Concerning Racehorses: All is not what it seems

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A few days ago I started writing a post about racehorses: I was unable to finish my thoughts, as my head was starting to fall onto the keyboard- that would've led to some interesting sentences.

So I started to write about the use of drugs in the industry. Well, as many of you might not know, illegal drugs have become a staple in the industry. Drugs, that mute pain in horses, drugs that are given to horses that don't show symptoms, drugs that numb their legs etc. etc. There are drugs that are legal to use, however, they are only intended for horses that actually need them. For example pulmonary medication, for horses that have genuine lung issues, not to simply improve their performance. These pain masking drugs are one of the biggest causes of injury in racehorses, these horses don't receive the signals (they would normally receive) telling them to take it easy, and thus end up severely injuring themselves. I read once, it's actually better when horses are given illegal drugs, as it is easier to detect, and then that horse and the trainer can be withdrawn from the race. The dangerous drugs are the legal ones, because, at the moment, controllers cannot tell whether or not the drugs have been administered for honest or dishonest reasons.

Dozens of horses are destroyed at racetracks. Every week. In the US alone. Two year old thoroughbreds are raced at "Undertack" shows every year. These horses are driven to speeds they'll never reach again, all in a bid to sell them for high prices. Many of these horses are put down, because they snap a leg, a cannonbone, or shatter a shinbone. Two year old horses, shouldn't be ridden, let alone raced. They are underdeveloped, and have not yet learned how to control their 500kg bodies. The combination of underdeveloped mind and body ends in countless tragedies. Many of these horses will end up in slaughterhouses.

So no, this is not a family friendly sport. At its current state, this industry is comparable to bull fighting.

Disclaimer: not all races, not all trainers, and not all horses, go through this. I'm certain there are honest people, who follow the guidelines and put their horse's well-being first. But it has reached a point, where this cannot go one without stricter sanctions, these horses are being forced to race. This isn't what they asked for.