Originally posted in 2012; re-posted because tomorrow is the 145th Belmont Stakes, the 3rd and final leg of the Triple Crown in thoroughbred horse racing. This is the dark side of the sport.
In humans you never see someone snap their leg off running in the Olympics. But you see it in horse racing.
These words, spoken by the equine medical director for the California Racing Board, summarize the truly terrifying absurdity that is horse racing today. A team of investigative reporters at the New York Times has found that over 1,200 horses die at race tracks every year in the U.S. Many of them die immediately after a race, euthanized after their bodies literally crumble underneath them. Their legs break, unable to withstand the forces that the horses exert upon their bodies. People in the industry call it, euphemistically, a “break down.” It occurs 1 out of every 200 times a horse starts a race.
All of these horses are being ridden by a jockey who is pitched off when the horse falls. Moving at upwards of 50 miles an hour, and in the midst of many other horses running at top speed, jockeys are often seriously injured and sometimes killed. Currently there are over 50 permanently disabled jockeys receiving financial assistance from their professional trade association. Jacky Johnson, for example, was paralyzed from the neck down after his horse, Phire Power, broke its leg during a race. He will need a respirator for the rest of his life; Phire Power was euthanized on the track.
Why is this happening? Because we are making it so.
First, race horses are bred in order to run as fast as possible. Short legs and thick bones slow a horse down, while longer, more delicate legs give them longer strides. Breeders, then, have an incentive to build horses who are both faster and more fragile.
Second, owners may be putting these horses on the track too young. Horses typically start getting raced at 2 to 3 years old, very young for an animal with a lifespan of 30 years. Some argue that the bodies of young horses are not ready to handle the physical demands of racing. For instance, the 2-year-old horse Teller All Gone broke its leg during a race; it had to be euthanized.
The owners dumped his body at a junkyard.
Third, there is the drug problem. Many trainers illegally give their horses performance-enhancing drugs. Many of them are experimental and are not yet or cannot be tested for. These include “chemicals that bulk up pigs and cattle before slaughter, cobra venom, Viagra, blood doping agents, stimulants and cancer drugs.”
Built for speed and not safety, on the track too young, and amped up on steroids and other performance-enhancers, these horses are pushed to their limits. Just this week Doug O’Neill, the trainer of I’ll Have Another, the horse set to win this year’s Triple Crown, was fined after his horse tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Even more problematic than the doping is the legal practice of giving horses pain-relieving drugs, including cocaine. These mask the pain signals that would otherwise tell a horse to slow down or be careful on the track and also increase that chances that the track veterinarian will miss an injury when clearing the horse to race. The NYT reports that “[a]s many as 90 percent of horses that break down had pre-existing injuries” and they argue pain-masking drugs “pose the greatest risk to horse and rider.” The Louisiana Racing Commission call it “a recipe for disaster.”
The drugs detailed below are what were given to Coronado Heights in the week before he collapsed and was euthanized on the track:
Horse racing is subject to regulation, but these vary by state and are typically very poorly enforced, bringing us to the fourth reason why we see so much tragedy on race tracks. The punishment for violations is insignificant, sometimes only a warning:
Trainers in New Mexico who overmedicate horses with Flunixin get a free pass on their first violation, a $200 fine on the second and a $400 fine on the third, records show… [the state also] wipes away Flunixin violations every 12 months… To varying degrees, the picture is similar nationwide. Trainers often face little punishment for drug violations, and on the rare occasions when they are suspended, they are allowed to turn their stables over to an assistant.
When it comes down to it, many owners and trainers are willing to risk a horse’s life for the chance at the prize money and the less likely a horse is to win, the less they’re worth to the owner, so the harder they’re willing to push it.
The economic incentive to run horses till they die may seem to apply to the highest stakes racing but, in fact, it’s at the lowest end that we see the most disregard for the safety of horses and their jockeys. In the backyards of those casinos where racetracks are now part of the attraction (often referred to as “racinos”), horses and jockeys are a dime a dozen, and the money gives people a reason to break the rules. Meanwhile, the casino tracks are low profile, so they receive even less regulatory attention.
