Many are euthanized in order to save the owners further veterinary fees and other expenses for horses who will never race again. Horses do not handle surgery well, as they tend to be disoriented when coming out of anesthesia, and they may fight casts or slings, possibly causing further injury.

8 Strained tendons or hairline fractures can be tough for veterinarians to diagnose, and the damage may go from minor to irreversible at the next race or workout.

7 At Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, 37 horses died within a year, causing the Los Angeles District Attorney to conduct the first-ever criminal investigation into the culpability of trainers and veterinarians who medicate horses for soreness and injury and then put them on the track. 6 According to The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, nearly 10 horses died every week at American racetracks in 2018. Between 700 and 800 racehorses are injured and die every year, with a national average of about two breakdowns for every 1,000 starts. 5 Improved medical treatment and technological advancements have done little to remedy the plight of the racehorse. Horses begin training or are already racing when their skeletal systems are still growing and are unprepared to handle the pressures of running on a hard track at high speeds. Racehorses travel from country to country, state to state, and racetrack to racetrack, so few horses are able to call one place “home.” Most do not end up in the well-publicized races but are instead trucked, shipped, or flown to the thousands of other races that take place all across the country every year. 3,4 There are also trainers, handlers, veterinarians, and jockeys involved, so a horse is rarely able to develop any kind of bond with one person or with other horses. Racehorses can cost millions of dollars and are often purchased by syndicates, which may be composed of thousands of members. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks.” 2 It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. A New York Daily News reporter remarked, “The thoroughbred race horse is a genetic mistake. 1 Racehorses are the victims of a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with drug abuse, injuries, and race fixing, and many horses’ careers end in slaughterhouses.

They weigh at least 1,000 pounds, have legs that are supported by ankles the size of a human’s, and are forced to run around dirt tracks at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their backs.

Barrel racing abuse