Outline
The body has the following sections:
Introduction
Description of racing horses and the thesis of the paper
Development of the question whether it is right to use horses for racing
PRO: Perspectives in Favour
Yes- the horses should be utilized for racing
Some small business owners hold this point of view because gamblers can easily win money and it gives them the hype to watch the games
Some societies hold this point of view because owning a small portion of a horse quickly gives one more money with a lower cost than what people would commonly assume
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Some small business owners hold this perspective because exquisite trainers meaning they give back what one’s money is worth train the horses, which race
Some people keep this point of view because racing horses give people a thrill to make gambles
CONS: Perspectives Against
No, the horses should not be used for racing
Some animal welfare proponents hold this perspective because horses get whipped and are forced to run around the hard tracks packed with dirt that can, in turn, hurt them in numerous ways
The horses are forced to race when are still growing and thus not ready for that kind of pressure
A study concluded that one in every twenty-two horses suffers from injuries which, prevent them from completing the races
Churchill Downs holds this perspective because some trainers pump illegal drugs into these animals every day.
A trainer was once suspended for using a drug that was similar to the ecstasy of five horses and another for having a euthanized leg of a horse cut off “for research.”
Some animal welfare programs hold this perspective because the horses are sent to slaughterhouses to be killed when they are not in use
Conclusion
Finalises the paper and gives the ground of the argument
Introduction
Racing horses is a sport that gives people a thrill and a certain adrenaline in their veins. However, it remains a significant question whether betting on the way the horse's race is right. Racing of horses is a sport that has existed for several years, being a culture to perpetuate to some communities. It assumes various forms with the most common being the event where two jockeys on horses ride them over a set of distances and some jockeys riding the horses to complete a set of laps ( Hong Kong Race Club, 2016) . Regardless of how the sport involving horses is conformed , usage of these animals in this way remains debatable. Horses are used for sporting purposes but many at times, they suffer adverse treatment and condition from those that wish to gain both economic profits and entertainment from them. Concerned bodies and parties in a bid to understand the life of these animals when used for sporting purposes have conducted researches.
My term paper discusses whether horses should be utilized in the sport of racing. An in-depth discussion will be provided and especially with opinions from various persons that show relevance to the topic. I will proceed to elaborate on the pros and cons that the sport of racing has on the horses. The discussion of both pros and cons seeks to identify the fine line between usage and non-usage of horses for racing and thus give a solid conclusion on what action needs to be taken . In this paper, I will present a contrary ground on the topic of running horses for entertainment considering broad perspectives and concluding with the position that racing horses harms the animals and is thus wrong more than it is right.
PROS: Perspectives in Favour
Some small business owners believe that racing horses are fine because it gives people a thrill that can make them money when they gamble by placing bets. According to (Katz, 2004), gamblers yearn for money as the endpoint. Despite the knowledge that it is impossible to make lots of money on the racetrack, the thrills, and fun that these people have to facilitate their desire to try and make money
(Katz, 2004). Gambling is very expensive, and people know this as so but still get overwhelmed by the thrills of the game to place bets. Business owners see this as an opportunity to both themselves and the gamblers to make money on the race track. It is also a way of increasing the business to other proponents such as opening newer forms of racing horses. According to (Katz, 2004), many medium sized business owners that operate in the racing of horses business and betting pools insist that gambling on such matches is a very quick and easy way to make money. However, people cannot make money if they do not experience the thrill and motion of the game because it is only until they do that they will trust their horses enough to put money on them. Most people and especially senior men , love to place bets on their favorite horses and while some say they win big most of the times, others complain of losses.