The use of the phrase “break down” to describe a horse who has snapped its own bones in the process of entertaining and enriching human beings is an indication of how nonchalantly industry figures approach this problem. It suggests that these animals, and perhaps their jockeys as well, have been thoroughly objectified: cars break down, air conditioners break down, we break down boxes. The language entirely fails to capture what is happening to these horses. It may very well, however, describe what has happened to the industry and to the basic humanity of its most culpable beneficiaries.
Death at the Track:
Visit the New York Times to watch “The Rise of the Racinos” and “A Jockey’s Story.”
Lisa Wade and Gwen Sharp are professors of sociology. You can follow Gwen on Twitter and Lisa on Twitter and Facebook. They have also written about the abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses.
Comments 68
Stephanie — May 28, 2012
There's no question horses in racing are started too young - to be raced at 2, a horse has to be started under saddle as a long yearling. It makes me especially mad because it is simply done to increase profits; horses aren't faster at a younger age (not that it would make it okay if they were) Most reputable trainers outside of racing won't start horses under saddle until they are at least 3, sometimes 4 or 5 depending on the breed.
You could easily make it a three part series and talk about the western pleasure industry - horses are started equally young but bulked up unnaturally, tied in their stalls so their heads drop lower while ridden, have their tails cut so they don't twitch, and other atrocities.
I love horses, and riding, but am fortunate to have learned from people with the good of the horse in mind. The longer you wait, and the slower you start a horse, the longer they'll be happy and sound both mentally and physically.
Ted_Howard — May 28, 2012
I'll just say that as an animal rights guy, I find the whole idea of forcibly racing animals repugnant to begin with. It's just additionally terrible that they are treated this way. Exploitation of animals by humans isn't new, of course, but it's particularly shocking to see this level of cruelty which doesn't even seem remotely justifiable. I personally don't find the arguments for using animals in scientific research compelling, but at least there is a reasonable justification (namely the enormous benefits accorded to humans). This horrible abuse is just so a bunch of people can just make money and a few fans can get a couple hours of entertainment. On top of that most of the owners of the top race horses are already extremely wealthy to begin with. If I had my way, I'd ban all horse racing. But, at a minimum, these extremely cruel practices should be made illegal. Most jurisdictions don't allow dog fighting, but is this level of cruelty really that different?
WG — May 28, 2012
Ok, interesting, but where is the sociological analysis?
hypatia arez — May 28, 2012
"People in the industry call it, euphemistically, a “break down.” It occurs 1 out of every 200 times a horse starts a race."
Sorry but I don't think "break down" is all that euphemistic. Something broke, and they go down. Shall they call it a "catastrophic leg injury that resulted in euthanasia"? I suppose but it's a ridiculous mouthful.
Horses broke down before there were cars to break down. We applied the language of horses to cars, not the other ways around.
There absolutely needs to be more rules and better enforcement when it comes to medications. The overuse of bute and lasix is ridiculous. They should push back the age of racing starts.
But you are not going to get anywhere on any of this if you try to turn it into a case of these people not "caring" about the horses and claiming that they think of them as cars or air conditioners, because it's not true. There are always the people who are jerks through and through and will treat a horse as something to be thrown into a junk yard. A lot of people however get into the industry because they actually care deeply about the horses.
Stephanie Beaver — May 28, 2012
I'm curious to read the second part of this article. I actually had a job working at a non-profit organization on the backside of Churchill Downs, and I was there to see the 2006 Kentucky Derby, which Barbaro won. He then "broke down" two weeks later at the Preakness Stakes and eventually died because of his injuries. I don't know much about horses, but as a vegetarian and someone who cares about animal rights I was never quite sure how to feel about horseracing.
Alex Odell — May 28, 2012
It's interesting from a sociological standpoint why horse racing is culturally acceptable, whereas dog-fighting isn't. I assume that's because we don't see the horse brutalized right away - it happens slowly, over time. Reminds me of people who dislike hardcore wrestling because "it's too brutal", but love football at the same time, a sport which gives players concussions and a ton of other injuries all the time.
