Black Beauty Abused?
She was whipped, beat, and whipped again. She was driven harder than her body could handle. Some men reveled in her failure…some men cursed her for the same failure. In the end, she proved to be worthless and helpless so she was executed. Was this why she was created? Was this what God had intended for her? Who am I talking about?
Eight Belles was a gray Thoroughbred racehorse. She finished second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, a race won by only three fillies in the past, but collapsed during her cool-down after the race. She suffered compound fractures of both front ankles and was euthanized immediately following the race because of the nature of the injury.—from Wikipedia
OK, let me get this straight. A horse was bred (for gambling purposes), Whipped, and driven hard enough to break two ankles(for gambling purposes), and eventually murdered (for gambling purposes), and it was all done legally? Mike Vick was in the wrong “Animal Cruelty for profit” business. Apparently you can gamble on horse and kill it without facing charges.
This column is laughable! First off, horse-racing is legal, dog-fighting isn’t. The horse also was given a shot, not electrocuted, drown in water, or beaten to death.
Even Vick’s dad told the AJC, when he was drafted, Mike you have to get rid of the stuff(dog-fighting). Vick’s downfall was that property was in his name…..what a MORON!
The Don
I never argued the legality of horse racing. I don’t believe in dog-fighting. I’m not a Mike Vick fan or supporter. All I did is draw a comparison between both acts of animal cruelty.
The horse, Eight Belles, was murdered during a gambling event. She fell victim to human greed and addiction. If horse racing/gambling was illegal, then she would still be alive. Dog-fighting is a sport albeit a cruel and illegal sport. Dogs are bred, trained/tortured specifically for the “sport.” If money wasn’t involved, then the sport wouldnt exist.
Horse racing is a sport. It is cruel as well. I’m sure the horse “loves” the feel of the whip, the taste of the bit, and the heels of the jockey digging in its side. I would classify that as torture. Broken legs and ankles are looked at as an unfortunate but expected part of the sport even though the horses are bred specifically to have larger upper bodies which lead to more leg casualties.
BTW, If money wasn’t involved, then the sport(horse racing) wouldnt exist either.
Euthanization is murder!
You forgot the “real” difference……$115 million dollars was wagered on the Kentucky Derby….that’s $115 million dollars that was gambled on, on one day, for one race….$115 million dollars. While wealthy men in their fancy suits and their tanned wives in their gigantic frilly hats sipped on mint juleps and watched thoroughbreds who were specifically bred to run, pumped on steriods to run faster, then hit with an electric prod to go “just a little faster”…while only 2 years old, risking death (which Eight Belles accomplished) and injury….all for the personal amusement of their owners and the public and the almighty dollar bills generated by the coverage, sponsors and bookies……face it, Mike Vick is in prison for no just reason whatsoever.
To Miranda……You are an ignorant $$$. The derby and the pit are two different things. Horse racing is legal, Dog fighting is NOT LEGAL! Mike Vick chose to fight Pitbulls, and got caught. His karma level is at 0!
For decades watching horses run have been a sport. Even growing up as a child my family and I would watch the horse races. There was a connection with watching the races and the Kroger Grocery Stores. This was in the 1960′2 and early 70’s. It is a legal sport. The horses are bred and trained by professionals who give them superb care. They are probably given better care than some human beings. On the other hand dog fighting is cruel. It is not a sport that is legal or would you want to sit and watch with your family. Hopefully, Mike Vick has learned a valuable lesson. When he gets out of jail maybe he will find a cause to fight for, and leave the animals alone. If he was not involved, I doubt very seriously if anyone would really have cared about the dog fights. They happen all the time. We just don’t hear about it.