# Young Blood *Graphic*



## crimson88 (Aug 29, 2009)

*graphic*

Typically, I don't watch PETA or SHARK, but this video caught my eye. This is horrible and very hard to watch. I am not anti-horse racing, I just wish that some of the breeders and trainers wouldn't push their young horses so hard. Bleh it sickens me.


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## amp23 (Jan 6, 2011)

I don't usually watch things like that either, but wow.. It's unacceptable for horses that young to be pushed so hard. It's one thing to be pushed hard once physically and mentally able to handle it, but that's so sad.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

Wow that is fu===bad


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

He contradicted himself - At several points they state these are two year olds, but he makes a point of saying yearlings. We call these Breezeups. Also, the horse was given a handful of taps, he wasn't "whipped into it". They tend to lightly breeze the horse for about half a mile and ask for more speed in the last furlong. In a race, one would like to expect a horse to give more speed in the final furlong. 

It wouldn't be bad for him to have his facts right. Shame to see breakdowns, but thousands of horses are sold at breeze up every year and we've seen a handful of them breakdown. The only thing I agree with is the fact that the breeze ups don't really say much to what a horse is capable of.. we actually avoid breeze ups as we buy ours at yearling sales only and tell our customers to avoid the breeze ups as they tend to either a) be bought as yearlings as people looking for a quick buck or b) not be good enough to get into the yearling sales anyway.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I don't care if he did contradict himself, I for once find myself actually agreeing with PETA, these are babies being asked to go to full exertion. Worse these are babies who are being bred with ever and ever lighter bones, I'm afraid that this will become more and more common. 

Perhaps when it does happen more often and more people get hurt they will look at the whole racing industry and make some changes, even just pushing everything back for one year would make a difference, and would only affect the industry for the change over year.


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## mystykat (Dec 4, 2011)

No volume. But uhm WOW. That's disgusting. Don't know a lot about racing but I hope that's not a regular occurance..


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## VT Trail Trotters (Jul 21, 2011)

Oh my god, holy "bad words" and some more "bad words"!!!!! It is very graphic but a little ways before 1:60 the horses bottom leg where it connects to the hoof "bad word" rips off and it keeps running!!!!!! I dont know why people would run horse at age 2!?!?! I almost want to cry!


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

THIS is why I believe horse racing is cruel. It would not half as bad if the horses were raced when they were older... I see really no use in racing this young of horses, they are faster and won't break down if they are older...


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I started the video but could not watch the whole thing. I have seen these things happen in real life at the track and I have a visceral reaction just remembering it. It's horrible.


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## VT Trail Trotters (Jul 21, 2011)

That is like using me, who is horrible at running and cant run, LOL and having me run lets say 5 miles strait no break. I would easily break down, i mean it litterally too.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

Only thing more painful to watch than that video are the poorly written youtube comments.


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## happy123 (Jan 4, 2012)

I cant even..... x.x

Sick.


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

I couldn't watch the whole thing. But it sickened me entirely. Bleh


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

And yet when horses die annually doing eventing, nobody says boo. Interesting.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> And yet when horses die annually doing eventing, nobody says boo. Interesting.


Accidents happen in any sport, but a quick google search says that in eventing 



> Information about horse fatalities is difficult to locate, but at least 19 eventing horses, many of them top-level performers, died in 2007 & 2008, most of them in the US.


and for racing



> Around 700 race horses die or are euthanized every year in the US. Statistics are hard to find as there is no one source that keeps track of horse deaths and injuries


Maybe that's why, a lot of difference to me asking a baby with legs built for for speed to give their all before their time. Eventers I believe must be at least 7 before performing at top level.

Not the same comparison at all


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## mselizabeth (Oct 29, 2011)

Maple said:


> He contradicted himself - At several points they state these are two year olds, but he makes a point of saying yearlings.


In the horse world, a two year old is qualified as a yearling. Anything under two years is a foal.


