Why is it that people who know nothing about racing think a computer tells them everything they know?

Question

Ok soooooo this post is in response to a question about a speech someone wrote claiming the evils of racing and how she spent weeks researching how evil it was and how accurtae her information was. Why do people think that the click of a mouse and a search engine gives them ALL the knowledge and answers to a certain topic and suddenly makes them an expert? I'm so tired of seeing posts about how cruel and inhumane and evil racing is , when I guarentee you the people claiming this have either never seen a race or the work that goes into these horses in person, or they have only seen the FREAK ACCIDENTS that have happened and therefore deem the entire sport as horrible and cruel. Am I the only one who thinks this?

Answer 1

Thanks Biscuit.  I have  Standardbreds and I know what it takes to race a horse.  I know what kind of horse needs to race.  

Not only is racing accused of cruelty, racing is also accused of creating unwanted horses and slaughter.  This is an amazing accusation as in the Standardbred racing world there are only about 10,000 born a year, I think the Thoroughbred world is the same.   Meanwhile the quarter horse and backyard breeders create about a MILLION horses a year.  At the SB auctions the lowest price I have ever seen was $4,000.  That is definitely not kill pricing.

In every aspect of life there are the bad evil humans but racing is heavily regulated, DNA testing, drug testing (horse and human), videos of racing, and public penalties for infractions.  Also the training of racehorses is almost always done in public, too many eyes on the trainer for wrongdoing.  Even I, as an owner, had to be finger printed and checked for a criminal background (including abuse convictions)

Racing is tough on a horse, no doubt, but work is tough on me too.  I have never seen such pampered, loved animals as the horses in a race trainers barn.  The trainers staff even came to the breeding farm (hour away) to be  there when my mare gave birth to her first foal, because they loved her so much (OK she is very special)

It is easy to blame - no so easy to come up with facts.

Answer 2

I am right there with you. I bet the  people who post things on the internet saying how mean and cruel it is haven't been back in the barns and seen how much care and time dedicated grooms and trainers put into the care of a horse! I mean they care more about the horse then themselves. There are injuries but that is life and horse racing. They also say whips are cruel too. I totally agree, but in horse racing if the horse wins but the jockey whips too much they get disqualified and they learn a lesson from that. And the fact that these horses are bred to race. You can see this naturally b/c if you put a few thoroughbred yearlings in a pasture together they will basically race. And when whenever the jockey may fall off the horse keeps running the race with the rest. Horse racing is an amazing sport and should not be known as cruelty b/c it isn't.

Answer 3

here here i couldnt of put it better myself. well said

Answer 4

I agree with you.There is risk in EVERY sport and I hate it when horses and jockeys get hurt,but it's a great sport and it is what these horses are bred for.I love this sport and I enjoy the excitement of racing.I wish I lived near a track,but I am in Maine,far from the action.

Answer 5

Nice rebuttal biscuit.   No need to say more.

Answer 6

I totally agree.  I hate seeing those posts because I trained TBs to race with my dad.  They got great care,  in all his years of racing, he only lost three on the track, and he trained racehorses for a long time.  One of my current horses is an OTTB.  He has impecable mannors, and learns quick.    When you think about it, any sport that involves horses can be dangerous, they can slip in Polo, trail riding, jumping, dressage.  All sports have some danger, but that doesn't mean theses horse have horrible care and are abused.

Answer 7

LOL! Gave you a star Biscuit. If that person did any first hand "research" she did it at a show barn, and then claims to know racing. Like I pointed out there is a HUGE difference between jumpers and race horses. As an ESMT, I work with both types ( although my true love is race horses, my biggest break came thru the wife of a TB trainer).

  Show horses get hurt too, but guess that's okay in her book... only racing is "evil". It totally pissed me off when she threw in owners, trainers and jockeys as evil... most are loving caring people who wouldn't be in the business if they were as "evil" as she claims. But on the other hand... why aren't show people considered "evil" when they force unnatural jumps on horses, is it because she does this type riding and therefor that's okay?

  That's the pot calling the kettle black in my book. "People who throw stones shouldn't live in glass houses". We won't even go into the "weeks of research" she claimed to have done...LOL! Bet she's never set foot in a racing barn... or been to a track for that matter!

Answer 8

You know where my thinking stands.... with yours!  I have been affiliated with horse racing since I was a kid but didn't know c**p until I managed a TB breeding farm for almost a decade and I still don't know everything but I do know what goes into raising and caring for the athlete on and off the track.  I get so offended when people slam racing cause I have one on the track.  If you bash the sport, then I feel you are bashing me as a owner of one and that I'm a horrible person.  My horse has the best care.  Of course there are shady characters.  They are everywhere in everything that is done today on earth.  I try to stay away from these topics but how can I when you star them and I'm drawn to read it.  Thanks alot Biscuit!

Answer 9

I agree. They just all read that untrue c**p that PETA puts out there. Im for horse racing, horse slaughter and im not a vegan. So I guess Im a horrible person, according to PETA. Gosh they annoy me!

Answer 10

I have never had any real expeiriance near any race horse and at one point in time I thought racing was the most evil of all things. But that was along time ago. If you really look at the breed yoo can see that thoroughbreds are bred and built to run and race. You'll even see little foals galloping arouind in the pasture, having the time of their lives. Only horses who WANT to run are raced but a really good trainer (hopefully your dad lol) will see that a horse isnt cut out to run and will find some other use for it (dressage, jumping etc)