Eight Belles Tragedy: Never Again

Target:

Alex Waldrop, Chief Executive Officer, National Thoroughbred Racing Association

Sponsored by:

Horse lovers and animal welfare advocates everywhere

The time has come for animal lovers everywhere to demand accountability and reform of the horse racing industry.

The death of Eight Belles after finishing second at this year's Kentucky Derby is a horrible reminder of the toll race horses have taken recently in an increasingly dangerous sport. According to a recent study, an average of two horses die every day in horse racing. This loss is unacceptable.

The horse racing industry must reform to put the welfare and safety of horse first and foremost - if not, we will boycott the sport.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Eight Belles at this year's Kentucky Derby, and cannot condone the increasingly dangerous conditions in today's thoroughbred horse racing industry. According to a recent study, an average of two horses die every day in horse racing. This loss is absolutely unacceptable.

Horses are being bred to be stronger and faster than their frames and thin legs can handle. They are being pushed to race by two years of age when their frames are not mature enough for such physical strain.

The thoroughbred horse racing industry must reform to put the welfare and safety of horse first and foremost. If such reforms require horses to wait until they are older to race, so be it. If the industry does not immediately investigate the conditions that have led to such high levels of injury and death and implement reforms, then I will be forced to boycott horse racing and encourage everyone I know to do the same.

signature
goal: 5,000

1,758
signatures!

50 log in or sign up to start earning Butterfly Credits today!

learn more »

Already a Care2 member? log in. Or,

connect with Facebook

We signed the "Eight Belles Tragedy: Never Again" petition!

# 1,758:

3:38 pm PDT, Sep 16, Eileen Morris, Kansas

# 1,757:

3:28 pm PDT, Sep 16, Laura Rodrigues, Portugal

# 1,756:

12:50 pm PDT, Aug 28, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
Please stop this cruelty!!!! Enough seen enough said. Care a little for the horse, stop this madness.

This sport of racing must be banded!!!!! no horse is healthy or well when they are raced or are training for racing !

# 1,755:

10:09 am PDT, Aug 27, Gisel Rodriguez Vale, Puerto Rico

# 1,754:

1:16 pm PDT, Aug 24, Norma Faith Rockman, California
We know now this needs to be about the horse first, then people and money.

I prefer that it be banned, but it won't happen because too many people earn wages, and the State of California gets money from the track. So, make it better for the horse, reform.

# 1,753:

2:57 am PDT, Aug 24, Maren Jensen, Norway
preferably banned, but I dont think this will be possible. yet... but we need it reformed NOW!!

# 1,752:

4:16 pm PDT, Aug 23, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
How can it possibly be enjoyable to see a horse raced to death.

Banned. Let horses be horses.

# 1,751:

4:02 am PDT, Aug 23, Sarah Zemljak, Austria

# 1,750:

5:47 pm PDT, Aug 22, Tam Ennor, New Zealand
Insisting horses wear shoes -reduces blood flow - strains the heart - makes it a conscious choice of absolute cruelty in an athlete. Bits interfere with breathig - absolute cruelty in an athlete. Stabling also reduces bodily capacities - no athlete stays still all night and day and fully exercises for an hour maximum per day - conscious choice cruelty. Other ways exist for these horses to live in HIT system setup for optimal biological function and psycological welfare. You chose to set up one method of keeping horses you could reform the set up to another if you cared to. That would be conscious choice support and nuture its your responsibility as a free thinking and acting human controlling the life of animals who support your lifestyle.

Reform both the shoeing aspect, the stabling aspect, and the bitting aspect. First and then lead that to a natural banning once you realise that your choices were killing horses everyday, that you were responsible personally.

# 1,749:

8:06 am PDT, Aug 21, Chieko IKEDA, Japan
We human are being extremely arrogant. There is no excuse for killing horses like this.

# 1,748:

1:22 am PDT, Aug 17, Diane McCarthy, Illinois

# 1,747:

6:37 am PDT, Aug 14, Emilie Aakerberg, Denmark
Horse racing should be banned! It doesn't do any good to a horse, but harms it incredibly much!

# 1,746:

2:46 am PDT, Aug 14, MATHIEU FREDERIC, France
Horse Races has first to be reformed, before they will naturaly be banned since it is in the historical way...

# 1,745:

6:14 pm PDT, Aug 13, David Peters, United Kingdom

# 1,744:

1:21 am PDT, Aug 11, Maria Chua, Philippines

# 1,743:

10:18 am PDT, Aug 10, Rolli Catherine, Switzerland
3 year olds shouldn't race

I love racehorses/thouroughbreds, I have been riding them myself and I love races. But a lot of the horses are just used and exhausted too early.

# 1,742:

10:50 pm PDT, Aug 8, Debbie Gadbois, California

# 1,741:

9:26 pm PDT, Aug 6, Heather Harmon, Rhode Island

# 1,740:

2:12 am PDT, Aug 3, Linda Andersen, Norway
Don't ask of the horses what you wouldn't ask of yourself, or your children. Race horses are scared to death or they wouldn't run themselves to death!! Will you people try to be kind to animals? It's really not hard at all.

It's my opinion that horse racing should be banned. No horse should have to be forced to lead such a life. It's unworthy, all people involved in horseracing behave unworthy and are incredibly blind to the horses suffering. These animals are born to suffer, born to be killed. And for what? Money, entertainment. Be kind to others, animals included.

