Posted by ( whasup ) on May 5, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

These PETA people have lost their marbles.

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Posted by ( bleuzman ) on May 5, 2008 at 4 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

People starving to death,homeless,hapless,in poor health and these PETA buffoons worry about animals. In most countries that horse would be dinner by now. Where is Mike Vick when you need him.

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Posted by ( nnniiixxx ) on May 5, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA = People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Now you know why they worry about animals. BTW, try telling the FBI to worry about the homeless, and maybe they'll just get to that :)
I feel really bad about the horse. I can't believe that they had to euthanize the filly because of two broken ankles? I think the vet should have done better in saving that horse's life!breaking an ankle doesn't mean that they had to kill the horse. maybe PETA can adopt the poor filly or the owners can just sell her to some organization.. just don't end an animals life so easily!

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Posted by ( SKSheaves ) on May 5, 2008 at 8:22 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

It sickens me to know that some people treat animals wrongfully. Just because animals cannot talk they still have feelings, a family, and can feel pain...just like us.

Thank you PETA for being the voice for these animals!

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Posted by ( egarner ) on May 5, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I am so glad to see that the person who made the "Mike Vick" comment is putting his or her higher education to good use by making such an insipid statement. Animals, unlike humans, are completely innocent, and should not be placed at harm's risk purely for our entertainment.

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Posted by ( omabubba ) on May 5, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

While I feel that animals should always be treated mercifully it is definitely not the fault of the jockey if there was a problem with the horse. The trainer is responsible for the health and well being of the animals and unless the jockey was aware of a possible problem prior to the race, I suggest that the trainer or the owner be investegated, not the jockey.

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Posted by ( brianw73 ) on May 5, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Sone of you sheeple really should not be so quick to defend PETA.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/consumer-freedom012807.htm

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Posted by ( TylerDurden ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I like how those little metal crates seal in the flavor on the best veal. Yummy

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Posted by ( mister_true ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA should change their name to SHETA because they are full of it.

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Posted by ( chimneymom ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

First off, if any racehorse (esp. in the most-watched race of the year) was whipped hard enough to leave a mark it would be grounds for removal of the jockey. And for a jockey to haul off with enough force for a whipping they'd have to get out of rhythm with the horse's stride and would end up doing more harm than good.

They had to euthanize her because she literally had no leg to stand on. Horses can not be hung in a sling for the months of healing time needed - they develop respiratory illnesses, pressure sores, all sorts of problems. Plus, there was a compound fracture - the bone broke through the skin so infection was a huge problem, even w/antibiotics. It was just too much, and the humane thing to do was to put her down. The track vet said he had never seen something like this before - it was a one in a million freak accident. She was pulling away from the field at the end of the race, running beautifully. She was not ill-conditioned or unprepared for this race.

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Posted by ( Bucamaniac40 ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

What happened to the filly was a freak thing. She galloped out strong untill she took a bad step and probably broke one ankle then and then the other trying to stay up.Horses do not do well with such catastrophic fractures due to their heavy body weight on top of such small lower legs(ankles the size of an adult womans wrist).

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Posted by ( lsp ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

This was not an accident. Check out the Wall Street Journal article published 5/2/2008. All 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby descended from one Horse, named native Dancer. His weakness was his ankles which ended his career. As the breeding of this bloodline continues the weakness become more pronounced. Barbaro was a descendent and 8 Belles has the most DNA of all in the KD with 3 grandparents being descendants. The reason they continue to breed this line is becuase of the speed and the fact that they are proven winners. The last 14 Kentucky Derby winners descend from this one bloodline.
We can all see what eventually happens with interbreeding. Just read some of the stories and read some of these posts.

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Posted by ( smokey1 ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Unless you have spent your life around horses and understand what horses are about, particularly thoroughbreds, then any comments regarding what happened to Eight Belles are useless. Save her? With 2 broken ankles? What are you kidding me? Ever been next to a horse that's broken down and seen the suffering and pain in their eyes? I have. Geez...

As posted...thoroughbreds are bred to run and that's what they love to do.

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Posted by ( dressagedeva ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA needs to spend some time reviewing the constitution, it clearly states that a person is innocent until proven guilty. No one can suspend a jockey until if has been proven that they actually did something wrong.