Some small business owners hold the perspective to race horses because owning a fraction of the horse will earn more money than people think. Betting on the horses utilizes a handicapping method that entails betting on random numbers as long as they ensure massive profits (Katz, 2004). According to (Katz, 2004), the racetracks take out approximately 15% to 30% of the money obtained from every betting pool averaging at a wholesome 20% takeout per game. People make trips to the races on a weekly basis and bet on their horses every time they do so. Well, the takeout’s suggests that participants and their horses get paid for giving the thrill and providing the ground for making such amounts of money. As earlier stated, the most clientele for this business comprises of the senior men and so is true judging from the full car parks during these matches where old rusty vintage vehicles make a scene ( Oxford, 2016 ). Addicted players will always make a point of coming to the racing horse's games and in many ways find means to prove worthy to the horse owners. The takeout that is seen to take place to cater for the horse owners and the track suggest a lot of money on a monthly basis if looked at the overall income indexn (Lin, 2016). Therefore, some of the owners of horses and even those that only own a small portion of one or two believe that racing of horses is fine and right because it makes them more money than the society presumes. All they have to do is provide horses to the track and wait for hefty payouts .
Some business owners hold the perspective to race horses because of some of the best trainers and thus the can get back that their money is worth train the horses. In consideration of the competitive nature of the racetrack, it is imperative to have a horse that can manage the pace and technical know-how of the business (Oxford, 2016). Business owners understand and appreciate this fact and as such go to the extreme ends to get the best trainers to train their horses in preparation for the races. Many at times, the trainers because of their stature and renowned expertise charge the owners a fortune to get their animals ready for the course. Moreover, it is also important because the horses that are well trained or rather better-trained win more matches than other proving vital, especially in the betting pools. A horse that gets more bets placed on it can pay back the amount of money the owner used in its training.
CONS: Perspectives against Racing Horses
Some animal welfare proponents hold this perspective because horses are whipped and then forced to run on hard tracks packed with dirt that can injure them in numerous ways. Horses that are used for racing sprint forcefully and usually under the threat of getting whipped and even electrical shocking gadgets (Lin, 2016). The whips are used to make these horses run very fast at speeds that can easily injure them (PeTa, 2016). The usage of the Whip is standard practice in the United States with a little more of a lip service issued out to the extreme violations in many states. For instance, Appeal, a horse in the 2008 race got a hemorrhage around her eye when her jockey engaged in excessive usage of the whip (PeTA, 2016). In the year 2013, PETA issued a document that suggested most trainers and jockeys had used illegal electric shock gadgets on the horses that were detrimental to the Animals (Lin, 2016).
Horses are forced to race when still growing and not yet ready for that type of pressure. According to (Jones, 2013), horses begin training when their systems of the skeleton are still growing and unprepared to handle the pressure that is given in the racing competition and more so on hard tracks at high speeds. A study confirms one out of every twenty-two races suffers an injury that prevents them from completing the race while an estimated three thoroughbreds die each day due to catastrophic injuries obtained on race tracks in North America (Lin, 2016). The damage to strained tendons and fractures of the hairline are difficult for veterinarians to detect and the damage may extend from minor situations to irreversible levels. It is imperative to understand that horses do not handle surgery correctly and are usually sold at auction centers to save the owner the costs incurred during such treatment procedures. For instance, Barbaro, a horse very popular in the year 2006, shattered her ankle but was not given proper medical attention by her owner. In fact, it is believed that she was destroyed after getting the injury (Jones, 2013).
Some welfare proponents are of this perspective because some trainers pump illegal drugs to the horses so that they may run faster. According to Churchill Downs, a public relations director, there is so much money on the line that people will undertake anything to make their horses run faster. According to a report by (PeTA, 2016), trainers and veterinarians usually keep the injured horse's races even when they are supposed to be recovering. The trainers do this by issuing illegal drugs to the horses so that it may mask their pain and regulate inflammation. Churchill Down insists that one coach was suspended for issuing a drug that resembles ecstasy in five different horses. Churchill further elaborates that another trainer was kicked off the tracks for using the clenbuterol and in another case for having the leg of a euthanized cut off for the purpose of “research.” Another veterinarian in New York faced charges due to the missing body of a racehorse that showed up on a farm. The authorities determined the cause of death of the as injection of drugs aimed at enhancing performance (Lin, 2016).
