells was the only horse that has to be put down. ESPN early morning saturday estimated at the very least 700. What would you have to say for that. Also why is horse racing so appealing. Once a horse can no longer compete at a high level more often than not they are treated poorly usually forgotten especially if they don't win races Which of course the majority of horses don't

So your rational for loving horse racing is because other horses in different horse related sports are also injured. Sounds really flawed. Think about it you're basically saying you jump off a cliff because some one jumped of a mountain.

Horse under the bridge: If you were whipped you would be okay with it? And BTW whipping is the least of this sports worries. How about the fact that their horses are euthanized when if they hadn't been in the race they would still have a life. Try and justify the unnecessary deaths of horses. Just think about it I mean how can you rationalize deaths.

Meggy Jo: Sorry about misspelling your name earlier. However I am not the only who has these opinions. This is a horse racing website so obviously there's a huge bias towards the sport. I definitely respect your opinion however check other questions or if you just do a google search. And what about what was said on ESPN a neutral sports network. I admit I don't know much about horses or horse racing but every time I search I learn more shocking stuff.

Basketball players at the collegiate and professional are extremely well taken care of. Stories you've heard abnormalities which I still feel bad for. But with horse racing stories about corruption are rampant. At least these other sports even football people are doing everything to try and improve the safety of the sport. Basketball has become increasingly less physical due to more stringent officiating. What has horse racing done to improve the safety of the horses. I've heard that people breed horses for speed and not durability

Answer 3

Basketball:  Horses are "whipped" for reasons other than speed.  For examples, jockeys tap their mounts on  the should to straighten them out.

There IS a limit on the amount of time a jockey cdan whip a horse, and officials DO review the tapes to make sure the rule isn't violated.

ADD:  I only brought up whipping because you did.  I can argue this up and down if you'd like.  How about if I told you I thought we should ban basketball because sometimes people die of heart attacks?  Oh, and ex-racers ARE NOT forgotten!  If  they were good , they live thier lives out comfortably breeding and just chillin'.  If they weren't, they are sold and often times retrained for other disciplines.  I have seen, ridden and shown many, MANY OTTBs in high level "A" AND "AA" hunter/jumper horse shows.

ADD:  Basketballfan.. I encourage you to take a trip to Kentucky and tour some racing farms, as I did a few years ago.  If you think that racehorses aren't taken care of as well as "star basketball players", then you are mistaken.   Yes, I agree that more safety precautions should exist, however, many already do.

Answer 4

I have ridden horses for 60 years and owned and trained them for 30 years so please do not assume that because I hate racing  I don't like riding. I love horses and have loved them my whole life. How much do you actually know about these horses or any horses for that matter.How many horses have you owned and trained? Anybody who really knows horses knows that race horses are pushed to hard to young.I don't even work my youngsters hard at all until they are 5 or 6 years oldwhen they are finally mature. I guess that is why I can look out in my pasture and see my 32 year old Quarter Horse happily eating Kentucky grass.The race horse people are in it for the money at least the owners are. I am sure Larry Jones is heartbroken but he is the trainer not the owner.He is from here and is a good guy.There is a big difference in watching horses race across a field and pushing them so hard in training as 2 and 3 year old babies.Of course they love to run but it is our responsibility as owners to protect them and racing 2 and 3 year old babies is not protecting them. This isn't about the goosebumps you get looking at the horses running this is about babies that are trained and worked hard way to young when they are still fragile babies. You sound very young and very naive. Horse racing is a business and it is all about the money and fame..

You can't compare eventing with race horses as eventers are much much older!!!They are older because they are not mature to jump that hard at even 5 or 6. Oh and by the way 2 horses were put down this year at the Rolex and a rider was severly injured.The jumps and the course are just way to difficult and hopefully the USET and the powers that be will start to take a good look at that sport too.At least they are realizing that something needs to be done and that there is a problem.

I am sure Eight Bells was insured for millions and the various owners will get  their money. The decision to euthanize her was obviously the correct decision but it makes you wonder how many beautiful horses we will lose before they change the rules and not allow the racing of babies.Hopefully someday as this is just to sad.It absolutely breaks my heart.

Answer 5

serina i understand what ur saying wholeheartedly. i also know ur feathers r ruffled by txgirl and stooping 2 her level isn't worth it.

she is an angry young lady who just loves 2 hate...and yesterday after the derby she found something new 2 hate...horse racing.

if she ever took the time 2 do some research she would find out how well these horses r treated and how they love 2 run.

she does not understand that accidents happen everyday, not only 2 horses but 2 dogs, cats, all animals. she calls horse racing inhumane and even stated that 8 bells raced the day before in the oaks 2 justify her hatred...she was wrong. she is just an angry young lady whos trying 2 get people on her side...but then what, what will that accomplish...nothing and then she'll get even madder and have even more hatred.

i personally feel sorry 4 her, she wanted the trainer put down for letting 8 bells race the day before...which she did not but i guess her way of getting attention is murder. its amazing she deleted her last question concerning this and started a new one because of all the lies she spoke in it and got caught at.

she just wants 2 hate. truth means nothing 2 her, hating does.

let her hate. but pray for her soul.

