I have loved horses since I was about 7 years old. A horse to me is a thing of beauty and I volunteer regularly at a place in Stoughton called 3 Gaits just to be around horses on a weekly basis.
I've always thought that I liked horse racing. However, after Saturday's Kentucky Derby tragedy, I am becoming more and more sick of the "Sport of Kings."
I do believe race horses love to run, but something needs to be done to avoid what happened to Eight Belles right after the race ended. If you missed it, the only filly in the bunch broke both her ankles just after coming in second place. She had to be euthanized within minutes. This picture is just moments after she suffered the injury.
Apparently, death at the Kentucky Derby is highly unusual. Some experts say they can't remember the last fatal accident there. I always thought a fatal injuries at races were unusual, but that's not the case. The latest figures show there are about 800 horses dying during races every year. This is insane.
One of the reasons the numbers may be going up according to some experts is the way the horses are bred. There's been work on creating better tracks for the horses to run, but it's time for more. I know the owners and trainers are devastated when they lose a horse, but they need to step up and do more so the "Sport of Kings" can be noble again.
July 31, 2008 The last time you were carded So the governor of Washington State, a 61 year old woman, just laughed it off when she forgot her ID and they wouldn't let her into a bar. Reminds me of the days when I used to get carded regularly..
I have loved horses since I was about 7 years old. A horse to me is a thing of beauty and I volunteer regularly at a place in Stoughton called 
