Where Personal and Professional Life Collide...

I can't watch horse racing. I understand the appeal, but I can't. There just never seems to be anything in it for the horse.

From:

"I understand the appeal, but I can't."

I don't even understand the appeal. I'm hardly any kind of animal rights nut or anything - I mean, hell, I bought my dog at a pet store - but horse and dog racing have always seemed pointless and unnecessary to me, and the people behind both like the ultimate stage moms for wholly unwitting show beasts. Hey, guess what? Your horse doesn't give two craps if she's a champeen or not. That's all you.

From:

Well, short form is, I understand that there are plenty of people who get a vicarious thrill from watching a beautiful animal apparently designed by nature as what power and speed are supposed to look like, actually demonstrating that.

But the appeal, such as it is, left me on the island. I don't get it. And I don't watch steeplechasing at all - it seriously creeps me.

I rode all the time as a kid, but never competitively. I developed a serious horse allergy within two years of my daughter's birth (pushing 29 years ago) and haven't been able to ride since.

But I didn't do racing and I never had the faintest interest in racing.

And dog racing makes me homicidal. WTF?

From:

"Well, short form is, I understand that there are plenty of people who get a vicarious thrill from watching a beautiful animal apparently designed by nature as what power and speed are supposed to look like, actually demonstrating that."

Really, that's the excuse? I thought it was primarily about rich folk throwing vast expenditures in each other's faces and poorer folk throwing their money away, gambling.

I don't see any grandeur whatsoever in a horse race. Then again, I hail from parts where you can still drive a few hours and watch wild horses running around to your heart's content. *That's* majesty in motion, not some poor creature pounding dirt under carrot and stick until she inevitably destroys something crucial on her body and can't do it anymore.

From:

Um - I'm a little unclear on the aggression you seem to be aiming in this particular direction. Were you under the impression I'm disagreeing with you, or that I'm a fan of racing?

If so, I suggest you reread. I don't watch racing, I don't enjoy it, nothing would have induced me to participate in it in the days when I could throw a leg bareback over a horse without swelling up.

I understand there are people who find it appealing. If you define that as an excuse, you're certainly entitled to. I don't.

Hopefully that clears it up.

From:

"Um - I'm a little unclear on the aggression you seem to be aiming in this particular direction. Were you under the impression I'm disagreeing with you, or that I'm a fan of racing?"

No, not at all, and there wasn't any aggression or anything else negative aimed at you in my response, and I apologize that what I said was unclear that way.

I just don't make any distinction between dog and horse racing, as you do, it all seems like the same sorry business to me, except that horse racing requires much more disposable income to participate in and attracts a tonier crowd as a result.

Also, although there isn't much that makes me old-school moralistic, about gambling and its associate miseries, I'm a great big Puritan. I hate state lotteries, I visited Las Vegas once and never need do so again, and the little town my parents live in is about to be destroyed by a completely illegal off-reservation casino a confederation of Indian tribes strong armed the state into granting them. I don't have much of a sense of humor on the subject.

From:

Hoo boy. Okay. Two things, and then I need to move along.

1. "I just don't make any distinction between dog and horse racing, as you do". You're making some fairly 'into the wild blue yonder' assumptions here, and really, please don't. The only difference I personally see between any kinds of animal racing - or, in fact, making animals entertain humans when there's nothing in it for the aforementioned animal (vide my original post) - is that they're different animals. I have no love for any of it. Gambling, the rest of it? I don't indulge; not my thing. Clearly, it's your thing, and that's fine, but it feels as if you're projecting that onto me, and again, please don't. Short form: I am no sort of puritan but I'm a fairly fearsome animal welfare advocate, and the things that seem to be pinging you the heaviest are not on my dance card. Okay?

2. This is

suricattus's journal, not mine. Nor is it yours. And I don't intend to piss her off by getting pulled into a hijack. She certainly wouldn't do that to me.

From:

That's quite a martyr complex you've got going there. Best of luck with that, and I'll quit feeding it, now. Sorry I got dragged into doing so.

