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Letters Horse Racing Published in NY TIMES, 5/22/06
WWW.NYTIMES.COM : To the Editor: Jane Schwartz asks why those of us not directly connected to a racehorse
might care so much about its well-being. It may very well be because of the
undeniable beauty of these majestic animals as they race around the track.
But I believe in another aspect of the human emotional spectrum: guilt.
We breed and train these horses for selfish purposes — to race around a
track for our enjoyment, as well as for prize money for the owners and
winnings for the bettors. The supposed goal of these events is to find the fastest horse. But is
this knowledge really worth the risk to the health of the horse? I'm not an animal rights activist, but I'm of the opinion that most
racehorses would be just as "happy" roaming free on farms. So maybe seeing Barbaro or Ruffian pull up lame triggers a wee bit of
guilt in us. The entertainment value we derive from the horse's efforts is
tempered by the knowledge that we put the animal in an unnecessarily
dangerous situation. Diane Firstman Brooklyn, May 22, 2006 Fair Use Notice: This document may contain
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