tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/race-horses-70251/articlesRace horses – The Conversation2019-10-25T04:06:06Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1257382019-10-25T04:06:06Z2019-10-25T04:06:06ZIt’s not just about your feelings, OK? The best end for a racehorse might be the knackery<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298669/original/file-20191025-124806-1gyicm0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C3%2C1995%2C1345&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sometimes slaughtering an ex-racehorse humanely is the best option if a good home cannot be found.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the varied responses to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/the-dark-side-of-the-horse-racing-industry/11614022">ABC’s report</a> into the fate of ex-racehorses, the consensus was that <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/bruce-mcavaneys-emotional-plea-after-horse-slaughter-revelations/news-story/779e0c5a63c7d5b542506cd60eed67b8">something should be done</a>. Many have called for racehorse slaughter to be banned outright. </p>
<p>This reaction differed significantly from that to <a href="https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6358675/secret-camera-captures-damning-footage-at-picton-abattoir/">footage</a> of the mistreatment of livestock. Cattle and sheep are equally sentient as horses, yet exposés of livestock cruelty don’t lead to calls to ban their slaughter altogether. </p>
<p>And despite industry and government <a href="https://www.beefcentral.com/news/ferocious-parliamentary-debate-erupts-over-vegan-terrorists/">condemnation</a> of activists who obtain covert footage of livestock abuse, few people have criticised those who filmed horses being mistreated and killed.</p>
<p>These responses reveal a double standard, and suggest we care more about what racehorses mean to us than what’s necessarily best for the animal.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A race at Geelong Cup Day this month.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Dodge/AAP</span></span>
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<h2>It’s about the horse, not us</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.racingnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/NSWRules20180801.pdf">Racing NSW’s rules</a> prohibit the sale of racehorses to abattoirs and knackeries. Following the ABC reports, <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/racing-industry-broken-hearted-as-abc-report-shows-brutal-slaughtering-of-horses/news-story/ed856822803c7945a04351adb04d1228">horse trainers</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-racing-industry-wants-us-to-forget-and-move-on-we-cannot-allow-it-20191024-p533vx.html">politicians</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-racehorse-only-money-went-from-the-nsw-tracks-to-a-queensland-abattoir-20191021-p532oi.html">others</a> said a legal ban should be enforced.</p>
<p>The assumption underpinning such arguments is that because racehorses provide a “service” to their owners, punters and the industry - including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/slaughter-abuse-of-racehorses-undermines-industry-animal-welfare/11603834">winning substantial prize money</a> - we have a moral duty to protect them from slaughter.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/horse-racing-must-change-or-the-court-of-public-opinion-will-bury-it-125637">Horse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it</a>
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<p>This is a human-centred bias. It views racehorses through a prism of their value to us: what they mean to us and how they make us feel, rather than on what they mean to themselves as sentient creatures with their own needs and wants. </p>
<p>A truly horse-centred bias would prioritise finding homes that meet their mental and behavioural needs. This may involve allowing them to behave naturally without having to serve as competition or riding horses. It might also mean killing an ex-racehorse humanely if a good home cannot be found.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A jockey celebrates after riding a horse to victory at the Geelong Cup this month. Some have suggested that we owe a moral duty to prize-winning horses to keep them from being slaughtered.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Dodge/AAP</span></span>
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<h2>Not all racehorses will have a good retirement</h2>
<p>Just because a horse has been spared slaughter does not guarantee it will have a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00480169.2011.610283">good quality of life</a>. Inexperienced owners, inadequate diets, bad training practices, economic hardship and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/victims-of-the-drought-left-to-suffer-in-appalling-condition/news-story/">drought</a> can all lead to poor welfare outcomes for ex-racehorses. For example, research shows that <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/9/621">full-time stabling</a> prevents a horse from grazing and moving, which can lead to health issues.</p>
