I feel compelled to post here about the topic of horse racing.  I love horse racing.  It's an amazing sport...I love watching these animals before and after the races.  If you've ever seen a race horse in the paddock area before the race, they're so proud looking, muscular, and strong.  They have a determination in their eyes that many pro human athletes don't have.  When they race, they run to win...

This past Saturday, at the Kentucky Derby, just after the finish of the race, the only filly in the field, Eight Belles, collapsed.  She had broken both front ankles, resulting in the decision to be made for her to be immediately euthanized.  It brought back memories of Barbaro, who lost his fight after breaking his back leg at The Preakness two years ago.

After watching some Eight Belles tribute videos on YouTube, the same feeling I got when looking at tributes to Barbaro hit me.  These are sad stories, and so many people are focusing on their deaths.  They say horse racing is cruel, they're raced too early and their bones aren't developed, etc.  They say it's done because of greed.  Some even go so far as to say that these horses are mistreated.  Everyone seems to be focused on the negative...

Yes, it stinks a beautiful horse had to be put down.  But let's look at it from another way.  She'd won several races as a 3 year old.  She was treated very well by her owner and trainers.  These horses don't become spectacular specimens of equine perfection by being mistreated.  This horse had a right to be proud.  She came in 2nd, in a field of all colts.  2nd place is no laughing matter when it comes to horse racing.  That girl had to keep up with the big boys.  Unfortunately, tragedy struck, and she lost her life.  But she died doing what she loved.

With injuries like she had, her life would have been miserable if she had not been euthanized.  The world watched as Barbaro continually suffered with complications as a result of his broken leg.  But to put blame on a jockey or owner is ludicrous.  To say that horse racing is cruel is ludicrous.  These horses were born to run.  Anyone who's ever been to the races would see that.  I've seen races where the jockey hasn't even had to touch the horse with a riding crop to get him to run.  A simple mis-step can cause a bad injury in any horse...if you had a large body and skinny legs, you'd run the risk of injury too.

It's also crazy to say that owners put a horse down because after an injury it won't make them any money.  It costs them more money putting it down...would you want to kill a few thousand dollar animal over a broken leg???  These horses are treated like family.  Money is no object.  It's about the horse leading a productive life.  A horse with two broken legs isn't going to get that chance.

I think the hardest part for me when watching a horse go down at a race is that each horse has a personality.  You can see it in their eyes.  They know they're destined for greatness.  They run to run.  The horses don't know they're running to make someone money.  They run because they have a competetive spirit.  They run because running is freedom to a horse.  That's what they were meant to do.

So Eight Belles, it saddens us to see what happened to you at the Kentucky Derby.  But I know you and Barbaro are up there running for the roses together.  RIP, Eight Belles.