Thursday, May 23, 2024

Believe horse racing should thrill, not kill?

Think Horse Racing Should Thrill, Not Kill?

As I'm sure you know, horse racing season is in full swing. It's just impossible to escape the hype over the Triple Crown. The excitement drives people across the nation to spend their time and dollars at their local racing track.

Lots of those folks will lose some money betting on Daily Doubles, Exactas and Trifectas. But the real losses have names like Plum, Athena, Skip and Murdock.

Before I share some important information, I want to surprise you. I'm not against horse racing. It's thrilling to watch these equine athletes fly down a track at speeds of 40+ mph. But I have a big problem with how it's done, and I'll bet you do too.

We need to act now before the cons outweigh the pros. That's why I'm hoping you'll sign our pledge to encourage reforms in the horse racing industry.

Let's start with the age of racehorses. For the purposes of racing, all horses have a birthday of January 1 — even if they're born in December. So a foal born on Christmas Day is considered one year old just a week later, and trainers can begin the grueling process of getting him ready to win. That's just wrong.

Horses don't have a fully mature skeleton until they are around five years old. While they can start moderate work at a younger age, if done incorrectly, training hard many times a week for a sport like racing at such a young age can increase the risk of injury. And as we all know, when a horse breaks a bone in his leg often the only option is euthanasia.

Assuming they make it to the starting gates — which most won't — retired racehorses may meet a similar fate. When they stop earning money, they have no value to their owners. Some go on to have second careers as jumpers, dressage horses, ranch horses or eventers. But the injured or unsound ex-racers are most likely to suffer... at the auction house or from euthanasia. The rest may find their way to rescues like Miracle Ranch. Right now we have 14 former racehorses. Plum, Athena and the others aren't likely to be adopted.

Most fans of horse racing love horses, so they may not know the hard truths of this industry. We need to tell them — and it starts with our pledge. Please sign today, and when you do, keep Plum in mind. Or Athena, Skip and Murdock. Or any equine who was bred to run for their life. They need your help.

Thank you,

Jerry Finch
Founder

P.S. The irony is that, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, thoroughbred racehorses like Plum achieve peak speeds at about age five! Imagine the records that could be set in the Triple Crown if they raced horses in their prime years instead of when they're babies. If you believe, like I do, that horse racing can be reformed into something that thrills instead of kills, sign our pledge today.

SIGN THE PLEDGE