The Ray Paulick Report post entitled, “Thoroughbred Industry Organizations’ Statements On Current Crisis“, was published yesterday evening.
Mr. Paulick put it to horse racing stakeholders this way:
Paulick email: In recent weeks, I’ve been approached and contacted by numerous people whose livelihoods depend on the Thoroughbred industry, telling me they fear for the industry’s future, and asking me, “What is (fill in the name of the organization) doing to protect the racing industry?”
I throw that question to all of you individually, as leaders of national organizations: What is your organization doing in response to the crisis now facing this industry, one that demands that the industry and those in positions of authority do absolutely everything humanly possible to protect the health and welfare of horses?
First of all, it’s too late to “do absolutely everything humanly possible to protect the health and welfare of horses”. The integrity of the American Thoroughbred racehorse has been totally compromised through generations of chemical interference and doping from the moment these horses are foaled. They cannot go back now and do a do-over. They are stuck with what they got.
Plus the other elephant in the room — horse racing is addicted to doping. They are never, ever going to give it up. They don’t know how to train without doping.
Perhaps it would be fairer to say that constant doping is the only way at this point to keep horse racing going. It’s highly likely and probable that it’s impossible now to get a racehorse on the track to train or race without administering a long laundry list of drugs, probably daily.
If you decide to read their responses you will see how panicked they are, which in turn means you won’t be able to believe a damn thing they say. We weren’t going to anyway.
Slow curtain. The end.
Tuesday's Horse 
“The integrity of the American Thoroughbred racehorse has been totally compromised through generations of chemical interference and doping from the moment these horses are foaled. ”
I take issue with this statement, although it’s correct, because I firmly believe that the foals are compromised even BEFORE they are foaled due to excessive amounts of dope to manipulate the hormone cycles of broodmares.
They dope the broodmares to ensure that the foals are born early in the year to increase the foal’s value at the sales and to also get a head start on a foal that is born later in the year.
Furthermore, the stallions were raced on a plethora of dope to increase their competitive edge and/or are given dope to manipulate their virility.
So you have both broodmare and stallion walking chemical factories whose drug-induced sperm coupled with a drug-induced broodmare, plus the dope given to the broodmare while she’s in foal, results in a compromised foal.
Now although studies have not been conducted on the thoroughbred breed regarding this (that I’m aware of) there are endless studies dealing with dope in mammals, especially humans, that affirm the negative effects on offspring.
We see it every day with crack and meth addicts having dope addicted babies.
Years of drug abuse and an industry that only cares about keeping them going with no regard for the effects on the breed has resulted in a foal that is compromised in some way to some degree.
Then throw into the mix the dope even before they get to the track, then the daily needles while in training and what you have is a fragile body, compromised bone structures that don’t have a chance in most cases.
Of course we can only speculate because this business goes to no lengths to keep their doping records secret.
There’s a reason for that, but if the industry really cared they would have stopped this years ago.
It’s too late now.
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So well said and so very sad. I hate the abuse of these beautiful creatures.
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Of course we are talking about as soon as they are foaled doping starts taking place to get them ready for a racing career which begins in the sales ring for most. Very good points though, all of them.
There’s not a moment when the wellbeing of these horses is not compromised and negatively impacted by constant drugging. Rescued Thoroughbreds often die from drug withdrawals their first days or weeks off the track we are told. Tragic.
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There’s some very interesting reading at the Horse Fund website, called Breeding for Trouble, by Jane Allin, for anyone interested. See https://horsefund.org/horse-racing-breeding-for-trouble-part-1.php to get started.
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I agree that racing needs to change its attitude toward and use of drugs and other crutches used to, in some trainers’ opinions, level the playing field. Horses should NEVER have to be medicated to run or train. If a horse is not up to training without medication it should be given time off and then be carefully examined to determine if it should be racing at all. I disagree however with your portrayal of “chemical interference and doping” from the moment these horses are foaled.” That is just not true and to state that as fact is very misleading. While some of your arguments about the industry is valid, embellishing doesn’t help your argument.
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You may disagree if you like. Read Jane Allin’s work starting with https://horsefund.org/horse-racing-breeding-by-the-numbers-part-3.php.
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