Losing Horses Killed in Puerto Rico

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Time Magazine

For thoroughbreds in this U.S. Caribbean territory, being fast enough to win, place or show is a matter of life and death — losers often don't even make it off the racetrack grounds alive.

More than 400 horses, many in perfect health, are killed each year by injection at a clinic behind the Hipodromo Camarero racetrack, said chief veterinarian Jose Garcia. The Associated Press on Friday examined clinic log books that confirmed Garcia's account.

The handwritten logs list the names of the horses, the trainers, the date of execution and the dosages of lethal drugs. Garcia allowed an AP reporter to view the logs but prohibited him from taking notes or photographing the pages.

Unlike on the U.S. mainland, where many former racehorses are retrained for riding or sent to refuges, the animals have few options in Puerto Rico. Owners say caring for and feeding a losing racehorse is too expensive.



Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1807398,00.html

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That is despicable. I used to like to watch horse racing. No more.

[dkf]

1. That is beyond sick.

[Runcible Spoon]

2. you can bet your sweet ass this happens in the mainland too

they just aren't as good about keeping accurate true records about how many they execute, who performed it, and who ordered it. The racing industries, dogs and horses alike, are disgusting and rotted with corruption, greed, and viciousness from the inside out.

[customerserviceguy]

26. Yep, they're not pets

their only job is to make money for their owner/exploiter, and when that can no longer be accomplished, then they are disposed of. I just wish rich fucks would be satisfied betting on dice, cards, or those silly lottery ping-pong balls.

[liberaldem4ever]

3. Why do people have to be so evil to animals?

I can't imagine this happening. Hopefully bringing the truth about what they are doing out in the open will force them to stop killing those poor horses.

There are so many places that would take them and let them live out their lives doing something productive. I can't imagine the animal lovers like myself not raising holy hell about this.

[Runcible Spoon]

4. well in the lower 48..

lies like "Unlike on the U.S. mainland, where many former racehorses are retrained for riding or sent to refuges" are repeated so we can keep the profitable industry running and the fans can feel warm and fuzzy about the "retired" racehorses which are more likely to end up on a truck to Mexican slaugherhouse as they are in someone's backyard pasture.

actually it IS hard to rehab racehorses. Not everyone can handle them are they are generally very expensive to feed. There are unfortunately not that many places for them to go and it's heartbreaking.

[liberaldem4ever]

5. That is so sad-I wasn't aware

I've never been interested in horse racing and I guess I never thought about what happens to the horses after the races are over.

I knew about the greyhounds that race and some of them getting homes after stop racing. But I guess I thought that the horses were so valuable that they were kept for breeding after they stopped racing.

It's so terribly sad the way animals are disposed of after they stop being beneficial to people. I really learned something today with this story. :cry:

[superduperfarleft]

18. Because they taste good. /sarcasm n/t

[beclar]

6. Losing Horses Killed in Puerto Rico

Farce of Nature is correct. I only wish we treated ours as well as Puerto Rico. Ours are slaughtered for human consumption (even such big names and money-winners as Ferdinand and Exceller) to satisfy the palates of wealthy foreigners. Sadly, the only ones who get rehabilitated are the few lucky souls purchased by rescuers at killer auctions. It is not ideal, but humane euthanasia beats the slaughter house any day. HBO recently ran a segment on horse slaughter on Real Sports. It is available at On Demand, and video has also been posted on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSboR03WnjI. Please believe me when I say the slaughter of horses is worse than anything you can imagine in your worst nightmares. Although the show was very difficult to watch, I have to say it was well done. The public needs to be aware of what is going on.

[AndyTiedye]

7. Do They Still Send them to the Glue Factory Here?

[robinlynne]

12. They are slaiughtered and sent overseas to many countries as meat.

[Jersey Ginny]

25. In the many years I worked with both Thoroughbreds & Standardbreds, I never saw or heard this happen

That doesn't mean that it doesn't in some small places, but the animals are bought by the Amish, or purchased for showing, or they are (especially the mares) brought to breeding farms.

[ToughLuck]

8. They do this a lot too with greyhound dogs, for some time there

have been rescue groups who take the dogs and adopt them out. Too bad this is not done for horses :(

They literally run for their lives, very sad.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Outcrys in Spain when it was revealed that greyhounds

were hung in trees...alive.....slow death...

I think PETA had some pics..
stomach turning..

[ToughLuck]

16. OMG, hung alive! Horrendous, it was bad enough there were mass graves of greyhounds here in the US.

These acts are so unnecessary and cruel, it is hard to understand how anyone can participate.

