PETA: Progress-Ending Terrorists for their Animals

I always knew PETA existed. I always felt throwing paint on fur coats was an overly-dramatic way to make a point but, hey, I'm anti-fur and they seemed to be the only ones doing anything.

My first moment of PETA enlightenment came here: "Somebody stoled him," said five-year-old Zion. "I’m sad."

I laughed a bit, assuming that those over-zealous PETA members were the exception, rather than the rule.

Then, the Derby happened, Eight Belles tragically injured her ankle after the race ended, and the euthanasia made PETA go nuts. Their requests (and some reasoning) can be found in the AP article below:
Eight Belles

Their first point is right-on. Most other equine disciplines consider 2-3 the minimum age to start "breaking" their horses, meaning no one backs them until they're that age. Arabians and Icelandic ponies are commonly left alone until 4 or 5, to insure proper bone growth, and I've met many eventing and hunter/jumper trainers who will not start horses over fences until age 6, because their bones may not be completely formed yet. Thoroughbreds, however, are racing by age 2, and since age in the industry Jan 1st is every horse's birth date, some horses turn 2 when they are actually just over a year. There is no reason to race horses this young, in my opinion. Fully grown, sanely trained TBs would probably be faster and more effective runners anyway, so I'm not even sure why they still race TBs so damned young!

Abandoning dirt tracks for synthetics, however, is edging towards "wah?" Synthetics have yet to prove themselves as any different from dirt. The statistics on injuries between the two surface types are insignificant, and although most trainers seem to be moving towards synthetics for a variety of reasons, I personally don't understand why we would make that one of the demands for making racing more humane.

Cap the number of races per year, okay.

Whipping... is not about what PETA seems to think it's about. Whips, when used correctly, are extensions of the rider's arms and/or legs. They are used to cue horses where arms and legs are inefficient, such as in racing, where the jockey is perched on top of the horse with almost no actual contact. Tapping the shoulder signals the horse to lengthen its stride. Are there better ways to ride? Hell yes! But none of them involve perching precariously on your horse's back, and at least that part does make it easier for the horse to use its body. I would like to see the no-hitting from above the shoulder and no cruel crop regulations enforced consistently, but this is not my biggest issue with the industry.

And... the jockey felt nothing because there was nothing to feel, until it was too late. The clip makes that much obvious. Her stride is beautiful, her ears are forward, the jockey is doing his finest to bring her down slowly, and then she fumbles, he does everything in his power to stabilize them, but in a flash they're on the ground. She broke her ankle, people. It's tragic, and yes, it probably could have been avoided by letting her mature a bit more before racing, but the jockey rode her wonderfully through the end, and both he and Eight Belles trainer have long track records of treating their horses like their babies. Also, while Eight Belles was sound until she was down, Big Brown was lame just a day before the race! And again afterwards! In fact, he has a long history of foot problems, and his trainer and owner have a long history of racing horses with health problems anyways! In short, Eight Belles death and the Derby are a tragic case of the majority of the blame being shifted to the least guilty.

My problems with racing... are for another day. Suffice it to say, the big leagues are the least of my concerns, and PETA would save more horses from suffering if they would focus their attention on the inner city tracks and low-level races. One of the retired TBs I've known and loved, Chance, would have benefited greatly from someone taking him out of his stall more than once a year, and trimming his feet more than once every other year after retirement wouldn't have been a bad plan, either. He's a total love-bucket, a fun ride (after much work) and a talented mover... and a neurotic claustrophobic wreck who's notorious among local farriers.
Where was PETA then? And where are they for the horses that didn't leave with Chance, or who left on a double-deckered trailer for a different second-retirement plan???