by John Asgeirson

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

Eight Belles or Barbaro are two of the most visible reasons to criticize horse racing. The tragic deaths of these horses at highly visible horse races and the death of too many other horses as the result of race related injuries at tracks throughout the world has increased the level of criticism for horse racing in general.

Nobody wants to see a horse breakdown at the races. The horse van, the over-sized hospital screen, and a horse with a broken leg are enough to sicken everyone involved in the sport.

Supporters of the industry cite improvements in medical care for the equine athletes and improvements in the design and in maintenance of tracks to keep catastrophic accidents to a minimum.

"People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" (PETA) question the exploitation of any and all animals in sport. This isn't that extreme an attitude for a considerable number of people.

Should we be surprised by people who reject any food products that contain meat or clothing that uses leather or fur and if possible would ban a sport that has been around in some form since animals were domesticated?

This extreme criticism of horse racing seems based on a religious foundation and for those true believers there is no correct answer short of the outright banning of the sport.

Improvements in medical care for injured horses have saved the lives of many horses and allowed them to live out their lives as pets or regular riding horses away from the track, but the issue of increased exploitation of these beautiful animals is a criticism that needs thoughtful answers or the sport will die through disinterest or disgust and lack of support.

Horse racing is not dog fighting but it could be without some serious changes.

Gambling on the performance of these animals could easily be considered the devil's playground. What happens to horses that may not die as the result of a catastrophic injury but are just too slow to win their keep or as a result of small nagging injuries are unable to compete? There is no regular retirement plan for these athletes and their ultimate end may be even more horrific than a quick exit in a horse ambulance.

Are breeders, owners, and track operators doing right by breeding in ways that maximizes speed over soundness and promoting methods of racing and racing surfaces that do not take into account the fragile nature of a horse's physiology? I also wonder if horses would slow down enough to save their own lives if they were not whipped into a frenzy from the stinging

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