Horse Racing

[apcrs5122]

My mom told me about Funny Cide........people interviewed the people who owned him and asked them if they regreted getting him (because he's a gelding and can't reproduce and make thousands if not millions of dollars on the foals) and they said no, that if he wasn't gelded, he wouldn't be the horse he is today, and that's true.
As a stallion, Funny Cide had lots of attitude (too much) so they had to geld him.

[ILuvMyDaisy]

I read in the paper that Funny Cide had to be gelded because (I don't even know if I am allowed to post this here!) he had one undescended testicle. Usually if this is the case, rubbing will occur and eventually pain. I guess it is done for the better for the horse

[apcrs5122]

Maybe that is what happened. Maybe it was both because usually stallions have more attitude than geldings and can be testier, too.

[hulabird]

i read the same thing.

[Cincy'sMom]

I don't know a lot about horse racing, but I think it is like anything else, the treatment of the animal varies by the owner. Some racing horses, are treated, I am sure like pets. However, there is also a great deal of cruelty in horse racing. Some horses are kept in large barns with little human contact. They are merely exercied by a "hot walker" (a machine that horses are hooked to and walk aroun in a circle) and once their usefulness on the tracks is over, they may be bred, sold as pets, or eliminated. In many cases it IS about the money.

My friend is lucky enough to have a Throughbred, former racing horse. Although he never raced the belmont Stakes, he did run at Belmont many times and won over $300, 000 for his former owner. when she got him he was timid and skinny. Now, she has had him almost a year, and he is doing great. he is her 12 yr old daughter's horse and is being trained for hunter/jumper shows. But first and for most, he (like their other 2 horses) is a pet!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Thanx for your replies!

[HoRsELUvR]

I think it would have been great if Funny Cide won because then a gelding would have won the Triple Crown,but oh well.I used to think that the whip would hurt the horses but I realized it doesnt.I have my own for riding lessons and once I tapped myself with it as hard as I tap the horse(call me crazy if you want )and it didnt hurt me so I knew it wouldn't hurt the horse.