You’re kidding, right? Have you ever ridden a racehorse (or any horse for that matter) Ms. Guillermo?
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is seeking the suspension of Eight Belles’ jockey after the filly had to be euthanized following her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Gabriel Saez was riding Eight Belles when she broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. She was euthanized on the track.
PETA faxed a letter Sunday to Kentucky’s racing authority claiming the filly was “doubtlessly injured before the finish” and asked that Saez be suspended while Eight Belles’ death is investigated.
“What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way?” PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. “If he didn’t then we can probably blame the fact that they’re allowed to whip the horses mercilessly.”
Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones said the filly was clearly happy when she crossed the finish line.
“I don’t know how in the heck they can even come close to saying that,” Jones told The Associated Press on Sunday. “She has her ears up, clearly galloping out.”
Guillermo said if Saez is found at fault, the group wants the second-place prize of $400,000 won by Eight Belles to be revoked.
Saez, a 20-year-old Panama native, was riding in his first Kentucky Derby. He frequently rides for Jones.
A call to the jockeys’ room at Delaware Park, where Saez raced on Sunday, went unanswered.
Eight Belles, the first filly since 1999 to run in the Derby, appeared fine until collapsing while galloping out after the finish.
The letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority also sought a ban on whipping, limits on races and the age of racehorses, and a move to softer, artificial surfaces for all courses.
I think I’ve been in California for too many years, or away from horses….my jury is still out on this one. I do think that there needs to be some changes made to horse racing in general. I think these horse are started way to young and the pressure put on their bones doesn’t allow them to become fully formed and hardened. I need to do some more research…but don’t think that horse racing has come completely into the 21st century…then again I’m also against horse slaughter and have written my fair share of politicians on that matter. Not sure if you have even been to a horse packing plant…I have…and sure enough to say your heart would break if you had to think of Butch or Shaw being treated in the manner that these animals were…I still have nightmares.
I think it’s fairly ludicrous to contemplate punishing that jockey for the mare’s demise. It’s akin to punishing the illegals that Walmart hires, while Walmart continues to do it.
*Get on your soapbox Miss Jennifer!*
I’ve got my issues with all aspects of the horse industry that push the babies too hard; mentally or physically, but that’s just me. I understand that it’s going to happen whether I like it or not.
The same is true of horse slaughter. It’s going to happen whether I like it or not. I’ve never been in a horse slaughter facility; but I’ve had to sit by and watch countless old friends waste away to nothing as their bodies break down; and eventually die flaked out on their side, sometimes peacefully, sometimes thrashing about, and…yes…sometimes I’ve done what I’m able to hasten it.
All of our best efforts to end horse slaughter in this country have not, and will not stop it from happening. The supply lines are up now, and these horses are simply forced to endure, in some cases, a week long trip, from sale yard to sale yard, and then the final long crowded trip to a slaughter house in Canada or Mexico. I’ve never ridden in a pot-bellied, double decker livestock trailer; but I have been in one; and can say with 100% certainty, that if I’m going to a slaughter house for my end, I’d not wanna spend my final day or two bouncing around inside one.
As far as the conditions in a slaughter house; well I’m sure they are less than ideal, but the horses are still ending up in one; and I can’t imagine the conditions in Mexico or Canada are far superior to anything we’ve had here. They just come at the end of a long, uncomfortable, and tiresome journey.
I think you misunderstood…I don’t think that the jockey should be punished.
I’ve been around sale barns my whole life and I know what goes on, and I agree that we need to have somewhere for all the “unwanted” to go. However…there is a better way…a much more humane way. It’s unfathomable that little Suzy has to get ride of her pony cause her daddy bite of more than he could chew buying her that Xmas pony…and the poor thing is sent off to a sale barn with her thinking her pony is going to another little girl…in all actuality some greedy “horse trader” buys him up and ships him to some god forsaken place without as much as food or water for days. Where…while we all know horses are flight animals…Jesus I can’t even finish this response I am so pissed…ignorance….is bliss I guess. You tour a packing plant and then you tell me if it’s the right way….these animals should not have to have their last days in fear and utter terror because we just say well…that’s just the way it’s always been and the way it always will be…
wow…didn’t mean to piss anyone off beyond rational thought Ali…sorry about that.
The first part of my comment just my thoughts about the jockey…I didn’t misunderstand yours.
As far as horse slaughter; if you know of a better way that people will take ahold of; by all means, let’s do it.
The simple fact is, horses are getting slaughtered in places less desirable than those you describe, and it’s after being bounced halfway across the continent in a crowded semi-trailer meant for cows.
If you think I’m ignorant, lol, so be it. You don’t really know me; so I can accept that. Just know that ignorance is a curable condition, so I don’t take it as an insult. 😉
The thing is, what’s next? Horses were *meant to* run free across the plains, not be cooped up in a 12 x 20 run (if the are lucky). Can’t make much use of their flight instinct there either. Once we deal effectively with horse slaughter are we going to then tackle the solitary confinement of a roaming herd-bound animal?
I appreciate your sentiment; and I know your heart is in the right place. You’ll find no one who loves *all* horses more than I; but changing our little corner of the world doesn’t begin to address the problem in this case.
Have a nice day.
You both know that I love horses as much as a person can- and I know that both of you do too- I’ve seen the photos and the sadness associated with a slaughter plant, and I’ve driven around them, but I’ve never been in one.
I think that where the mistake is made is when we try to attribute our feelings and thoughts to that of the horse. They are an animal and as such don’t think like us or feel like us, or have emotions like us. That’s not to say they don’t have emotions, just that they are different.
Until people stop breeding pissheaded horses that should otherwise be named Satan (and those cannot be cured or rehabilited – no matter how much we’d like for them to be) we are going to have unwanted horses. Until people become educated on what it takes to really own a horse, we’ll have 80% of first time horse buyers in and out of the business in a year. As long as there are dishonest people we’ll have horses sold to folks that shouldn’t own *That* particular horse.
If everyone could afford to euthanize their horse that would be great. Reality says otherwise.
If they could find a different way to slaughter them, would that be better? I don’t know what the answer is, but I know that we can’t deal with 100-130k unwanted a horse a year with the price of feed like it is right now, and I’d much rather have the horses slaughtered here than sent to Mexico to end up in a Mexican rodeo or one of their slaughter facilities. That thought really makes me shudder.
Oh, on horseracing- they don’t have breakdowns in Europe like we have here- they do most of their running on turf v. dirt and the dirt tracks are now synthetic fibers, which Churchill Downs has yet to go to.
I think if they were breeding them like they did back in the day with bigger bone- we’d not have as many issues. They’ve been running the triple crown for years as 3yos and plenty of horses have stayed sound on gone on to the breeding barn.