The ugly underside of our favorite sport...

[cj]

Originally Posted by Mulerider

Well, well. Look what Delta just posted on its Twitter page, its first acknowledgement of the issue since the last time a big group of horses was saved from Thompson's Kill Lot in January. I say we stay on 'em.

https://twitter.com/deltaracing/stat...82644692099072

Nothing has changed since January when they last posted, don't see why it would now. They can leave that there and try to look good until the next meet I guess.

[Jeff P]

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

What is sad is how hard it is to break the killpen cycle.

-Killbuyer buys at auction/owner for 300.
-Makes rescue pay 800 cause they know they will and prey off the kindness.
-Killbuyer now has more money to buy more horses than before.

You need a solution where rescues can have equal access off the track for a fairprice. If you are an owner getting paid the same, wouldnt you rather get 300 from a rescue vs a killbuyer?

Was not aware of this. (Very interesting post.)

Please understand that I am a horseplayer - and that the comments/questions I am about to post come from that perspective - and not from that of an owner/trainer/groom, etc. --

I tend to believe horsemen with extra/unwanted horses at the end of a meet would just about universally choose direct sale to a genuine horse rescue vs. an auction sale where a percentage chance exists the horse could end up going to slaughter -- IF such an option existed.

Q. Does such an option exist in Louisiana?... And by that I mean is there a formal program in place so that everybody on the backside knows how to contact the local horse rescue directly (provided there is one) to arrange for a sale. (Making it easy to bypass the local kill buyer entirely.)

Q. Does a similar option (a model program) exist in another racing jurisdiction?

Q. If not: Why not?

Q. Does anyone other than myself think getting a model program like this off the ground would be a good idea? And what would it take to get something like this up and running?



-jp

.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Was not aware of this. (Very interesting post.)

Please understand that I am a horseplayer - and that the comments/questions I am about to post come from that perspective - and not from that of an owner/trainer/groom, etc. --

I tend to believe horsemen with extra/unwanted horses at the end of a meet would just about universally choose direct sale to a genuine horse rescue vs. an auction sale where a percentage chance exists the horse could end up going to slaughter -- IF such an option existed.

Q. Does such an option exist in Louisiana?... And by that I mean is there a formal program in place so that everybody on the backside knows how to contact the local horse rescue directly (provided there is one) to arrange for a sale. (Making it easy to bypass the local kill buyer entirely.)

Q. Does a similar option (a model program) exist in another racing jurisdiction?

Q. If not: Why not?

Q. Does anyone other than myself think getting a model program like this off the ground would be a good idea? And what would it take to get something like this up and running?



-jp

.

I think it's safe to assume that the owners of these unwanted horses already know that such rescue organizations exist...but still they choose to take the short money from these unscrupulous kill-buyers. While Thompson is a scumbag for buying these horses for $300 each and then jacking up the price and parading them on Facebook to tug at the heartstrings of a sensitive public...the owners of these horses are also scumbags for aligning themselves with such a shameful "business practice". I understand that continuing to feed an unproductive horse may be too expensive for some owners...but why not donate such a horse to someone with the willingness and the resources to properly care for the animal? I submit that any owner who places $300 ahead of the concern for the welfare of the horse he once supposedly "loved" is exactly the type of owner who needs to be driven out of this game.

It's easy to hate people like Jacob Thompson...but the horse-owners who sell to them are just as despicable...IMO. These scumbags need to be identified...and their names need to be paraded on Facebook, alongside these unfortunate animals that they've marked for an early and senseless death.

[Tom]

Those who would sell horses to a killer have no decency. They probably take the easy way in everything they do, probable doped the horses so much they don't want anyone to find out.
Anyone who sells a horse to a killer is the scum of the earth.

[cj]

Twitter

Twitter

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by cj

https://twitter.com/brooklyncowboy1/...05986582175744

https://twitter.com/brooklyncowboy1/...05313316773888

As I told LDH in an earlier post, the end of Delta's meet just made this more likely to occur.

[cutchemist42]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Was not aware of this. (Very interesting post.)

Please understand that I am a horseplayer - and that the comments/questions I am about to post come from that perspective - and not from that of an owner/trainer/groom, etc. --

I tend to believe horsemen with extra/unwanted horses at the end of a meet would just about universally choose direct sale to a genuine horse rescue vs. an auction sale where a percentage chance exists the horse could end up going to slaughter -- IF such an option existed.

Q. Does such an option exist in Louisiana?... And by that I mean is there a formal program in place so that everybody on the backside knows how to contact the local horse rescue directly (provided there is one) to arrange for a sale. (Making it easy to bypass the local kill buyer entirely.)

Q. Does a similar option (a model program) exist in another racing jurisdiction?

Q. If not: Why not?

Q. Does anyone other than myself think getting a model program like this off the ground would be a good idea? And what would it take to get something like this up and running?



-jp

.

If you have Favebook as an example, try looking up Final Furlong for ASD horses. I think that is a start, where its an avenue to post the horses outside of a slaughter environment.

A healthy exracer can still be posted for $1500 -$2000.

I follow thr group and each horse posting has a very active comments section of interest.

