Jockey Club Must Do More to End Horse Abuse

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Thank you for all your hard work in trying to prevent animal cruelty. M

Maggie of CA 11:23PM October 26, 2009

I believe the breeder had feed receipts for taking care of those horses. So what we have here is a case of employee abuse or fraud. The animal rights group want total extinction of ALL animals. I vote for total extinction of the animal rights people

skippy of OK 12:00PM April 14, 2009

It appears that 20 or so of the horses sent to the auction prior to all heck breaking loose in Paragallo's little world prior to the bust were NOT rescued. They were sent to slaughter in Canada. No telling how many other horses of his met similar disgusting fates in the past... If you are pro-slaughter (bying the party line that unwanted horses are a problem) as I used to be, visit an equine slaughter facility as I did before the Kaufman plant was closed. You'll change your mind real quick.
Bonnie, you're right: "All breed associations should severely limit breeding by refusing to issue papers for more than a small number of horses each year. An unregistered horse cannot sell for nearly the amount brought by the sale of a papered or registered horse. If breeders cannot make money breeding, they won't do it." The AQHA is the loudest mouth in the pro-horse-slaughter world. Coincidence? I think not.
Keep watching Paragallo. He is a dangerous man.

LJ Broussard of LA 2:41PM April 13, 2009

Cruelty to animals is lightweight? Most sociopaths have animal cruelty in their background--sociopaths have no conscience and thus can inflict their cruelty on anything and anyONE--as I'm sure anyone related to R.L Schaefer of CA has already experienced. . .

s of WA 9:27PM April 11, 2009

I know plenty of great thoroughbred owners; stories like Paragallo's make copy precisely because they are so unusual. That's not to say that he should not be severely punished - obviously he should - or to say that other problems don't exist in the industry, but his story and the role of the Jockey Club have little to do with one another.
While I would like to see limits on the number of mares a stallion can be bred to in a particular season (especially shuttle stallions) and real soundness requirements brought into the stud book (as in the German thoroughbred stud book), Alan is quite right to note that the Jockey Club has nothing to do with ‘licensing’ owners – their main function is to maintain the stud book, no more, no less.
And if you think papers or a fine pedigree keep a horse from ending up on a slaughter truck, I’m afraid that faith is quite misplaced – it’s a cash-for-pound transaction, and while draft horse crosses and quarter horses are the most popular types for kill buyers, they aren’t asking to see a thoroughbred’s lip tattoo – they just want to know what it weighs.
Yes, the racing industry needs to do more to respond to these issues (and to prevent them going forward), but the Jockey Club isn’t a central authority – the problem is that no organization is, and there is no framework in place for one to take on that role. But if you want to see real overbreeding, check out the quarter horse world and the legions of backyard breeders in the US who don't want or need papers for their horses - it's a much larger issue than thoroughbred racing.

Superfecta of PA 12:32PM April 10, 2009

I am sitting here trying to figure out just how to comment about some of these narcissists. You chimed in on horse racing and some of the disgusting aspects of the humans managing them. Your article is a microcosm of all the things we could try to deal with.
I am sensitive to all of the horror out there, but the Horse industry, though a minor part of some peoples lives, is indicative of an amazing insensitivity to life itself.
Look into the corralling of wild stallions in Nevada, up north or Reno...thousands and thousands are dying daily to starvation. And its because some Morons choose to worry about crap a half a planet away. Take care of your own house before telling me what to do with mine...
Good job with the Jockey Club...come visit us in Del Mar, CA

Tom in San Diego of CA 9:47PM April 09, 2009

"Journalistic access/media is a finite resource. For the love of God, do not squander it - spend it wisely."
If that's too tough, how about, "Bonnie spends WAY TOO MUCH VALUABLE EXPOSURE on lightweight topics - like animal rights. A media platform. like the one she holds (for the life of me I don't know how) could and should be more devoted to eternal issues and the plight of our fellowman. We shouldn't waste too much of our "finite" media resources worrying about horses which, for the most part, live better and healthier lives than a significant portion of the human race. And NO! Animals are not on the same level with humans. Kinda like a teenager who spends his tuition money on booze and a nice car - there's a bigger picture and a greater good involved here -
Oh no... Did I just make a value judgment? That's so non-inclusive and intolerant... I must have forgotten to take my p.c. mind numbing meds today. Glad to see that you're all taking yours on schedule.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 3:55PM April 09, 2009

The Jockey Club does not license breeders. It maintains a registry, regulates the issuance of names, and verifies that the horse's parentage can be traced. It can deny an abusive owner the right to race by refusing to register its horses. And that's really about it. You should really learn more about the subject before you comment on it. How can you suggest that it limit the number of horses that someone can breed? Have you written posts advocating similar steps regarding dog owners when we read about the far more frequent cases of canine abuse? Have you suggested that people be limited to 1 1/2 babies when you read of child abuse? This is the danger of non-racing people commenting on this complex subject on which they have little knowledge, and I suggest that you stick to things you know about.

Alan of NY 3:25PM April 09, 2009

by caring about suffering of animals i am not in anyway condoning the abuse or horror of children being hurt of women being hurt of any kind of abuse you wish to point out. in other words how does my caring about a mute animal, unable to speak up yet still with the same needs to eat, how does this some how say human abuse is ok? isn't the world large enough to encompass all forms of Right? Empathy? Humanity? you seem to be giving me the message that i have my priorities wrong for "not caring more about people first?" but i do care. because i have learned action from the animals i had to help i carry my ability to take action to the other areas in my life. i do go out an help the hungry. i do vote and use my voice and my consumer power. do you or do you just decry what you see as misguided priorities? if you believe this why not post some solutions instead of taking someone to task for trying to help allieve suffering? why not join in? lets move forward with the idea we can change things and we do not have limits on goodness. we may not get the changes we want in our lifetimes, mankind has been cruel a lot longer than kind especially when economic gain is involved. yet we can overcome things if we stick together and we can be compassionate one tiny act at a time. perhaps the first act should be the way we treat others who are also trying to help.

alex of CA 12:51PM April 09, 2009