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glimpse into world of horse racing victims
 Barbaro
offers glimpse into world of horse racing victims
by Lynn Cuny, Founder & Executive Director
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Barboro, the majestic 2006 Kentucky Derby
winner, was killed Monday after years of enduring the vicious
horse racing circuit. He was three years old. The life Barbaro
lived was the sort endemic to the high-dollar horse
racing industry.
Horse racing's cruelty starts with the structure
of the horses themselves — genetic weaknesses from in-breeding,
long frames, and slim ankles meeting hard tracks at high speeds
are recipes for disaster. It is estimated that about 800 horses
die every year from racetrack injuries. Another 3,500 horses
each year suffer injuries that keep them from finishing their
races.
Race horses like Barbaro are often raced too
young, before their bones have fully developed. Fractures
in such horses are common. Denied a shot at the Triple Crown
because of fractures in several ankle bones, Barbaro fit this
distressing profile. But his status as a Kentucky Derby winner
saved him from the slaughter houses where many of the less
"valuable" losers wind up. Injured horses are often
killed just to avoid future vet bills.
To keep more horses on the track for longer
times, a cornucopia of drugs is employed. Widely used are
drugs like Lasix, which controls bleeding in the lungs, and
the anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone, as well as a variety
of pain-killers such as morphine.
"There are trainers pumping horses full
of illegal drugs every day," a former Churchill Downs
public relations director once said. "With so much money
on the line, people will do anything to make their horses
run faster."
It is time we took a close look at our relationship
with animals. All too often, we see them only as tools to
somehow better our lives and usually it is at great expense
to theirs. The so-called champions of the horse racing industry
are treasured, pampered commodities, beloved for their "winning
spirit" and the glamour bestowed on them by those who
make the most of their "talents". But what happens
when they are no longer glamorous winners? If you take the
time to examine the truths behind the façade of the
"Sport of Kings", you will find the tragic answer
to that question.
Read More: "One
Horse Dies," New York Times, January 30, 2007,
p. 20
About the Author
Lynn Cuny is the founder and director of Wildlife
Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, Texas. She is the
author of two books, Through
Animals' Eyes and Through
Animals' Eyes, Again. Her monthly column "Wild
Lives" examines animal issues and the intricacies of
human-wildlife relationships.
About Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR)
(www.wildlife-rescue.org)
was founded in 1977 in San Antonio by Lynn Cuny. Our mission
is to provide rescue, rehabilitation, and release of orphaned,
injured, and displaced wildlife, and provide sanctuary with
dignity for non-releasable and non-native wild animals who
have been the victims of the exotic pet trade, rescued from
roadside zoos, or used in research. Today WRR volunteers and
staff annually receive 5,000–6,000 animals at our 187-acre
sanctuary outside Kendalia, Texas. Over 600 wild and farmed
animals make their permanent home at WRR.
Contact Information
For more information about Wildlife Rescue
& Rehabilitation's sanctuary operations or educational
programs visit www.wildlife-rescue.org
or contact Education & Advocacy Coordinator Gregory Harman
at education@wildlife-rescue.org
or (830) 336-2725.
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