<p><a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au/">Industry actions</a> to increase re-homing rates are commendable - especially if efforts are made to ensure new owners have the appropriate skills and finances. But the sheer number of racehorses retiring each year and their longevity - 25 years or more - means it’s unlikely all thoroughbreds needing a home will find one, even on industry retirement properties. </p>
<p>Abattoirs and knackeries will probably always be dealing with unwanted racehorses. So it is crucial the transport and slaughter of horses is conducted according to best practice. </p>
<h2>Horse slaughter done humanely</h2>
<p>Horses are at risk of poor welfare during transport and processing. They are easily frightened and can bolt, buck, rear or freeze when scared. This can lead to injury in confined spaces at the abattoir, slippery concrete floors or transport vehicles.</p>
<p>Horses confined in small spaces with unfamiliar horses become highly stressed and aggressive, often leading to injury. Horses sent for slaughter may suffer from untreated injuries making them vulnerable to further welfare insults in transit or at the plant.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A stablehand tends to a horse ahead of Sydney’s Everest race this month. Horses stabled for long periods can develop health problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAAP</span></span>
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<p>Transport is a significant stressor and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00124.x">welfare risk</a>. Voluntary guidelines in the <a href="http://www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au/land-transport/">Land Transport of Animals</a> welfare standard should be mandatory. The code should be updated to ban group penning during long-distance transport and mandate partitions between horses as is <a href="http://animaltransportguides.eu/materials/">practised in the European Union</a>.</p>
<p>Rules should be enforced to ensure horses that are lame, injured, emaciated or heavily pregnant are not transported long distances. This would reduce the risk of horses arriving in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/23/vet-queensland-horse-abattoir-nine-animal-welfare-reports">poor condition</a>, or dying en route as depicted in the ABC report. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-reduce-the-slaughter-of-racehorses-if-we-breed-them-for-longer-racing-careers-123760">We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers</a>
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<p>Real time monitoring via CCTV as <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mandatory-cctv-in-all-slaughterhouses-under-new-animal-welfare-plans">now occurs</a> in the UK should be immediately implemented. </p>
<p>Welfare standards at all horse-slaughter facilities should be best-practice and <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/2975/">informed by science</a>. They should be enforced with the same vigour as food safety regulations, including random audits by independent inspectors. And the use of electric prods on horses should be banned. </p>
<p>Creating a culture of respect for animal welfare amongst abattoir workers can be challenging due to the <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/geojpovlp15&div=17&id=&page=">nature of the work</a>, which results in the normalisation of callous attitudes and animal mistreatment. Researchers have explored how to achieve worker compliance and <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/an/AN16800">attitude change</a> about animal welfare and their findings should inform training programs.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A horse at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne this month.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">VINCE CALIGIURI/AAP</span></span>
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<h2>Where to now?</h2>
<p>Banning the slaughter of thoroughbreds could expose unwanted horses to prolonged neglect or mistreatment if their owners can’t keep or rehome them. It would also do nothing for the welfare of other horse breeds that could still legally be slaughtered.</p>
<p>If good homes can’t be found for all racehorses, it is up to society, which has given horse racing its <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social licence to operate</a>, to ensure they are given a good death.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125738/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our reaction to the horse-slaughter scandal show a double standard, and suggest we care more about what racehorses mean to us than what’s best for the animal.Cathrynne Henshall, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1256372019-10-22T05:08:17Z2019-10-22T05:08:17ZHorse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it<p>In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing industry can operate ethically. </p>
<p>Some people will never agree that animals should be used for human entertainment. Others argue horse racing is ethical and has been so for decades. However, As Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer Lee Freedman <a href="https://twitter.com/freedman_lee/status/1184804303300485121">tweeted</a>, “If we don’t make real changes the court of public opinion will bury racing”.</p>
