People will ask me what it's like the own a racehorse.
Well, yeah. It's great for the most part. But it's fucking hell.
I've recieved death threats, been told that I'm not a good human being, that I don't care for my animals' welfare, that I'm an animal abuser.
All for what? Because I'm part of an industry that has to publicize every accident, every spill, every broken leg, every fall, every death.
Do we want this to happen?
People don't realize that unlike any other sport, industry, discipline, including horses, horse racing has to publicize everything. Everything but the good things. We have to be public about deaths, broken legs, and anything in between. Why? To keep count. The jockey club keeps a close eye on everything happening.
Ok but what about those deaths?
Out of 100% of racehorses, less than 2% actually die a year. And that number has been shrinking rapidly.
Let me tell you this. If I didn't love my horse, why would I spend the money making sure he could race well, why would I never get paid unless he wins, why would I have paid for his two surgeries when he colliced? Why would I spend $50 a bag of feed, every month. Why would I hire vets, farriers, a trainer, and so much more? Get no vacations, wake up at 1am to go check on him. Watch him workout three days a week, watch him race once a month, attend a rally to make sure he could race. Ignore the thousands of anti racers standing outside the track. Ignoring paper, rocks, anything being thrown at me as I stepped inside the track. Spend nights inside an empty horse stall, stand there holding a rope as he walks in a circle, spend endless money on tack and equipment. Make sure he is sound, and worry about the risk of a dewormer setting off a drug test. Work with him day and night. Spend a half hour trying to find him when he got loose. Practically raise him from a weanling. All to make sure that one. One single racehorse is fed, kept in good health, and can race at least once again. But what do I get? People telling me I don't deserve to live on this planet.