[beclar]

10. HR 503 and S311

I have been remiss in not mentioning HR 503 and S311. These bills would prohibit the TRANSPORT of horses destined for slaughter. We have fought long and hard to get the US slaughterhouses closed and were finally successful, but the bitter reward for that accomplishment is that horses are now transported to Mexico and Canada to slaughter in the most inhumane manner imagineable. You guys seem to be very compassionate, so perhaps you would be willing to contact your reps and senators about cosponoring these bills (if they haven't already). Senator Wide Stance has a hold on the Senate bill. I'm not sure, but I think Reid has the power to bring it to the floor anyway. There are almost enough cosponsors in the House for that bill, and Pelosi needs to hear from us. The pro-slaughter lobbyists are flush with money and fight us every step of the way, so we need all the help we can get. Thanks.

[newfie11]

19. I hate to bring this up BUT who or what is going to take

the starving/old/injured horses that used to go to slaughter. I live in a 9 year drought area. Hay is going for 135-150 a ton. My 5 horses are fine I can afford to feed them and they have a 40 acre summer pasture to run in. BUT there are many people in the Wyoming/Eastern Nebraska/Eastern S. Dakota who cannot afford to buy hay, cannot sell their horses as there is no market. In fact you can't even give them away. Now people are having to choose between gas to get to work or food for themselves. Meanwhile the horses standing out in the field are staving to death.

Putting an end to the slaughter houses in the US was no favor for these horses. If they are sold at auction they are then trucked out of the country and as was said the facilities/trucking are not good.

I have had horses all my life (62 years) and never sold to a slaughter house but there is a need out there and the horses are suffering because of the laws passed.

My horses have always either been sold to a new home, when I was breeding or if old they were put down by a vet.
That is not cheap and again if people can't afford gas,food, and hay they sure can't afford a vet.

Think long and hard about the consequences of you actions.

[beclar]

20. Starving? Old? Injured?

There is a common misconception that horses going to slaughter are old, infirm, unuseable, etc., and that slaughter is a humane end to a worthless, miserable life. Japanese and Europeans don't pay $20 to $25 a lb. for something that is old and sick. Most horses that go to slaughter are young, fat, and healthy. There is even such a thing as foal sushi in Japan. Incidentally, the meat consumed abroad is usually tainted with chemicals not meant for use in meat animals, and the Europeans and Japanese apparently don't care, because horse is a delicacy.

We all know most horses are not destined to live to a ripe old age in the comfort of someone's farm, but we also don't consider them as food animals. Even if we are good owners while they are in our possession, the problem is that we don't know what becomes of them on down the line. And yes, I have had horses and had the vet come out, and mine are buried in the pasture. I have also sold horses in the past and am now worried sick about what may have become of them.

I believe you are a responsible owner, and I understand about the price of hay and gas and the rest of it. I don't have an easy answer. My only point is that a horse should meet a humane and decent death, not be sent to a torture chamber. If the captive bolt process really is humane, maybe we should all use that when we put our dogs and cats to sleep?

Watch the segment on HBO or the video on You Tube and see if you still feel the same way.

[Jack_DeLeon]

23. Whats wrong with eating horses?

Its certainly not my choice of meat but I dont see any reason why someone shouldnt be allowed to eat horsemeat if they choose. We eat deer and cow? In some areas of central america guinea pig is eaten.

[saigon68]

24. Deer are Mighty tasty

Deer sausage like Thuringer is the best

[BearSquirrel2]

27. Honestly ...

Honestly,

It would be better to reopen the US slaughterhouses and regulate closely regulate the manner of handling and execution to minimize the stress to the animals. This is no different then the handling of cattle, except no one races cattle.

[madmax]

11. We must be the voice

of those who don't have a voice. :cry: I've had to put down 2 family members (canine). Very traumatic. My third fur baby was diagnosed with kidney failure. We treated him with medication however, he decided it was time to leave us and went into my laundry basket and passed on. A little gentlemen to the end. I loved that damn dog. :cry: His name was Max.

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/peta-calling-horse-racing-reforms-after-derby-horse-euthanized-track

[California Griz]

13. Let's put this in perspective.

How many dogs are killed each year because people shirk their responsibility. Where would horses be today if there were no rodeo and no horse racing? My landlord has 2 retrained race horses. Don't get me wrong I don't condone the actions listed in the OP. I just think with all the animals raised specifically to be slaughtered for food this issue is being overplayed. I know quite a few people involved in horse racing none of them ever puts a horse down unless it's the last resort to end the animals suffering. In nearly every industry there are good and bad people. I have trouble with a lot of "sports". People get killed every year in auto racing. Boxing in my opinion is a barbaric sport whose time should have passed in a civilized society. If we are going to put an end to all sports that have negative aspects life wouldn't be the same. There may be merit in that discussion. Think of all the people you could feed and give medical to for all the money we waste on foolish games. Just the money spent on super bowl commercials could feed a small country for a month.