Michael Ahlers — May 28, 2012
And yet this pales utterly in comparison to what is done to the billions of animals raised for food every year.
Alex51324 — May 28, 2012
Breakdowns get a lot of public attention, but what happens to horses that *don't* break down on the track, but don't have successful racing careers, can be even worse. The popular image is that after a racing career a horse goes and stands at stud (or becomes a broodmare, if female) and lives a life of luxury creating the next generation of racehorses. That is really only the outcome for a a small percentage who won a lot of races.
Some end up having second careers as riding horses, after being either sold directly by the racing stable or going through a group that re-trains racehorses for "civilian" life. But that avenue is only possible for the ones who are in good health, sound, and fairly even-tempered. The strains of racing--and particularly of starting racing at a young age, as other commenters have mentioned--often cause chronic problems in the hoofs, legs, and joints that can make it impossible for the horse to comfortably carry a rider in the future. Most people who keep a horse want to ride it, so there aren't a lot of homes available for ex-racehorses that can't be ridden.
Horses that were raced too often, drugged up so they can race while injured, or started particularly young are more likely to have these problems. Owners who manage their horses in this way are also less likely to go to much trouble to find a good home for a horse that can't race anymore; instead, they want to get rid of the horse as quickly as possible so they don't have to pay to feed and house it. They're also unlikely to pay for euthanasia and proper disposal. Instead, they sell the horses at auction, where instead of having to pay a few hundred dollars, they make a few hundred dollars. A very small percentage of the horses sent to auction might be bought by
private individuals or rescue groups--but again, that's only going to be the ones that seem like they
have a good chance of making decent riding horses. The majority go to "kill buyers" who ship the horses to slaughterhouses for human consumption abroad. It's a very unpleasant process. The horses who break down on the track are probably luckier, on balance, than the ones who survive to go to auction.
It's a vicious cycle where the worse the horse is treated while racing, the less likely it is to have any kind of a future. If a stable manages its horses well and stops racing them while they're still pretty sound, they have a decent chance at finding a good home later on. If the stable takes the time and expense to get them healthy, de-toxed from performance enhancing drugs, and started on training for normal riding, they have a very good chance at a good future. (Some even become highly successful in other horse sports, like show jumping.) And some stables do do just that, because they're not sociopaths and because they can recoup some of the animal's economic value by selling to a good riding home. On the other hand, if the stable runs them into the ground and dumps them auction immediately following their last race, they're probably going to die horribly.
naath — May 29, 2012
Human athletes don't generally break their legs running, it's true (nor is a broken leg usually fatal for humans). But they do take drugs with potentially bad side effects, they do train beyond sensible limits, and sometimes they do die - this year a woman died running the London marathon, and she wasn't an elite athlete pushing for a world record either just an ordinary charity runner whose heart gave out. The difference I guess is that humans choose to put themselves through this, whereas horses are not offered a choice about it.
Nobody — May 29, 2012
After a careful legally supervised process the horse, fully informed of its options, gave consent and was assisted in ending its own life.
Don't make me laugh.
It was killed.
Don't call it good.
Jenny_Axe — May 29, 2012
I'm a Swedish dressage rider (at a very low level, but still...) and owner of a now four years old horse that we're just now training to the saddle. I've had him since before he was born (i.e., I paid for half the breeding costs and my friend and co-owner owns the mare). I've seen how he's grown into a fine and strong adult horse. If we'd started putting weight on him when he was just a year, I doubt that he would be a strong and healthy as he is now. You can still train the horse, but without putting stress on his body - there are so many things you can do and teach them without sitting on them or having them pull heavy things.
In my not so humble opinion, training horses to saddle or harness when they're only a year or two old is tantamount to abuse. It's like having a human 10 or 12-year-old compete in gymnastics at an olympic level - they may do well, they may even win, but when they're 30 or 40, their bodies will be worn down- just like for these horses.
We do see some breeding problems with dressage horses too, mainly that breeders tend to go for famous stallions without considering other aspects than just being a winner. But a dressage horse is usually meant to last, it takes several years of intensive training to get to the top - you have elite horses competing at 10, 15, even 20 years of age. It's more like gymnastics than running.
