Are horse racing's day numbered?

[neverfstop]

I'm not a huge fan of the big horses races- just seeing the headlines in the news.   It feels like that dog racing has really fallen out of favor, but horse racing has still retained some of its prestige. There were a number of injuries (I assume followed by putting the animals down?) this week leading up to the kentucky derby, including the favorite pulling out favorite.


Dark week at Churchill Downs spawns questions about horse racing’s future
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/07/churchill-downs-horse-racing-questions/ 


When the chief veterinarian from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission visited Barn 39 at Churchill Downs Saturday morning, he did so in the milieu of May 2023. The old days had gone. The nation’s sensibilities about animals had changed by at least somewhat. A sport with 1.2 horse deaths per 100,000 entries in 2022, down by almost half since 2009 while still exceeding that of other lands, reeled in the bizarre nightmare of a venerable track on the biggest stage, with five horses dying in the previous nine days ahead of two more fallen later Saturday.



The scratching of Kentucky Derby favorite Forte, about 10 hours before post time, owed to a bruised right foot, the kind of ailment shy of injury which very well might not have forestalled a run 50, 25, 10 or even five years ago. It happened after Forte had galloped and jogged under observation. It left some ticklish scenes.

[Deleted]

It seems barbaric to me. But like anything associated with that much money, and with the social elite, I’m sure it will persist.

[Wallflower]

I live near a popular track, both harness and flat track (like the Derby). No, it isn't going anywhere. The people who are into racing are not into animal welfare. The flat track season is in August, or used to be just August, and they keep adding a day here, a day there. It is hugely popular - the local news usually relocates and has an outdoor set!

[erbear]

I can’t even watch the KD anymore because I’m haunted by Eight Belles or whatever her name is that had to be put down on the track a few years ago. It makes me so nervous.

I used to have retired racing greyhounds and was appalled by dog racing. I think horse racing should go.

[karinothing]

May 7, 2023 16:39:07 GMT -5 Wallflower said:

I live near a popular track, both harness and flat track (like the Derby). No, it isn't going anywhere. The people who are into racing are not into animal welfare. The flat track season is in August, or used to be just August, and they keep adding a day here, a day there. It is hugely popular - the local news usually relocates and has an outdoor set!

Never say never! Dog racing is effectively banned in the US. I hope that it will start to be banned little by little across the US. Hoping the tide will turn (but yes I know the dog racing demographic is different than the horse racing one)

[kiminky]

As someone who used to attend the KY Derby and Oaks and was there when Eight Belles was put down, I hope it's days are numbered. But in KY it will be a long time coming. The Derby, especially is a juggernaut. There is a 2 week festival leading up to the whole thing. We now have themed days every day of the Derby week at Churchill, whereas it used to just be Oaks and Derby. The problems of Derby go beyond the racetrack. Homeless camps are always cleared in preparation for the event and out of town guests, human trafficking is high, the fireworks event to kick off Derby festival 2 weeks prior is terrible for the environment and the OH river, Churchill Downs has a chokehold on gambling in the state, it's endless. But hey, if you get to wear a fancy hat and dress and sing a racist song....

[lo]

May 7, 2023 16:39:07 GMT -5 Wallflower said:

I live near a popular track, both harness and flat track (like the Derby). No, it isn't going anywhere. The people who are into racing are not into animal welfare. The flat track season is in August, or used to be just August, and they keep adding a day here, a day there. It is hugely popular - the local news usually relocates and has an outdoor set!

Same and I hate track season. UGH.

[sonrisa]

Boxing and Football continue. So...

[loira]

I've ridden enough ex racers to know it can take a long time to undo the damage to a horse's psyche that some horses suffer because of racing. In most other equine sports, horses competing at the top levels are around 8-13 years old - yes, it takes years of training but also we wait until horses have matured physically and mentally. I'm pretty sure they start racing as young as 2 (sometimes younger because thoroughbreds all have the "same" official birthday). I'm not a fan of racing or steeplechase.

[dirtyred]

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know it can take a long time to undo the damage to a horse's psyche that some horses suffer because of racing. In most other equine sports, horses competing at the top levels are around 8-13 years old - yes, it takes years of training but also we wait until horses have matured physically and mentally. I'm pretty sure they start racing as young as 2 (sometimes younger because thoroughbreds all have the "same" official birthday). I'm not a fan of racing or steeplechase.