This is sad. The things people do for money.. ridiculous.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> And yet when horses die annually doing eventing, nobody says boo. Interesting.


The same way a dressage horse's neck goes to pot because of rollkur

The same way hunting horses break their necks and backs falling into ditches. You won't find stats on this because they just drag them out and send them to the hunt kennels.

Will we even go there on bronc riding?

I'm well used to do "anti-racing" people. I don't care which sport people compete or have interest in, everybody is different and the world would be a boring place if we all agreed on the same thing. 

As used to it as I am, I do get annoyed with people believing we are these big bad horrible people rolling in the cash who couldnt give a toss about our horses. Videos like that create a witch hunt, if PETA and SHARK had their way all ponies would run free with no riders on their back and live happily ever after.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

mselizabeth said:


> In the horse world, a two year old is qualified as a yearling. Anything under two years is a foal.
> 
> 
> This is sad. The things people do for money.. ridiculous.


A yearling is just that - a YEARling

a 2 year old is a 2 year old. You'll find quite a few two year olds racing are doing so at two years - breeders aim for them to be foaled as early in the year as possible in order for them to be as mature as possible. It's a well known fact that there are plenty of horses with the 1st or 2nd of January as their registered birthdate - that were foaled in the last week or so of December. Obviously not all, but we have very few 2 year olds with a birthdate later than March.

What would cut back on these breezers is if it were possible to restrict the breeding of low quality mares. Unfortanetly people thinks they are going to take a mare who has won a mid level claimer or handicap and create a champion with a cheap stud. As I said above, these breezers tend to be the ones who can't get into proper yearling sales as they aren't good quality - cut back on the low quality mares/stallions will mean cutting back on low quality foals.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

Humans can be incredibly selfish. I have even seen 2 year olds being ridden 250 hard miles across my state on an organized ride. Why? Why do people rush these babies? Selfish! Do not tell me they truly care about these horses. It makes me sick. These babies are NOT mature! Their body and mind cannot handle the stresses!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Yeah but where is the comparison of how many horses raced in that year compared to how many horses evented? Why do I have a feeling the sheer number is skewed by comparison due to just how many times more horses raced as opposed to evented?

Saying that cancer A kills more people then cancer B is not accurate if only 10 people who contracted cancer A died out of 100 people who contracted it, opposed to the 5 out of 10 people who died of cancer B.


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## crimson88 (Aug 29, 2009)

Maple said:


> The same way a dressage horse's neck goes to pot because of rollkur
> 
> The same way hunting horses break their necks and backs falling into ditches. You won't find stats on this because they just drag them out and send them to the hunt kennels.
> 
> ...


"Accidents" happen in _all _equestrian sports. The thing is, racing IS about money and that's why breeders, and trainers of the racing industry push young horses so hard. If it wasn't about the money they wouldn't be in such a rush to push immature horses to top level within a matter a months. Like jumping 6ft fences is not easy on a horse, but no body does that on a BABY! People wait until they are psyhically mature enough to do it.

Again, all equine sports have "bad people" in the industry who cut corners or do crazy things that end up hurting or killing horses. Racing is not a BAD sport and niether are any of the others, it's the fact that hunderds of horses are killed every year because greedy people are in such a hurry to make money they aren't concerned for the horses welfare. 

Perhaps it's just me, But a horse blowing out it's whole leg and _still _running while bone fragments shatter every where is a much more gruesome and horrific event, compared to rollkur, and neck or back breaking. Of course that same type of blow out can happen in any sport, if the rider is idoitic enough to think running at that speed is safe.


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## Moei (Jan 11, 2012)

so sad........


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## auTBrider (Feb 6, 2011)

I have never heard of anything like that in Australia!!! well south australia anyway.... I couldn't watch the dangling foot... I see two yearolds race all the time and never have i seen them go that fast....Its just shocking to see


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## auTBrider (Feb 6, 2011)

VT Trail Trotters said:


> Oh my god, holy "bad words" and some more "bad words"!!!!! It is very graphic but a little ways before 1:60 the horses bottom leg where it connects to the hoof "bad word" rips off and it keeps running!!!!!! I dont know why people would run horse at age 2!?!?! I almost want to cry!