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<p>As long as racehorses are treated as commodities, it will make a cruel sort of sense to get rid of “surplus” animals as cheaply as possible. </p>
<p>Australian community standards demand we treat horses as more than objects. At an industry level, self-regulation has manifestly failed. It’s time we created a national registry to trace racehorses for their whole lives, including life beyond the racing industry.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-reduce-the-slaughter-of-racehorses-if-we-breed-them-for-longer-racing-careers-123760">We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers</a>
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<h2>How much is welfare worth?</h2>
<p>While, no doubt, investigations will begin into allegations of animal cruelty or rule-breaking in the Queensland abattoir filmed, the industry cannot hide behind claims this represents a few bad eggs. </p>
<p>Despite rules fromthe national body Racing Australia, and being a member of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), Australia’s racing rules are largely administered on a state-by-state basis, and different jurisdictions may have additional welfare requirements. This makes introducing change and enforcing consistent, socially acceptable standards difficult.</p>
<p>The solutions must be systemic. There are feasible options to bring horse racing industries closer to evolving public expectations of horse welfare. The question is, are the industries willing to change?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Is your horse normal? Now there’s an app for that</a>
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<p>Horse welfare should be paramount. This means a “whole of life” approach. Reducing the number of horses bred annually is, in isolation, not the answer. In 2007, 18,255 thoroughbred foals were born in <a href="https://www.ifhaonline.org/default.asp?section=Resources&area=4">Australia</a>. In 2017 there were only 13,823 thoroughbred foals born. However, horses are still being sent to slaughterhouses.</p>
<p>Horse racing is a competitive industry. Some horses never win. Other horses will be injured or grow old. There will always be “too many” horses produced for racing and for the breeding part of the industry.</p>
<p>Owners and breeders need to plan for horses who one day may have little economic potential; they have as much right to welfare as any other creature.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breeding-thoroughbreds-is-far-from-natural-in-the-race-for-a-winner-121087">Breeding Thoroughbreds is far from natural in the race for a winner</a>
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<h2>A true national registry</h2>
<p>Australia needs a national traceability register to track all racehorses, through and after their racing careers. All pregnancies should be recorded, and all foals registered and microchipped. This will limit the potential for unregistered horses to be killed. </p>
<p>No registered racehorse should be sold through a “mixed sale” with cattle and other animals. No registered racehorse should be sent to or accepted at an abattoir.</p>
<p>It should be a condition of sale that when a horse leaves the racing industry that it is purchased with a clause that permits follow-up inspection, regardless of state borders or whether the horse goes on to be a companion animal, show jumper, police mount, or any other situation. (This is <a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">already the case</a> in NSW and the ACT.) Rules without enforcement are ineffectual. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">Who's responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?</a>
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<p>This may seem onerous, but the thoroughbred industry already assiduously monitors the registration of horses <em>into</em> the industry. They check whether the foal came from registered thoroughbred parents, a natural conception (male and female copulating) and the foal being born from the womb of that same mare. </p>
<p>The industry should apply the same diligence to the end of career treatment of racehorses, and accept responsibility for humanely euthanising horses after <em>all</em> other options have been exhausted.</p>
<p>An ethical industry cannot operate by ignoring inconvenient truths. The ABC report exposed some of these truths. Now it is necessary to make real changes to align horse racing with evolving social expectations of animal welfare.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125637/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phil McManus has received funding from the Australian Research Council ARC) for thoroughbred-related research. He is a member of The Greens. </span></em></p>Racing industries put enormous effort into procuring the best young horses, but pay little attention to the fate of former (or simply unsuccessful) racers.Phil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1255512019-10-20T19:07:21Z2019-10-20T19:07:21ZWho’s responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297795/original/file-20191020-56234-g2ryid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Animal activists stage a protest during Caulfield Cup day at Caulfield Race Course in Melbourne, following shocking hidden-camera footage revealing the slaughtering of former racehorses.