Answer 6

no

Answer 7

Not me.

Answer 8

People are blowing this whole think way out of proportion.  Most of those who are whining and complaining about racing know next to nothing about it.  These horses are incredible and it IS sad when one comes to a tragic end, but that is life.

Obviously there are always bad apples, but most of these animals are treated like kings even after their racing career is over.  Take a look at Cigar, he turned out to be infertile, but he lives a comfortable life at the Kentucky Horse Park.  

Those of us who enjoy racing will go on enjoying it, regardless of what others say.  We are educated about this sport and understand the downside of it.  If horse racing is cruel to animals then so is everything else.  Keeping animals as pets is abuse, since they have no say like some say about racehorses.  To those 'animal rights' people, I bet most of you are hypocrites.  I LOVE HORSE RACING!!!!  I have watched it for almost 20 years and I still am!  On to the Preakness you haters!!

Answer 9

I'm a fan of it and all horse sports.

the first foal I ever foaled won its first race the other day and I was going around all week with a huge small and just so proud.

I completely agree with you on your points about other sports leading to just as many injuries and that accidents happen. and that even though some owners have race horses just to say they have them the people who work with them love them and treat them like they are there own, you would have to love them to work as hard and they do and the amount of hours.

one thing i don't get  is thy people who aren't into racing would bother spending there time in this forum talking , why try to make trouble ?

Answer 10

Yes!!!

I LOVE horse racing!

So people who know NOTHING about it need to STOP dissing it!

Answer 11

Yes I still love horse racing. Things like Eight Belles tragic breakdown happen everyday in horse racing. It just was so unfortunate that it happened in the Kentucky Derby. And it was also rare that she broke her front two ankles. It was just a freak accident! RIP EIGHT BELLES!

Answer 12

No I HATE it . Horse Racing is Cruelty to animals. How many more horses have to die for the lightbulb to go off in people's minds. I guess money means more to people that animals. Such a Shame. RIP Eight Belles...atleast now you are in a better place away from these fools

Answer 13

I still love horse racing!

I agree accidents happen in any and all sports.



I have owned 4 OTT Thoroughbreds.  Not one was abused or neglected in any way, shape or form.  Yes there are bad people out there, but it is the same in all horse sports, not just racing.  I have seen horrible practices in show-jumping and in cutting/barrel racing.  I have actually seen horses break bones while barrel racing and have to be put down in the same manner as Eight Belles.  It is the same thing, but because horse racing has a "bad rep", the Eight Belles tragedy will be extremely blown out of proportion by people who haven't the slightest clue about horses.

Answer 14

I do.

Answer 15

NO. Horse racing industry is fraught with crueltly - there is no way they should push these young horses to run so fast and so early. It is a total shame and I will never watch again until they change the way they do things - from breeding all the way to how they treat failed/retired racehorses - often their final trip is to a slaughterhouse

Answer 16

I DO!

Answer 17

It actually seems like an interesting philosophy, given there are many people who support racing and say they love the horses.  Welp, I guess that's cool.  Same philosophy with sending people to war, save for the fact that horse racing doesn't theoretically protect people from dying.

The main problem (and you should really listen, because I don't thing a damned one of you are listening) is that this was an accident that did NOT have to happen.  No one was going to die if they didn't run that race.  Is this really such a hard concept for some people to grasp?  It's really a very, very simple concept, that I'm sure a great deal of 2 year olds would understand.

Let's say for a second, that I agreed with the lot of you, that horses loved to race like they did in the Derby, that owners and trainers (all of them) loved their horses more than their own children, and that every single race horse that didn't die lived out a fabulous life, fit for a king!  (Don't say I'm being unreasonable, I'm just giving you guys a HUGE benefit of the doubt).  So let's say all of those things are true.  Does it make it worth the 700 horses who died last year?  Probably, if you're making millions of of them.

To address the issue of the horses becoming extinct if horse racing was banned:  Ummm...why would they be extinct?  Because of natural selection?  Because they don't mate on their own?  Maybe it's because you're keeping the species alive so they can make money, no matter the fact that their breeding practices are causing their bodies to outgrow their legs?  

Catch 22, isn't it?  Let them alone, to breed themselves, and they won't naturally, over the genetic line, be able to race anymore.  No more money.  Keep doing it the way they've been doing it, and there will be increasingly more injuries, but hey, you can just breed more until 1 out of 100 aren't born with legs the size of toothpicks, and have to be euthanized straight out of the womb, and you're cool with that!  Why?  Because that would make you even MORE money!

If you truly care for someone or something, you are aware and vigilant regarding the long term well-being of their species.