We do not post much about Quarter Horse racing fatalities. Shame on us for not doing so.
“Lrh Fast as Oak” and “Perry Train”
According to Equibase, two “fell and were euthanzied” on opening day of Louisiana Downs’ Quarter Horse race meeting.
Their names were “Lrh Fast as Oak” and “Perry Train”. They were only two years old.
About Quarter Horse racing
Quarter Horse racing competes horses at great speed for short distances on a straightaway course, originally a quarter of a mile, hence the name. Quarter Horse racing was begun by the early settlers in Virginia shortly after Jamestown was established in 1607.
Long recognized as a distinct type, Quarter Horses are known for their ability to start quickly and sprint swiftly, producing close contests with many photo finishes. The breed originated in Virginia from a Thoroughbred stallion, Janus, and native mares.
There are currently more than 5 million registered Quarter Horses.
To tourists they are a time-honored, charming way of seeing the sights, but animal rights activists say Montreal’s horse-drawn carriages are a cruel and unnecessary relic of yesteryear.
A longstanding feud between the coachmen and their critics looks set to end however with the unique mode of transport set to disappear from the streets of Canada’s second city by year-end.
City Hall has ordered an end to the tourist rides out of concern for the horses. In 2018, the council passed a bylaw banishing horse-drawn carriages, starting in 2020.
20 year-old Montreal carriage horse Blackjack collapsed on the way back to the stable and was kicked by the driver when he wouldn’t get up. He and another 20-year old carriage horse were both rescued by the SPCA. SPCA Photo.
“It is a tradition that has long been appreciated but today I think it is time to move on,” said Jean-François Parenteau, the city’s pointman in the case.
The city, he said, must “show concern for the animals.”
In April, to prevent out-of-work horses from ending up at slaughterhouses, the city said it would pay the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Can$1,000 (US$760) for each horse offered a refuge or adoptive family.
City Hall, meanwhile, is working on a retraining program to help coachmen transition to other tourist jobs.
