Don't race horses actually have it pretty nice?

Question

Yes, it's sad when beautiful animals like Eight Belles and Barbaro have to be put down because of a catastrophic injury. But most of these people posting anti-racing sentiments today wouldn't have given two s**+ts about horse racing before yesterday.

So my question is, don't these race horses actually have it pretty nice? Clean barns, race until they're 3 or 4, then get put out to pasture to stud. Yeah, rough life.

Answer 1

200% agreement from me.

I'd take that life in a second!

Answer 2

they got it better than I

Answer 3

They might have it nice.. clean barns all the feed they want but at what price..??No i have followed horse racing and i think it should be banned..So what IF they live to make it to be turned out to pasture...what if they fall and break a bone.. I just dont see the reason behind all of this.. To me its unexcusable for owners to do this to a living breathing beautiful animal. You make fun of a rough life. How would you like it if u are kept up and made to run your heart out in that race. ?? Its just plain cruel and pathetic..I wouldnt watch or ever bet on a horse for sure.. I just hate it.. now give me a thumbs down now for telling you how i feel..

Answer 4

Very few horses actually make it to the big time. Many horses are sold at auction and end up in dog food cans or the meat is shipped to Europe where horse meat is considered good eating. I have seen many broken down race horses at 4 years old that are never sound(healthy) again.I can tell you for sure if the race horse isn't making money it is not kept around.This is a business to these people and it is all about the money. I am sure Eight Bells was insured for millions and the group that owned her got their money. It was cheaper and more humane to euthanize her on the spot. I don't think race horses have it nearly as good as my 6 horses out in my pastures that are standing around eating all that lovely Kentucky grass. Now they do have it good but than again I love them. The problem is with race horses is they are pushed to hard far to young. Horses should not be worked that hard until they are at least 5 or 6 years old. But that would cost to much money for the owners to feed them and train them that long. I have a horse in my pasture right now that is my retired Quarter Horse riding horse that is 32 years old!

Answer 5

Very few make it to the big time. The ones that don't make it are usually treated awful and killed. It is just like dog fighting but it is legal because it is rich people. So sad. RIP Eight Belles

Answer 6

They eat better than you and I do, you better believe it.

Answer 7

I read somewhere about how Alydar that horse that was a "rival" to Affirmed the last triple crown winner was murdered. I lost the website but I can tell you have a one sided story about how these horses are treated. My one fact I got from ESPN 700 horses are euthanized every year because of horse racing. So I don't really think they have it good considering in their sport the horses could die. People tend to ignore the bad side of their sport because they can't really argue against it. No one has had a response and it's kind of a shame that this story wasn't publicized more. Don't worry though horse racing fans in a couple of days people will forget about eight belles and move on with their life until the next time and I would be willing to bet there will be a next even though I wouldn't wish it on any horse. To Meggy Joe what a dumb counter. The question was horses have it nice. Did Alydar have it nice. And I can say that those owners of eight bells are upset they lost an investment not the fact that the philly lost her life. I can't guarantee that but I doubt anyone can change my newfound opinion on horse racing. Horse racing people in charge spend more money trying to hide their elephants rather than improve the chance that horses will not sustain any life ending injuries.

Answer 8

Yes, especially the Graded Stakes winners have a nice life.

Answer 9

Well, see, the thing is here...is that a lot of them get the best care possible, the best vet possible, the best of everything...until they're done racing.  It's an investment to these people.  Once the horses stop making them money, they don't invest any more money into it.  In the mean time, they're forced to run these tracks that they're not made to run.  I've given the sad facts over and over again, not going to do it again, because it won't matter.  (Yes, I know that not all horses are injured from horse racing, but not all children commit suicide after being raped, either)  They are horses, not people, so it doesn't matter.  We can't feel their pain, so we assume they aren't in any.  I've lived in Louisville my whole life, and have heard many lovely stories about the Derby.  By lovely, I mean tragic.

I guess, in a way, it's kinda like beauty pageants.  Oh, those 5 year olds LOVE competing!

Answer 10

Do racehorses "actually have it pretty nice"?  Compared to what?  Compared to a draft horse in the 18th century that had to pull a hay wagon all day?  Probably.  Compared to animals that we consider "companions"?  No way.  Our dogs and cats have nothing expected of them.  They do more or less what they like all day and we shower them with affection.  If anything happens to them, we spare no expense in caring for them.  Is that the fate of racehorses?  Not even close.  

First, wild horses cannot run for very long; they run in bursts of 30 seconds or less.  They certainly can't sprint full-tilt for the more than 2 minutes that the Kentucky Derby requires, without it being physically very distressing for them.  Second, we've bred racehorses to have thin bones and enlarged hearts.  In a sense, we breed them to have severe physical abnormalities.  This is why racehorses -- even when they survive their racing careers without serious injury -- have lifespans typically in the 5-7 year range, whereas a non-racing domesticated horse can expect to live past 25.  "Put out to stud"?  That's the reality for a very small percentage of retired horses.  About 3,000 racehorses are retired in the US every year.  The majority of them are sold to be slaughtered and made into dog food.

But the act of racing -- or more accurately, being forced to run -- is totally unkind to the horse.  Jockeys carry a crop with which they beat the horse increasingly as the race goes on.  Do you think it's kind to expect an animal to carry a 100 pound person for farther than they want to sprint, who beats it as it runs?  Do you think your dog would like it if it had to carry a load of 25% of its weight, while being whipped, to make it run until its exhausted?  And then, despite your dog's natural 15 year lifespan, if it were euthanized after just 4 years?  If that's your idea of "having it pretty nice", then you're welcome to it.  

People used to use the same argument for slaves.  "Oh, they actually have it pretty nice. They have room and board and they never have to worry about _____." But no person would want to volunteer for being a slave, and no horse would ever willingly do what its jockey wants it to do, without the use of conditioning and force.  And ultimately, horse racing is just a business with which people exploit someone to make a profit.  As soon as they stop being profitable, they're "retired", which is to say, most often, killed.  "Pretty nice"?  Not in my book.

Answer 11

I agree!!! These horse live better then most people. I know they live way better then I do.