From auction ring to slaughterhouse ... in 2 years

[aliancia]

It never ends.
https://deadspin.com/why-are-good-young-racehorses-ending-up-as-meat-7-000-m-1834225917

[JustRalph]

Great article. Thanks for posting.......

[thaskalos]

The "Sport of Kings"...:rolleyes:

[MadVindication]

Too sad :(

[AlsoEligible]

But while the chances of going to a slaughterhouse in Korea are high, in the U.S., where true figures are harder to come by, it appears 10,000-12,000 thoroughbred racehorses are shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada every year. (To put that in context, the North American foal crop in 2018 was a little less than 20,000.)

Granted, the article provides little to back up that statistic, other than a link to a 2017 article (https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/08/20/thoroughbreds-deserve-a-nice-post-racetrack-life) making the same claim with no sources.

But if true, that's a very damning statistic for the industry. Even if it's not true, there's really no way to show the public that a black market of this size doesn't exist. As the article states, the true figures are hard to come by, because we suck at record-keeping.

[martini]

This is a good article. If you look into your heart, we all know this is a blood sport. I love horse racing, but it really is brutal.

I love watching replays of the great races, the thrill of reading about champions, etc., but the reality is that we have murdered millions of horses for $2 bets.

[Hambletonian]

The sad fact is we are all culpable.

We support an industry that has basically de-evolved into animal cruelty disguised as sport. And the difference is we can no longer avoid the cold hard reality that nearly every racehorse born dies an unnatural death in the worst of circumstances.

How many racehorses die of old age?

How many heathy horses are slaughtered for convenience?

All of us like to believe the best happens for all horses, we need to deep down believe that unless a horse dies on the track, they will live out their days in retirement, well fed, well cared for, until they pass due to old age.

The reality, which there really is no escaping now, is that the vast majority will not have a happy ending. The US should follow Korea's example and track all race horses cradle to grave. Let's see what the numbers show.

In this day and age, torturing horses for sport then discarding them when they no longer have any sporting value is just not acceptable. With all the advances in veterinary medicine, it does not seem that our equine athletes are benefitting much in terms of general health or lifespan.

It's only a matter of time. I am guessing there are, or will soon be, more animal welfare supporters than horse racing fans. Considering the evidence out there, I can't imagine too many politicians are going to fight to the death to save racing...the economic benefits as a whole just don't warrant it.

I realize horses are just livestock to many, and that nearly all livestock meets the same end. I eat meat...and I realize that may make me a hypocrite. And I have spent nearly five decades as a racing fan...I just don't know much more equine suffering I can live with and still enjoy this sport.

[thaskalos]

We all eat meat...and we all know about the cruelty that is found within the slaughterhouses which tend to our survival needs. Cows and young calves and sheep and baby lambs and pigs and baby piglets are slaughtered by the thousands on an everyday basis...and hardly ever is a word spoken about it, because it is silently understood that these livestock animals are bred and raised strictly for our own consumption. As "cute" as they seem to us, we don't get unduly attached to them...because we realize on a deep, subconscious level that we are the "master", and that they exist merely as the "food" which sustains us.

But the horses are different, IMO. As horseplayers...we have all applauded these majestic animals...and it wasn't always because they were carrying our wager to the finish line. These animals have brought tears to our eyes with their courage and their competitiveness...and now they again bring tears to our eyes, due to the unspeakable horror which awaits so many of them once their competitive days are over. If I were an artist, then I would draw a picture of what the racetrack scene has now become: on the left of the picture...a proud, prancing horse would be led into the winners circle to have its picture taken...and on the right of the picture, this same winning horse, a little older and with its head now barely above the ground...would now be led to some overseas slaughterhouse. An appalling state of affairs which no self-respecting horseplayer should any longer tolerate, IMO...Kentucky Derby or no Kentucky Derby. These are no livestock animals...and they should no longer be treated as such...the "economics" of the game be DAMNED. And, if the game cannot exist apart from these atrocities...then, I, for one, can no longer be a part of it. I can find another gambling game to play...without the stench of a slaughterhouse lurking in the background.

