Equestrian sports are receiving a lot of flak from all directions. Several animals, as well as equine welfare bodies, have come forward against the rising number of racehorse deaths. In fact, several protestors had recently stormed the entrances of the Saratoga Racetrack to protest against poor equine management.
Equestrian trainers as well as the staff of racetracks ensure that horses are given the best care, treatment, and nutrition. However, not everyone aligns themselves with these values. Many accusations made by welfare bodies actually turn out to be true, when trainers don’t even spare injured horses. A recent brutal racing accident shed light on a dark side of equestrian sports, that fatally injured a horse.
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New York Thunder is a four-year-old racehorse receiving training from equestrian trainer Jorge Delgado. The Kentucky-bred racehorse has a very good track record and has won four races in five starts. The racehorse won all the races it participated in, except its most recent one, where it took a fall. This, however, is a reason for worry and concern, since Thunder never raced without steroid injections. In fact, it was receiving injections for pain in its injured joints. The equestrian racehorse was numbed out with the injections. It was forced to race as soon as the regulated time of 14 days was up.
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Veterinarian doctors found that New York Thunder suffered brutal damage from the fall and its joints were horribly ruptured. Medical records of the racehorse showed that this wasn’t the first time the poor racehorse was forced to race. Jorge Delgado made the New York Thunder race in the same manner in almost all of his starts. In fact, the poor racehorse was marked as “lame” by veterinarians two weeks prior to its 30th April victory.
Equestrian trainer repeatedly forced horses to run despite injury
Jorge Delgado started his career as an equestrian trainer in 2017. His horses participated in 220 races this year and won 40 of them. However, his winning practices are very harsh and brutal. In fact, according to veterinary reports, a total of three horses racing for Delgado since 27th July are injured.
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The trainer has quickly amassed an earning of $8,403,553 from his equestrian career. $232,323 of those were contributed by New York Thunder who paid the price of Delgado’s greed. The utter lack of compassion for his racehorses is starkly visible in the methods Delgado chooses. The outbreak of information on such trainers further strengthens the voices of protestors who wish to shut down equestrian sports.
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