Secondly, I have been around horses all my life, and if there is one thing I have learned is that if a 1200lb horse doesn't want to do something a 115 lb person isn't going to change there mind. I don't care if they have a whip or not.

Thirdly I have seen horses with severe injuries, like broken bones, run and play in the field. Animals are much better at ignoring pain then humans, especially when they are producing adrenaline.

I've never been a big fan of PETA and this episode is not doing a single thing to change my opinion.

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Posted by ( craftsmancma ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

they can beat this around all day and it wont make a bit of differance, the jockey and horse both did what they were trained to do and that is race. and as for peta that whole group is a waste of good air. i have seen these ppl march thru the woods during hunting season now how smart is that? by giving these idiots access to the press is the worse thing anyone could have done. there are bigger things to worry about then a horse being put down.

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Posted by ( midnightone ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

The trainer said the horse was clearly happy??

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Posted by ( Tonya ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Smokey1,

Thank goodness you chimed in! You said what I wanted to say in a very diplomatic manner. I wouldn't have been quite as nice as you were.

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Posted by ( huthivoduyen ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:30 a.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by ( afitch45601 ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

What PETA doesn't understand is that these horses are bred for these races. They are not stupid...they want to race...And as far as PETA whining about whipping horses....horses are resilient and can handle being whipped. Spare me the poor horse stuff because that filly was in A LOT of pain..and if saved, would probably never have been able to walk again and would've been unhappy anyway. I agree with a lot of other comments...why can't people worry about children as much as they do animals? PETA needs to get off of their 'high horse' and be realistic.

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Posted by ( saflekos ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

RIGHT ON chimneymom!!!

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Posted by ( flbratt ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I do think racing of any animal isn't right. Do you honestly think horses live for racing? Animals and children I have no tolerance for abuse to either one. I am not saying this horse was abused but I do know first hand what goes on behind the racing line and if everyone knew what goes into training and racing these animals..we wouldn't have horse races.

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Posted by ( afitch45601 ) on May 5, 2008 at 11:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I like mr "shotgun5150"'s comment....most of the people making the comments about how cruel or inhumane it was to put the horse down have no education about thoroughbred racing....none at all. Again...someone mentioned Barbaro....they tried to save him, and the horse ended up being put down eventually. PETA can't understand what pain that horse went through during all of those operations...and they don't care...they clearly aren't thinking before speaking....they all need mental help...when animals become priority over humans, there is something wrong.

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Posted by ( Juandd11 ) on May 5, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Look, the horses are doing something for the pure enjoyment of humans, the dogs are doing something for the enjoyment of humans, and of course the cocks are doing something for our enjoyment too. So,what's is the difference? Horse enthusiast are for the most part affluent White people, and there lies the difference. The facts are that animals die in all these sports, and if you are going to ban one than you must ban them all. It seems hypocritical to me that Michael vick is in jail and lost his career because the dominant culture deems it animal cruelty when an animal dies from fighting as opposed to an animal that is drugged up and running until blood pours out of it's nose or even more dramatic breaks bones that can't be repaired. what a bunch of hypocrites.

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Posted by ( damien1889 ) on May 5, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Anyone who knows horses knows that thoroughbreds love to run; it's in their nature. However, it is also right and ethical to question whether such a tragic and fatal injury COULD have been prevented. It was a very sad and terrible loss to ALL concerned; only a Neanderthal would display their shameful ignorance and embarrassingly low "IQ" by posting such callous remarks about their indifference to ANY form of cruelty, human and animals alike. To suppose that just because most people have compassion for needless animal suffering, does NOT mean they don't share the same for needless human suffering as well! The question of how young should a racehorse be entered into racing remains: is it cruel to force horses younger than 3 years of age to compete when their muscle strength far exceeds their ankle bone strength at that age? Most horse vets agree, their ankles are more like toothpicks at that age. In addition, was the 20 year old rider also too inexperienced for a first-time Kentucky Derby? When is it right and just for intelligent people to question the needless and "preventable" injury to such beautiful animals?