Yes, these horses are really too young to be racing like this.  but because no one wants to put in the money to train and race 5 year olds, they're beating them up as babies.

[mcmel]

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know

This took me a second lol

[neverfstop]

I was wondering about what the differences were with other animal sporting events & using mature horses makes sense. It seems like there could be ethical ways to race, but it's unlikely to happen.

[basilosaurus]

May 8, 2023 8:02:45 GMT -5 mcmel said:

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know

This took me a second lol

Same

[wawa]

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know it can take a long time to undo the damage to a horse's psyche that some horses suffer because of racing. In most other equine sports, horses competing at the top levels are around 8-13 years old - yes, it takes years of training but also we wait until horses have matured physically and mentally. I'm pretty sure they start racing as young as 2 (sometimes younger because thoroughbreds all have the "same" official birthday). I'm not a fan of racing or steeplechase.

Yep.  this. 

I think it's entirely possible to do horse racing ethically...there's nothing about running in circles that makes it impossible to treat the horses well...but the culture now is a total mess, and the age of the horses just feels like an intrinsically problematic factor.  When your premier event is for "3" year olds you're just set up for not valuing longevity and long term health in your horses.  

And then add in the way the industry sometimes treats the humans involved and...yeah, it can either totally transform or die off, but isn't worth saving as is.  

[sugarbear1]

May 8, 2023 8:02:45 GMT -5 mcmel said:

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know

This took me a second lol

Glad I'm not the only one.

I know nothing about horse racing, except for what I watched with my grandmother growing up. It just seems like a vapid spectacle. Aren't the jockeys horribly treated as well?

[wawa]

May 8, 2023 11:10:43 GMT -5 sugarbear1 said:

May 8, 2023 8:02:45 GMT -5 mcmel said:

This took me a second lol

Glad I'm not the only one.

I know nothing about horse racing, except for what I watched with my grandmother growing up. It just seems like a vapid spectacle. Aren't the jockeys horribly treated as well?

Even if they weren't it's a job that's basically the physical risk of a lumberjack combined with the body dysmorphia of ballet.  And it's sexist as fuck.
But it also doesn't pay very well at all unless you're successful (they pay shit for just riding, you only make a living wage if you actually win), and there's not like....PTO. 

eta: I meant to say - the jockey's are probably the most visible staff involved - but there's also a whole orbit of grooms, and then actual race course staff, and I dont' think a single job out there makes a living wage. Locally there was a whole scandal with the living quarters provided for staff on one of the maryland race courses where it was just utterly unacceptable conditions.

[wildrice]

I think they may be. My H and I went to the Preakness a few years ago, and we had a blast - but it was very expensive and of course we bought the cheap seats (I want to say they were like $130 each and have seemed to only get more expensive since). Every food and drink item was also expensive, even more than the high prices you pay at most sporting events. We have talked about going again sometime because we did have a lot of fun, but just haven't wanted to spend the money.

After this string of horse deaths, though, I don't think I have any interest. I know there have always been risks to the horses but they seemed more rare? I already felt some dissonance going to the race as an animal lover, and now I feel like ethically I just can't in the future. My H feels the same.

[mrsukyankee]

The same conversation is happening over here in the UK. I just can't support it the way it's happening.

[aurora]

I hope so, at least in its current form. The articles about how much worse off the horses are today vs decades ago are depressing. (I didn't see as much about whether jockeys are better or worse off. Which might say something by omission.)

[Deleted]

May 8, 2023 16:59:52 GMT -5 aurora said:

I hope so, at least in its current form. The articles about how much worse off the horses are today vs decades ago are depressing. (I didn't see as much about whether jockeys are better or worse off. Which might say something by omission.)

Interesting. On the news this weekend they said horses are generally treated better now. A bruised foot like the one that caused the favorite to scratch would have resulted in the horse running the race a few years ago. I don’t say this to excuse the system — it’s all still awful, and anything that’s so hard on horses that they routinely have to be put down after racing is just horrifying.

[kiminky]

Churchill made changes to its track this year which possibly resulted in some of the scratches in races and deaths, but of course they are not admitting any culpability. They are going to launch an investigation into the deaths to be done by...them.

[loira]

May 8, 2023 8:02:45 GMT -5 mcmel said:

May 8, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've ridden enough ex racers to know

This took me a second lol

🤣🤣🤣