[Jeff P]

For those of you who might not be aware, the industry has recently made some real progress on this front in many states here in the US and even in Canada.

I am specifically talking about Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance:
https://www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/

States like Maryland (and many other states as well) where there are TAA Accredited Organizations (click the link to see a map) (https://www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/taa-accredited-organizations/) the TAA has made a concerted effort to have horsemen get unwanted horses into the hands of the local TAA Accredited horse rescue facility (as opposed to disposing of horses by selling to a kill buyer.)

Sadly (Imo) not all racing jurisdictions have TAA Accredited horse rescue facilities.

Even more sadly (Imo) the industry still has FAR too many loopholes.

I did not know that some of our industry's most esteemed sales organizations (like Keeneland, OBS, and others) have (according to the article (https://deadspin.com/why-are-good-young-racehorses-ending-up-as-meat-7-000-m-1834225917)) apparently been able to circumvent the efforts of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance by selling to foreign buyers.

Imo, the ONLY way our industry's most esteemed sales organizations (like Keeneland, OBS, and others) should be willing to sell not just to foreign buyers but to ALL buyers is if a strict no slaughter policy is attached to the sale of each and every racehorse they sell - period.



-jp

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[lex]

I have three horses that I used to follow that disappeared and it bothers me to this day. They probably haven't run in 10 years. One thoroughbred and two standardbreds. One standardbred ended up in Canada so he's likely doomed and the thoroughbred was last as Mountaineer so I think it's safe to assume what happened there.

Very frustrating when it's the horses that make you love this game but you're stuck living with this stuff. And there are many other horses I've worried about but these three were favorites for whatever reasons.

I have no idea what the answers are because I'll never understand someone owning a horse and letting this stuff happen.

[Mulerider]

These are no livestock animals...and they should no longer be treated as such...the "economics" of the game be DAMNED. And, if the game cannot exist apart from these atrocities...then, I, for one, can no longer be a part of it. I can find another gambling game to play...without the stench of a slaughterhouse lurking in the background.


I'm with you 100% on this.

[Suff]

Arthur Hancock III:
“That’s the first I’ve ever heard about it.”
“I just don’t know what they do over there."
"It’s a helluva long way away from Kentucky."
“Hell, it’s out of our hands."

[Light]

We all eat meat...

I don't and neither do the 5% of Americans who are vegetarian and the 3% who are vegan.

[Jeff P]

Arthur Hancock III:
“That’s the first I’ve ever heard about it.”
“I just don’t know what they do over there."
"It’s a helluva long way away from Kentucky."
“Hell, it’s out of our hands."


If the above quote does in fact reflect the thinking of our industry stakeholders --

And if the information in the article (https://deadspin.com/why-are-good-young-racehorses-ending-up-as-meat-7-000-m-1834225917) is true, that Korean buyers have been spending millions of dollars every year buying thoroughbred racehorses at Keeneland auctions, and if in fact Keeneland has become a corporate sponsor of Korean stakes races --

Allow me to submit a novel idea to every single industry stakeholder who reads this:


You need to get hyper-aware immediately.

It’s not very far from Kentucky.

And no, it’s not out of your hands. (Not at all.)



-jp

.

[Suff]

If the above quote does in fact reflect the thinking of our industry stakeholders --


.

The article also states that the KRA is spending to increase the amount of horse meat that's eatan in Korea. Horses die, people eat them. Other parts are used in fertilizer.

What's the option? That we give them graves with tombstones?

[Jeff P]

Imo, the best option for the industry would be to take a much stronger stance on horse retirement.

Imo, that includes expanding TAA (https://www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/)so that every racing jurisdiction has at least one accredited TAA horse rescue (https://www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/taa-accredited-organizations/) facility. Rewrite the rules of our game so that every racing jurisdiction on the planet has a clear no slaughter rule and unwanted racehorses first go through an accredited TAA horse rescue (or equivalent) and from there to a second home. Put some teeth in the rules so that if you are caught circumventing no slaughter rules you lose the ability to earn purse money as an owner or as a trainer and for a long time. Not just in the jurisdiction where you were caught but in every jurisdiction on the planet.

