The dark side of the horseracing industry

South Africa’s multimillion-rand horse racing industry is often associated with fashion and frivolity. But underneath the glamour is a dark side.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has called on the horse racing fraternity to get its house in order and for breeders and owners to be compelled to “pension” their horses off to a sanctuary when they are retired.

This comes as an emaciated thoroughbred mare belonging to ex-jockey John de Vries was surrendered to them last week, one of dozens of cases throughout the country.

The mare, Medoca, who had been on a farm in Darling, was suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, had hoof and dental damage and no access to food.

Allan Perrins, chief executive of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said owners and breeders should be compelled to make adequate provision for off-the-track horses who are sometimes “retired” to a life of untold misery.

Robyn Louw, who writes for horse racing publication Sporting Post, said racing officials had in fact picked up on the horse’s condition in January and alerted the authorities.

Tessa Gilbey, of the Western Cape Equine Trust, said in the UK and some other countries there was a formal set-up for ex-racehorses. But in South Africa the bulk landed up pulling carts, bush-racing or being euthanised. She also said there was huge over-breeding.

Dr Eugene Reynders, a vet with the National Horseracing Authority, said the remaining horses on the Darling farm were being monitored.

The National Horseracing Authority, formerly the Jockey Club of Southern Africa, regulates the thoroughbred horseracing industry.

Larry Wainstein, chief executive of the racing association, which represents the interests of race horse owners, said owners needed to ensure they either found a good home or had the animal euthanised.

He said a proposal had been made earlier this year that owners pay for a vet to check their horses to see where they would best be suited to go.

But some owners were unhappy about the cost on top of what they had to pay for the upkeep of the animals. He said costs were rising every year and were chasing smaller owners out of the industry.

“But there will be a ruling next month on who will pay and it will be monitored by the National Horseracing Authority,” he said.

Wainstein said he was looking into the case of Medoca after seeing the photographs. He said those found guilty should be named and shamed.

www.formgrids.com/subscriber/fgHorseHist.aspx?hs=MEDOCA,ZA

I'm not a fundi on horse racing but love the sport and it makes me wonder if there shouldn't be a qualification system for trainers and horses being allowed to train and race. According to vary posts on ABC from time to time and listening to race talk shows there are many trainers struggling to make a living.....just an idea but a system where trainers need to have earned certain amount of money from races or achieved certain number of wins/places from their horses in a season to keep their training licences. A system for horses that have run a certain number of times and their % return on wins/places or stake money to runs. I mean there are some horses that have run 20/30 times and never won but have earned many place cheques and keep increasing their stake money for their owners and trainers but also many horses that are never going to be successful in this regard. This would eliminate poor horses and trainers, giving the industry a higher quality of racing for everyone. This is just a seed for thought and discussion. Some system similar to the professional golf tours around the world where you have an order of merit and it determines who is allowed to play the following season. As I have said just a seed for thought but maybe look at the golfing qualification criteria and take some ideas from that for implementing into horseracing for trainers and horses.

This time next year there will be a lot less horses being rehomed or bush racing

And fatter lions

We all abhor the mistreatment of horses- fortunately it only occurs in small numbers. Sadly, the SPCA is vehemently opposed to horse racing in any form, and they use these cases to bolster their argument to ban racing.
If they were consistent, then they should also oppose the keeping of dogs and cats as pets due to the minority of pet owners who neglect and abandon their pet dogs and cats.

Come chaps, let's blame the operators and NHRA. They are the only wrong doers in the industry!

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dilligaf wrote: Come chaps, let's blame the operators and NHRA. They are the only wrong doers in the industry!

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You have to be a stakeholder or board member as you offer nothing of value!

Why? Don't most people point fingers at those organisations when things go wrong?
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