Horsie racing

[Mighty NorCal]

If anyone veiwed the Kentucky Derby yesterday, or watches any sports channel, you know that the runner up in the big race broke its ankles, and had to be euthinized. This happens fairly often in the sport of horse racing. Do you think the sport should go away?? This could also stretch into areas of keeping livestock, and whatnot.

Personally, I think people should quit crying over shit like this. The horse wouldnt even exist in the first place if it wasnt for the sport, so if it meets its end becuase of it, then thats its life full circle. Anyone who has a problem with that, had better have a problem with keeping live stock as well.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Sheep get shaved yearly to make clothing, this is practically no different than that.

While I'm not a fan of horse racing in general, and I feel bad that if the horse breaks its legs it has to be put down because of it. The fact is, horses in that sport are bred specifically for it. And wouldn't be alive if it wasn't because of it.

Naturally the horse has no way of saying "I wanna do it" or not, but I'm not sure if it'd be deemed cruelty to animals, as if it was.. the sport would've ended a long time ago, especially over the Barbaro (sp?) situation.

 

[klunderbunker]

I live in Lexington Kentucky, horse capital of the world (the official city motto). Queen Elizabeth, George Clooney, and William Shatner own horses and farms within 30 minutes of where I live, and I HATE HORSERACING. It is the biggest uproar about nothing that has ever been invented. There's a track here called Keenland that shuts down the town for 3 weeks a year. A year ago, a friend of mine died because his tire popped and he hit a sign promoting drive by betting for Keenland. Downtown, where all the good clubs are, is being wiped out to build a 40 story hotel for the world equestrian games in 2011. It's a pointless excuse for a sport where people with no lives pay tens of millions of dollars for horses that will race 5 times. Such a ridiculous waste of time and space.

 

[Gogz]

I live in Lexington Kentucky, horse capital of the world (the official city motto). Queen Elizabeth, George Clooney, and William Shatner own horses and farms within 30 minutes of where I live, and I HATE HORSERACING. It is the biggest uproar about nothing that has ever been invented. There's a track here called Keenland that shuts down the town for 3 weeks a year. A year ago, a friend of mine died because his tire popped and he hit a sign promoting drive by betting for Keenland. Downtown, where all the good clubs are, is being wiped out to build a 40 story hotel for the world equestrian games in 2011. It's a pointless excuse for a sport where people with no lives pay tens of millions of dollars for horses that will race 5 times. Such a ridiculous waste of time and space.

Agreed on that, but I can't in all honesty say I wish the sport would go away since I work in a bookies and, ya know, I'm kind of dependent on people wanting to part with their hard-earned (on occasion...) cash as a source of income. I'm indifferent to the actual existence of the sport, so meh.

 

[NYSandman]

While I feel that animals really shouldn't be used for any sport, this is all our fault. Human's took certain wild animals, such as wolves, cats and horses, and domesticated them. Once an animal is domesticated, its gene pool is altered to be mostly dependant on us. Puppies and kitties born from domesticated stock lack certain instincts that allow them to function in the wild, simply because, after hundreds of years, they have become genetically dependant on us.

While some dogs and cats can go ferril and survive in the wild, horses seem to require a lot of human attention, especially when it comes to their feet, which need to be tended to regularly.

These horses were bred for this specific purpose. Originally, horses ran from a threat by instinct. But, I don't believe it works that way anymore.

I think most horses, bred for this sport, are quite happy running.

What I don't agree with is shooting the animal up with drugs to give it an advantage.

As far as the sport is concerned, meh. I don't watch it because I find it terribly boring, but I think most trainers and owners do take good care of their horses.

 

[jr4190]

Eh.. I know it happens all the time in horse racing, but i've never actually witnessed it.. or seen an event live when they killed a horse. It just seems fucked up to me.. I know nothing about horses either.. They couldn't have fixed the horse and just kept it as a pet? I've heard that when horses break their ankles they're beyond repair, they don't heal.. My

 

[Father:_Polley]

yeah, once a horse breaks it's ankles it just can't heal properly. it's such a big animal with such fine ankles, they just don't heal properly. When faced with the option of the animal being in pain, and you losing a fortune, it's a humane thing to do and not done purely because the horse serves no purpose any more