3 ms·

They exist, but they're not a great option.

scotty79 3y ago
Doesn't it make any sport that involves straining horses deeply immoral? Basically you raise those animals to risk their lives daily. You could just throw them to the wolves instead and bet on whether they escape.
- msrenee 3y ago
  If you're using that reasoning, owning horses is deeply immoral. They injure themselves to the point of having to be euthanized in stalls, on pasture, and in dry lots way more often than I think you realize. I used to co-own a mustang with a couple friends. He was a spoiled trail horse, well-fed and well-loved. When the three of us weren't able to keep our horses together, he went with the friend who had the best resources, the most time to spend with him, and the most veterinary experience. A few years later, he kicked through a board fence and severed a tendon in his hind leg. He was euthanized . Not because she didn't care to pay for the surgery to repair the tendon, but because the surgery had a very high chance of failure and she felt it was more humane to let him go than to string him along for 6 months in pain and stuck in a stall before having to make that decision. Let me just make this clear: horse racing is a cruel industry well above and beyond any other horse competition I'm aware of. Betting on any animal should be illegal. Any breeder/owner/trainer of any sport who sees consistent injuries in their animals of the types seen on the track should be in jail for animal cruelty. They start riding these horses at a year and a half old. The ones who make it far enough to die on a big-name track are some of the luckier ones. The rest run their few races or never race at all and get sent to auction. Some get bought from auction and are turned into hunter-jumpers or show jumpers. The rest get bought for pennies a pound and crammed onto trailers to Mexico where they're slaughtered in godawful conditions. Screw thoroughbred racing and everyone involved in it. Screw any trainer who puts money and fame above their animals health. But don't lump all horse competition in with thoroughbred racing. If you don't see the vast difference in the treatment of the animals between different sports, I'd say you're not acquainted enough with the subject to be commenting.
  - scotty79 3y ago
    If you keep horses the best way you can and just ride them for pleasure then fine I guess. Not worse than the ZOO. Tradeoffs of existence. But when there's competition involved, there's undue stress. So I don't think I want to give a free pass to other horse competitions just because thoroughbred racing is just the worst by a long shot.

Doesn't it make any sport that involves straining horses deeply immoral? Basically you raise those animals to risk their lives daily. You could just throw them to the wolves instead and bet on whether they escape.

msrenee 3y ago
If you're using that reasoning, owning horses is deeply immoral. They injure themselves to the point of having to be euthanized in stalls, on pasture, and in dry lots way more often than I think you realize. I used to co-own a mustang with a couple friends. He was a spoiled trail horse, well-fed and well-loved. When the three of us weren't able to keep our horses together, he went with the friend who had the best resources, the most time to spend with him, and the most veterinary experience. A few years later, he kicked through a board fence and severed a tendon in his hind leg. He was euthanized . Not because she didn't care to pay for the surgery to repair the tendon, but because the surgery had a very high chance of failure and she felt it was more humane to let him go than to string him along for 6 months in pain and stuck in a stall before having to make that decision. Let me just make this clear: horse racing is a cruel industry well above and beyond any other horse competition I'm aware of. Betting on any animal should be illegal. Any breeder/owner/trainer of any sport who sees consistent injuries in their animals of the types seen on the track should be in jail for animal cruelty. They start riding these horses at a year and a half old. The ones who make it far enough to die on a big-name track are some of the luckier ones. The rest run their few races or never race at all and get sent to auction. Some get bought from auction and are turned into hunter-jumpers or show jumpers. The rest get bought for pennies a pound and crammed onto trailers to Mexico where they're slaughtered in godawful conditions. Screw thoroughbred racing and everyone involved in it. Screw any trainer who puts money and fame above their animals health. But don't lump all horse competition in with thoroughbred racing. If you don't see the vast difference in the treatment of the animals between different sports, I'd say you're not acquainted enough with the subject to be commenting.
- scotty79 3y ago
  If you keep horses the best way you can and just ride them for pleasure then fine I guess. Not worse than the ZOO. Tradeoffs of existence. But when there's competition involved, there's undue stress. So I don't think I want to give a free pass to other horse competitions just because thoroughbred racing is just the worst by a long shot.