ASPCA Issues Statement on Eight Belles’ Tragic Death At 2008 Kentucky Derby

ASPCA Issues Statement on Eight Belles’ Tragic Death At 2008 Kentucky Derby

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK, May 5, 2008—In the wake of the tragic death of Eight Belles at this weekend’s Kentucky Derby, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) issued the following statement today:

“The fragile nature of thoroughbred racehorses and the stress and rigors that the industry subjects on these animals is loudly evidenced in the tragic death of Eight Belles who, as we saw, was euthanized after both of her front ankles collapsed just after coming in second at the Kentucky Derby,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres.

Continued Sayres, “The sport of horse racing is no different than other forms of entertainment where animals are forced to perform, often times in stressful and inhumane conditions. These include being raced too young before reaching physical maturity, being raced excessively, being forced to run on hard or slippery surfaces, or being injected with drugs to enhance performance.”

Almost all racing jurisdictions—New York being one exception—now allow potent anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs to be administered to injured and lame horses to keep them racing in spite of chronic and painful injuries. This ultimate abuse nearly always aggravates injuries. Often an injured leg shatters under the stress of racing, leading to horses becoming crippled and destroyed. Even less fortunate than the horses who are humanely destroyed are those who are less severely injured but forced, through the use of “legalized” drugs, to continue their racing careers.

While there is no evidence that Eight Belles was the victim of abuse, the fact remains that she was subject to compete in a sport known for its inhumane tactics. The ASPCA is opposed to any use of animals for the purpose of entertainment if it involves inhumane practices.

:popcorn:

Now I'm ready.

:popcorn:

Things are about to get interesting. I was wondering where all the action had gone. :evilgrin:

into combat so the super-rich can get super-richer. Why not do the same with horses?

:sarcasm:

:puke:

I'm about to cook a nice medium rare steak.

How you make your case is simply brilliant and we could all learn from it!

Yes!

Well, if we were completely stupid.

:evilgrin:

"The ASPCA is opposed to any use of animals for the purpose of entertainment if it involves inhumane practices."

They should have put a period after entertainment. There's no justification for using non-human animals for human entertainment.

Feeding peanut butter to the dog again!

.

Are we being inhumane? Horse racing isn't the only sport horses are used in. Grand Prix Show Jumping on down to local horse shows are also entertainment and sporting events.

I'd suggest finding a hobby that doesn't rely on the breeding and captivity of another species.

as "captive" species.

That's so extreme, it's funny.

He just died recently. Wild horses will never live that long and quite often suffer from parasites and other health problems.

I guess you oppose people owning dogs, cats, fish, and birds too.

They absolutely LOVE it. It's entertaining to both the humans and the dogs.

I witnessed chickens being used for entertainment, though they definitely were not harmed in the process. It was a game of chicken-poo bingo. AKC has dog shows. My point is that there are different levels of abuse in "entertainment".

I'm glad I'm a monthly donor.

AMEN.

a person from a well known Equine Veterinarian. She said horses running in the Derby should be four year olds. She said it is just too much for them. She also agrees that, in general, they are racing them too young. She also blamed the breeding.

People take a 1200 pound thing of motion and beauty, stick it in a prison cell 90% of the time, feed them refined oats in bunches, and wonder why they are not healthy.

Horses that are inbred in breeds tend to develop confirmation weaknesses that go along with the specialized breeding. Front legs made sleek and lightweight for racing are not made to take the pounding.

Things done to train horses are horrendous. Horses need access to open space, and they need to eat grasses, not refined feeds, fed by the bucket full.

I do not support horse racing or horse showing. I would just as soon watch dressed up monkeys riding dogs.

"The ASPCA is opposed to any use of animals for the purpose of entertainment if it involves inhumane practices."

which includes racing, circuses, marine parks, and a host of other venues at which animals are forced to perform for human enjoyment . . . it's always been unethical and immoral, and remains so today . . .

using other species for human entertainment denies the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life on the planet . . . when we reduce the existance of other species down to only what use they can be to humans, we negate their essential being as part of the web of life . . . and we've all seen what negating the web of life has done over the past two centuries -- to other species, to the planet, and to ourselves . . .

let horses be horses . . . let elephants be elephants . . . let porpoises be porpoises . . . we'll all be better off . . .

My favorite example:

The Moscow Cat Theater

The idea of performing cats came to Mr. Kuklachev in 1971, he said, when he found a stray begging for food by performing on its hind legs and doing somersaults for onlookers. Mr. Kuklachev, the son of a truck driver and a factory worker, had attended clown school. He realized he and the cat might be able to do something together. He named her Strelka, and soon she was performing with him at the Moscow State Circus.

snip

Mr. Kuklachev's son Dmitri, 30, who is a member of the troupe, interjected: "A cat cannot live in a cage. If it lives in a cage it becomes wild, aggressive." Although Dmitri performs with the cats, he is allergic to them, he said; he controls his asthma through breathing exercises.


snip
The younger Mr. Kuklachev said his father trains the cats not by rewarding them with treats, as one might train a dog, but "by long, good words, touching them."

The elder Mr. Kuklachev bridled at the idea of rewarding cats with food. "A cat is not a dog," he said. "If a cat doesn't want to do something, he will not do it."

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Please read about:

Ralph Helfer is a well-known Hollywood animal trainer who is known for being one of the first to impliment 'affection training' in dealing with animals. He lives in Los Angeles and Kenya, where he leads safari tours. He is the writer of Modoc and other animal books such as Zamba, about the lion of the same name.

of Football or any other major sport.

Their gripe is with horse racing in general. The riding crops that jockeys use are a lot more humane than the spurs that are used on the horses during rodeos...but rodeos aren't mentioned once. Hmmm...

What happened to Eight Belles was a horrible freak accident. Is an autopsy being done to further examine her?

It seems quite odd that she goes from running at full speed in the grandest horse race of the year...finishes second (competing against male horses no less)...then have both ankles shatter while slowing down after the race is finished.

Is there anyone here with veterinary knowledge, specifically horses?