Is Horse Racing not considered Animal Cruelty?

Question

First Barbaro and now Eight Bellies We should stop killing horses.

Answer 1

Yes in a way it is cruelty, but these horses are treated amazingly, raised under the finest conditions to participate in these races. Think, if they hadn't euthanized Eight as soon as they had, she would be kicking, screaming, and enduring an unbearable amount of pain. If you think horse racing is cruelty, go to youtube and look up horse slaughter, it will change your life.

Answer 2

Horses are not signing up to run in races like football players in NFL games.  They are not given choices and are forced into this sport.  (sport!!!!)

Answer 3

I agree. Horses are forced into doing this for human entertainment and are sometimes killed. That sounds cruel to me.

Answer 4

Get off your soapbox hippie and go find some other group to bother.

Answer 5

well its not ment to happen like that! im strongly aganist animal cruelty, but racing horses i really don't seeing it as it cause it is also working the horses kinda like humans run in track. it does happen that sometimes they get hurt, but so do we when we do stuff, just horses can't recover from those kinda things. but i understand where your coming from, just i don't think it is animal cruelty.

Answer 6

NFL players and NASCAR drivers can choose to participate in their sport-- or not.  Horses don't get that choice.  I think people who say the horses are treated well probably really want to believe it, but the reality is that we humans breed these animals for the sake of making money for us.  It's unfortunate that people try to "sugar coat" it by saying the horses are treated well.  By what standard?  Ours?  Or the horse's?

Answer 7

accidents can happen in any sport.  It is just part of life.

Answer 8

Accidents happen.

It's not like they WANT their horses to break their legs/ankles.  Nobody wants that to happen, except for sadistic people.

Kevin Everett was almost paralyzed last year in the NFL...should we ban that sport to?  What about Nascar?  Indy?  There's risks in everything we do!

It's no reason to get rid of the sport altogether.

Answer 9

Yet, not to mention the horses that are killed because they're not up to racing standards. Horses don't have a choice weather or not they want to race. It's a shame. Truly is.

Answer 10

Most people would probably argue that things like that would happen naturally too. I sort of agree with you, however in the end they are just animals. We can think and have taken control of them.

Just be glad it is not the other way around!

Answer 11

Yes, horse racing should be considered as animal cruelty. With it's widespread corruption and doping, horse racing should be illegal. Anything that involves large amounts of money and sacrificing animals for the sake of entertainment should be eliminated in a civil society. The Kentucky Derby is so greedy...too many horses on one race track, undetected steroid usage (those that are so advanced, they are not yet caught during the current testing), the stress on the animals (emotionally and physically), the lavish waste of money that could go to feeding a nation…I’m just disgusted with the entire thing. Ironically, look at the owner of Big Brown….with a history of drug-addiction, alcohol abuse and corruption….what a perfect example of this industry. It’s sickening. If humans are stupid enough to sacrifice themselves for sport...let them go for it! Animals don't have a choice in the matter.

Answer 12

Kinda coz horses shouldnt be raced at two but it might be okay to race them at 3 or 4 when their bones a fully developed.

Answer 13

Um, I'm thinking the reason it's different from the NFL, ma'am, is because the horses are used for money, and don't have an effing choice.

I agree, we should stop killing horses so that my effing city of Louisville can make money.  I am ashamed to have been born in Louisville and live there now.

Answer 14

I'm still sitting here crying for Eigthe Belles, but no i dont think horse racing is animal cruelty. We kill cows and chickens and pigs all day everyday and we breed them solely for that purpose, is that considered cruelty? I think so but most people don't. These horses are loved (I know because my father has had racing horses since before I was born, and he LOVES them), accident happen sometimes, it's really sad, it's heartbreaking, but just like any other accident, it's not what's intended. Most race horses don't die of broken legs, and ALL of them LOVE to run and die happily of old age, unlike the cow you ate for lunch.

Answer 15

No...its a sport. Besides its why they are called accidents. They are people killed everyday in car wrecks, should we stop making cars?

Answer 16

I don't believe horse racing is cruelty- it's the industry that makes it that way.  Ultimately, for these horses to be as good as they are, they have to love racing and have the heart and drive to want to win.  If they didn't, they would not be winning, as they wouldn't be giving their all to it, just as in any human sport.  That's why horses have been known to keep running on injuries.  Even being beaten isn't going to keep someone running if their leg is hurting more. As the proud owner of an OTTB myself, I know first hand that my horse loves to race.  I've retrained him for the hunter ring, and that was a struggle with him constantly trying to "beat" the other horses in the first class.  In trail rides, he has to be in front, and at the beach he's never happier, leaping to a gallop at the slightest touch.  It's not something forced, it's something he loves, to be first.  That's not saying, however, that racing is not animal cruelty- as it's conducted now, I would say it is.  That's not because horses are being forced to run, however, or because they aren't well taken care of, as you could see they were all in prime health, shiny and muscular. It is simply because of how racing is conducted.  Others have already mentioned the drugging. There is also the fact that tracks are being made to be faster, with track managers all competing for record times to draw spectators, creating a harder track for the horses to run on, making a harsher impact for their legs increasing the change of fracture.  Also, horses need to be checked to make sure their bodies are mature enough to endure the stress- I know thoroughbreds' knees close before warmbloods, but I'm not sure how many are ready at two, when many are started racing.  I'm not really sure about the theory that horses are being bred for speed now and not durability- there might be some truth, but I don't really know much about that.

Answer 17

For the person who called the questioner a hippie, I think he/she should stop resorting to ad hominem attacks and answer the question as they see it to the best of their ability.

I think horse racing should be illegal. It is great that they are treated so well before a race, but the issue here is the physical (and, who knows, maybe mental) toll that the act of racing has on them, which is obviously negative. Just because a horse is a large animal do people think they can adjust to this cruel treatment better than, say, a dog in a dogfighting ring?

Answer 18

I was watching and thinking the same.....I do not think that it is animal cruelty...we are looking at a few moments of the horses life/career.....But overall these animal are treated very humane and well taken care of....That was a hard thing to understand but how could they have treated a injury like that without her (Eight Bells) suffering extreme pain ...I am not a expert but I do love animals.

Answer 19

I think  we all tend  to become emotional whenever  an unfortunate thing like this happens, especially  when  some of us are  watching it live on tv.......unfortunately  like so many have already said, accidents  happen......and we move on............take  care out there folks!!! ST from  oHIo