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/James Ross</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This weekend saw <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/protests-and-punters-at-caulfield-cup-horses-for-courses-20191019-p5328z.html">protests at Caulfield racecourse</a>, following a shocking report last week on the ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-17/racehorses-sent-slaughterhouses-contravention-racing-rules/11611688">7:30 program</a> on the fate of thousands of racehorses in Australia. </p>
<p>It is a confronting wake-up call for an industry already struggling to maintain its <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social license to operate</a>. </p>
<p>Dozens of horses were recorded killed at a Queensland abattoir during a single week, some in distressing circumstances. Appalling footage has prompted many to ask how horses that have earned so much money for their breeders and owners end up being slaughtered at abattoirs or knackeries – and why there are so many horses facing this fate.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<p>The core problems here are enforcement of existing rules, the sheer volume of horses being retired from racing and the difficulty of tracing these horses to ensure proper treatment.</p>
<h2>Enforcing existing rules</h2>
<p>While there are rules in place to protect retiring racehorses, these rules are obviously neither being met nor enforced. This is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately.</p>
<p>There are no mandatory welfare standards for racehorses and so legal protection is
limited to the minimal requirements under state based animal welfare legislation. The industry is largely self-governed through state-based racing authorities. </p>
<p>The Australian Racing Board manages horse racing in Australia with each state’s racing authority agreeing to follow, and enforce, the <a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/uploadimg/Australian_rules_of_Racing/Australian_Rules_of_Racing_01_June_2019.pdf">Australian Rules of Racing</a>. These rules state that during their racing careers, horses are not to be euthanised or destroyed unless a vet surgeon has certified in writing that this is necessary on welfare or safety grounds, or otherwise under extreme circumstances and with subsequent vet confirmation.</p>
<p>Different jurisdictions may have different rules for post-career welfare. New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory all require owners or trainers notify their relevant authority when a horse is retired. </p>
<p>Queensland’s racing authority has no specific rules around retiring horses. However the <a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/about-us/">Queensland Racing Integrity Commission</a>, an independent body created in 2016, has <a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/veterinary-services-animal-welfare/thoroughbred/rehoming/">guidelines for rehoming</a> retired racehorses that say:</p>
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<p>For owners, it is your responsibility to provide for the continued welfare of your horse after retirement.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In <a href="https://www.racingnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Rule-of-Racing.pdf">New South Wales</a> and the <a href="https://thoroughbredpark.com.au/pdf/act-local-rules-2018.pdf">Australian Capital Territory</a>, regulations also require the seller supply the new owner’s details and indicate the new location meets basic welfare standards – and that horses <em>not</em> be sent to an abattoir, either directly or indirectly.</p>
<p>Under these rules, horse managers and owners are responsible for finding homes for these horses. Such homes may include breeding purposes, equestrian, working, pleasure or companion horse situations, or other options approved by an authority.</p>
<p>In the absence of a coherent national policy for retiring racehorses, it’s not immediately clear which rules are being broken by whom – although the Queensland abattoir in the 7.30 Report received many horses from other states, including NSW. However, it is apparent something is going terribly wrong.</p>
<h2>There are more retiring horses than suitable homes</h2>
<p>The next problem relates to the sheer number of horses that need homes after racing careers, and the number of suitable homes available. While we don’t have exact numbers, the RSPCA estimates some <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-happens-to-horses-that-leave-the-racing-industry/">8,500 racehorses</a> retire in Australia each year. </p>
<p>Racing NSW established an <a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au/our-purpose/">Equine Welfare Fund</a> in 2016, which receives 1% of all prize money from Thoroughbred races in NSW, as well as public donations. They <a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au">suggest</a> owners wanting to re-home horses advertise the animals online, on sites such as Gumtree and Horsezone. They also advise setting a minimum price of at least $500, to “reduce interest from knackeries and abattoirs”.</p>
