Limit racing injuries

May 11, 2008 08:46 pm

— Pleasure for humans should not come at the expense of other humans or other animals.
That’s why the horse racing industry should do all it can to limit the number of injuries that are occurring to horses.
Two years ago, Barbaro broke a leg as it started the last race in a quest for a triple crown. Eight Belles, a filly, broke both front ankles at the end of the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
While some may say those are freak, infrequent injuries, they are not as infrequent as some might think. According to an ABC News report, “there have been an average 1.5 deaths for every 1,000 starts in American racing.”
Horse racing won’t be able to eliminate injuries completely. When humans and animals are competing and stretching the limits of their physical abilities, injuries will occur.
However, we should do what we can to hold those injuries to a minimum.
Some will always contend that a few are too many, and our collective conscience will establish how many injuries are acceptable. Yet what has happened on American race tracks in the last few years is enough to know that we aren’t doing enough here.
Tracks in America should begin using synthetic race tracks, as some tracks in England are using and California is insisting.
Other proposals, such as banning drugs, are being made, too. All should be considered seriously.