The racing industry and governments need to implement policies that assigns a unique number for every racehorse probably including Polo, Show Jumping etc... on a database that anyone can access and track the status and ownership so anyone can make an offer to purchase a horse or maybe be a sponsor to help pay for it’s retirement and save it from the knackery.
But the bigger picture is probably the racing industry is a massive money making machine and we’ve seen expensive horses retired early to stud because that’s where the big money is unless the horse is a money making machine on the track. Case in point recently retired Bob Peters owned Enticing Star. Won about 6 out of 8 or similar but as soon as she come near last as favourite in a recent Sydney race and was being set for The Everest, Bob said looks like she doesn’t want to race but she’s obviously retired with a great record and probably well bred so he sees value at stud.
But what if after a couple of years her foals don’t dazzle on the track? She will probably quickly be discarded if breeders aren’t sending stallions to her. Then where does she end up? My point is there is probably no restriction on breeding therefore too many horses are cast off to no mans land.
At the end of the day there is only so much land and resources to take care of these horses so euthanasia is most likely a reasonable option but surely euthanised by a vet is the right option not that brutal practice exposed in the doco. I don’t lay the blame with those horse abattoirs, they are left to deal with the problem to dispose of them. I hope they are not made the scapegoat.