<p>Racing Victoria also has a <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/the-horse/equine-welfare">welfare fund</a> that receives 1% of prize money in that state. </p>
<p>The problem is that horses are large, potentially dangerous animals and require expert – and expensive – handling and care. When horses are bought by people who lack the expertise, facilities or financial support required for careful re-training the outcome for the horse is poor, and usually results in the torturous journey through the sale yards to the slaughterhouse.</p>
<p>A big risk to welfare is the perceived zero value of the post-racing Thoroughbred. These horses are treated very differently when they are making money.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The entrance to Luddenham Pet Meat in the western suburbs of Sydney, on October 18, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Dean Lewins</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Tracing the horses</h2>
<p>One obvious and immediate solution is more funding to better enforce existing regulations. This could involve cracking down on owners who move horses across state borders to avoid stringent regulations, for example.</p>
<p>But another problem is following up with horses to check their post-racing welfare. If a former racehorse is sold in good faith to a new owner who does not realise the level of care or expense in retraining their new animal to be a riding companion, there is currently no way to ensure the horse is sold on to a more suitable owner. </p>
<p>Advocates are already arguing for a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-04/horse-traceability-lacking-proves-deadly-for-riders-inquiry-told/11474610">National Horse Traceability Register</a> to prevent beginner riders ending up with potentially dangerous horses. The benefits of a national traceability register include improvements in animal welfare and biosecurity, as well as transparency and integrity in horse trade. </p>
<p>Last week, researchers at the University of Sydney (including one of us) launched a program and app called the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire</a> (E-BARQ). E- BARQ is set up so racehorse breeders and owners around the world can enter data on their horses from birth, and owners and trainers of racehorses can submit results on the same horse on a six-monthly basis. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Is your horse normal? Now there’s an app for that</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>E-BARQ will provide rich data to researchers, breeders, owners and trainers on how these horses are adapting to their new environments. We expect it will confirm that measures to assure retiring racehorses’ future welfare need to be implemented at the beginning of their careers, not the end.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Correction: the article originally stated 800 horses were estimated to retire from thoroughbred racing each year, instead of over 8,000.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125551/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Fenner's PhD project is the development of the free E-BARQ app.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Lenore Hyde does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An investigation by ABC journalists has revealed hundreds of former racehorses are slaughtered after retiring.Kate Fenner, PhD Candidate (Equine Training and Welfare), University of SydneyMichelle Lenore Hyde, Senior Lecturer Animal Sciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1163382019-05-03T10:43:27Z2019-05-03T10:43:27ZThe Kentucky Derby has a secret Latino history<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272301/original/file-20190502-103045-1o46zor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Derby frontrunner Game Winner comes from a bloodline of Latin American racehorse excellence.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gonzalo Anteliz Jr.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/Triple-Crown-American-horse-racing">Triple Crown season</a>, which opens on May 4 with the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2019-kentucky-derby-odds-best-predictions-expert-who-has-hit-9-derby-oaks-doubles-makes-picks/">Kentucky Derby</a>, horses with Latin American bloodlines are among the top favorites. </p>
<p>Two 2019 derby contenders – Vekoma and <a href="http://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/26437800/the-one-track-mind-kentucky-derby-contender-game-winner">Game Winner</a> – are half brothers and the offspring of <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/225596/the-rise-of-candy-ride">Candy Ride</a>, one of Argentina’s most famous thoroughbreds. Now retired, Candy Ride shares his winning genes freely – well, for a <a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/taking-stock-candy-ride-and-his-north-american-success/">stud fee of US$80,000</a> – at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky.</p>
