Well, that did not take long. Last week I wrote a piece alluding to the possibility of mounting pressure on the competitive horse industry and since then, several major developments have arisen.
First, and probably most important is that the United States House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection sent a letter to the Association of Racing Commissions International in Lexington, KY demanding information on racing injuries, drug use and breeding. This commission represents 44 state horseracing jurisdictions across the country. Apparently, this has stemmed from the breakdown of “Eight Belles” in the Kentucky Derby and the outcry that followed. The committee seems to come from the standpoint that the welfare of the racehorse is not being protected properly and that the “thoroughbred breed may becoming increasingly fragile”. This is the same House committee that has taken on major league baseball and the steroid issue.
Speaking of that, the California Horse Racing Board announced this week to trainers and veterinarians that anabolic steroids are no longer legal to use in this state. They have requested that administration of these drugs cease immediately and that testing procedures are in place and will begin next month.
If neither of these decisions bother you, than think about the results of a new Gallup poll that found that 38% of Americans favor discontinuing altogether competitive sports involving animals. Wow… that is almost 4 out of 10 people polled. You can scrutinize the validity of polling figures all day long, but this is a very negative opinion trend. When horse racing, polo and rodeo competitions start to be mentally linked with dog fighting by a decisive minority in this country, that is troublesome.
We can all sit back and feel insulated in our little world of polo, but we are or will be coming under increasing scrutiny. This is not new though. It was not that long ago that the LA Equestrian Center was packed with polo fans and Hollywood celebrities watching the fast-paced professional arena polo league. It was one of the biggest draws in polo. It was also one of the most dangerous for horse and rider. And when a couple horses broke down and an inquiring local journalist with a camera got hold of the story, the league hit the skids. Maybe it had run its course, but it was not helpful to have the “dark side” exposed in the fishwrap.
As an industry we need to put horse welfare first and go one step further and have a committee at each club dedicated to establishing rules and guidelines for the proper care of horses. If anyone is interested, San Diego Polo Club has a committee and guidelines in place as a starting point. All clubs are supposed to have a veterinarian on call for any polo game attended by the public. They should also have an emergency plan in force to deal with any unfortunate accident to the horse whether it is a public game or not.
We cannot wait for outside groups to force our hand nor should we want to. We need to make the welfare of the horse our priority and be proactive. Besides, it is too late, the pressure is already on.