@Marina & @elijahsuicide Horse racing may seem cruel to you because you’ve never seen a Thoroughbred’s heart. I agree, yes, that the demands placed on the horses at such an early age are hard, but those horses LOVE to race. The ones who don’t have the heart retire early. The majority of trainers will not continue to race a horse who doesn’t want to win.
I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life rehabbing Thoroughbreds off-the-track for second careers. I know breeders and I frequent the race track. A lot of the trainers and breeders treat these horses like their children. Some do not, and those trainers are looked down upon.
Yes, I am saddened when horses fall during a race, but I am also saddened when jockeys fall. The jockey is only being paid to ride the horse, for that one race… it isn’t their fault if the horse has been pushed too hard in training or happens to loose it’s footing.