Close the damn loopholes. Write a no slaughter clause right into the sales contract of every racehorse sold by all of our esteemed sales organizations (Keeneland, OBS, etc.) Also, why not charge foreign buyers a re-homing fee? Enough to cover the cost of shipping to the nearest accredited horse rescue? And work to get an international network of accredited horse rescues on every continent.

Break the no slaughter clause for those two year olds you bought last fall and you lose the privilege of buying again - not just at our sale but at every sale at every racing jurisdiction on the planet.


Then make everybody (including the public) aware of the no slaughter rules.

Imo, if we want horseracing to be a sport that's even remotely embraced by the public:

Racehorse retirement must be front and center.

Imo, there's no other option.


-jp

.

[burnsy]

Imo, the best option for the industry would be to take a much stronger stance on horse retirement.

Close the damn loopholes. Write a no slaughter clause right into the sales contract of every racehorse sold by all of our esteemed sales organizations (Keeneland, OBS, etc.) Also, why not charge foreign buyers a re-homing fee? Enough to cover the cost of shipping to the nearest accredited horse rescue? And work to get an international network of accredited horse rescues on every continent.

Break the no slaughter clause for those two year olds you bought last fall and you lose the privilege of buying again - not just at our sale but at every sale at every racing jurisdiction on the planet.


Then make everybody (including the public) aware of the no slaughter rules.

Imo, if we want horseracing to be a sport that's even remotely embraced by the public:

Racehorse retirement must be front and center.

Imo, there's no other option.


-jp

.

Great post. The three monkey rule won’t work anymore. See no evil, hear no evil , speak no evil........every other day an article like this gets public.

PETA and their cohorts are an interest group. The intent of an interest group is to garner sympathy or connection with the public. This raises the level of conversation in a positive political light of their position. Who is winning this battle ....... it ain’t horse racing. Then these people open their mouths and damn themselves. It’s like they can’t help it. This society views these animals as majestic athletes. They are not seen as a pork chop here! And 130 years ago they were basically our “cars”. It’s like they don’t even feel the American public’s Pulse. Klinks, “ I know nothing. “ Makes the entire situation more shameful. Looks like a “blood sport” for profit. It may stand in other regions...... not here.

[biggestal99]

The article also states that the KRA is spending to increase the amount of horse meat that's eatan in Korea. Horses die, people eat them. Other parts are used in fertilizer.

What's the option? That we give them graves with tombstones?

Do we eat dogs or cats?

Allan

[cutchemist42]

This might sound like I dont care but I really do (I donate monthly to Woodbines Longrun) but why would anyone even want to eat racehorse meat? I've read the drugs in these horses are carcinogenic to humans.

Part of me gets that its agriculture and so I wonder what percentage are slaughtered that never hit the track? Part of me gets why countries/people would eat a horse that's never touched the track. Its agriculture but in this case, the animal can either be a racehorse/equestrian/rodeo/riding/trail horse or food.

So I hate that we sending drugged horse meat to other countries who likely dont know what they are eating. I hate that horses that earned in 100,000s and more dont all get nice retirements. I actually accept though the slaughtering of unraced/jumped/etc horses of any breed for food.

[PaceAdvantage]

Do we eat dogs or cats?

AllanNot very efficient. Perhaps if they were meatier?

(that's a joke)

[Suff]

Do we eat dogs or cats?

Allan

We as in Western Society? No, as far as I know. In other parts of the world, yes, as far as I know.

Living things die. And its horrifying.

[Suff]

Living things die. And its horrifying.

When people wipe their ass, they close the door to the bathroom because its private and unsightly.

Killing is horrifying and I don't want to see it in my daily diet. I'm glad these articles are written. But only so its better regulates the killing business.

Humans feast on the earth and its inhabitants. These articles amount to opening up the bathroom door and showing reality.