x. Riley .x asked:
I have recently watched the movie “Pharlap” which was based ona true story. After finishing watching it, I realised that horse racing can be really cruel to the horses. I saw how hard they pushed the horse, made him sick, and how the crowd would ‘poison’ or hurt him if he lost or in fact even won a race. Does anyone agree with me? That horse racing is cruel?
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I have recently watched the movie “Pharlap” which was based ona true story. After finishing watching it, I realised that horse racing can be really cruel to the horses. I saw how hard they pushed the horse, made him sick, and how the crowd would ‘poison’ or hurt him if he lost or in fact even won a race. Does anyone agree with me? That horse racing is cruel?
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Tags: Horse Racing, Pharlap, True Story
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don’t generalize from 1 movie set in olden times.
Franklin
I do .some horses naturally want to run like Babro(no longer with us died of injure to the cannon bone)
Charlene
As someone who loves horses, I’ve been lucky enough to visit the stables at racetracks at places like Santa Anita & Del Mar, which is part of the big leagues of horse racing. I’m pretty certain that it’s different from places like Ruidiso (sp) Downs in New Mexico.
Those horses at the tracks I visited were more pampered than any movie star. It was obvious from watching all the stable workers that they loved those horses.
What I do question is the use of a whip. In other countries, the jockeys don’t use whips.
Erin
Absolutely! Horse racing is cruel. Sorry to say, but the sport is for the entertainment of people and the horses don’t have a choice in the matter. A race horse can lose as much as 7 lbs a race. Some bleed from their lungs, they are set up for lots of leg problems.
Most people do not have a clue of the dangers and high risks involved and/or what these horses have to endure. All that they see is their beauty, how well they are groomed, how well they are cared for. Any time there is lots of money involved, you can bet there are high risks.
Vanessa
Please do not stereotype a whole industry. I would rather you come to the conclusion that there are cruel people in every aspect of horses. From racing to backyard hobbyists. Coming from the racing world, I can tell you that there are far more good, honest people who are very talented horsemen who care alot about the animals they work with everyday than those who are not. Having started out in show horses and doing odd stuff here & there (eventing & arabs) I can tell you that there are people in every industry that I have no idea why they want to work around horses…those who seem not even like them or have some other issues or fear that manifest into cruelty or just generally not seeming to be able to get along peacefully with any horse. When I come across someone like that I can’t figure out why they show up for work everyday!
Just keep in mind that what you see in a movie is not the everyday reality for every racehorse. Some of them have grooms like me that truly care about them and work for people who have a heart & don’t subject them cruelty, & who care to see them have a life after they retire. You will never go to the backside of a racetrack & see horses with open/ neglected sores or curled up feet from neglect. While you will see some ribs, you won’t see a malnourished horse too weak to stand or overfed to the point of causing health problems.. Watch Animal Planet, or listen to the war stories of ASPCA workers, or even go to a sale famous for meat horses…….you will see much more abuse from those “backyard professionals” that kill and torture with ignorance than you will at a racetrack.
Annie
NO, I do not agree with you.
As with any horse activity, (which one is yours?) their are cruel things that happen but that doesn’t mean as a whole the sport is bad.
I’ve seen more cruel things happen by little rich girls who beats the snot out of her horse if it didn’t win her the stupid blue ribbon, then she doesn’t feed it after being at the show all day or give it water ’cause she’s going to teach that horse a lesson.
Cindy
No it is not. Maybe some tracks are, but you can’t judge one whole sport on one action. Yes there is the goods and bads like any equestian sport or any sport for that matter. Some sports take setriods, does that mean it is cruel to watch baseball? Yes, it is a little different, but thoroughbreds and QH and Arabians were meant to race. They LOVE running at top speeds, that is the kind of horses they are. It is like saying that even though a Rheinland was bred to jump or do dressage, he can’t do it because a horse can get injured jumping that high. Well then why are there sports? People love them and out weigh the risks, same with horses. They love their job when they race, and greyhounds love to race, some dogs love to obey and are good in aglity (some will tear up the house if you don’t take them out), jumpers love to jump, gamers love to game, and ect.
Place your bets
This is the kind of question that really winds me up. Pharlap happened in the 70’s in Australia where the rules of racing where a lot different to how they are now. Remember, all films “based” on something doesn’t make every incident in the film true.