From:

Yeah, whatever. Cheers.

From:

*air kiss*

From:

lagilman

Politeness, people. I've never pulled a thread over in my journal and I don't intend to now, but if either of you want to be taken seriously again by me, at least, you BOTH need to keep a civil keyboard in your hands...

(deleted comment)

From:

dancinghorse.livejournal.com

I have asked that question. The answer I receive across disciplines is:

"The horses are bred for X, love it, live it. The ones that don't make it? The fact that all the ones I know break down at an early age? That's just the way it is. Cost of doing business/inevitable outcome of the sport/just can't be helped. But they love it while they do it!"

Try to argue that it can be done safely for the horse, for a much longer time and with consistent soundness, and you slam into a wall. "It's too expensive to do it that way! It's too slow! It's unrealistic! No one will make any money if we do that!"

It's a self-perpetuating system. The Devil studies it when designing new levels of Hell.

From:

The question we should be asking is why are we breeding for size and speed but not for leg/bone strength?

From:

saraphina-marie.livejournal.com

Horses can run faster on longer, more slender legs. Makes them lighter, more agile. But oh, the consequences.... ;_;

From:

They can breed for longer, slender legs while breeding for stronger bones. They just don't WANT to.

From:

saraphina-marie.livejournal.com

True, I am sure it is possible, but like you said, that is a lot of effort to try and select for and what would be the payoff? Many owners and breeders don't really see horses as living creatures capable of feelings and love, but as commodities.
The folks at the ranch where I went to camp were really serious about their horses and their health and safety. It was a good environment to learn in, only later to learn not everyone thought like Dave Newcomb did.

From:

Many owners and breeders don't really see horses as living creatures capable of feelings and love, but as commodities.

And that, is exactly the crux of the matter.

From:

saraphina-marie.livejournal.com

When I rode, all my mounts were retired race horses. And even the ones that made it to retirement had their share of issues, physical, mental, and emotional.
They are starting them racing younger and younger, just like that trend in gymnastics. But little human girls can live with broken legs.

I am glad to know I wasn't the only one out there feeling like this to see such a beautiful horse cut off in the very start of what should have been a long, full life.

From:

otterdance.livejournal.com

According to NPR, all the horses in the race could be traced back to a common ancestor or bloodline. Apparently it creates great racers, but fragile legs. Damn shame.

I don't get racing, either.

From:

lagilman

Oh, I 'get' racing itself -- horses love to run (it's a natural thing for them, like sleeping is for cats) and we love to see beautiful things in motion (and to make wagers about which one is 'better'). I don't even have anything against the concept, or the related legal industries that spring up around it.

I just believe that you need to think about the long-term health before the short-term goal, ESPECIALLY when talking about a living creature. Health and speed, in that order, not speed instead of health.

From:

otterdance.livejournal.com

It's sort of like baseball players and steroids, isn't it? The public wants so much, and the owners/team owners want so much. The actual athelete is the one who gets used up.

A few years ago I was taking a walk in a local park and saw some horses playing in a field, just goofing around with each other and running for fun. It was beautiful! They are amazing creatures. The little bit of trail riding I've done on very tame horses makes me wish I could do more of it. There's a partnership that's really specia.

From:

eacole72.livejournal.com

Rita Mae Brown goes into the problems with the racing industry in a couple of her Mrs Murphy Mystery books. They are quite literally racing to get their investment making money before the IRS can step in and call it a hobby rather than a business venture and create a tax liability that will end with the farm out of business and the horses being sold for meat.

Most horse people (trainers, jockeys, breeders, etc) don't want to race a horse literally into the ground, as happened with Eight Belles. Even the investors who aren't horse people don't generally want to see their investment drop like that (there are a few sociopaths who only care about the money but they are the exception). But, they all have to be realists.

I was horrified to see the poor little girl go down the way she did. I'm surprised that more haven't. But, until the business changes, and the tax system that forces the business model changes, it will continue.

From: