I went to the local fair tonight to watch the chuck wagon races. This was my 1st experience. It upset me when a horse broke it’s leg during the race, but I chalked it off as a rare incident. Then a second horse broke it’s leg. A regular attendee told me that it was very common to happen. I can’t imagine jeopardizing the well being of my horse for a race. I found it disgusting that people just don’t care and entertainment is more important.
Posted 2009-07-13 10:10 AM (#107945 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
I like going in the week prior to the races at Clinton, AR as the races themselves are not till the last three days.......When there are over 5000 horses and mules camping and riding, there are some injuries........more from ignorant owners than during the races themselves....go figure...
Posted 2009-07-13 4:27 PM (#107960 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: ark/ok border
I agree, we go the week before the races mostly for the rendevous atmosphere. Yes we see accidents in the races but please tell me 1 sport where humans or animals arent hurt? I would never never put one of my horses out there in the races but if I did I would be like most of the competitors I see at Clinton and they would be well fed and taken care. Do accidents happen? Yes. The truth is though that I see more accidents in the crowd from unruly inexperienced spectators that I do on the race track ( which again is usually the way it works at most sports events). As with any sport you dont have to watch but please dont knock the players. Now I can imagine your saying the animals dont have a chose, thats true but I will tell you I have seen many of them there that love what they are doing just by their actions. As with any human or animal you can tell if they like it or not. Please try to get to Clinton 1 time for the week before and dont go to the races if you dont want to, but dont miss out on the experience because of the races. It is worth a try!
Posted 2009-07-13 8:11 PM (#107976 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
I have shown horses for years and none have ever died at a horse show I attended let alone 2 in 1 night. I have never really been to any sporting events where the spectators are rowdy and causing accidents either. I have trail ridden for years and haven't seen a horse die camping either. So I believe there are alot of horse realted sports that are not near as dangerous as wagon races. Just do a search on line and you can see numerous deaths of people and horses in these races.
Posted 2009-07-14 10:00 AM (#108003 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Veteran
Posts: 100 Location: Arkansas
Try the Clinton races and go the week before the races - it IS awesome! There's trail rides, clinics, dances, BBQ's, etc. I got addicted the first time I went. I have seen alot of wrecks but only 1 equine death in the 5 years I have been going. Last year, the channel 7 reporter was on a race wagon that flipped and was sent to the hospital (just injured), horses were O.K.
I feel that a 'horse show' and/or casual 'trail riding' is NOT dangerous and isn't a sport either...so really you should NOT be seeing any deaths there. If you do, something IS wrong!!
Don't get me wrong,there IS a difference between 'trail riding' and 'endurance riding'...endurance riding IS a sport.
Now if you want to talk dangerous and deaths ...then you need to look at Steeple Chasing and/or the Mexican Downhill Racing (Suicide Racing) now THAT IS dangerous and unneeded. I am sure more horses get hurt also in Thoroughbred racing than we realize, it's just not covered unless it was shown on TV.
There's the old saying "if you don't like it, don't watch it" - so if you don't like it, don't go to one. There are crueler things in life for both humans and equines. Someone shouldn't judge something they don't know, until they have been to half a dozen or more and understand the whole event.
It is true at the Clinton Races, I have seen how most of those horses DO love their job.
I was hoping to go this year but it looks like I won't get to. Maybe next year. I still have to get a usable horse trailer and I am not sure if my new horse likes crowds like that.
Posted 2009-07-14 2:33 PM (#108014 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
Just because I don't like it or watch it doesn't make it ok. If everyone did the right thing we wouldn't have prisons, need police, animal shelters social workers ect. ect. you get the idea. I don't go to events that I don't agree with but this was my 1st experience. I don't go to dog fights but that doesn't stop them or make it right. But that's what they are bred for so they love killing each other so it's ok. I have an issue with horses being raced so young and maybe if enough people boycotted horse races until the horses were older we could have regulations and less injuries and deaths. T
Things don't change if everything remains the same.
Posted 2009-07-17 12:00 PM (#108180 - in reply to #108168) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
Thats my point, the deaths are related to humans that may not have the best judgement. Accidents are a fact of life I just think they should be minimized
Posted 2009-07-18 6:47 PM (#108216 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Veteran
Posts: 100 Location: Arkansas
"Hey laurie, what is your view on PETA?"...Exactly what I am thinking, dawnb!
So IS 'horse tripping' and 'suicide racing' a sport in your mind?
Also, doesn't mean that someone or something gets injured mean that it's a sport. In that case, I step off my porch and my ankle rolls out from under me- making me fall, does that make it a sport as well?
Not all accidents are because of stupid humans...what about the well seasoned trail horse that's seen and done it all, one day spooks and runs off into a riven and breaks its back.
Trail riding (NOT endurance riding- that is a sport -there IS a goal, IS physical AND a winner in the end) IS NOT a sport...it is a 'leisure activity"...there IS NO real goal there, other than to just get out, ride and have fun doing so. Otherwise, that's like saying driving to work everyday is a sport or going to check the mail is a sport, talking on the phone is a sport, etc.,etc.,etc.
This reminds me of all the other things that people call a 'sport' but really isn't, such as golf and gambling. These are really just a 'chance' and/or 'luck of the draw' game.
A sport by definition is an activity where one has a goal and there is a winner in the end. So how would trail riding fall into that exactly?
I don't think horse shows should be classified as a 'sport' because even though it does fall in the guidelines of the sport definition (a goal and a winner) it still isn't very physical and it is mainly based on the prettiest, most refined, best bloodlines, best conformation and/or most expensive horses. In this case: would beauty pageants, modeling and/or acting be a sport? It's still just either a leisure activity and/or a means to make money.
