Horse Empathy Park at Pimlico: Barbaro's Revenge?

I swear...how DARE you bring Barbaro into this! How DARE you! No one I repeat NO ONE including you people are allowed to bring his name up EVER again! You don't care about the horse only the media coverage. How DARE you trash the memory of this champion's name by using it in such a fashion! Words CANNOT DESCRIBE how furious I am right now. Leave my precious boy to rest in peace!

Barbaro was euthanized after he contracted laminitis in his front legs not directly from his injury. Get the facts right. It was an unfortunate complication. Things like that happen especially with such large animals. His recovery was hard but he was a soldier throughout it all making many milestones that horsemen ought to be proud of. The Barbaro memorial fund was created after his death to help other equines in the racing industry. Obviously the horse racing industry cared deeply for this young horse as well as the others that race every day. There are numerous charities and research efforts today that have helped to advance medical care and track infrastructure. Many breakthroughs have been made. "visitors could tour educational displays about horses see exhibits of painful bits and spurs" Painful bits? As if! Most racehorses have very mild eggbutt or snaffle bits. The more complicated therefore more harsh bits are used in precision sports such as dressage as they allow better communication between the horse and rider. There are cases in racing where a horse will be so excited that they pull against a bit hard and tear at the ends of their mouths. However no bit in racing is painful. Remember horse in painless chance he'll win. Simple logic. Oh and spurs are prohibited in racing. Top up your knowledge PeTA. "and even experience blinkers" Horse racing does not use blinkers they use blinders bits of cloth hoods that contain plastic cups. Shadow rolls are also used. These devices are meant to direct a horse's attention and reduce the likelihood that the horse will spook or become frightened on the track. The famous Secretariat performed phenomenally with this trademark blue and white blinders. They do not hurt the horse and are used only when the horse benefits from them. It's only for two minutes people the horse won't die from it. It is much akin to the sensation of a fly mask. "whipping and the "fun" of racing around a track with a heavy weight on their back." Sigh. Again with the whipping? CROPS not whips don't cause inherent pain unless used improperly. Used well they direct a horse and allow better horse human communication. This is a racetrack not a school ring and jockeys can find it hard to direct a horse while going so fast riding in an aerodynamic position that decreases control. Heavy weight? That's an insult to jockeys. Horses can carry over 20 of their weight on their backs. This is akin to about a 200 pound person for the average 1000 pound horse. Jockeys weigh on average 100112 pounds. Not heavy at all plus in an aerodynamic position the horses have no problem at all carrying them for two minutes or so. When the race is over the horses are cooled get plenty of praises on how good they were winners or not get a nice bath and get to go home and have a nice dinner. They race on average once every couple weeks or so. After that career they are retired and can either go into breeding or another offtrack career. Not a tough or "inhumane" life whatsoever. If I were to come back as an animal I would hope to be a racehorse.

I knew about that I was there working and im glad that I am not working there anymore all they saying that horses has no minds and smart all they talk about the money is import than horses's feeling!! I wish the horses can be enough smart poop on there face than money!!!!!!

As an equestrian I know the dark side of the horse industry like horse sales and horse racing. I think horse racing is an American past time but it needs to come to an end. Horses today compared to the past are not being bred the to the same quality. The quality of the horse is being forgotten in the racing industry and that is why some many injuries have happen on the tracks in the past years including Barbaro. I think it is a great idea to ask the Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley to change Pimlico into a horse empathy park. However I feel if the Governor OMalley is going to make Pimlico into a horse empathy park it should be about educating the public on the dangers of horse racing and the industry rather than scaring them off jockeys do not weigh that much. I think a better idea of the state of Pimlico is to change the park to a race horse rescue center. A rescue center can help educate the public in seeing the different types of harm the race industry does to horses and how much horse racing needs to be stop or have limits put on it like the age of the horse.