 
That is in no way a typical two year old race! i've seen many two year old races and in actual fact its not many two year olds that race. only if they are grown and stong enough and that does happen. It is true that two year old runners dont last as long but i have never heard of anything like that!! those horses are being flogged to death... literally! This breeze thingo is bull "bad words"


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

oh my goodness look at its freaking leg!!!!!!


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## CowgirlK (Feb 3, 2012)

This made my heartache.  This is so sad.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Wacthed without the volume.

Horrific.

The worst, for me, that horse in slow motion running on the broken/severed leg/stump. Turned my stomach.

Any person that can do this to horses deserves to be locked up. There is sport, then there is pushing too far. We take care of ourselves as sport people, why not look after our animals too. MAKES ME MAD.


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## ConfusciusWasAGreatTeachr (Oct 29, 2011)

I am against horse 'sports' anyway. I wonder, if given a choice, what a horse would choose to do with his life instead of what the human wants.


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## 4HCountryGirl (Aug 31, 2011)

Wow! Yearlings?! That's amazing.... :evil:


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana (Apr 10, 2011)

That just made me sooo sick feeling. How can you push such a young horse like that! Once the leg broke I had to stop watching.. Wayyy to nasty for me.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Ever seen the reining futurity? Or the western pleasure futurity? Plenty of those horses go lame or have crippling career ending injuries because of how much strain is put on them at a young age. The youngest horse to ever win at the world level in western riding (he was 2 years old when he won) was put down last year at the age of 6 years old here at the university because he could barely walk. I have very mixed feelings about starting yearlings.


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## 4HCountryGirl (Aug 31, 2011)

I wait to start my horses until 2 1/2-3yrs or longer depending on the horse. I don't start jumping them until they are 4-5.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

He did not contradict himself on the age if you know of anything on how the TB industry ages their horses. Unfortunately all TBs are considered 2 years old as of January 1st even though by the calendar they are still well within their yearling year. Yes, most TB breeders try to get foals born early on in the year so they are as close to the 2 year old mark as possible when they are deemed "2 year olds" on paper and for racing, but this doesn't always happen. 

That means a late-born foal could start racing as a 2 year old when it is in fact only 18 or so months old - which would be considered yearling in almost all other equine sports. 

I don't hate the racing industry but I do hate their practice of starting the horses so young. The only reason for that is purely greed and money.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

ConfusciusWasAGreatTeachr said:


> I am against horse 'sports' anyway. I wonder, if given a choice, what a horse would choose to do with his life instead of what the human wants.


Sit and stuff themselves full of green grass and grain until they became fat and founder. At least that is what my boys would probably do. 

I don't think equine sports are bad per se, but the way some of them are managed sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Cat said:


> I don't hate the racing industry but I do hate their practice of starting the horses so young. The only reason for that is purely greed and money.


This^^. There are a lot of things about a lot of sports that really chap me, but this is one of the worst right up there with halter horses. It truly is all about the money because if it was about the horses, then they would wait until the horse was older and physically _ready_ to give every ounce of speed they had.

But, then again, if it was about the horse, then they wouldn't be breeding for lighter and lighter bones just because it makes the horse's legs weigh less and able to move faster. They wouldn't be continually breeding horses like Big Brown who, while he was very fast, had notoriously horrid feet.


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## CurlyIsASpecialStandie (Jul 19, 2011)

Oh my bad words that is horrifying  poor babies!