[Mulerider]

This was just tweeted. This horse, one of the rescued Delta 24, collapsed and died of a fractured vertebrae just after arriving at Mr Parker's farm this morning. The horse's name is Charlee's Maid.

I mention this because Charlee's Maid was trained by George Williams, the same trainer of Alecia's Little Boy, who was himself rescued from Thompson's just a week or so ago.

https://twitter.com/brooklyncowboy1/status/974039181226897410

[Jeff P]

At the risk of being naive:

Where the hell is the Louisiana Racing Commission on this?



-jp

.

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

At the risk of being naive:

Where the hell is the Louisiana Racing Commission on this?



-jp

.

I emailed a gentleman with the Investigations Dept. of the LRC on Monday regarding the Delta 24. As with my emails to Delta, there was no response.

Conclusion: the Louisiana Racing Commission is about as worthless as Delta Downs and Boyd Gaming.

Comment on the horse that died this morning: what kind of person would subject a horse with a broken back to days of pain standing in a cramped pen at Thompson's, then in an even worse cramped trailer for two days to a Mexican slaughterhouse? For $300? Are you kidding me?

[cj]

Originally Posted by Mulerider

I emailed a gentleman with the Investigations Dept. of the LRC on Monday regarding the Delta 24. As with my emails to Delta, there was no response.

Conclusion: the Louisiana Racing Commission is about as worthless as Delta Downs and Boyd Gaming.

Comment on the horse that died this morning: what kind of person would subject a horse with a broken back to days of pain standing in a cramped pen at Thompson's, then in an even worse cramped trailer for two days to a Mexican slaughterhouse? For $300? Are you kidding me?

Emails don't work for stuff like this, too easy to blow off. You have to try to get somebody on the phone. If you aren't in Louisiana I doubt they'll give the time of day.

[green80]

As a Louisiana horseman, I can say there are no widely known rescue buyers for ex-racehorses. If an owner has several horses that are non useful anymore as racehorses and a buyer or even a giveaway taker cannot be found, he may have no other option in order to get these horses out of the feed tub. If anyone knows of any rescue buyers that will take all of these horses, post it here. From what I see, most owners would prefer not to send horses to the kill buyers but sometimes they have no other choice. I hear of horses almost weekly that owners want to find a home but no takers other than kill buyers.

[Tom]

See, now PETA does a role to play in our game.
If we allow scumbags like this to continue,m what the hell if our game worth.

Rather see it destroyed in the public press with lies and cherry picked case than allow it to continue.
Dont complain to the tracks, complain to the press, the TV stations, PETA, your congressional representatives. People looking to make a name by extorting the racing game. People who can destroy it.

I still maintain only Federal Regulation can fix this sick industry.
And that is the absolute last resort.

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by green80

As a Louisiana horseman, I can say there are no widely known rescue buyers for ex-racehorses. If an owner has several horses that are non useful anymore as racehorses and a buyer or even a giveaway taker cannot be found, he may have no other option in order to get these horses out of the feed tub. If anyone knows of any rescue buyers that will take all of these horses, post it here. From what I see, most owners would prefer not to send horses to the kill buyers but sometimes they have no other choice. I hear of horses almost weekly that owners want to find a home but no takers other than kill buyers.

Green80, the same economic pressures exist everywhere else in the industry, and yet we're not hearing about similar numbers at tracks anywhere else. Pennsylvania might not be far behind, but it's not yet at La. level.

I live just across the Sabine River, so the Louisiana racing culture is somewhat familiar. You have backyard owners and "trainers", many of whom ship on race day and don't stall. The horses are commodities to be used in their "hobby." And when their hobby gets too expensive, the horses are disposed of as quickly and easily as possible.

Am I wrong?

By the way, have you ever run across Super Trainer George Williams, with his impressive 7 career wins out of 375 career starts record?

[Poindexter]

Originally Posted by green80

As a Louisiana horseman, I can say there are no widely known rescue buyers for ex-racehorses. If an owner has several horses that are non useful anymore as racehorses and a buyer or even a giveaway taker cannot be found, he may have no other option in order to get these horses out of the feed tub. If anyone knows of any rescue buyers that will take all of these horses, post it here. From what I see, most owners would prefer not to send horses to the kill buyers but sometimes they have no other choice. I hear of horses almost weekly that owners want to find a home but no takers other than kill buyers.

Man this is a hard thread to read. This is some sick shit. The quoted post just illustrates to me that nothing significant is being done to combat the problem. Every dollar of breakage needs to go one place only, to the aftercare or a least humane euthanization of racehorses. I know they would manage to screw that up and some corrupt farm and/or vet will end up bilking the money, but still nothing less is acceptable. As horseplayers we really need to take action and let the powers that be know that is horses are not treated humanely, we aren't betting. Period. If we don't we are culpable.

Since Jeff Platt is posting in this thread, I am insisting that Hana take action on this matter. There should be nothing more important to any horseplayer than the humane treatment of racehorses whether they are racing or in training or unable to race anymore. If racing cannot police that, than they don't deserve a dollar of my money or a dollar of yours. Good ****ing riddance.