ZoeMitchell

11thGradeHumanities

MajorPaper#2
Horseracingisoneofthemostancientsportsofalltimeaccordingto
archaeologicalrecords,ithasbeenpracticedincountriessuchasAncientGreece,
Babylon,SyriaandEgyptforthousandsofyears.Modernracingtakesmanyforms
includingrunningoverobstacles,differentdistancesandvaryingsurfaces,yetthekey
principlesstaythesame.Horseracinginvolvestwoormorejockeysridinghorsesover
asetdifferenceforcompetition.Althoughmanypeoplegotoracestowatchthehorses,
mostofhorseracingintereststemsfromthegamblingassociatedwithit.Accordingto
Horseracingintfed.com,in2008alone,thisactivitygeneratedaworldwideworthof$115
billion.Asfunandtraditionalasthisnationalpastimeseems,racehorsesarethevictims
ofamultibilliondollarindustrythatisrifewithdrugabuse,injuriesandracefixing,with
theirlivesendingattheslaughterhouse.
Racingtakesahugetollonyounghorsesoftentheysustainpainfulinjuriesthat
shouldkeepthemfromracing.Tocombatthisproblemhowever,veterinariansand
trainersinjecthorseswithdrugsandsteroidstomaskthepain,controlinflammationand
keephorsesracing.Thisleadstocripplinginjuriesandbreakdowns,resultingincareer
shatteringdamage.
Therearetrainerspumpinghorsesfullofillegaldrugseveryday,
saysaformerChurchillDownspublicrelationsdirector.Withsomuchmoneyonthe
line,peoplewilldoanythingtomaketheirhorsesrunfaster.
Themajorityofhorsesthat
raceendtheircareersbybeingeuthanized,soldatauctionorsenttoslaughterhouses.
Horsesbegintheirracingcareerswhentheyrebarelymorethanbabiestheir
skeletalsystemsarestillgrowingandareunpreparedtohandlethepressuresof

ZoeMitchell
11thGradeHumanities

runningatsuchhighspeeds.Becauseofthis,injuries,lamenessandexhaustionare
commonafflictions.Onestudypublishedin
TheWashingtonPost
by
JohnScheinmanin
2010(Horses,DrugsAreRacingsDailyDoubleNoUniformPolicyinIndustry
)
concludedthatoneinevery22horsessufferersaninjurywhileracingthatprevents
themfromfinishing.Thesamestudyalsoreportedthat3thoroughbreadsdieeveryday
inNorthAmericabecauseofcatastrophicinjuriessustainedduringraces.
AccordingtoDr.RickArthur,equinemedicaldirectorfortheCaliforniaHorse
RacingBoard,90%ofallhorsessufferingfatalmusculoskeletalinjuriesracingor
traininghavepreexistingpathologyapriorinjuryatthesiteoftheirfatalinjury.
Horsesexperiencenewdamageatthesiteofpreexistinginjuriesbecausetheyare
pumpedfullofpainkillers,antiinflammatoriesandsedativestokeepthemrunning.If
trainersknowthathorsesaresoreorinjured,theyshouldnotbegivingthempainkillers,
antiinflammatorydrugs,orsedativestokeepthemrunningwhentheyshouldbe
recuperating,saysSeniorVicePresidentKathyGuillermo.Ifhorsesneedthose
medicationsfortherapeuticreasons,itsdangerousand,webelieve,illegaltoputthem
onatrack.Althoughthispracticeseemsdishonestandshouldbeillegal,itisperfectly
legitimatefortrainerstouseanumberofmedicationsintheweekspriortoandevenon
raceday.
Whenhorsesstopwinningracesorbecomeinjuredtheirshortcareersareover
andmanyarecondemnedtodeath.Mosthorsesareeuthanizedonthespotinthe
courseofjustafewweeks(July16September7,2015),13thoroughbredhorseswere
killedduringDelMarracetrack'ssummermeet.Tenofthesehorsesbrokebonesand

ZoeMitchell
11thGradeHumanities

weredestroyedwhilethreeofthemdiedontheirown.Horsethatarentimmediatelyput
downusuallyendupinslaughterhousesinCanada,MexicoorJapan.Accordingto
retiredthoroughbredsalerecords,90%ofallretiredhorsesendupinslaughterhouses.
Theretheyarekilledandsoldasdogfood,glueorhorsemeatincountriessuchas
JapanandFrance.
Horseracingisnotonlyahobbyandgamblingcenterforitsparticipants,buta
deathsentencefortheactualhorsesracing.Horsesinthisbusinessarepushedpast
theirlimitsthroughtheuseofdrugsandstimulants,whichresultincripplinginjuries.
Horsesthatarenotabletoraceanymorearekilledorsoldtoslaughterhouses.Tokeep
thistraditionalivethereneedstobestrictlawsinplacetoprotectitsparticipants.We
needtoputrestrictionsonracinghorsesminimumage,endtheuseofmedicationsand
ensurethatracinghorseshaveanactualretirementplan.Changeslikethesewill
guaranteethesafetyforallinvolvedinhorseracingaswellasmakethissporttruly
humane.