the day my son will never forget |
UPDATE - 2 More die- now 29
UPDATE-27th horse dies - a 2 year old - this is a disgrace https://abc7.com/sports/27th-horse-dies-after-suffering-injury-at-santa-anita-park/5336695/
UPDATE - Gov. Newsom to take on Horse Racing Industry https://spcala.com/press-release/spcala-commends-governor-newsom-and-introduction-of-sb-469-to-protect-horses-in-racing/
UPDATE-rules tightened again - but racing continues - are we not evolved enough to stop this? They claim they love horses - what is love?
UPDATE-racing board votes to restrict use of whips-at Santa Anita - so drugging, whipping and more - STOP already
UPDATE- a 22nd horse died. Now Santa Anita banning race day medication - ya think?
One warm day in June of 2018, my son and a group of his friends decided to go to Santa Anita Racetrack. My son had never been to any kind of animal race before. After all, look who he lives with. He told me he wanted to go and see for himself what it was like.
Not 4 hours later he sent me this photo and said "something was wrong with a horse". My heart broke twice. Once for the horse, as I new from the photo that the horse would be euthanized, and once for my son, because he had to witness the death of a beautiful animal. He still is upset by the memory.
Why should he have to have this memory? In the last few months 21 horses have died on the track and the track officials don't know why. They have suspended racing indefinitely until the mystery is solved.
Lets definitely suspend racing. We have evolved to reject the exploitation of animals in circuses, fighting matches, apparel, films and some greyhound racing. Why not horse racing.
Are we not better than this as a people? Do we need to gratuitously abuse animals for our own entertainment? How do we explain why this "sport" exists? In fact, how is this even a sport??
Do we want our children, or anyone to be haunted by these images? How many were, the last 21 times a horse died?
Let's end horse racing now. We can do this.
I have been an advocate to end horse racing for probably 40 years or more and yet the abuse continues. (I am also not a fan of rodeos but that conversation is for another day.) Maybe this is the right time to discuss ending this horrible practice of horse (and dog) racing once and for all!
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