Holy crap!!

pokeyman · Postby **pokeyman** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:09 pm

Just stumbled upon this article:

http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/2008 ... erto-rico/

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:22 pm

I wish the 100,000 american horses had this option instead of being sent to slaughter every year. I personally don't have a problem with humane euthanasia.

pokeyman · Postby **pokeyman** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:24 pm

Laurierace wrote:I wish the 100,000 american horses had this option instead of being sent to slaughter every year. I personally don't have a problem with humane euthanasia.

Just because a horse has a career threatening injury doesn't mean it should be killed. It could go on to have another career off the track.

They are also killing horses who are 100% sound and healthy but are just too slow on the track. :shock:

Jenny · Postby **Jenny** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:40 pm

Did you read the part that says sometimes they do it for revenge!! Because they have not made money for them. Some horses just don't have the talent, they do their best but just don't have the mechanics for it. So they kill them out of revenge? That is crazy! :evil:

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:07 pm

This is an island with limited land. There aren't homes for all the horses after their racing careers are over so unlike the asshats here who send them to slaughter or starve them to death they are given a humane ending. Like I said, I wish american horses were so lucky.

Jenny · Postby **Jenny** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:49 pm

Laurierace
I totally agree with you. No horse should have to endure starvation or a horrible van ride to the slaughter house. Just the out of revenge struck me. Like even if they could find it a home they would rather kill it out of revenge! That is just stupid no matter what your thoughts are about the subject.

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:03 pm

Laurie isn't new at this. I fully admire her hard work in re homing horses, saving them. She knows the good, bad and ugly like most of us ever will. She's done so much for so many horses. And should be respected as such. JMO

freshman · Postby **freshman** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:56 pm

It sounds like a sad but responsible system to me.

Sure, it would be great to see some good rescue/rehome organizations get involved or to be developed by the PR race industry. However, there are not enough homes to give mainland USA horses a good retirement; the huge expense of trying to save these island TBs is prohibitive and, frankly, doesn't make much sense to me.

Also, I wouldn't get too worked up about the statement that these horses are being killed out of revenge. It is an odd choice of words to use in this article; it seems to be used in an inarticulate way that may be the choice of a writer that is not familiar with the race industry--mainland or PR--and/or is intended to be inflammatory and incite strong emotion in readers. No doubt that it happens in PR but, really, does it matter? Hmmm, unless these owners are abusing the animal prior to death or use inhumane methods to kill it, the end result is the same. Doesn't make a bit of difference to the horse.

Who knows, maybe the same zealots that ahieved the ban on horse slaughter in the US will get involved. They should have plenty of free time now. I do wish that they would take off their rose-colored glasses, as they don't have enough foresight to see past their own noses. Maybe they'll shut down PR racing altogether. They can celebrate their victory while the island horses are killed or turned loose or starved en masse. Just like the mainland horses...

Marli · Postby **Marli** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:33 am

Laurierace wrote:This is an island with limited land. There aren't homes for all the horses after their racing careers are over so unlike the asshats here who send them to slaughter or starve them to death they are given a humane ending. Like I said, I wish american horses were so lucky.

I completely agree with the above. As an person that frequents the killpen, witnessess and understands the trauma, complete confusion and suffering of being shipped to the slaughterplant- I would much prefer this practice. Like some of the reaction here, when I make this kind of statement publicly it's met with mixed reaction. Humane euthanasia is a responsible choice, even for a sound horse as opposed to shipping to slaughter (IMO). It's especially disturbing to witness thoroughbreds in the killpen, totally confused, frightened and traumatized when thrown into that type of environment- and that's just prior to being shipped to slaughter. It's heartwrenching.