# 1,739:

6:27 am PDT, Aug 2, Karin Carter, United Kingdom

# 1,738:

3:09 am PDT, Jul 31, Anne Yoe, United Kingdom

# 1,737:

3:08 am PDT, Jul 31, CK Yoe, United Kingdom

# 1,736:

12:53 pm PDT, Jul 30, Andi Alnwick, New York

# 1,735:

5:08 pm PDT, Jul 29, Lori Howard, Ohio
The loss is extremely unacceptable. That statement says it all doesn't it.

I believe that horse racing should be reformed only if the compassion for the animal comes first.

# 1,734:

9:56 pm PDT, Jul 28, Name not displayed, Canada
The deaths of these horses should be taken seriously. If a human athlete died, everyone would make a huge commotion over it and the rules would be drastically reformed. I feel the Sport of Kings should get this treatment too.

Reformed. Also, the Thoroughbred industry absolutely must bree some larger and stronger-boned horses into Toroughbreds. Eight Belles probably didn't have a strong bone structure, causing her to collapse.

# 1,733:

8:03 pm PDT, Jul 28, Name not displayed, Canada
I was watching a replay. If i remember correctly... Did eight belles have any boots on her legs? i dont recall! And hey? Maybe if they would cancel if the ground is too hard, or too soft than maybe that would make a small difference but not enough. Horse racing has had enough serious accidents and i wont tolerate any more!! CHANGE IT! i cant believe that so many potential or already champions are dying. some survive but the chances are so slim that i see no point in tolerating any more deaths of beautiful horses. Please change it!

Reformed. SERIOUSLY reformed. boots on every horse. Regular vet checks, right before the race. MORE TIME OFF BETWEEN RACES! I was reading a book about barbaro. now its not particularly edgar's fault, but maybe they shouldve scratched barbaro out when he burst through. the vet check was too short and quick to be surenothing was wrong, and he was acting weird from the start! how dumb! If you cant find a way to reform it and make it more safe, for the horse's sake just ban the dang cruel killing sport. i just see no point in letting the public get attached to a great champion just to see it die at 4 years old like barbaro did!! please i am begging you just change it or ban it whatever works!

# 1,732:

10:57 am PDT, Jul 28, Andrea Alnwick, New York

# 1,731:

1:40 am PDT, Jul 28, Name not displayed, Belgium

# 1,730:

10:24 pm PDT, Jul 25, AUSTIN KENDALL, Florida

# 1,729:

5:53 pm PDT, Jul 24, Linda Bass, Illinois
What happened to Eight Belles should never be allowed to happen to another race horse. The racing industry needs to clean up their act.

Many people enjoy horse racing so the sport shouldn't be banned. However, it needs to be reformed for the safety and well being of the horses.

# 1,728:

5:22 pm PDT, Jul 24, Darren Tortoise Protection, United Kingdom

# 1,727:

2:40 pm PDT, Jul 22, Greta Malkotzoglou, Greece

# 1,726:

8:19 am PDT, Jul 22, Yvette Monnet, France
Do you believe that horse racing should be banned or reformed ?

# 1,725:

4:47 am PDT, Jul 22, Rebeca Villalba Herrero, Spain

# 1,724:

9:02 pm PDT, Jul 21, Kimberly Word, Ohio

# 1,723:

4:46 pm PDT, Jul 20, Glen Summers, Florida

# 1,722:

4:13 pm PDT, Jul 20, Justin Forte, California

# 1,721:

1:41 pm PDT, Jul 20, Kerry Woodham, United Kingdom

# 1,720:

8:58 pm PDT, Jul 19, Dilia Gomez, Florida

# 1,719:

9:33 am PDT, Jul 19, Nina Tonti, Ohio

# 1,718:

2:02 pm PDT, Jul 17, Dino Martinez, Oregon

# 1,717:

12:02 pm PDT, Jul 17, Helena Frangogiannis, Greece

# 1,716:

10:57 am PDT, Jul 17, Marjorie Jonasson, New Jersey

# 1,715:

4:42 am PDT, Jul 17, Barbara Rurale, Italy

# 1,714:

2:01 am PDT, Jul 17, Cassandra Taylor, United Kingdom

# 1,712:

4:47 pm PDT, Jul 16, Roxie Huszar, Illinois

# 1,711:

12:50 pm PDT, Jul 16, Jessica Contreras, California

# 1,710:

9:45 am PDT, Jul 16, Alexis Reesor, Kentucky

# 1,709:

5:26 pm PDT, Jul 15, Crystal Conklin, Arizona

# 1,708:

4:41 pm PDT, Jul 15, Cheryl Betancourt, Texas

# 1,707:

9:52 am PDT, Jul 15, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 1,706:

3:26 pm PDT, Jul 14, Brendan Biryla, California

# 1,705:

5:23 am PDT, Jul 14, Name not displayed, New York

# 1,704:

3:49 am PDT, Jul 14, Angie Bryant, Florida
I think it should be banned.

# 1,703:

12:49 am PDT, Jul 13, Cecy V. Aguirre L�pez, Mexico

# 1,702:

5:25 pm PDT, Jul 12, Benedict Aloysius, Australia
Why cannot you safeguard the very horses that gives you pleasure and livelihood ? Do you not feel ungrateful when you cause the death of another 'Horse' ?

Ofcourse, Horse Racing has to be improved if it is the 'will' of the Race Goers.

# 1,701:

3:36 pm PDT, Jul 12, Jamie Flitton, Oregon
Horse racing like any other sport should be safe for the athletes. That's why most sports have strict guidelines and regulations designed to protect the health and safety of the participants. This should also be the case for horse racing even though the athletes are animals. If horse racing is not reformed many people including me will boycott it.

View Signatures:
|<
<
1,758
1,700
1,650
1,600
1,550
...
250
200
150
100
50
>
>|