On Barbaro:
Dear Editor:
One evening as my family was sitting down for dinner I happened to catch the glimpse of a horse on the TV and of course pestered my father to turn up the TV. It was the post parade for the Belmont Stakes. Now at the age of four I really didn't know anything about horse racing. I was the typical horse crazy little girl that begged for a pony ride at the fair and asked Santa for a horse. As I watched the horses parade by the grandstand I was completely fascinated by the colorful silks of the jockeys and the cheering of the crowd. My folks told me to pick out my favorite horse and that I should root for that horse during the race. They were all absolutely beautiful but I was really struck by the big red one. His name was Secretariat and for 2 minutes and 24 seconds he was mine.
As a fan of horse racing I have watched over the years the most stunning of performances and the most awful of breakdowns. Fortunately the breakdowns have been few but I always wondered if there was something that could have been done differently.
Why are there horses that are able to compete until they are eight years old or that retire after competing in over 80 races with legs that are as clean as a yearlings? Why aren't there better treatment options for horses that suffer broken bones? The list of questions goes on and on but rather than simply asking the question I opted to educate myself with the hope of maybe offering some solutions. What I found was that the racing industry had beaten me to it. Whether it's the extensive funding of equine medical research, the establishment of organizations to retrain and place retired racehorses or ensuring racing champions have a safe home when their breeding career is over, the racing industry has taken it upon themselves to promote the well being of the race horse and horse in general. Many in the industry have questioned the impact of the "young and fast" breeding tactics over the past 30 years and many breeders are actively shifting to "building a better horse" even if it means operating at a loss. Drug testing was implemented to cull out the bad trainers looking for a quick fix and today the use of medications is being evaluated at every angle from determining what is acceptable for use in medical treatment, threshold levels and the long term impact of certain medications. The recognition of problems and active search for solutions indicates to me that the racing industry's blinders were removed long ago.
As a horse owner, both of the pet and racing variety, it has always been my position to do what is best for the horse. Part of that is letting the horse do what it enjoys. Just as some horses are born to chase cattle, some horses just love to run. If you know anything about horses then you know that you cannot force a horse to do anything and they will tell you at any given moment exactly how they feel about a situation.
Abuse isn't love? You are absolutely correct. I am actively involved in horse rescue and most of the abuse cases I have seen involve individuals that claim to love their horses. They purchased the horse for their child who is either no longer interested or around to care for it and the poor animal goes days locked in stall without hay and water. Maybe they liked the idea of watching a couple old timers graze in the field but didn't know that many horses require more than a few blades of grass and a muddy pond or that some shouldn't have grass at all. The horse is old, thin and so arthritic it struggles to stand but the owners claim to love it too much to put it down or simply can't afford it and won't ask for help. Typically it's a combination of ignorance, finances and selfishness, sometimes it is pure cruelty. In exchange for daily exercise, bathing and rub downs, a blanket to keep off the morning chill, feed and hay, fresh water, medical care, regular hoof care, endless supplies of carrots and sometimes access to a pasture to graze and roll in, we ask the horse to do something it loves to do. The racing industry certainly spends a lot of time, energy, and money to abuse their horses….maybe others should follow suit.
Nancy Evans
Chaptico, MD