Why are racehorses killed if they dont win a race?

Question

Why are racehorses killed if they dont win a race?

Answer 1

No race horses are not killed if they don't win a race.  The only time a race horse is put down is if they sustain a injury like breaking a leg that can't be healed etc.  Then it is far better to put down the horse than letting it suffer.  Race horses that don't win are more likely to be sold than put down.

Answer 2

Horses are killed if they are a danger to humans or other horses, if they have broken a leg or burst a blood vessel. Horses are never killed through cruelty, its because its the last option.

Answer 3

Race Horses are not killed if they do not win a race. The only time a horse is killed is if there is no way to save it and no-one would want it to suffer.  I know of several horses that have not won races and that go on to do other things.

For example I have a racehorse that did not win any races and I did not have it killed. I have him doing what he likes best running around and doing other equine stuff on loan to a lady down in the south. I can not believe that some people think that you would kill a racehorse if it did not win that is just so not true, mind you not everyone will agree. I feel that if the owner of that horse does not want to continue racing with it it should be sent to a riding school or a place where it can live its life out .

Answer 4

and what world do you live in conall ?  or maybe youve just had a bad dream , get yourself a coffee my friend and sober up.

Answer 5

Where have you got this gem of info from?

Of course this doesn't happen.

Do the maths if you had 7 horses running, at least 4 would be destroyed.

When horses are injured they are SOMETIMES destroyed.

The bottom line, though, is racehorses are bred to run. If they can't run then its difficult to justify the incredible amount of money it takes to keep one.

Answer 6

Twhrider(you got my vote) is right on the money and that's the bottom line, however the racing industry has come under pressure to be more respectful to the warriors that fill the racing cards each day and of lately are trying to give slow or worn out tbs a second chance at life. But it is a very hard and costly sell, because they are not normal horses and in their life are never treated like a normal horse and the average horse person cannot handle them when they first step off the track, it takes time and proper teaching to teach them to live in a normal way and the skills they need to just be a riding horse or show horse. Whenever they see a crowd of people in bleachers and other horses around, they think it is a horse race. But it is not impossible, and up until lately it was just cheaper and easier to sell em off and bid good ridden to em. Although the industry is trying to show a kinder face and is actually making places for them and putting a small portion of your betting dollar aside for them in that critical first year off the track, that keeps them and tries to re-train, so that they can be useful in other ways, they are amazing horses, buy the way, I'll take a tb over any other breed for any reason. but gosh, its been a day late and tons of wasted good horseflesh short, but better late than never.

Answer 7

I guess you're talking about the ones that don't run well enough to be competitive, that get shipped off to whatever auction and sold, with a lot of them winding up on a one way trip to Canada or Mexico.  Thing is, racing is a business.  And, keeping unproductive members of the team is incredibly expensive.  Not debating right or wrong of the throw away society, but there just aren't enough people out there that want to (or have the ability to properly care for...) have a 1100 pound  eating machine.  So, when the only purchase option at sale winds up being the killer, that's where they go.

Answer 8

On what evidence do you base that?

I don't like horse racing, but that's rubbish...

Answer 9

it is not the horses who are being killed,it's the jockeys for not trying their best

Answer 10

Not all of them are, only if they get hurt during a race.

Answer 11

What?!?!?! They kill them?!?!?!?!?!?! Holy S**t!!! How Cruel!!

Answer 12

They aren't.

If they were rather too many horses would only run one race wouldn't they?

Answer 13

There not if they was it means in a 10 horse race 9 of them would be killed so that means in a day there would be 100's killed.

Answer 14

They are killed if they break a leg, or burst a major blood vessel.