Blood-Horse Letter To The Editor
The increased awareness of the “Unwanted Horse", as indicated in the articles in the Oct 2nd Blood-Horse, has pushed this issue to the forefront of the racing industry. Having collectively been part of the racing, rescue and show communities, Thoroughbred Education Foundation board members view the "Unwanted Horse" as an outcome, not the problem –the horse community is treating the symptom and ignoring the disease. The “Unwanted Horse” is a byproduct of the “Disposable Horse Culture” that is prevalent in thoroughbred racing. Young thoroughbred racehorses are routinely discarded, abandoned and even euthanized because they are no longer relevant to the racing world. The acceptance of this "Disposable Culture" by the thoroughbred community is shameful.
The “Disposable Horse Culture” is a complex problem and poses the greatest challenge for the thoroughbred industry. We feel some of the solutions presented in these articles would be counter productive in changing the public perception of the industry. Low cost euthanasia clinics would only be perceived as convenient euthanasia (two words that should never be next to one another, especially from a public relations viewpoint). This would encourage irresponsible behavior and deepen the public's distrust of thoroughbred racing. Without a viable solution as part of a rescue plan, rescue organizations only continue to enable those responsible for the "disposable horse" culture. These organizations become the dumping grounds for "Unwanted Horses."
In the coming months, we will lay out our solution-based rescue plan to address this complex problem. We invite all industry members to join us in a dialogue about changing the culture from "disposable" to "multi-career". We are starting a “New Era” program that will partner informed advocates and industry members to discuss and implement a plan for change. Our motto is "Change is best done from within." If we do not make changes, others will force change upon us.
-ThoroughbredEd Board