All forms of equestrian sport have cruel elements, that’s why they are regulated. Showjumpers are rapped with poles, they clip the front legs and rub turps on them to make them sore so they lift their legs. I’ve seen a polo pony have it’s tongue ripped off by the bit, snapped pasterns, heart attacks on the field and one ruptured it’s diaphragm from a hard ride off and died. I Western Pleasure, they nerve block the tails so that they don’t swish when spurred and to keep a clean profile. Racing is the most heavily regulated of all equestrian sports, there are rules governing drug use, use of the whip, reckless riding etc. The horses have available to them some of the most cutting edge therapies in the world. If you want to really know about the true spirit of racing and the love and emotion involved, check out this
Red Run is a national hero in England. He was bought crippled and he suffered from ringbone. He lived behind a used car lot and was trained on the beach because they thought the sea water would help his feet and legs. He won 3 Grand Nationals and came 2nd twice. Truely the greatest racehorse over jumps ever. You can’t force a horse to jump close 30 fences ovder four and a half miles if he doesn’t want to and to not only complete it but win 3 times shows the true spirit of a racehorse and what racing is all about.
Oh and by the way CF, they are all close to their 2nd birthday when they are broken and horses that are backward or immature are left until they are 2 or 3. Steeplechasers sometimes aren’t broken until 4 or 5 and I’ve worked in racing both in the UK and US and while practices and traditions are different, the basic fact remains that racing is not some barbaric sport.
Donna
That’s a really tough one to answer.
On one hand, race horses are put through a lot of physical stress at a VERY young age. The training and racing regimine is horrible on the horses’ growing bones and joints.
On the other hand, race horses are very valuable and expensive. Their owners, trainers, and riders take precautions to make sure their horses remain in top shape with as little risk of injury as possible. My horse hurt himself while he was out in the pasture one day… I brought him in and he was limping and had a swollen hock. A race horse typically isn’t allowed outside without nearly constant supervision, and has a very strict diet and work out schedule to make sure little accidents like that rarely happen.
Tommy
Do you believer in Terminator too?
You need to actually do research and not off a PETA website. Talk to racing ppl.
While there are things in racing I don’t agree with, there are things in the show scene, in speed events, in cutting, that I don’t agree with either.
I however, have an uncle that races so have seen the inside part of the track. Please don’t base life off movies…….
Lawrence
Horse racing is cruel as the horses are basically used as a source of income and entertainment for their rich owners - who seldom even know anything about horses other than their name.
Horses are riden at age 1 (most horses are not ridden until 2 or 3.. big time jumpers are not riden until 4 yrs old).. this early riding puts strain on their legs but its becuase they want them on the tract as soon as possible.
Racing 2 yr olds full out surely compomises their lifespan.
Racing in England is somewhat better than in North America - becuase in NA horses are stabled at the tracts - spending 23 hours a day in a stall.. which causes their bones to atrophy over time.. leading to them becoming useless after only a few years… Horses in England are stabled at their homes and they drive to the races which move around from track to track - these horses spend more time outside ‘being horses’ and usually have longer lifespans (you will often see older horses still racing in England) plus their tracks are bigger, not all the same direction, have hills and stuff to make them better for the horses (not as tight in the turns).
a horse who isnt making money is dumped..
the crowd cannot poison loosing horses they dont have access to the barns and they have guards to insure the competition doesnt poison winning horses - they have blood tests to check for drugs used on horses (the winner is tested, the looser is tested and 1 random horse is tested)
but yes its cruel - not the kind of cruel like Dog Fighting.. but many horses die on the tract or in training - and even if they dont die - they break down and become ‘useless’
( I will add that STANDARD BRED racing is not nearly as cruel.. and that CHUCKWAGON RACING is about 5 x more dangerous)
** Also want to add that most things are cruel to any extent….. PMU barns are very cruel… rodeo, everything.. its a persons duty to determine how much cruelty they choose to inforce in their own life… the person who refered to the spoilt girls whose horses dont win ribbons is right too…
Mario
Please don’t stereotype one thing that you see. You have to realize that these horses love to run it has been bred into them for thousands of years. If these horses didn’t run they would just fall apart. I have seen it before. I do however agree that the whip should not be used. BUT– did you know that race stewards keep track of the number of times the jockey uses the whip and the jockey can be penalized for whipping the horse too much? They can be heavily fined for the overuse of it. Some tracks can be cruel but not all of them. These are extremely well cared for, pampered animals as they are a LOT of money and there are many precautions that are taken.
Robert
as a horse lover I know that racing’s in my bloodline & I’d never do such a thing. However, I never knew such a thing happened. Usually U cannot even so much as get close 2 these animals due 2 the valuse of the champs. IF this really DOES happen then YES it IS cruel.