I never realized that so many horses were euthanized like this in PR....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080516/ap_ ... aTNzFH2ocA
On Yahoo's homepage: Losing racehorses killed in Puerto Rico
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
On Yahoo's homepage: Losing racehorses killed in Puerto Rico
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people." ~ W.C. Fields
The first thing I thought was, "At least they are euthanized and not slaughtered or stabbed in the spine or something dreadful." There was a story about a US TB that had found his way to Puerto Rico. Somewhere along the line he was retired and given to a family with children. No one knew how to care for a horse. They fed him tortillas and garbage. He was down to a body score of one when an American tourist discovered him. She was a person of extremely modest means, but she just couldn't turn her back on him. She had to really struggle as a tourist with no vehicle to get him some hay. She sent money to take care of him for months before she finally arranged for some sort of scary transportation to bring him to Florida on a weak boat. The most unhappy part of the story was how she really couldn't afford him after she got him here. I'm not sure how that turned out, but otherwise he would have starved to death. These poor horses.... 
"When I am on my deathbed, I imagine I will say, 'Thank God I did that'" - Arthur Hancock, on buying back Gato del Sol from Europe after Exceller was killed in a slaughterhouse in Sweden.
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KamiBrooks
- Starters Handicap
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This news is clear evidence that an AP news reporter either has nothing to write about, or wants to climb up the corporate ladder. Never ever have I seen a sound and healthy horse being put down for losing in PR. 
If someone cares to check the guiness record "Doña Chepa" broke the world record of career starts (124!!) without a win at 9 or 10 yearls old, and continuos to race to this date. And there are several other trying to make a challenge to that record.
Given, there are big time owners that will preffer to euthanize an unsound, but usable horse than to pay for their monthly care. But they are the extreme minority.
If someone cares to check the guiness record "Doña Chepa" broke the world record of career starts (124!!) without a win at 9 or 10 yearls old, and continuos to race to this date. And there are several other trying to make a challenge to that record.
Given, there are big time owners that will preffer to euthanize an unsound, but usable horse than to pay for their monthly care. But they are the extreme minority.
Each horseman is an individual, with very different ethics and ideas and resources. I don't doubt the story at all. And the euthanasia of unwanted animals is very prevalent with stray dogs and cats in America just to make the numbers more manageable. I'd rather see euthanasia than neglect and starvation. And it makes even more sense to use these wasted resources for feeding and clothing the poor. Death is inevitable for all creatures, but for us to believe that stopping euthanasia or slaughter is the answer is naive. Though it may create opportunities for some animals, it also creates an increasing smuggling market that goes unregulated.
Rocking H