Probably a little brave, or a lot stupid, to get myself involved in this and there's every chance I'll end up getting upset and abandoning the conversation but I am and have been for my adult life, employed in the racing industry. I love horses and find the anti racing rhetoric and propaganda highly offensive. Rather than rearticulate my views this is a Facebook post of mine from November (some of it is very timing and Australian specific so please excuse that):
To the people spreading anti-horseracing propaganda: I have tried so hard not to engage this year, but it's hard, especially when I see it coming from people I respect (or thought I respected), and I need to clear a few things up.
1. It is personal. You can tell me it's not or that you don't mean me, but when you say my industry (my entire life since I left high school and a good portion of my life prior to that) is animal cruelty it is personal and you are accusing me of animal cruelty, that's a pretty big and offensive accusation. 2. The numbers given by CPR, Animals Australia and whoever else are false, it takes minimal research to realise that and there are studies (from impartial sources such as the Australian Veterinary Journal) to prove that. You also don't have to be a genius to realise that if more thoroughbreds were going to the knackery each year than were being born (the number reported by CPR) there wouldn't be any racing at all. 3. The argument that racing kills? We're talking about approximately a 0.005% death rate. In all my years around racehorses I have never been involved with one that died as a result of an injury sustained during a race or during training, I have been involved with many who have died: from paddock injuries, colic, chronic laminitis and other causes unrelated to racing. If I thought it was a danger to race my horses I would never do it. I challenge anyone who has seen me with my horses to so much as suggest I would willingly put them at risk - I love my horses. 4. Ten years ago we didn't have this rubbish, Michelle Payne would have been hailed as an inspirational woman succeeding in a still male dominated and often chauvinistic industry; Stevie Payne would have been held up as a symbol of the capabilities of those born with downs syndrome and Darren Weir would have been celebrated for his support of them both, instead half of Australia seems to be attacking all three. This should be the greatest time of their lives/careers and if you're out on social media tearing them down you should be ashamed.
There are bad apples in racing, but they are in the minority, and sadly such people exist in every facet of society. Do your research or shut up, because these constant accusations against me and hundreds of good people that I know or have worked with are personal and they're falsehoods.
Do you believe horses are sensitive and intelligent beings that feel pain? Could horse racing exist without the whip, or whatever insiders call it? Would you do go through what the horses do? Do you regularly run so hard you feel like you are going to die while someone switches your ass?
I know horses are sensitive intelligent creatures, this is why I've elected to spend my life with them., tell me why else I'd do it, like a majority in the industry I struggle to make ends meet whilst working 10-12 hours 7 days a week "Do I regularly run so hard I feel like I'm going to die?" No and neither do my horses. There's a reason anti racing propaganda is not spread by former employees of the industry, it's because a day in a vast majority of stables is all it would take to see how loved and cared for these horses are, and if they don't want to race then they don't, I've had horses who had no interest and I have no idea whether they were fast or not, they were rehomed into different careers. My horses are my babies, my life and for someone who is a self confessed outsider to judge without experience is not okay with me
I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
I only speak of thoroughbred horse racing in the northeast of US. I have no idea what happens elsewhere.
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
I know horses are sensitive intelligent creatures, this is why I've elected to spend my life with them., tell me why else I'd do it, like a majority in the industry I struggle to make ends meet whilst working 10-12 hours 7 days a week "Do I regularly run so hard I feel like I'm going to die?" No and neither do my horses. There's a reason anti racing propaganda is not spread by former employees of the industry, it's because a day in a vast majority of stables is all it would take to see how loved and cared for these horses are, and if they don't want to race then they don't, I've had horses who had no interest and I have no idea whether they were fast or not, they were rehomed into different careers. My horses are my babies, my life and for someone who is a self confessed outsider to judge without experience is not okay with me
That's sounds like a self-deception to me, I have seen the horses after the race and they look like hell. Why the whip?
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
Couldn't have said it better...
Ah ah how bout dogs. They are for amusement. Now realize yours are having a hell of a life.
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
Couldn't have said it better...
Ah ah how bout dogs. They are for amusement. Now realize yours are having a hell of a life.
I wouldn't consider companionship equal to amusement.
Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
Couldn't have said it better...
Ah ah how bout dogs. They are for amusement. Now realize yours are having a hell of a life.
I wouldn't consider companionship equal to amusement.
Yes, companionship and animal care, not the same a amusement. If anything, we are our dogs amusement. And cats? We are they're slaves!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I certainly did not start this thread with the intent to argue with anyone here. I spent a day at horse racing recently and questioned within myself the wisdom of engaging in and supporting this activity. I did some soul searching and some research and the information I found (information, not propaganda) led me to believe this was not something I find worthy of supporting.
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
Couldn't have said it better...
Ah ah how bout dogs. They are for amusement. Now realize yours are having a hell of a life.
I wouldn't consider companionship equal to amusement.
Yes, companionship and animal care, not the same a amusement. If anything, we are our dogs amusement. And cats? We are they're slaves!
Comments
My horses are my babies, my life and for someone who is a self confessed outsider to judge without experience is not okay with me
Animals are not for our amusement. As living, intelligent, sensitive beings, they have the same intrinsic value in life as we do. Our cleverness and opposable thumbs do not give us the right to subjugate animals for our own amusement. These are my own personal convictions.
Why the whip?
Mongolian Groom, euthanized at Breeders' Cup, is 37th horse to die at Santa Anita Park since December