How vulnerable is the horseracing industry to a Blackfish-like documentary?

[cutchemist42]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackfish_(film)

Not sure if anyone has seen the film, but the film had a huge impact on SeaWorld, and really changed the perception of the public on that industry.

I admit to browsing some of the very, very anti-horseracing sites like horseracingswrongs to see what that side is saying. I dont consider myself a filmmaker, but I really dont think it would be hard to make a Blackfish-like doc on how many horses actually get killed and their pathway to slaughter, and how small the aftercare is by the industry. (At the sametime, I think a documentary on the good of racing is equally as possible)

I consider myself on the young side of the fandom here, and I kinda know how my age group thinks. I personally think a well-made doc could hurt the industry badly.

[johnhannibalsmith]

If it is well-made, then it is going to show the complete picture, not be a hit piece. So it would hurt and help. A major part of the dramatic allure of this sport in particular is that the fleeting highs are made possible because of the limitless lows. Honestly, I think that if it was in fact, well-made and people cared remotely enough to even watch it, then it would ultimately be a positive. Even the bad stuff. Because if it was well-made, it would show that racing is capable of getting better when it comes to a lot of those things, it is just a slow moving process. And if a well-made documentary can tear apart racing by itself, then it was probably inevitable anyway.

[cutchemist42]

If it is well-made, then it is going to show the complete picture, not be a hit piece. So it would hurt and help. A major part of the dramatic allure of this sport in particular is that the fleeting highs are made possible because of the limitless lows. Honestly, I think that if it was in fact, well-made and people cared remotely enough to even watch it, then it would ultimately be a positive. Even the bad stuff. Because if it was well-made, it would show that racing is capable of getting better when it comes to a lot of those things, it is just a slow moving process. And if a well-made documentary can tear apart racing by itself, then it was probably inevitable anyway.

Really good post.

[barahona44]

Another factor in the Blackfish doc is that a lot of people feel a strong affinity for whales, I still see the occasional "Save the Whales" -bumper stickers, although admittedly on older Volvos. :) .Also Sea World is a family theme park so the difference between the positive Sea World image and the stark reality of what happened is in greater contrast;there is more shock in the pillar of the community being caught in the bordello than the factory worker. Nobody is thinking of the track and its denizens as an adult Disneyland.

[dilanesp]

Another factor in the Blackfish doc is that a lot of people feel a strong affinity for whales, I still see the occasional "Save the Whales" -bumper stickers, although admittedly on older Volvos. :) .Also Sea World is a family theme park so the difference between the positive Sea World image and the stark reality of what happened is in greater contrast;there is more shock in the pillar of the community being caught in the bordello than the factory worker. Nobody is thinking of the track and its denizens as an adult Disneyland.

Yes, but people do love horses. National Velvet, the Black Stallion, etc.

The answer to OP's question is yes.

[cutchemist42]

I know the general public likely knows horses sometimes die racing. (I also believe they know this exists for every horse sport) Im not sure how much a doc on that topic does.

I just how wonder vulnerable the public image is of horse racing when it comes to how high the rates of slaughter are, and the journey to Mexico/Canada. This is one aspect I generally didnt even know about it until 1 year into horse racing. I feel this sort of doc would more quickly hit home to some that truly didnt know.

Then again, the USA is one of the biggest countries when it does come to animal slaughter for food and other goods in the world, so I wonder if it would hurt the industry or not.

[johnhannibalsmith]

That is probably among the quintessential examples of racing improving hundreds of years of protocol in a relatively short period of time when in its proper context. There is obviously room for doing a lot more, the degree to which it should be done perhaps being a bone of contention, but any "well-done" documentary is going to show that as slow as racing moves in remedying such things to satisfaction, it is still probably above average as far as progress within a disjointed industry that needs some political jackoff's approval to take a leak. Many tracks, even a lot of the lowly ones that I enjoy, have enacted house policies to mitigate the fallout from that which they can potentially control on that front. So as much as it delights some to only drink from the glass half full, they are all wet.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Half empty. I hit edit to fix it and got distracted by a missing word. I need to make better use of the preview to avoid using the exact opposite of what I want. :lol:

[SuperPickle]

Not very and here's why...

Look at the PETA thing. All they really had was people talking. The whole PETA thing was video of people saying things about, drugging, fixing races, buzzers, etc. There wasn't one piece of footage of anyone actually doing anything. Any who spent any time on the backstretch would watch that tape and reply "I saw/heard worse stuff last week."

Blackfish resonates because the animals are mistreat, physically abused and taken from their natural habitat. The animals would live a better life in the ocean. The animals would prefer to be in the ocean.

With horses that isn't the case. You can't take a thoroughbred and put out west on the open plains. It would die in the wild. In fact given the state of American mustangs they'd be far worse off.

The reason PETA nor anyone can get any visual dirt on the industry is by and large horses are treated like royalty. On major circuits they're treated like kings and queens but even at B and C tracks they're fed and well kept.

The real documentary is what happens after they can't race. Lots of them fall through the cracks and there's lots of stories of horses be sold for slaughter or just left in a field to die. This is a far more compelling story than how they are treated at the track. If someone did a Blackfish type thing it would on THAT not the track.

Horse racing's biggest scandal is drugs. But that doesn't resonate with people outside of the industry. No one outside of the industry really cares about drugs and horses. Why? Because drugs are a problem everywhere. We have huge heroin and meth problems in the part of the country. All sorts of adults are addicted to opiates. Kids are hocked on adderral and xanex. We're a nation of addicts. No one is going to get upset about the horses being on drugs too.

In short there's nothing mainstream compelling about horse racing's problems.

[SG4]

The real documentary is what happens after they can't race. Lots of them fall through the cracks and there's lots of stories of horses be sold for slaughter or just left in a field to die. This is a far more compelling story than how they are treated at the track. If someone did a Blackfish type thing it would on THAT not the track.



HBO's Real Sports did a piece on this about 8 years ago, don't think that really picked up any mainstream attention from their report though, don't recall any other media outlets investigating the issue

[SuperPickle]

HBO's Real Sports did a piece on this about 8 years ago, don't think that really picked up any mainstream attention from their report though, don't recall any other media outlets investigating the issue

Because it's just not that sexy. Anyone, anywhere can do a piece on unwanted dogs, cats, horses or pretty much any animal. It's not compelling.

[davew]

Probably as likely as one on the NFL and how players are exploited until no longer usable and then kicked onto the streets to die with old injuries and concussions.