We, Berea College students in Berea, KY are currently in a Human-Animal Interaction class and we have been studying the inhumanity of the horseracing industry. We are advocating on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves; those who are used for our entertainment and riches here in the beautiful Bluegrass State, but are being broken down to the point of injury, illness, and death. We are writing on behalf of no other but the racehorses involved in the intense, dramatic, and demanding horseracing industry. We are writing with the urge to encourage reform or perhaps an addition of laws to take place in one of the biggest horse racing states in the country.  Kentucky receives national headlines every year in the month of May due to the infamous Kentucky Derby. Therefore, in order for us to make a difference in the lives of both horses and jockeys, and start waves of reform in the horse racing industries all over the nation, we must first start right here at home.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission does its part by establishing regulations to abide by, but we are doubtful that these regulations are being followed and enforced. Many are in the dark as to what really happens behind closed doors as far as treatments for the injured horse, and therefore do not know of the injustice. 484 horses died on the track in 2015 (source - https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/hundreds-of-racehorses-die-at-the-track-each-year-their-deaths-may-be-preventable/2016/07/13/1250df9e-3412-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html?utm_term=.d82e1a8a95b6 and Kentucky legislation is doing nothing to protect these living elite athletic animals. The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act is the only bill waiting for backing that would greatly reform doping practices and other unethical treatments like hazardous chemicals into hooves or complete ignorance of injury, which exacerbates the issue. More information on the organization backing this act can be found here; http://www.horseracingintegrity.com/ So far, this bill has only been backed by Andy Barr in the legislation of Kentucky. This act needs to be pushed. Action needs to be taken in the government to save these animals, especially in a state that gains its reputation for its beautiful equine athletes. Do your part and take the information we have given you and fight for the rights of these animals in Kentucky and national legislation.

By signing this petition, we are using the number of advocates to convince the legislators that this is a vital issue that must be addressed and regulated. Help us save these animals. 

AP McCoy Falls During Horse Race
"AP Mccoy Falls During Horse Race." Flickr. N. p., 2019. Web. 31 May 2019.