I provide assistance to many rescue organizations- and I have an intimate knowledge of what a rescue org. contends with. Most if not all at any given time are full to capacity often times trying to squeeze one more in. Tough decisions need to be made for the overall picture and the assurance of staying in operation. And most rescue orgs. have been hit hard by the poor economy as donations from the public have lessened. The U.S. really is an island with limited land and resources.

soundfast · Postby **soundfast** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:23 am

There are people who can afford to spend a million or more dollars to buy a horse. I am sure they can afford to donate quite a bit of money if they choose to. What have all those rich people done for the horses in need of help lately?

tmacew · Postby **tmacew** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:04 am

I really think everyone who breeds or races horses has a responsibility to see to it that each horse has a home after their career is over. I do not disagree with the idea of humanely destroying horses in theory, I just think that greed has caused us to overbreed.

I have been advocating (to myself mostly) a situation where every horse that goes through the sales ring be subjected to a "lien" of sorts that provides that they never be sold to a kill wagon. When a buyer purchases a horse they accept those conditions and the conditions follow the horse through all subsequent owners. The "lien" would have the force of law. We cannot just put lip service to this. If we are serious than lets start at the begining. Lets not breed or sell horses that we cannot take care of from life through natural death. (obviously such a plan lacks, and would need, many more details, but in theory it is a step in the right direction).

Jenny · Postby **Jenny** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:08 am

We only breed a few horses each year , but we claim quite a few horses to race. We in turn try to find good homes for everyone after racing. Some are re trained as show horses etc. It is difficult to place them all. I guess that is why I have so many retirees at my house!!! It is a difficult situation for sure. i also am not opposed to humane euthanasia for horses. Madelyn and I have posted on here before about having euthanasia stations situated throughout the US and Canada. So that people can bring their horse there and have them maintain their dignity till the end. Instead of shipping them to the slaughter. I know it sound heartless to some people. But who is going to care for all the unwanted horses? Who has the resources, obviously the people who buy million dollar yearlings aren't donating to the cause. It is the people who have barely anything who give what they can to help, but how long can this go on, and how many can a small group of good doers help? What is the answer :?:

tmacew · Postby **tmacew** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:20 am

Jenny, I agree with you completely. I would argue that the answer is that if you breed it, then it is your responsibility to make sure it has a good home. If you sell it to someone, they then take on that responsibility. If it is claimed from the track, the new owner takes that responsibility. Such a system will never be legislated, and it wont work one breeder at a time. But think of it: what if every horse going through the ring today came with a contract that the owner, and all subsequent owners, must never destroy the animal before its natural death and must provide for it an adequate home at all times. Would buyers stop buying at the sale because of the added financial burden? No, of course not. They are not going to worry about it. If such a situation came to be, it would begin to have an effect when the yearlings of today begin to hit the claiming ranks. Then claiming owners will think about the potential cost of having to keep a horse after it is off the track. Good. They may decide that the risk isnt worth it. We would then see less new money into game, less claiming races run, and less horses destroyed both humanely and inhumanely. Would it be tough for those who make their living on the margins of this game. Undoubtedely. But all of us are making our living on the backs of horses who deserve to live a humane life or to not be bred to begi with.

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:10 pm

Having witnessed the slaughter sales at New Holland I wanted to euthanise the Amish buyers that squeeze in so many terrified horses and ponies into the transport trailers,horse that once were proud to bring pleasure to their owners and ponies that once were the apple of some childs eye. I have no problem at all with animal slaughter but there is absolutely no excuse for abuse. Hopefully one day someone will put me out of my misery and do me a big favour , to quote the survivor from "Gladiator" the oscar winning film; "but not yet".

MINNOW · Postby **MINNOW** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:43 pm

I don't know why horses have such a hold on our heart strings.If I were filthy rich I would have a hugh amount of land and rescue as many as I could.They are defenatley the most beautiful creature there is.I was on another site and saw some pictures of northern dancers daughter,she had been rescued now she looks like a million bucks.I cried like a baby to think no one loved her such a royal pedigree.What a legacy her Daddy left us,The new owner is truly blessed to even have such a horse,and the horse is truly blessed to have such a wonderful owner.