Yrro Simyarin — May 29, 2012
So the real question for me is, why is the system this way? Horses aren't cheap, especially thoroughbreds. Why is the tradition to race them at 2-3 years, when there is a higher risk of destroying your high-dollar investment?
This also shows some of the somewhat ridiculous results of banning the domestic processing of horse meat.
Ali Diercks — May 29, 2012
A racehorse is a sum of its body parts, each engineered to do something different, and is not treated as a whole being. Now where do I recognize that perspective from?
Ljusalv — May 29, 2012
Thank you for this post. Important (and horrendous) issue.
Chicken Derby — May 29, 2012
Great post that covers all the bases here. It's amazing how we ruin everything great about a person's bond with a horse. I've galloped a thoroughbred before. On a warm summer evening in big field. It's truly thrilling. I've been skydiving before, but galloping a good horse beats it every time.
So, I understand how horse racing could have started somewhat innocently. It's fun! With a game horse, they enjoy it, too! But we've taken this pure, joyous thing and added money and fame. Unfortunately that always ruins things.
LadyNews » Blog Archive » Good reads - Information in bite-sized pieces for the feeble ladybrain — May 29, 2012
[...] and Disarray at America’s Racetracks”, via Sociological Images: A very depressing article about the utterly cruel and messed up horse racing industry (a mainly [...]
decius — May 30, 2012
"In humans you never see someone snap their leg off running in the Olympics."
At least 28 people from 2000-2009 died from immediate complications from running a marathon. That's infinitely more often then Never.
kaileyverse — June 1, 2012
Gross. This is animal abuse - as are a lot of ways we treat other sentient beings in America.
Ryan Turner — June 11, 2012
I would agree that the phrase "break down" is a form of objectification. Yet, ironically, the authors refer to horses as genderless objects ("its") throughout this piece.
The inhumanity of horse racing… | The Prime Directive — March 7, 2013
[...] racing is truly an inhuman, degraded “sport.” Sociological Images gives you the entire picture. There’s also a video at the [...]
Ian — June 8, 2013
I feel compelled to point out the following two things. First, the entire point of how we treat horses like cars being exemplified by saying they "break down" was disproven the first time this was posted. Rather, the term originated with horses and was later used to describe vehicles and appliances as well. Secondly, as someone who comes from a long line of race trackers, including my father who was a veterinarian at the track, I can tell you that this schedule for bute regiments is outrageously inaccurate.
Also, is this really academic sociology or a fluff piece?
Sheena Leversedge Wood — June 8, 2013
interesting to note that usually a two year old is just starting to be lightly broken in as a riding horse. getting used to wearing tack, having a person lie across the saddle to show them the feel of weight on them.
that's always horrified me with racing, that at two they're running full pelt, when they should only just be starting out as riding horses.
Joey — June 9, 2013
What I don't understand is why do people become outraged over dog or cat abuse but will accept the abuse of certain animals, or why different kinds of abuse are okay while others aren't. Like for example most people oppose cock fights but will gladly eat fried chicken. Why is horse meat a no-no but cow meat is perfectly fine?
I just don't get the double standards.
c. fox — June 17, 2013
I find it disgusting that anyone would post actual pictures of injured and dead horses to go along with a story that is meant to be educational. I am a groom ay a training stable, and if I ever have the misfortune of one of the horses in my care breaking down and being euthanized, no one had better post pictures of it online.
I know the industry is rough and corrupt, but I love the horses that I care for. I never want to see a one of their dead bodies or their terrified final moments immortalized in a picture and speed around the internet. It's absolutely disgusting.
Fritz — June 17, 2013
Now, please do an expose on greyhounds and racing dogs. 22,000 dogs are whelped each year, and most of them destroyed in their 2nd year of life. The industry uses similar tactics as the horse-racing one; in fact, racing dogs rarely have the 'honor' of euthanasia. Most are starved, shot, gassed, or given to science labs for vivisection, etc. Disgusting.
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