On Saturday, when that terrible accident happened to Barbaro, we had an interesting discussion of the ethics of horse racing and thoroughbred horse breeding.
I was very upset to see that glorious animal brought down in mid-flight, and have been following his progress as best I can in the news. (Latest report is that the surgery went well and Barbaro is walking, feeling frisky, and nickering at mares!) But I also ran across something today that I think adds a bit of irony to the discussion, so I'd like to share it with those of you who are interested in this topic.
Details after the break.
I have mixed feelings about the whole horse-racing issue. As a child, I grew up on horse stories, so I started out in life with a view of race horses as glorious, magical creatures. Even now, as cynical as I am about life in general, horse racing still has a bit of a hold on me. At the same time, I can see the point of the people who believe that breeding and training horses to run fast to the point of destruction is intrinsically unethical. I am torn in two directions here, and can't decide which side is right.
But in following Barbaro's progress, I ran across this article which described how Barbaro's trainer uses an unorthodox approach.
But Matz set up Barbaro's pre-Triple Crown regimen so that the horse's needs (not financial considerations) came first. The New York Times reported before the Preakness accident, "While most trainers organize training to maximize fitness and build race readiness, Mr. Matz has given Barbaro an unusual amount of rest between races in his budding career. Trainers usually prefer to have their horses experienced in having dirt kicked in their face, maneuvering through crowded fields and reacting to adversity before they run in the Triple Crown races, beyond being in shape." Not to mention, winning as much money for their owners and trainers as possible.
Instead, Matz started the horse later than many horses are started (to allow his bones to fully form and his body to strengthen) and gave him ample rest between races. The Times continued, "To keep his horses happy, Mr. Matz has based his stable in Elkton, Md., at the Fair Hill Training Center, which is a sort of equine spa with Fifth Avenue amenities."
One of those "amenities" is grass turnout. It shouldn't be considered an "amenity," but sadly, it is. It's what nature demands horses get and, in turn, what they thrive on. But many thoroughbreds in training are kept in stalls day and night on a diet of sweet feed and hay, allowed only to burst onto the track for a short time each day while being exercised. The human equivalent would be pumping up a young child with chocolate, restraining him in bed for 23 hours per day. And permitting him out of bed for a short time so he'd explode with an unnatural fury while exercising.
So it's doubly sad that a trainer who has taken such loving care for his horse should now be the focus of a debate on the ethics of his sport.