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Ernie Paragallo is at it again. Authorities seized 170 malnourished horses from his Hudson Valley farm, just south of Albany, on April 8, 2009. ??
State police and animal protection workers found that all of the horses were in varying stages of malnutrition, and lacking overall proper care and shelter. ?
Paragallo is a well-known thoroughbred horse breeder, who had horses rescued from another farm in 2007, according to the New York Times. Those horses were found starving and had to stay in an equine hospital for “more than a month.”
Horse racing is an international, multi-million dollar industry, which means that one of the last thing participants care about is the well-being of the horses.
Blinders to the tradegy.
I find that people have short attention spans when it comes to the suffering of animals, and we turn a blind eye to obvious suffering. Take the case of Barbaro, the beautiful and famous 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, whose leg was shattered during the Preakness that same year. After two years of painful surgeries and bouts of laminitis Barbaro was euthanized on January 29, 2007. His accident and death were considered unusual, but they more likely revealed, in dramatic fashion, the inherent dangers of horse racing.
The tragic death of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Eight Belles made salient, once again, the serious welfare concerns for racehorses that seem inherent to the dubious horse racing industry.
An ABC news report, "Danger Out of the Gate," reported that for every 1000 horses that started a race, 1.5 of them collapsed and died at the gate or on the track.
What’s wrong with this picture?
For one thing, experts in equine development say that racehorses are too young and have insufficient bone development to take the pressure and great speeds that racing demands.
The ABC report also revealed the widespread use of drugs on the horses. Performance enhancing drugs can cause serious health problems, such as pulmonary hemorrhage. No one seems to care.
Ernie Paragallo’s repeated abuse allegations demonstrate that racehorses suffer before the race ever begins. All people care about is their legs or what’s between their legs. Case in point: Scientists outside of Milan, Italy cloned a foal, Prometea, from the “skin cell of an adult mare that was fused with an empty equine egg.” (More on the horror of cloning in a future article. An empty egg doesn’t come easily, let me tell you). Cesare Galli, Prometea’s creator, is quoted as saying that he was delighted with his achievement and dreams of a race full of clones of the greatest racehorses.
After Paragallo’s arrest, The Jockey Club said that if he is found guilty, they will take action that will essentially end his career, but can it do more? This organization is supposed to be “dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.” It professes to “support to a wide range of industry initiatives.” I think that an initiative to protect the horses is in order. If you agree, let them know.
It won’t surprise you that I see horse racing as another form of animal exploitation. It's not going anywhere, but those of us who care about animals are encouraged to remain vigilant and vocal, so that the horses are properly cared for.
The Kentucky Derby is upon us. When you look at this lavish race, don’t forget about the suffering that the horses endure for your entertainment.
Comments
Your article is just a wee bit biased isnt it?
I have been training thoroughbred horses in New York since the 1970's and have always defended racing when someone like yourself had anything bad to say about it.. But you have spoken the truth.
Oh my, the stories I could tell you.
I only take opinions from people with in the the indusry that do care, not from an observer that has a bias and knows very little if anything about the sport.
A family friend breeds, trains, and races thoroughbreds for racing and although he loves his horses, there are several injuries such as fractured or broken leg bones. Several of the horses that have gone through his barn in the past 40 years ended up injured and would never become anything more than pets and pasture ornaments. This is far from uncommon. He also has some wild stories to tell about other owners and trainers in the industry. However, I am proud to say that he NEVER allows the killers that regularly come to the track, to buy any of his horses. Several racehorses that become unusable for racing are bought off the track and shipped out of the country to be slaughtered.
I have also recently quit a job where I worked for a woman who owned 8 racehorses. Those horses went to the races, but they were never exercised properly for the amount of work she asked of them. I seriously doubt that a racehorse is conditioned enough to run a race when their only true exercise is to be chased around a small arena once every 2 weeks. Obviously not all racehorse owners/trainers are like this, but I doubt she is alone in her ignorance.
It would be different if these horses could tell us that this is what they want to do with their lives, but unfortunately they cannot. They're bred to be athletes, but have no voice.
It is horrible that many race horses have fatal breakdowns every year ... approximately 1,000 in North America.
A far bigger issue is the 17,000+ thoroughbreds that are sent to slaughter for human consumption in countries such as Japan, Italy, France, and Belgium. It's the industry's dirty little secret! Most of these horses could have second careers in dressage, jumping, or on the trail. It's just easier for the industry to "dump" these horses after they can no longer race or breed.
From an editorial that appeared in Bloodhorse in 2007,
If racing learns one thing from the spectacular outpouring of public emotion during Barbaro’s eight-month ordeal, it should be this—it’s the horse, stupid. Your fans love your horses. From a marketing standpoint, the horse is racing’s greatest asset; however, the business does little to protect it, and in so doing, is risking everything.
You would be more credible if you got your facts straight. Barbaro was injured in May of 2006 and died in January of 2007. How does this add up to 2 years?
To say that the last thing the participants care about is the horses is just not true for 95% of the people involved. Like any other business, we have a few bad apples, but they are FEW and FAR between.
Most trainers, like myself, love their horses and take better care of them than most people take care of their kids. The good trainers and owners always find homes for their horses when their careers are finished.
Racing is not just a business to most of us, it is a way of life, and we dedicate ourselves to the care of these animals 24/7....in the dead of winter, we drive back to the track at night to break the ice in the water buckets so our animals are never without water, and most of us were raised with the mindset of "the horses always come first."
To categorize all people involved in the horse racing industry as non-caring and greedy makes your credibility highly suspect.
Your passion is to be commended. However, as has been said, your credibility will be enhanced if you have all of your facts correct. Barbaro's fight to live did not last 2 years, it was less than one. Also, Eight Belles did not win the Kentucky Derby, she finished second.
Not all people have short attention spans. The Fans of Barbaro are still fighting for animal protection and the welfare of all animals, not just racehorses. Please don't lump all people into one generalization.
Proud Fan of Barbaro
Elizabeth, It's very sad if this becomes reality.
I am invlolved in the racing business as an adviser to a race course owner / operator in China, where horse racing is in its infancy, but have not seen any such abuse.
We have very strict rules and have equestrian hospital personell on hand to implement them.
Dr A S Johan
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