Oh and regarding the 'dog fighting' post that you put up...that's totally different IT IS illegal, so people that run and/or watch those ARE stupid, whether the dogs like it or not! But you also have to realize, that IS what these dogs were designed and bred to do, though it was hundreds of years ago...it is still in their blood. Unlike chuckwagon races and horse racing being that they are NOT illegal.
Posted 2009-07-19 7:35 AM (#108234 - in reply to #108233) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Veteran
Posts: 100 Location: Arkansas
What you or someone else might find morally wrong, might be entertaining to others. Vice versa. There are things too that are legal that I find morally wrong, some so simple that millions of people do it every Sunday.
Illegal or not doesn't make it right...it's just our government putting laws on things we can and cannot do. One persons judgment on right and/wrong, legal and illegal will always be different from another's....just every individual's right to an opinion.
If everything that everyone "thought" was immoral and wrong was illegal...we wouldn't be able to do anything. Cause someone somewhere would have a problem with everything.
Posted 2009-07-21 8:11 AM (#108294 - in reply to #108204) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
Originally written by dawnb on 2009-07-18 9:49 AM
Hey laurie, what is your view on PETA?
I am not sure what my views on PETA have to do with this topic. I have not had any personal experience with PETA just what the slanted news portrays. I don't see how you can not appreciate a group that is for the ethical treatment of animals. I have not bought a fur coat since I became aware of the efforts of PETA which I would have done in the past.
Posted 2009-07-21 11:36 AM (#108298 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Veteran
Posts: 214 Location: lyle,mn
So it is Ok for a group of to come on to someones private property and turn all their animals lose because this group of people think that the animals are not being properly cared for, but don't care what happens to these animals after they were turn loose. What if these animals were turned loose near a very busy road. Why do I use example because it happened in city near me and lot of those animals were ran over by cars. Was PETA right in doing this? Did they care that these aniamls were killed on the road? I don't think so or they would've never turned them loose. You answered my question on PETA. When you own livestock and yes horses are livestock that we love very much, sh*t happens. We had a guard donkey that broke her leg on dry lot with ewes that were waiting to go out to pasture. She was not hung up anything or near anything and you could see that she dropped down as soon as it broke. Does this stop me from going out to buy another guard donkey? No. I guess maybe you talked to the wrong person at this race and maybe you should've talked to more people. Yes it is sad this happen but a horse can get struck by lighting just being out in a pasture or standing a corral. It can break a leg stepping in gopher or badger hole in the pasture.
Posted 2009-07-21 6:03 PM (#108316 - in reply to #108298) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
Originally written by dawnb on 2009-07-21 11:36 AM
So it is Ok for a group of to come on to someones private property and turn all their animals lose because this group of people think that the animals are not being properly cared for, but don't care what happens to these animals after they were turn loose. What if these animals were turned loose near a very busy road. Why do I use example because it happened in city near me and lot of those animals were ran over by cars. Was PETA right in doing this? Did they care that these aniamls were killed on the road? I don't think so or they would've never turned them loose. You answered my question on PETA. When you own livestock and yes horses are livestock that we love very much, sh*t happens. We had a guard donkey that broke her leg on dry lot with ewes that were waiting to go out to pasture. She was not hung up anything or near anything and you could see that she dropped down as soon as it broke. Does this stop me from going out to buy another guard donkey? No. I guess maybe you talked to the wrong person at this race and maybe you should've talked to more people. Yes it is sad this happen but a horse can get struck by lighting just being out in a pasture or standing a corral. It can break a leg stepping in gopher or badger hole in the pasture.
It seems like you are just looking for someone to argue with. I said I haven't had any experience with PETA. I didn't say I condoned any thing as I didn't have an opinion only that I haven't bought a fur coat because of my awareness. There are always crazy people. Just because you may not think abortions should be legal doesn't mean you should bomb a clinic. So obviously people carry things to extreme and what some of them do may not neccessarily be condoned by the group.
Posted 2009-07-21 6:38 PM (#108318 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
What awareness are you speaking of? Not wearing fur? Why the heck not? We use animals for meat,milk and leather goods...why not use animals to wear warm and beautiful fur coats,hats and gloves? Those little critters being raised for fur are nothing more than rodents and as such have no useful purpose other than to make us warm. PETA is nothing but a bunch of commie hippie leftist bullies. I LOVE FUR! GO FUR!
Posted 2009-07-25 8:02 PM (#108549 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Veteran
Posts: 100 Location: Arkansas
I love ALL animals just as much as the next person on this forum...BUT I DO realize animals are on this earth for our consumption (in moderation of course) and/or use - after all I am a registered Native American.
But PETA goes above and beyond the limits... they are just plain crazy! A few years back they were protesting KFC for killing chickens - chickens that were raised for meat!
In that case - if you're against FUR, then are you a vegan because ALL meat IS from animals. But if you want to go as far as PETA would, then technically all plant life is living as well (fruits and veggies)...so would you starve? Eat dirt maybe? Live on air?
I guess our horses should stay in a padded enclosed stall for their protection...so they won't get hit by lightning or step in a hole and break their leg.
Posted 2009-07-26 8:48 AM (#108554 - in reply to #107925) Subject: RE: Chuck wagon races
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
It's not that KFC was killing chickens that they are against, it's the cruel way they did it. I just don't get you. There are more humane ways to treat animals. I don't understand what you have against that. That doesn't mean you should never do anything but obviously you just pointing out the opposite extreme. Why can't it be somewhere in the middle? If I could get good produce year round I would be very likely to become a vegetarian. It is something I have always thought about in the back of my mind. It's just that good food isn't always available.
Chuck wagon races