Some animal welfare proponents agree with this perspective because some horses are sent to a slaughter house to be killed off when they stop being useful. Very few horses are retired to excellent pastures and visitations from lovers. An insurance scandal was the cause of death of Alydar that came second in three races of the 1978 Triple Crown despite having fathered very many horses (Jones, 2013). The horses were initially thought of having shattered the leg but were later confirmed by investigations that it was broken deliberately. A study by the Colorado State University indicated that one thousand, three hundred and forty-eight horses are sent to slaughter with fifty-eight being former racehorses (PeTA, 2016). For instance, PETA came to the rescue of one thoroughbred called coming home that was the granddaughter of the Kentucky Derby winners after being sold off to a meat buyer at an auction for two hundred dollars (Lin, 2016). Currently, no equine slaughterhouses exist in the United States and the Congress endeavors to approve the funding of inspections should there be any case of equine slaughterhouses. However, despite this situation, there is a multimillion-dollar meat of horse exported from the country with another ten of thousands of horses sent to Canada, Mexico, and Japan for slaughter (PETA, 2016). Most of these horses sent to these places must endure long days of transport characterized with cramped trailers with little if no access to food and water. Injuries are very common ( Padalino et al, 2016 ). The University of California undertook a study that proved sixty out of every three hundred and six horses sent for slaughter incur injuries. The veterinarians recommend that the animals be offloaded to be given food and water after every four hours of travel. Ferdinand is one good example of these types of horses that are retired in this manner. Ferdinand was a derby winner in the year 1987 but was retired to Claiborne Farms to be changed hands twice later before being disposed of in Japan. Nobody can confirm where Claiborne ended up, but speculation reasonably believes the horse ended up in a slaughterhouse to become horsemeat. Another important horse was Excellent that was a multimillion-dollar racehorse inducted into the National Racing Museums Hall of Fame. The horse was killed in Sweden in a slaughterhouse. Investigations by the PETA Foundation found videos showing the killing of a thoroughbred horse in Kumamoto, Japan. The moment showed a tragic end for the horse. Horses undergo the same slaughter method as cows. However, they are usually unaccustomed to herding and thus thrash out whenever the pneumatic gun is presented rendering them unconscious before they have their throats cut off.
Conclusion
Racing of horses is a major sport that has existed for a very long time. The sport serves as a culture to some people who thus find it tough to do away with and thus continue to practice the game. Over time, there has been a heated discussion on whether the horses should be used in this manner. Despite few persons insisting that there is nothing wrong with using horses for races, study data shows otherwise. Indeed, there is a major problem with racing horses on the tracks. The horses suffer immensely following the sport and what they have to go through just to make the pleasure of the fans and the owners. It is tough for the horses to resume to normalcy once they have completed their time as racehorses as study confirms a detrimental ending for them. The con perspective is more persuasive as it provides all the ways in which harm is done to horses by participating in the races.
References
Hong Kong Race Club, (2016). History of Racing - Racing Legacy - Racecourses & Entertainment - The Hong Kong Jockey Club Entertainment.hkjc.com Retrieved 29 October 2016, from http://entertainment.hkjc.com/entertainment/more-about-racing/english/history-of-racing.aspx
Jones, B. (2013). What's in it for the horse, asks scientist - Features - Horsetalk.co.nz. Horsetalk.co.nz. Retrieved 19 November 2016, from http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2013/02/19/whats-in-it-for-the-horse-asks-scientist/
Katz, S. (2004). Gambling Facts and Fictions (p. 356): Library of Congress.
Lin, D. (2016). Horse Racing and Animal Rights. About.com News & Issues. Retrieved 19 November 2016, from http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsinentertainment/a/Horse-Racing-And-Animal-Rights-Whats-Wrong-With-Horse-Racing.htm
Orford, J. (2003). Gambling and problem gambling in Britain : Psychology Press.
Padalino, B., Raidal, S. L., Hall, E., Knight, P., Celi, P., Jeffcott, L., Muscatello, G. (2016). Survey of the horse transportation in Australia: issues and practices Australian veterinary journal , 94 (10), 349-357.
PeTA, (2016). Horse Racing . PETA . Retrieved 29 October 2016, from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/horse-racing-2/
