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POPSNo Evidence Found Eight Belles Was Injured During Derby The Jockey Club has formed a panel to examine the issues, and its members participated in a conference call Wednesday. Stuart Janney, a thoroughbred owner and breeder who will chair the committee, said breeding practices, track surfaces and medication are among the subjects to be discussed. "We're going to use this committee as a bully pulpit to be persuasive on certain matters, and go to other people in the industry and say, 'This is how we feel, how are you going to help us?'" Janney said.
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POPSThe Kentucky Derby Tragedy Third, we should ban the racing of 2- and 3-year-olds so popular on the U.S. track. In Europe, horses are typically raced later, when their "growth plates" (leg bones) are fully formed and they are less prone to injury. Greedy Americans don't want to spend the money to keep the horse "hanging around" (to wit, not earning money) until they are 4 or 5 years old, and so we race them before their legs are strong enough to handle injury. Many horses are forced to live 23-7 in their stalls, except for the hour or so per day when they are exercised. The human equivalent would be tying someone to his or her bed for 23 hours per day, only letting them out to run for an hour. Wouldn't you go crazy under those circumstances? I hope Eight Belles's death serves as something more than a one-day news story. I hope her sacrifice causes every fan of horse racing to stop patronizing the sport or betting on the mounts until major reforms take place.
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POPSThe Ultimate Double Standard I happen to be one of those people who truly believes life is precious. As someone who lives with two serious chronic illnesses and continuous sever pain, I continue to fight to live my life to its fullest, and to remain active and as productive as possible. However, I also believe that every human being is entitled to dignity in their lives and a decent quality of life. When those two things are absent from my life, I would like the option of deciding when I have had enough. I should be entitled to the same consideration as a race horse, or a house pet. I do not believe anyone would consider seriously the act of ending their lives lightly. It is a tortuous decision and it is an act that should not be carried-out in haste. But the option should be available, and once the decision is made, the person's doctor should be permitted to help the patient end his/her life with grace, dignity and loving care.
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