Many speculators have their opinions about what happened to the two horses who died at the Preakness on May 21. Homeboykris collapsed while walking back to the barn after his first race. He was a 9-year-old gelding who was in really good health, according to his trainer. The jockey said he got wobbly and fell over, leading them to think the cause of death was some sort of heart attack. Pramedya was the second horse to die. She was a 4-year-old filly who fractured a cannon bone in her leg while running on grass during the fourth race. She was euthanized on the track.
People far and wide have expressed their concerns for the safety of race horses and deem the sport cruel and inhumane. Many animal welfare activists are now pushing harder for signed petitions to end the sport but at the minimum would like to see stricter regulations. While regulations are absolutely fine and set in place for good reason, those on the outside of this sport hardly understand what takes place in each and every barn with these horses. To say that they are treated inhumanely and used strictly as machines is not only inaccurate but offensive to many who own and train horses. Their well being is at the forefront when decisions are made.
There have been remarks that the horses are on drugs that the general public seem to think they shouldn’t be on. The popular opinion is that they’re only on performance enhancing drugs for their races. However, a majority of these horses are on medications for every day things. If they’re not simply to keep them healthy, they’re the equivalent of Advil. But stop and think, don’t most human athletes who are on an intense workout and game schedule take some sort of anti-inflammatory just to keep their muscles feeling okay? The majority answer to this is yes. These horses are athletes and work hard day in and day out just like human athletes do, which can cause some soreness and fatigue. The public is claiming that these drugs mask pre-existing conditions. While a pain killer does mask any pain, these horses do not go out if they have any sort of serious injury or medical condition. It is not worth the investment of the horse to put them on the track and risk further injury.
Most drugs are licensed for use by a veterinarian to treat specific medical conditions. Before every race, horses are also tested for drugs not licensed for use. There is also a legal dosage that a horse can have before a race and if the horse is over this limit, they are disqualified. These regulations are in place in order to manage the safety and health of the horses.
In 2008, a policy was set in place that banned anabolic steroid use in race horses. Other measures of safety for horses and riders were increased as well. Every sport has their risks but flaws in the system do not go unnoticed and regulations are adjusted when necessary. Maryland Racing Commission’s executive director, Mike Hopkins said, “The veterinarians that work for me have no qualms about scratching a horse if they don’t think the horse is [healthy enough to run].” He also stated that the safety of the horses is a top concern.
Injuries that take place on the track like with Pramedya or the 2008 death of Eight Belles are hard to prevent as accidents do happen, just like with any other sport. The horses' legs are wrapped during practice and most horses go through some sort of muscle treatment like a poultice to help relieve any soreness and inflammation and keep their muscles healthy. Unfortunately, leg injuries aren’t 100% preventable but efforts are made to keep the horses’ legs as strong as possible to prevent such injuries.
At the end of the day, this sport will probably always have a lot of speculation. Hopefully by raising awareness and educating the masses, it will help people to understand just how much goes into keeping these horses strong and healthy in order to race. Their health is of utmost concern and that is not compromised.