[populistdriven]

14. The Clintons, Axelrod and McAuliffe should avoid Puerto Rico

[northernlights]

15. sick as it is...

...a quick, fear-free and pain-free euthanasia is far better than the fate of the majority of mainland racehorses. As explained earlier, once the true horsepeople of our country managed to outlaw slaughter on the mainland, the kill buyers started shipping them to Mexico and Canada. Congress outlawed shipping horses to slaughter jammed into double-decker trailers, but they do it any way and claim they aren't headed to slaughter. The ride to the slaughterhouse is hellish, with smaller, weaker and injured horses sometimes trampled en route. No care for them, and the feed lots where they wait to die are just another phase of hell.

Did you know there are restaurants in France that advertise, "Eat an American horse?" Did you know that one Kentucky Derby winner ended up slaughtered in Japan when he couldn't perform as a stud?

Yes, we have rescues, with limited resources. They simply can't keep up with demand. Most of the horses arrive injured, traumatized and overstressed, so they require extensive, expensive and specialized rehabilitation and retraining before they are adoptable. Many have ulcers from the high sugar diet and unnatural lifestyle, so require expensive medication for life. In fact, they're known for having ulcers and terrible feet from crappy trimming and shoeing.

They' raced too young, before their joints have closed. They're run into the ground -- backyard wanna be's running them weekly until they can't run any more. The vast majority are unsound, with chronic problems that ruin their lives.

I hate racing, more than any other horse sport. There are others closing in. But none has institutionalized abuse to the degree that racing has.

[ToughLuck]

17. Just an outrage. Recently, the thoroughbred race horse that collapsed

a DU member posted that the reason this was happening more was because the horses were too young, this last one was only about 2 years old. Said it would compare to a child running in the adult Olympics and then wondering why the child collapsed. All about greed it appears.

[bklyncowgirl]

21. Racing at age two is the least of racing's problems.

In the past horses raced at age two and you did not have the sort of high profile breakdowns that you see now. There are actually studies that show that horses who raced and trained at age two are less likely to break down than those who start later.

It seems to me that horse racing started to go downhill when raceday medications such as the anti-bleeding medication lasix and the painkiller bute not to mention steroids such as Winstrol were allowed. European jurisdictions ban all raceday medications--period. You get caught you get banned from the track. Here if someone gets caught using a banned substance in this country (yes, there are a few things that we still don't allow) they get a slappypoo on the wrist and in a few months are back at work. Dick Dutrow, the trainer of Big Brown has a rap sheet as long as your arm--definitely a better living through chemistry sort of guy.

I love the horse and obviously he does not get to choose the people who own him but there's a part of me that hopes someone catches him in the Belmont. I don't want these people to win anything, much less the Triple Crown.

There's no national governing authority in racing. It's state by state and the states want large numbers of horses in the races because horse race gambling is a revenue stream for them. Horses racing without medication would actually have to be rested when they got hurt hence few horses in races and less interesting gambling.

Of course the modern Thoroughbred is a different animal than even 20 years ago. Up until the 1960s for the most part the only cure for a broken leg was a bullet. It sounds cruel but at least it removed animals with serious weaknesses from the gene pool. Horses were expected to race at least until age four. Now a horse that does well in the Triple Crown races is rushed off to the breeding shed before he a. gets hurt or b. loses. A congentially weak animal that can do well as a two year old and not even make it to the races as a three year old can bring in sky high stud fees. The goal is to breed a stunning looking animal that will bring in the big bucks at the yearling sales--not one that will last on the race track. Breed a weak horse to a weak horse and you end up with an animal like Eight Belles who's legs snap under the pressure of ordinary racing. I have to give a great deal of credit to the owners of Curlin, winner of the Preakness and the Breeders Cup Classic who kept his horse in training--recently winning the Dubai World Cup and who may be pointed to the Arc de Triomphe in France.

As for the horses being euthanized in Puerto Rico. If there's no way for them to be sold or adopted to good homes, humane euthanization is far better than the fate that would await them if thay were losers on a track in the U.S. with an owner who just wanted the horse gone and didn't care where to or how. Thousands of horses end up in slaughter houses in Canada and worse yet Mexico where even the marginally effective humane slaughter laws in place in this country are not in place.

[Jack_DeLeon]

22. They should atleast use the meat or something?

While I personally dont think using the animals in this way is right, but they might aswell get some use out of the meat and feed some people with it.

[Heywood J]

28. When does this get done to Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney?

Rudy looked like he needed a visit to the glue factory on principle.

[riverdeep]

29. Do most people who watch horse racing know about this?

More to the point, would they care? I don't imagine they would. Ridiculous sport, IMO.

[AngryAmish]

30. How do you lose a horse?

They are pretty big and they might run off, but I imagine someone would catch it for you...