<p>That two top Derby contenders have their roots in Latin America is no surprise for those who study, as <a href="https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/history/our_people/kuenzli_gabrielle.php">I do</a>, the history of the sport. Many past Kentucky Derby champions hailed from the region – as have their trainers, owners and jockeys. </p>
<h2>Cañonero II and the 1971 Kentucky Derby</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.usracing.com/news/features/canonero-ii-adventure-part-2">The 1971 Kentucky Derby</a> belonged to Venezuela’s Cañonero II, although few predicted it. </p>
<p>Announcers regularly referred to Cañonero – a 3-year-old colt with a crooked right foreleg – as the “mystery horse.” In early May 1971, the odds of him winning were long: 500-1. Few in Louisville, the mecca of American horse racing, took the Venezuelan team seriously.</p>
<p>“They say we are clowns,” said Cañonero’s Caracas-based trainer, <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">Juan Arias, as Derby Day approached</a>. “They say we are Indians because my horse gallops slowly, sometimes without a saddle.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cañonero II, left, with jockey Gustavo Avila, winning the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 1971.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-Kentucky-United-States-/be84ced460e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2008/11/19/Viva-Canonero_2100_.aspx">The trip from Caracas to Kentucky</a> was a harrowing one. Cañonero flew to Miami a week before the Derby, where he waited for 12 hours on the plane in the Florida heat while his paperwork cleared. Then he was quarantined for four days before traveling by trailer to Louisville. </p>
<p>The 1,000-pound Cañonero II dropped 70 pounds in the process, but Arias wasn’t worried. </p>
<p>“Just relax, go eat, and we’ll wait for tomorrow,” Arias would say if Cañonero was not eager to train. Within a week, the horse had gained back his confidence – and 50 of his 70 lost pounds.</p>
<p>On Derby Day, a lanky <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonero_II">Cañonero II</a> and jockey Gustavo Avila overtook 19 horses to win by three-and-three-quarters lengths, just ahead of his American competitor <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/164085/travers-flashback-the-strange-saga-of-jim-french">Jim French</a> – a 3-year-old so rigorously trained, many thought him indefatigable.</p>
<p>Nobody could believe it – except the Venezuelan team who had nurtured Cañonero from a scrawny, worm-infected colt to a global phenomenon. </p>
<p>“<a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2008/11/19/Viva-Canonero_2100_.aspx">Most American trainers train for speed</a>,” explained Arias, in Spanish, prior to the 1971 Derby. “I train Cañonero to be a star.”</p>
<p>Arias, Cañonero’s owner Pedro Baptista and groom Juan Quintero then set their sights on the Preakness, the second race of the Triple Crown. Cañonero <a href="https://www.horseracingnation.com/race/1971_Preakness_Stakes">won there</a>, too, breaking a speed record set in 1955.</p>
<p>Cañonero and his team, now immensely popular, turned to the <a href="https://www.belmontstakes.com">Belmont Stakes</a>, in Elmont, New York – the final race of the Triple Crown. But fatigue and a bacterial infection in his hoof had weakened Cañonero. He finished fifth. </p>
<p>Though he didn’t win the Triple Crown, Cañonero’s dramatic victories and underdog story brought about a resurgence of interest in the sport of horse racing, according to equine journalist <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">Steve Haskin</a>. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">Attendance</a> for the 1971 Belmont Stakes surged to 82,694, far surpassing the previous year’s record turnout of 67,961. </p>
<p>Among Cañonero’s fans were <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">many Latinos</a>, drawn to Elmont by the prospect of seeing a Venezuelan team win this quintessentially American race. </p>
<p>Some 2,000 Venezuelans attended the final race of the 1971 Triple Crown series, Haskin reported, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Viva Cañonero!” New York’s Puerto Rican community also turned out to support Cañonero in droves. </p>
<h2>Latin American horse racing</h2>
<p>Cañonero’s wins were a symbol of pride for Latinos and the Latin American horse racing community.</p>
<p>Historically, the vast majority of professional jockeys have <a href="https://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/immigrant-niche-explaining-prominence-hispanic-jockeys-america/">come from Latin America</a> – trained in the jockey schools which opened in the 1950s and 1960s in Panama, <a href="https://medium.com/@viewpr/puerto-ricos-horse-racing-lovestory-af1c537b9f05">Puerto Rico</a> and Mexico City. In the 2015 Kentucky Derby, 61% of the jockeys were Latino. </p>
<p>In contrast, relatively few horses who compete in the U.S. were trained abroad.</p>
<p>Cañonero II earned his place at the Derby training against stiff competition at La Rinconada racetrack in Venezuela. His trainer, Arias, grew up poor in Caracas and fell in love with horses. There, he <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">forged his own style of raising and communicating with horses</a> that was different from the more regimented style of the United States. </p>
