Miniwhinny. I don't intend to start a fight, but you have been very misinformed as to thoroughbreds! They have been my life's love, and my life's work. Your statement that thousands are killed for every one that makes it to the track is way, way off base! Where do you get your information? I have worked in the office of many breeding farms, and I don't know of very many that were crippled or destroyed before they made it to the track. They are not raced as yearlings! Some are broke with maybe 90 days training in the fall/winter of their yearling year, if their knees have gone together, then turned out to grow and mature till they are two, and depending on the bloodlines, some are three before they even get to the track to be started. Just as in any breed, there are horses that will mature early, and those that do not mature till later. Yes, there are early break downs, but that is in every breed as well. And yes, there are those that overmedicate, and use steroids, as in any breed, but all T.B.'s undergo drug testing at the track, and if illegal drugs are found in their system, the owners and trainers are disciplined, sometimes ruled off for life, and the horse is DQ'ed. Were you not aware of that?
Did you realize that the owners and trainers and grooms and all other people that have anything to do with them love those horses as much as you love yours? If not, then go to the track and talk to a few of them. The life of a horseman be it TB or any other breed is certainly not an easy one. On the track, it is up at 4-4:30 a.m., feed and check temps, go over legs, and get them tacked up and ready to go for their exercise, clean stalls, water, etc., and when your charge gets back, walk it till it cools out. Give it another rub down, and start with another, etc., etc. Then get ready for lunch, any special needs, and then lunch. Race days are even more specialized and hectic for the handlers.
Do you not know of the millions of dollars that are spent on them? Oh, and did you realize that the majority of thoroughbreds are owned by people like you and me. Average joes that work to keep their heads afloat and pay for their love of the horse and their bills and all that go with it. You only know of the wealthy, because they are the ones that generally get all the news hype.
I know that this post is not going to convince you to feel any differently because of your pre conceived notions, all the negative feedback you have heard or read, but to make a blanket statement that all to do with T. B.'s is just money makes me a little angry. You see, my late husband and his family, and I were also owners and raced horses. Yes, we have endured losses, losses that were so horrible that we cried for weeks. But we also loved our horses. Oh, and I wanted to add, those that did not make the races were either used as brood mares, or were sold to hunter jumper people. And oh yes, some foals are taken from their mothers and put on nurse mares because the mare didn't have enough milk, had the rh factor, or some other extenuating circumstances. It is not done just for the heck of it. The mare, once a brood mare, is not being raced or taken back to the races. Her job is to raise foals, so why would they take a foal from her if she were able to nurse it?
Please get educated into the real world of the thoroughbred before you make such broad, sweeping negative statements about them. I think you will find that if you open your mind, you will find these horses love what they do, and are loved and much honored by the people that own and care for them.
