WHAT TO DO ABOUT HORSE RACING? Can a Mutt Save the Day?

May 19, 2008 by Nicole
Filed under: Mom Blogs

This time of year I hop on the bandwagon of horse racing, like everyone else. I enjoy it… and know nothing about it.

As everyone knows, Big Brown has won The Kentucky Derby And The Preakness. If he wins The Belmont on June 7th- he wins the Triple Crown, which no horse has won in 30 years.

But horse racing seems to be changing. Barbaro won The Kentucky Derby in 2006. He then shattered a leg at The Preakness and had to be euthanized the following January.

Eight Belles came in second at The Kentucky Derby this year. The filly then broke both her legs galloping after the race and had to be euthanized on the track.

Eight Belles is related to Barbaro. And guess who else is? Yep- Big Brown. Did Barbaro pass on a gene of weak front legs? That doesn’t make sense, how could it win races if its legs were weak?

But why are top horses in racing breaking their legs… ?

I do not think there is one answer or one entity to blame. However, horse racing is a HUGE business now. There is a lot of money involved. There is a level of money involved now that owners can pay whatever fee is required to breed their prizewinner with another prizewinner.

These horses are breeding offspring that are bigger and faster. But something has to change if horses keep dying.

America will not tolerate another Kentucky Derby where the second place finisher dies on the track.

So what’s the answer? I’ve read that these horses are extremely well cared for and their jockeys treat them as a member of their family. Is horse racing unconsciously breeding horses that are

too big and too fast.

Horse racing may someday, maybe someday soon, have to regulate breeding-

like say that 2 big-time winning horses cannot breed, or something like that…

Basically, the mutt may have to be re-introduced into racing. Mutts are healthy for a species…

I’m a mutt, my son is a mutt. Mutts are cool.

Mutts might just be the answer.