Thoroughbreds

The two year old mahogany stallion's nostrils flared out mist in the cool April morning, his veins prominent, his sweat frothy on his regal neck and muscular chest. His exercise rider, a youth himself, gently pulled him to a stop from his run on the dirt track. "They named you Apollo for a good reason," he spoke as he patted the frisky colt on his withers. The nearby elderly railbird nodded in agreement as he spat out chewing tobacco through yellowed teeth. I, the author of this prose, am against horseracing. Some young and older Thoroughbreds break down on the tracks. Many are euthanized. There is no, "Sport of Kings," in that. From idyllic days in the horse farm pastures, fledgling fillies and colts are separated from their dams who call out in anxious neighing for their babies as they are taken into the horseracing world. Two famous racehorses, the great mare Ruffian, and the gelding Barbaro, became gravely injured during races. They had surgery but the rehabilitation process for both unfortunate horses became too complicated, and they were euthanized. Please, no more sacrifices of beauteous horses, no more exercise riders and jockeys falling to the earth. A Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand, was sold and then killed in a Japanese slaughterhouse.That is the fate of some racehorses. This is a blood sport. Please boycott horseracing. Please also boycott dog racing. Dogfighting is another cruel abomination. The animals can't speak for themselves, we must speak up for them. ~