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Posted by ( DreamerKat13 ) on May 5, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

hmm...Were horses not born in a field somewhere and taken in by humans maybe?THEN trained and TURNED into race horses or work horses or riding horses? And I do not think they have been around for thousands of years either...For example, were dogs and cats ALWAYS domestic? To say thoroughbreds have ALWAYS been racing horses...It's only because HUMANS have spent money breeding them to be such. What combination did it take to MAKE the first THOROUGHBRED anyway? Oh, I know: The "THOROUGHBRED" as known today was first DEVELOPED during the 17th and 18th centuries in England, when Native Mares were Crossbred with imported ARABIAN STALLIONS. "All modern Thoroughbreds can trace their pedigrees to three stallions originally imported to England in the 1600s and 1700s, and to 74 foundation mares of English and Oriental (Arabian or Barb) blood." Therefore, from the very beginning, "THOROUGHBREDS" were not BORN into racing, they were MADE, CREATED by humans.

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Posted by ( DreamerKat13 ) on May 5, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I love it when everyone says they know so much about horses and yet no one is breaking out with actual facts. Keyword, Encyclopedia or even a dictionary/thesaurus for argumentative purposes.

Wikipedia-keyword search "Thoroughbred"
Heading-Health Issues

"Although Thoroughbreds are seen in the hunter-jumper world and in other disciplines, modern Thoroughbreds are primarily bred for speed, and racehorses have a very high rate of accidents as well as other health problems.

One tenth of all Thoroughbreds suffer orthopedic problems, including fractures.[22] Current estimates indicate that there are 1.5 career-ending breakdowns for every 1,000 horses starting a race in the United States, an average of two horses per day. The state of California reported a particularly high rate of injury, 3.5 per 1000 starts.[89] As a ratio (of injuries with eventually fatal complications to total competitions), this is far in excess of all other legal human and animal sports, including boxing, motorsports and greyhound racing.[90] Thoroughbreds also have other health concerns, including a majority of animals who are prone to bleeding from the lungs (EIPH), 10 percent with low fertility, and 5 percent with abnormally small hearts.[22] Thoroughbreds also tend to have smaller hooves relative to their body mass than other breeds, with thin soles and walls and a lack of cartilage mass,[91] which contributes to foot soreness, the most common source of lameness in racehorses"

Gambling, what a shame. Gambling with the lives of others, even more of a shame. Even if it is ONLY an animal's life.

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Posted by ( RevThaddeusPaulk ) on May 5, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

DreamerKat13, are your hooves shod with Birkenstocks?

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Posted by ( kimbo ) on May 5, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA is the worst killer of animals on the planet. PETA yuk.

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Posted by ( borat ) on May 5, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Horse racing is for fat Italians and has no use in a modern society.

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Posted by ( mleilanir ) on May 5, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Apparently PETA needs to pay closer attention to the healing process of broken bones in horses. There was no other option, plus now alot more children will have glue in arts & crafts class that will possible mean less out of pocket expenses for parents next year. Congratulations on making it to sencond place!!

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Posted by ( clustermonkey ) on May 5, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA will basically let a child starve to death just to feed an animal.

These are probably the same people you sit next to eating steaks and hamburgers.

Though I'm not into beating and hurting animals, animals are bred for food and for pets. Some people need to realize that pets are pets, not children.

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Posted by ( romey702 ) on May 5, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

As a horse owner and lover as sad as this all is I am glad they put Belle down, it was more humane than the alternative.
Horses legs are very hard to heal.
I think it was not money related if it was they wouldnt have put the 2nd place winner down, I think they did what was best for the horse in this case.

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Posted by ( GF ) on May 5, 2008 at 3:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Send the people at PETA some mint julep, they will understand then.

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Posted by ( barbarajo ) on May 5, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

this was an accident - if they want to do something, change the guidelines on racing - the jockey did not attempt to kill the horse! Let's turn those gray cells ON, folks!!!!

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Posted by ( Hardhat0038 ) on May 5, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

there's just too much stupidity on this thread to comment...

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Posted by ( kimbo ) on May 5, 2008 at 6:17 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

"Animals, unlike humans, are completely innocent" Stupid Statement, wake up, open your eyes and mind.

