Born in a field.
Raised in a barn.
Trained from birth.
Forced to run.
Aching limbs.
Pounding heart.
Determined to please.
Can't go on.
Running from day one till they can no longer serve.
Sold with malice.
Shot without dignity.
Broken and alone.
Slavery is still a thriving business.

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The racehorse industry has been allowed to run rampant- for 200 years!! As far as I know, every other industry has strict protocols. Don't you think you're forgetting something? Like, the only sport that puts an un-consenting animal at deadly risk? You'd think it would have the most regulations. But no. Because, as we've established logicality is not a strong point in animal conservation.
And we call ourselves "creatures of reason." Cute. Real cute. You keep on telling yourself that.

The Melbourne cup happened. Two horses died. Japan's Admire Rakti died of an unidentified heart issue. There should have been screenings prior to the race, to see if there were any underlying heart conditions. This is a pivotal test for human athletes. If they have a heart condition they cannot compete. Is it too much to give horses the same courtesy? Do you think they want to race? Do you believe this sort of racing allows them to enjoy their freedom? If you do, I'm sorry but your imagination has been substituted for fact. Fact and perceived fact are two completely different things. Just because you believe horses are having the time of their lives, in no way makes it true.

Freedom. Is freedom being forced to run everyday, with aching limbs, burning lungs, only to be locked up into a stable? If that's you're idea of freedom, slaves are free people. And if you agree with that statement, I can't help you. Go back to primary school. Maybe someone there can knock some sense in to you.

What these animals are subjected to, is nothing less of slavery.

Granted a number of owners/trainers care for their animals. But, this sport is simply not safe, nor humane.

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For most racehorses, training begins as soon as they are born. With their first race at 2-3 years, these perilous races are known as, Undertack races. Many participants will end their lives on that track: with developing minds and bodies, many cannot hope to control themselves. Many will shatter cannonbones and shins, ending their careers and lives.

For those who survive, training will continue. In some cases, pain-masking, and performance-enhancing drugs will be added to the mundane routine.

These horses will comply, because they don't know not to. You think dogs are loyal? Horses, entrust their lives to their riders, they need to trust their rider without doubt. When you make them ride down that street, they are trusting you, that there isn't a lion behind the corner. Although, that is perhaps an absurd example, I hope you get the idea.

These 'lucky' horses, will put their everything in to complying. They will run their hardest. Give a horse a home. And they will give you their heart. You want to know what people do with it? Shoot it. Literally.

In the frequent occurrence, that a horse sustains an injury, the common practice is to euthanize it. If not euthanize it, sell it to someone who will sell it to a butcher. This is the thanks that they get.

They give us everything. And what do they get in return? Drugs, torture, abuse, and death.

Morality. Keep pulling down the cover of imagination. But, don't complain when I call you delusional.

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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.

Why is the horse racing industry so corrupt? It's the answer, that we've been hearing far too often: money. Money, money, money, money. What in our era isn't about it? We live in an era where money is the word on everyone's lips. Why are the seas facing collapse? Because the fishing industry is worth a lot of MONEY. Why is the Amazon rainforest dwindling every day? Because logging and land, provide MONEY. Why are sharks on the bring of extinction? Because their fins are one of the most valuable commodities, and thus provide, say it with me, MONEY.

When did society become so cold? So self-seeking. Traditional economists believe, that everything will fall into equilibrium as people seek to fulfill their own self-interests. Alright, so through the free-market economy everyone tends to get what they desire and can afford. But where does that leave our planet? Does, the free market economy take into consideration, the ecosystems it is destroying, the lives it is forcing animals to live? I would be very surprised if someone said yes.

Imagine being forced to live a life you never wanted.

Would you stay silent? Would you just give in?

Animals have no choice.

Racehorses are part of an industry, where a single race  (such as the Kentucky Derby) may bring profits upwards of 99 million dollars to casinos. Now, ask yourself again, why is this industry corrupt?

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September, of this year, one of Britain's top race horses, Wigmore Hall, was euthanized on the track after shattering his leg. Horse racing, it seems like such an innocent sport. Something, that you may have seen on occasion as a child, "Oh look at all the pretty horses." The horses seem so at ease, in their natural element, enjoying themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. Imagine lungs straining to the point of suffocation, legs burning with each contraction, and a couple electric shocks to finish it off. Does that sound like fun?

I'm certainly not saying this holds true for all horses, especially what I'm talking about next. Drugs. You'd be surprised how much drugs play a role in this sport. It has largely become a competition to find the best performance enhancing drug as opposed to an actually capable horse.

I'll write more about this topic tomorrow, but for now- just know that horse racing is not all that it seems. Under the surface it has morphed- and it's not pretty.