The sport of horse racing is the epitome of cruelty. Constantly injured, horses are forced to race on half-treated wounds as handlers slash recovery times in order to squeeze every last penny out of the poor animals. Many are pumped full of painkillers to keep them going through otherwise insurmountable pain and exhaustion.
When, inevitably, their bodies give up, their racing potential completely depleted, the horses are mercilessly euthanized. After all, the mindset goes, if they aren't making humans any money, why keep them alive?
So, the news that Australia's island state of Tasmania has banned all animal racing during the coronavirus pandemic should be cause for celebration. Well, not quite.
Sign on to demand that Racing Australia, the leading horse racing industry authority in Australia, ensure that all horses forced into temporary retirement due to the racing ban be protected, cared for, and kept alive!Tasmania temporarily outlawed horse racing in the face of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The virus is known to spread easily and rapidly in large gatherings of people, a fact that put horse racing and the huge crowds it draws on the chopping block. Many believe that it is only a matter of time before the entire country of Australia bans the sport for the duration of the pandemic. But unfortunately, that does not mean the out-of-work racing horses will get a vacation.
Australia's racing industry does not exactly have a clean record when it comes to how it treats its retired horses.
Last year, a racing company in Victoria came under fire when footage surfaced of race horses being shipped to slaughterhouses -- a direct violation of Racing Australia's Rules of Racing.
With an impending ban on racing in the entire country, some
20,000 horses' lives are at risk. The industry that decides their fate has tunnel vision when it comes to profit. What can we guess they will do when faced with caring for tens of thousands of horses, with their income temporarily suspended? If it were up to them, surely the slaughterhouses would fill up. They must be held accountable for keeping these horses safe, happy, and healthy for the duration of this pandemic!
Please, help us protect these beautiful animals. Sign the petition today and let Racing Australia know they MUST prepare a plan to keep all racing horses alive while the sport is on hiatus!