Eight Belles’s Death at the Kentucky Derby (PETA, Shut UP!)
I am sure that we have all heard about the sad event that took place at the Kentucky Derby last week. Eight Belles, a filly, had to be euthanized after breaking her front two ankles.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) maintains that the death was caused by the ‘merciless whipping of the horses as they are forced to run.’
Reality check: The ‘whipping’ is barely a light tap, lighter that a spank, and it is purely for encouragement. Anyways, the horses were bred for this!
If Eight Belles had not been euthanized, she would have gone through great pain with her broken ankles. Also, immobilizing a horse can lead to all sorts of other health problems, with atrophy of muscles and bones being just the beginning.
I am not saying that Eight Belles should have died anyways; no one would ever guess she would break her ankles. It is still a very sad event that will probably scar the Kentucky Derby for a very long time.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
yes, I totally agree with you.. I also read somewhere that Eight Belles was a very large filly for the breed. She had too much weight for those long, thin and delicate legs. If her breeders had been more careful, she would have been a bit smaller and she wouldn’t have had so much weight. Poor girl, R.I.P. . I miss her and Barbero… two wonderful horses that shouldn’t have died, but where killed by this so-called ‘Sport of Kings’… This is just my opinion, not definite (or however the heck you spell it) fact.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
(add-on to previous post)
Horse racing should either be stopped, or the track surface be softened to prevent terrible accidents like this.