The New York Daily News reports that a Brooklyn-based animal rights advocate will launch a campaign demanding the shutdown of Aqueduct Racetrack until the New York Racing Association can guarantee there will be no more horse deaths at the track. NYRA reports 18 deaths since Nov. 30.
“It is simply not acceptable to put profits before the lives of these magnificent animals. As far as we can tell this is the highest death rate at any major track in thoroughbred racing history,” Dr. Wayne Johnson said. Johnson said he will launch a Facebook campaign, organize a protest and seek support from major animal rights groups.
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Well, we do not see Dr. Johnson’s Facebook Aqueduct deaths protest page yet. If you see it, please let us know.
We did go to Aqueduct’s Facebook page, and saw no mention about the horses who have been dying at their racecourse since the end of last year. Admittedly, we did not spend a lot of time scrolling through.
Horse racing in the U.S. is absolutely barbaric. Anyone who disagrees is called an animal rights wacko or accused of working for Peta.
If you have a strong stomach, read this vomit inducing article written by Paul Moran for ESPN defending this sick business. Strong words I know, but understanding and tolerance I simply cannot find for this abusive industry.
Tuesday's Horse 
I have been against horse events for a long time. In too many cases they are not valued but thought of and treated like equipment-with inhumane results!
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Animals generally are thought of as objects with no right to be here unless they can be used for something. This type of thinking leads to exploitation, abuse and death. And of course, it is not limited to just animals. We need to adjust our thoughts to ones of respect, kindness and gratitude for all of God’s creation.
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polopaula,
yes, my big black horse had a miserable life until he became the Hunt Master’s horse. That was because my friend Lynn called the folks in North Carolina and asked ‘What the hell happened to this horse?!!!’ He would kick, bite, buck, rear, and crowd you in the stall. Of course I knew nothing of this, and not being afraid of any horse I just walked into his stall and started talking to him and petting him. Lynn was alarmed. She asked me if he did anything to me, and I said ‘Like what’? She knew then that he had chosen me and the only way I could get him was to bet the owner that I could ride him. He was rather peeved as he thought that HE was the only person who could sit that horse. What an egomaniac.
This country is a disaster and I honestly do not how to cast my eventual vote. I may ‘write in’ somebody but the choices, in my opinion, regarding animals and the overall environment are abysmal on all fronts! Forget about Health care…
I do not recognize my own country.
Elle
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tiggy98
The reason you don’t recognize your own country is because it’s not yours or mine anymore. All of this started in 1963 and 1964 when the immigration laws that had served the US very well were changed to throw the doors open to admit any person from third world countries into the US. The Kennedy’s were leading the charge. Before, immigrants were allowed into the country based on what they could do for the US such as highly educated professionals etc. Once the doors were wide open the flood that started in the early 60’s has never abated. So all of us are now living with a terrible mistake made by a handful of deceased politicians including the late Ted Kennedy. If you look close all of the larger cities now are beginning to look like overpopulated Calcutta, India. And it will only get worse as the years go on.
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Hi Barbara,
I think the problem is far greater, our corporations are still exporting jobs to India and China. I don’t buy in to bashing dead Presidents or Politicians. Senator Kennedy always was a huge supporter of the horses.
Elle
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You are both correct… it is sad but true. And I am afraid it speaks to the time… this era when profit for the very few outweighs everything else… the health of people… the health of animals…. the health of the planet, and I sincerely believe the survival of our grandchildren. If they cannot breathe the air, drink the water or eat the food grown in this contaminated dirt, it will be up to the genius of our scientists and engineers to find a way to save them… But alas, we’ve cut education to the bone too.
I can’t believe this rant started with my love for thoroughbred horses.. But I do love them. I have a great story about my love,Stuffins . But I’ll save it for a less emotional day.
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Dear Elle,
Yours is a heartwarming story. Let’s all band together to end barbaric racing practices that kill or maim so many innocent horses.
And, yes, I also mean practices such as over-breeding, irresponsible ownership and sending horses to slaughter.
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A very important thing to do is ask your friends, family, and colleagues to donate $5.00 to the Fund. That will go a long way as Vivian has a supporter whom will match 5K for 5K. You cannot get any better than that.
Forget about Facebook. It is a huge waste of time. Also these other social media sites that are popping up left and right are also a huge waste of time. I am going to close my facebook page and people will be annoyed, however, they have never done a single thing of real meaning to help the horses, mustangs, burros, and other native species that are endangered such as Wolves. I own a Wolf, he is a Timber Wolf and he is an ‘Omega’ and he is afraid of everything. It disgusts me that his ‘kin’ are being gunned down and being tricked into eating food that is laced with lethal doses of poison.
The best way is a web site or wordpress blog and a newsletter. I listened to this ludicrous webinar by Guidestar and the Social Media Expert said that you MUST take 4 hours each day to keep up with the social media. That was the most idiotic thing I have heard in a long, long, time.
I am asking my friends (my sister is loaded but she will not even donate to me as a Christmas or Birthday present. She had a stroke at the age of 36. She is now 45 and pretty much needs 24/7 care. What she does not understand is that I am the only person in our family that will take responsibility for her after my mom passes. She carries a lot of anger and she uses me as the target. I get it, but not really) So I am asking friends and colleagues to donate to the Fund.
Thanks,
Elle
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This is incredible news! I had a racehorse that raced until the age of six. He won lots of money but never was entered into the Triple Crown Races. His last race was at Aqueduct and it was a claiming race and someone claimed him for 15K. He then was moved to North Carolina where he was a ‘Big Timber’ racer and that is where the grooms would beat him in his stall with an ax handle! At the age of nine he was purchased by Dean Durling (he owned the Durling Farms Dairy Farm in NJ) and he became the Hunt Master’s Horse. When he was 15, Durling tired of the hunt. The VP of my board had the responsibility of finding homes for the Hunt Horses.
He wanted $15K for him, which I did not have, so, I bet him that I could ride him as this horse did not like a lot of people. If I took the horse over his cross country course and did not get thrown, bucked, or otherwise harmed, he would hand me the papers and I would give him $1.00 which is the ‘Legal Peppercorn’. Clearly this horse did nothing to me and he always tried to jump as he thought it was expected of him! I let him do it until he was 19 and then trained him myself for Dressage. He was a lovely Dressage horse and he brought me some blue ribbons at local shows.
Everybody was after him but I got him. That only happened because he chose me.
He left me at the age of 23. He developed a tumor on his palate and I and the Vet agreed he was not a good candidate for surgery. He was euthanized on October 26, 2006 and I have some of his mane and tail. I cried for days over losing my big black horse. He was huge! 17.2 hh of sheer terror for most people. But, if you had been beaten in your ‘room’ you wouldn’t like anybody either. I mourn this horse on his birthday March 3rd and the date of his death. He was a truly once in a lifetime horse. He even ran the Far Hills Race Meet and he survived. I detest that race as too many horses have broken their necks. I miss this horse because he chose me and that I always regarded as a compliment!
Elle
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This is great news….
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