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## karebear444 (Feb 3, 2012)

:shock: That was horrible and brought me to tears expecially that poor filly running with a broken cannon bone. Even if I was super light enough to be a jockey I would be scared to ride those breezes. I know there is risk riding any horse, but at that speed you may never see the light of day again if that horse breaks down... Senseless and cruel for the horses. Very dangerous for the jockeys and extremely selfish for the people with the fat wallets watching. :evil:


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Cat said:


> He did not contradict himself on the age if you know of anything on how the TB industry ages their horses. Unfortunately all TBs are considered 2 years old as of January 1st even though by the calendar they are still well within their yearling year. Yes, most TB breeders try to get foals born early on in the year so they are as close to the 2 year old mark as possible when they are deemed "2 year olds" on paper and for racing, but this doesn't always happen.
> 
> That means a late-born foal could start racing as a 2 year old when it is in fact only 18 or so months old - which would be considered yearling in almost all other equine sports.
> 
> I don't hate the racing industry but I do hate their practice of starting the horses so young. The only reason for that is purely greed and money.


I have a general idea of how it works as I've been working in racing for over ten years and work for a quite a big,well respected trainer. At the moment I spend more of my time working with registrations than doing anything else as we're coming up to the start of the season. His point at stating "yearling" is to add fuel to the fire, to get people's backs up. Where I am, breezers happen in April/May - the majority of these horses will be two at this stage. 

Poor breeding management results in late foals, whom are quite often (not always) sold privately as they aren't as quickly accepted at major sales, or left to the more undesirable lot numbers (early morning, late evening). Cut out the backyard breeder and the majority of late foals will be cut out. You'll see very very few Darley/Rabbah foals, that were foaled later than March/April, yet Fred down the road with the mare who has no blacktype will end up with a late foal.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Where are you located? Looks to be Ireland. Might be a bit different on this side of the ocean because I know there have already been several of these breezers run around here and its not even the end of March yet.

Yes I know most breeders try to get their foals born early in the year as possible. If you re-read what you quoted of mine you will see I state just that. That is because a horse closer to 2 is more competitive than one closer to 18 months. That does not negate the fact that the way the TB racing industry is currently set up allows for a 18 month old (i.e. yearling) to run as a 2 year old. Rules could be changed to protect the horses but they won't be because it lines people's pockets - yes, even joe schmoe back yard breeder down the road. 

And as we both know its Joe Schmoe's yearling "2-year olds" that get stuck in these breezers more so than the high-quality sought-after stock because those ones sell easily for a fine dollar at the yearling sales and are already set by this time. So again - the person in the video was not exaggerating what he was saying.

I think we all agree that the equine world - racing, dressage, western, etc - would be a better place if all the breeding of crap could be cut out. That isn't just a racing issue.


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## Kawonu (Apr 24, 2011)

Riding a horse at all is hard on the horse. We, as human beings who are so much "smarter" than everything else, need to actually start asking and stop telling what we want of the horses. 

I'm kind of sour about horse people right now as it is... I just found out that Val, my trainer's husband, learned everything about horses and riding from a book. I think he seriously should hit the books again, because a perfectly fine senior gelding makes out that we're abusing him every time it's time to tack him up for a trail. Why? Because Val was pretty brutal with the girth. And in other cases I'd seen - well, he was just brutal. Y'know, as brutal as one gets without downright punching a horse in the mouth.

I agree there should be at least an extra year slapped onto horse racing so there'd be less injuries. A lot of jockeys die from this too, not just horses, and their careers can end just as quickly. Not all racehorses suffer through their life either, thank the gods.

Almost all of the thoroughbreds at my trainer's barn who are seasoned, started as a racehorse. Had it not been for an injury they sustained, they would not be there enjoying their fat bellies, with little girls brushing them and taking lessons on them.

There will, unfortunately, be a light and dark side to everything involving competition. Not just the equine industry, but every industry, especially ones involving animals. Dogs are highly inbred for attempting quality standards, horses are pushed until they can't be pushed anymore, and smaller, domesticated animals are made into "designer" breeds to entertain and to show. We all enjoy these things to some degree.

The problem with all of these things are the people who don't do it for the right reasons, and the people who do it cruelly.


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