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Posted by ( craftsmancma ) on May 5, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

here is a little example of peta stupidity. i stopped to help this guy who hit a deer in his car, both the car and deer were wasted but the deer was still alive but could'nt move. we were waiting for the sheriff to show up and put the deer down when these two women show up. they were dressed up pretty well. the sheriff shows up and we went to talk to him and when we come back one of the women had covered the deer with her coat so it would'nt get cold (she said). when they found out it was going to be put down they caused a problem and had to be physically removed by the cops. now anyone that has seen a deer and a car come together knows theres little hope, but these women wanted the deer taken to a vet to be operated on to repair every broken bone in its body..we later found out they were part of peta...we as a people have been using animals to our benifit since the beginning of time and it will continue to be that way. i hunt every chance i get and there is absolutely no one who is going to tell me i cant

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Posted by ( zteam55 ) on May 5, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA; obviously you have far too much time on your hands. This horse was loved by many and lived better than most horses in this world. Your ignorance is overwhelming. Go have a veggie burger.

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Posted by ( albarnes63 ) on May 5, 2008 at 9:53 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Guess what? George is a GREAT President! A true American... Not the communist party of the Clintons... And PETA... Show some concern... But put things in their proper perspective. Its a freakin' horse... No Animal... dog or horse has the same rights as a person. Government has no place to step in and say what others do with their a n i m a l s... PETA should only be there to care for animals that others dispose of... If they really cared thats what they would be focused on... Go Derby GO!!!!

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Posted by ( situp ) on May 5, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Interesting that all of the PETA lovers on here are okay with an "animal rights" organization that kills THOUSANDS of cats and dogs per year.
PETA needs to worry about real animal abuse, or maybe child abuse etc, and stop pandering for headlines!!

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Posted by ( tajimajor ) on May 6, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Some of the comments that have been made are from people who have no idea how humane it was to euthanize Eight Belles. I am also an owner and I love horses but the people at PETA need to realize what it's like for a horse to try to recover from a broken leg. They CANNOT recover from two. The jockey was not at fault. These horses are taken care of better than most people. With all the crazy articles we read each day about people drowning their children, leaving them in the house or car unattended and so on....there are other things in this world that need more attention than this.

If PETA wants to get up in arms about mistreatment of horses, they need to work with some of the horse rescues. These people save poor horses that are bought by people whose kid wants a horse and they have no idea the time, money, and care it takes to properly provide for these animals. These are the ones that are left in a small stall starving and uncared for. Here are two links to check out and educate yourself on why a horse can't live with these injuries.

http://www.slate.com/id/2142159/

And a link to a horse rescue here in Florida that if you really want to make a difference, you can donate your time, money, or support to.

http://www.plantcityequinerescue.com/

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Posted by ( stephdaniels1979 ) on May 6, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING LINK BEFORE YOU ASSUME THAT PETA HAS SUCH GOOD INTENTIONS....THANKS TO THE PERSON WHO POSTED THE LINK EARLIER, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND ENLIGHTENING READING....

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/consumer-freedom012807.htm

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Posted by ( HMS24 ) on May 6, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

PETA JUST LIKES TO STIR UP TROUBLE.

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Posted by ( embella13 ) on May 6, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I have more sympathy for ANIMALS than I do most humans, partly because of insensitive posts that I see here :(
Why don't you people get IT? WE (HUMANS) are responsible for most of the horrific things that happen to animals and people alike and yet most of you won't even bat an eye when there is suffering and that we can alleviate. The Human race does so much damage and yet we still couldn't care less... it's sad.

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Posted by ( texino ) on May 6, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Being of the Third World maybe I can explain a thing. Here in Panama country side, you could not expect the people to conceive "Animal's Rights" This doesn't mean that the people treat their animals with cruel measures. No it just means that the people are face to face with the economy of food. In other words, in USA your "dirty work" is done through entities like Chicago board of trade and NYSE and in the end you can go buy some food in a store or restaurant. Here and there in the lesser developed countries, we must create our own economy as needed, meaning we must grow crops and husband our livestock. So as we use the earth and it's creatures to sustain life as we have for many centuries you must see how difficult it is for the simple farmer to assign rights to this chicken or goat, he must dress out for the family's meal. I am sure the PETA think we are the devils of hell. This is something we cannot help. Our animals exist to work certain jobs or for food. If we did not need the burro, we would not breed him and treat him as you do a valuable possession. I think you would find we have a rather balanced ecology here in the forests and jungle and are not hurting any one. I also think that Maybe the PETA have too much time one their hands for thinking up unreasonable concepts.
Thank You

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Posted by ( lsp ) on May 6, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I think Gladiator made some comment about The Wall Street Journal? Don't worry about it you would not be able to understand the articles anyways.

