At horse races across the country, horses are forced to sprint at speeds so agile, many of the horses endure tragic injuries including hemorrhaging from the lungs. The horses are threatened with whipping and illegal electric shocking devices. Unfortunately, on average, 24 horses sustain fatal breakdowns at racetracks across the country. That doesn’t include the horses that are abandoned by the racing industry when they are considered no longer profitable. 

At the beginning of the 2006 Preakness, the popular racehorse Barbaro suffered from a shattered ankle. The owner of Barbaro invested nothing into his medical needs. The New York Times reported “[M]any in the business have noted that had Barbaro not been the winner of the Kentucky Derby. He might have been destroyed after being injured.”

At a 2008 race, a horse named Appeal to the City hemorrhaged around her eye when jockey Jeremy Rose “engaged in extreme misuse of the whip.” Many horses are euthanized or sold at auctions to save the owner further veterinary fees and other expenses for horses who cannot race again.

Even though horses undergo catastrophic injuries during these races, trainers and veterinarians still force the horses to race, when they should be recovering with proper treatment.

More recently, Santa Anita shocks thousands of animal lovers throughout the world. On June 9, 2019 Santa Anita has been responsible for the death of 29 horses. A 3-year-old filly named Truffalino has passed away on June 9th after collapsing suddenly on the turf.

Horse racing is a cruel industry which supports the use of animals for “entertainment.” You can help end this cruelty by signing this petition to urge Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and Councilman Justin Brannan to make the change. 

To learn more about horse racing cruelty, just visit this link: https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/horse-racing-2/