Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This foolishness of chasing fame and fortune,
with the animals paying the price, simply MUST STOP.

So I'm confused.  A horse dies
(I agree its a tradgedy) in a a race watched by millions of people and
now the entire race horse industry, of which I am all small part as an
owner and trainer, is a bunch of brutal unscrupulous money-grubbing animal
abusers, to include owners, trainers, and some poor kid from Panama who
has to puke to go to work.

Thus, if 1 is bad in an event 2 deaths
is worse right?  

Well 2 horses died a quick drive from
the Derby in front of the wine and cheese set at Rolex the weekend prior.
 I didn't hear nary a burp from PETA.  I can't remember the last
race day fatality at the Derby, but the Rolex has had a number of horse
deaths in past years.  I heard a number, that could well be wrong,
of 15 horses lost in Intl eventing last year.  Bring out the stones
and pitch forks and cast the Lexus' from the Horse Park!  Those blood-thirsty
Armani wearing McCain supporters.  

For those who think they know what goes
on on the backside, get a license and find out for yourself.  I really
get ticked off by the perception that a large majority of trainers are
cheats, when in fact what I have seen being on the backside is not the
case. For those of you who have read Horse Heaven, in my experience on
the backside of a track there are more Farley Jone's than Buddy Crawford's.
 If you don't get it, read the book.  

As for positive tests, or suspensions,
consider this.  My oldest son's string of horses affords him the luxury
of living in a 10x12 dorm room at a large track where his barn is subject
to search at any hour without cause or reason.  He's never had a positive
test, fine or suspension (though Dear old Dad has!).  Look through
your trailer berfore you head to the East Lillyfest 50: got any Ace, Banamine,
or Bute, baking soda?  You too could be in an HBO report as a cheater,
just like those money grubbing horse killers in KY.
 
I could be like the high horse set who
looks down their nose at race horse people, "I 've never lost a horse
on the track (or the trai)l", but someday it could happen to me at
a ride or on the track.  Yesterday my off-track Arab kicked the snot
out of my trailer and broke the welds between the frame and the siding..........coulda
lost him.  Still shaking in all honesty.  I have no idea what
got into him, but if I didn't care for that little bleep I wouldn't have
risked my life to get in there and calm him down so I could get him out
of the trailer.  I should just tapped all those gobs of dough my drugged-up
lame horses have earned and buy a new endurance horse.........what was
I thinking?!

I see two constants in life with horses.
 A horse is an accident waiting to happen to themselves or something
else, and in any sport, I mean any sport involving horses, people do things
that are unscrupulous, dishonest, or amoral.  Pick on the 1/4 horse
people, the walking horse folks, the eventers, the racehorse people, the
arab/saddlebred/morgan show horse people, but don't forget the horses who've
died at AERC events, or who stand on 3 legs at home so someone can sign
their email Jane Doe 12,321 AERC miles.  All any of us can do is do
the best we can with the animals God brings into our lives. The AERC, FEI,
NTRA, AHA, 4H, or FFA, can't root out all the evil in mens hearts.

  

Jon