Suspend PETA and keep racing
Posted by Moonage on 06 May 2008 | Tagged as: Opinions, Shock and Awe
In their usual callous and unsympathetic way, PETA has had to chime in on the death of Eight Belles. Now, a couple of their arguments make sense, like using softer tracks. But, in their usual way, they completely defy reality in order to make their argument:
- In blaming the track surface - nothing is softer than mud.
- In blaming the rider - anyone watching the race knew that Eight Belles ran smoothly. In fact, she ran so smooth she came in second. An injured horse, no matter how gallant, fierce, or stubborn, could not have outrun eighteen other thoroughbreds that are bred and trained to do nothing but race.
- In blaming whipping - these are huge animals with thick skin. What looks violent to a person is just a tap on the shoulder to these horses. Horses aren’t particular smart. If the rider has no ability whatsoever to control the horse, they will simply run into each other, or fences, or anything in their quest to get to where they are going. There would be a lot more deaths if you remove the whip.
- In blaming the sport - horses, particularly thoroughbreds, are a breed designed to run fast. That is what they do. That is their escape mechanism in the wild. Putting a tiny person on top of them and getting them to run in a circle is simply modifying what they do naturally. If Eight Belles were running in the wild, there is no guarantee at all that the same thing would not have happened.
- Blaming the industry - these horses are pampered and babied beyond belief.
That folks, is where one of these horses live. These barns are air-conditioned, sanitized, they are fed meals that beat anything PETA has eaten, and look at that grazing.
In lieu of being pampered and expected to run a hand-full of races, maybe this is what PETA has in mind for horses:
- Dozens of Dead and Dying Horses Found on Mason Co. Farm
- 7 Horses Found Dead In Clark County Farm, Others Barely Alive
Personally, I’d just as soon see someone mount and whip Kathy Guillermo for beating on the people that cared for Eight Belles and using them for her political message than I would another horse race. Frankly, I just don’t care much for horse racing. However, I do care when people are insensitive and out of line. You want the reason this country is polarized and divided, people like Kathy Guillermo are 100% the cause.
And, as usual, PETA comes out looking more like a horse’s ass a lot moreso than the horse they are taking advantage of.
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