<p>“I can learn from American trainers,” Arias <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">told Vault magazine</a> after Cañonero won the Preakness. “But I can also teach them some things.”</p>
<p>Latin America has a long tradition of professional equestrianism. </p>
<p>The day after the Kentucky Derby, Puerto Rico holds the Puerto Rican Derby, run at the Camarero racetrack in Canóvanas. Each December, nine Latin American countries aim to compete in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl%C3%A1sico_del_Caribe">Caribbean Derby</a>, a premier race founded in 1966. </p>
<p>Just four jockeys have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Caribbean Derby. One of them is Gustavo Avila, Cañonero’s jockey.</p>
<h2>Bold Forbes and the 1976 Kentucky Derby</h2>
<p>In 1976 another Latin American star – the Cuban-trained and Puerto Rican-owned Bold Forbes won <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">the Kentucky Derby</a> and another Triple Crown race, the <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1976/06/14/614901/putting-the-beans-on-the-fire">Belmont Stakes</a>.</p>
<p>Like Cañonero II, Bold Forbes was an unlikely champion. During a dinner for trainers prior to the derby, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">reported in 1976</a>, an “undiplomatic questioner” insulted the black horse for his small stature – just 15.2 hands high – saying he looked like a filly. </p>
<p>“When you put a saddle on him, he kinda grows,” said Larry Barrera, the son of Bold Forbes’ Cuban trainer, Laz Barrera.</p>
<p>Barrera’s confidence was rightly placed. Bold Forbes ran the first half of the Kentucky Derby <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">faster than any past Derby winner</a>. His photo finish victory against favorite Honest Pleasure had the crowd of 115,000 roaring.</p>
<p>Throughout the week leading up to the Derby, Latinos went to visit Bold Forbes at the barn in Churchill Downs. </p>
<p>“Latins feel deeply for this horse,” Barrera <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1976/05/10/616346/the-look-of-eagles">told Vault magazine</a>. “He is little … but when Cordero is on him he looks like the biggest horse in the world to Latin people.”</p>
<p>Puerto Rican jockey Angel Cordero, then 33 years old, called the horse “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">my Puerto Rican Rolls-Royce</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bold Forbes, with Angel Cordero standing in the stirrups, outstripped far better-known horses to win the 1976 Kentucky Derby.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-Kentucky-United-States-/d3e0290b02e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bold Forbes was the first horse to win big for Barrera, but not his last. The Cuban trainer went on to win countless races, including, in 1978, all three legs of the Triple Crown. He is the only trainer nominated to the <a href="http://www.espn.com/horse-racing/triplecrown2011/news/story?id=6305336">Racing Hall of Fame</a> in Cuba, Mexico and the United States.</p>
<p>Barrera saw the victories of Bold Forbes as a triumph for Latinos. </p>
<p>“I saw the big crowd and heard the Puerto Rican people screaming when Bold Forbes won the Belmont,” he told reporters. “Bold Forbes has a heart as big as all heaven. </p>
<p>"And God, I have found out, is Latin.”</p>
<h2>Derby 2019</h2>
<p>Latin America could see another Derby win this year.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vekoma, left, is half-brother to Derby frontrunner Game Winner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gonzalo Anteliz Jr.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the favorite, owner Rick Porter’s Omaha Beach, suddenly out of the race due to illness, experts and fans are now backing <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2019-kentucky-derby-odds-best-predictions-expert-who-has-hit-9-derby-oaks-doubles-reveals-picks/">Game Winner</a>, the offspring of that venerable Argentinean runner <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/225596/the-rise-of-candy-ride">Candy Ride</a>, with 4-1 odds.</p>
<p>Candy Ride’s other offspring in the race, Vekoma, has worse odds: 15-1. </p>
<p>But Derby history shows that talented horses can defy expectations.</p>
<p>“This horse is so special that even if he didn’t love the distance, he could still win,” Vekoma’s trainer, George Weaver, <a href="https://shop.bloodhorse.com/products/bloodhorse-april-13-2019-print">told Blood Horse Magazine on April 13</a>. </p>
<p>“Good horses … do what they’re not supposed to do. And this is a really smart horse who will give everything he’s got.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116338/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>E. Gabrielle Kuenzli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many immigrants come to the United States chasing the ‘American dream.’ So do immigrant racehorses, who literally carry the hopes of their trainers and riders on their backs.E. Gabrielle Kuenzli, Associate Professor, History Department, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.