Après la course… quoi ?
Horses are proud, intelligent, and quite fascinating creatures with a soul like every living being. They live for 25 to 30 years and just like every other athlete, they have a span of usefulness. The magnificent animals that we enjoy in horse races have a career of 2 to 3 years. While we all pay attention to equines of the likes of the famous Secretariat (even became the theme of a movie), and other legendary names, during their time on the tracks, very few even wonder what happens afterward. We care as long as we can bet on them in the best bookies. Most of us do not stop to consider that they have a life after racing.
Genetic engineering
The world of horse breeding is a multimillion-dollar one. Owners always consider that the hereditary traits of a famous equine will be transferred to their offspring. As a result, they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars, to actually hire a race winner as a stud for their mares. The sport is a very expensive one, when it comes to training and maintenance, the concept behind the practice is to increase the chances of breeding another winner, and consequently the costs involved.
For all intents and purposes this amounts to no less than the genetic engineering of horse racing winners. Only the horses that have won races are considered and this reduces the gene pool to a handful of possibilities. It is only logical to follow through with the provocative question. What happens to the rest?
Retraining and repurposing
Especially the thoroughbreds can display exceptional versatility in doing other things than racing. After all, there are many other activities where horses can display what they can do. Activities like Polo, Dressage, Showjumping, and other exhibition events. Some of the mares also redirected to hacking and riding in theme parks.
In fact, in countries with a long and proud tradition of horse racing like the United Kingdom, an entire support mechanism takes care of those animals. Their goal is not only to retrain them. It is also to create a demand for their second careers, along with educating owners of former racers on how to honor their friends with a full life.
They do not deserve abandonment
It has been over a century that mounts have lost their usefulness as means of transportation from one place to another. While they are still used in this capacity in rural areas, only a small percentage stays with the owner from the beginning until the end of their lives. However, a much greater number get abandoned and left to fend through life on their own. They surely do not deserve that fate.
Besides horses, there is another proud set of souls that are used for racing and betting. Man’s best friends. The greyhounds. In a future piece, we will examine what happens to them after they quit the world of horse and greyhound betting. In the meantime, if you want to bet on horse racing, Betfair is an excellent option. Don’t worry if you can’t access their services due to geographic restrictions. With ACC-EX, the best betting service for European bookmakers, that won’t be an issue!