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Posted by ( A_S_L ) on May 6, 2008 at 12:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Think PETA is a wonderful cause? Do you enjoy owning pets? PETA does not want ANYONE to own a pet. Don't believe it? Research it. PETA and HSUS both are extremists.

www.petakills.com

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Posted by ( Garbanzo ) on May 6, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I would love to mount some of your unsympathetic right-wingers, whip you hard until you run as fast as I want you to run, get you to break your ankles from the stress and then euthenize you when we're done. THAT WOULD BE A GREAT SPORTING EVENT!! LOVE (NOT EAT AND ABUSE) ALL GOD'S CREATURES.

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Posted by ( chief94 ) on May 6, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

i don't believe in abusing animals nor do i believe in PETA. they have shown just how far they will go to get people to see their views over the years that i am sick of them trying to tell me what i should eat and how i should treat animals. a few years ago a couple of these so call morons tried to stop a group of us fishing. when one tried to stop me from put a fish i just caught into my cooler, i gave him a choice, either swim or leave. i love animals and i do not abuse them but i do hunt and fish and i eat what i kill. they seem to think that they have a right to inject their views into everyone's lives and they jump on any issue that involves animals before they get the facts streight. so PETA can just BUG off.

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Posted by ( Cristy12 ) on May 6, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Actually PETA is on the State Department's terrorist watch list. Let's kick them out of the country!! They're probably gathering intel for al-Qaeda

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Posted by ( cshultz110 ) on May 6, 2008 at 2:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Leave the animals - Euthanize PETA!!!

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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on May 6, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Because you're one of those bleeding heart liberals that want to lump everyone together and berate us for things done to animals. We all hate when animals are abused, but you come off thinking that you're the only one who cares. I wish you animal rights freaks (PETA member or not) would stop being so "holier-than-thou" when it comes to being against animal cruelty. You make it seem like we're all stupid and don't understand how abusing animals is a bad thing. WE ALL GET IT!
And yes, I eat meat - it's what being at the top of the food chain means.

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Posted by ( safizer ) on May 9, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Horse racing isn't for people who love animals.

Several posters here attack the bleeding heart, hippie, liberals when no other words fill their vocabulary. The point is, a bleeding heart is better than no heart at all.

Larry Jones and Gabriel Saez will hopefully both be suspended for their abuse of Eight Belles. Jones knew, before the Kentucky Derby, that Eight Belles might not come back to the barn at all. If she did, he said, then everyone would have had a good day. Jones knew something. The jockey knew something. Eight Belles was a filly who did whatever was asked of her, and seldom needed any whipping -- if ever, at all.

PETA and ASPCA are both aggressively pursuing the Eight Belles case, and demanding Congressional investigations into the entire horse racing industry.

People here have posted links to websites excoriating PETA. One, petakillsanimals.com, the other, candafreepress.com, are both websites strongly tilted in the back pocket of the food and farming industry, who advocate the removal of any protective measures imposed on food regulations today. These organizations, like those betting on horses, are out for wealth without work and easy, fast, money.The ongoing plague of mad cow disease is largely because of the lack of Canadian regulations that exemplify the mass food industry and why its associates would be up in arms against an organization like PETA. Factory farming, where animals never see the light of day and are fed growth hormones and GMO grain products, is not uncommon for the people spawning anti-PETA websites. They are against any food regulations, regardless of the repurcussions of their negligence and greed, just like the horse racing industry.

PETA does not deprive anyone of having pets -- this is propaganda. They are against the chaining of backyard dogs, which is understandable. Before citing links that have not been investigated, it is advisable to access PETAs website directly, and perhaps write them to verify whether or not accusations against them are true. The insipid attacks against any entity opposing the viewpoints of the horse racing industry's sycophants too clearly reflect th