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horses don't mate unnaturally; after the foal is born they are able to breed quite soon after.
also, foals are taken from their mothers at six months because that is when they are weaned. weaning a foal means that it no longer drinks its mother's milk and instead goes to other types of food! if they stay with their mothers for too long, they will get too attached. they are trained early, just like dogs! the younger mind has more space for things to rub off on them and sink in. as my mom says, a baby's mind is like a sponge and they will absorb what they are raised as.
the jockey's whip? that's known as a crop. it is simple leather and i use them when i ride horses as well. a horse barely feels it, so you have to hit them really hard and all they will feel is just a slight tap. sometimes though, they don't respond! so really, it doesn't hurt and most horses ignore it. i've never heard of such drugs that affect the mare, but it's possible they can be there.
when a horse's leg is broken, they HAVE to be put down. this isn't because they are injured -- well it's not that sole reason, but: when their leg is broken beyond repair, they must be put down because they cannot walk anymore. but! they are usually put in slings that hopefully help them before they are put down. barbaro, for example, was put down because his leg was broken beyond repair.
thoroughbreds are NOT run for cruelty reasons. they love to run! if a racehorse is next to another in a pasture, they usually run the fence together, and have friendly races.
now to zoos!! zoos do NOT have confined spaces! have you ever been to the Bronx zoo? we went to see the zebras, and they were completely gone! we couldn't even find a trace of them! i went to see the snow leopards, and they were so happy. they were laying out, stretched on the rocks. and one of them started running away! we couldn't find any after that, because they all started playing.
we went to see the polar bears, and they were in a huge enclosure as well! it was actually quite cold near it, they are perfectly fine! same with the penguins -- they had a private place the visitors couldn't even see them.
on everything else? i'm not sure what to say. but these are my experiences.
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Well I can understand where you're coming from but that's why I said it doesn't apply to some people, just places that I've researched. And I have seen zoos like about what you're talking about but you never know what goes on behind the scenes. Some shadddyyyy sturf <.<...>.>
Oh, and quick question, since you do ride horses, why is it that they foam at the mouth, like in racing and such. Plus Jockeying just looks sooo painful to the horse! >.< But I could be wrong, that's just me, I flip out when I see even a scratch on a animal.
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well, horses usually chew on the bits in their mouths and they also get tired -- they're not sweating, but they've accepted the bit in their mouth and they're just working hard. racing a horse isn't painful at all unless they're racing with a bad or broken foot, or some other defect.
BUT! they can also be anxious, or non-accepting of the bit and such. not to mention, they might need their teeth floated! (it's like a dentist appointment)
thanks for understanding c; it's fine that you believe in the shady things that happen, as long as you're not threatening or hurting anyone.
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Yes, these acts are truly horrible. My mother does a lot of research into these topics and so I know a fair bit about what goes on in these areas, plus I've seen some horrible things myself in person.
Cosmetic testing is sickening, complete torture. Animals such as rabbits, kittens, mice and so on are force fed through a tube, most up to the point where they're choking. They have creams and other products put in their eyes and all over their skin which obviously stings and irritates horribly. I saw an image of a kitten with a bolt drilled or pushed through it's mouth to keep it open so it could be fed, I felt like crying ;_;
Where I used to live cock fighting was a popular "sport", it wasn't illegal at all and many of the locals were into it including the kids. Roosters have their crown (the red spiky thing on top of their head) cut off so it won't bleed and get in their eyes when they're fighting. They also have their spur (a claw at the back of their foot) cut off to fit the gloves with the razors on. Not all people use these gloves though but just let the roosters fight with their own claws. They usually hold the two in front of each other or "throw one" at the other.
My pet rooster, Disco, was such a lovely and friendly bird. He always wanted to be next to you and he would do a little "dance" when you click your fingers, he loved attention and liked sitting on your lap. We found him with his crown half cut off and blood all over his face. Later on he was stolen along with the neighbour's chickens as well, we have a fair idea what was to happen to him.
Horse racing, personally I've never been a fan of it from the start. The races that use the jumps and hurdles result in broken necks and leg injuries, and of course these injuries cannot be fixed and the horse is put down sadly. Not sure how many years ago I saw some horse racing footage, the horse flipped over and broke it's neck as well as colliding with another horse. Both the jockeys were okay in the end of course, same can't be said for the horses. The "whip" the jockeys use are often misused and 64% of the non-padded part actually ends up hitting the horse. After foals are taken away from their mothers they are to trained as soon as possible. Considering their skeletal system is still immature it causes the risk of injury, they are not ready for hard training. Any horse that is not suitable to the racing industry is sent to the slaughter house, same goes for horses that are no longer fit for racing and of no use to the money making scheme.
As for zoos, some do not have confined spaces while others do. I've been to a lot of different zoos, one had a large paddock for zebra and rhinos with some enclosures that were a bit smaller than the average house. One zoo though had concrete "rooms" for some of the animals. This was in a tropical climate and two tigers were in this concrete room with empty water bowls while some of the other tigers had an enclosure with grass, trees and a small pond. No this wasn't one of the indoor rooms they keep them in for surveillance stuff it was a concrete room with no roof and bars, it was outside for visitors to walk past and observe.
I understand the part about how the animals are taken from their natural habitat but that can be considered a good thing. Many of the animals in captivity are endangered and are killed in their natural habitat. There are more tigers living in captivity than in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching, hunting and loss of food would be something these animals would have to experience in the wild. While they are lucky to be avoiding these issues some have to live in the cramped and horrible conditions you mention, not all zoos are like that but there are many that are.
Also I want to bring up the point about water parks that keep dolphins in swimming pools such as in water parks and zoos. As cool as it would be to see dolphins doing tricks and maybe swimming with them in the same pool it is harming them. Dolphins do not naturally live in chlorinated water, it can cause their skin to peel, hurt their eyes as well as make them sick. They use echolocation to navigate but living in tanks cause their sonar waves to bounce off walls which can make them insane. Dolphins in the wild can live up to 90 years old but in captivity their lifespan is shortened and live just over 10 years. Being forced to perform tricks for food day after day is just cruel. During dolphin catching many drown in exhaustion trying to escape nets. There is also the issue of loss of family connections after being captured from the wild. By taking one dolphin from the pod it will disrupt the whole group. Any that escape capture will be become frantic if they see one of their companions captured and will even try to save them.
Ehh, long post, I'm so tired x_x
Thank you for sharing Thyme, I personally think more people need to know more about the cruelty that goes on.
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That was very saddening but eye opening Ingredient....glad to see your mom does research and maybe one day, all of this will stop. I also had done a research paper on lab tests as well a few years ago and it was horrifying...
I'm sorry to hear about Disco ;-; it's so messed up about what some people think they can do to animals just because they need the money or just want to get a good laugh. It's sickening, it's because of this that I plan on being a vet.
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i'm very curious as to where in the world these places are that send horses to slaughter houses. i live, like literally right next to saratoga race track, a really famous one. they never send the horses to slaughter! in fact, most of them if not all are sent to places like old friends: a racehorse retirement home! they stay there and live out the rest of their lives there.
the reason they are trained so young , like i said already, is because they won't learn anything if they're older: you really get a feel for the horse's personality as they grow up. if you don't train them early, nothing will work.
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My father was a jockey, and I've lived around horses since I was practically born- especially race horses.
Racing a horse in no way hurts the animal- unless it were to fall and break a leg. It's actually a pretty good exercise.
Quick fact, horse racing is about ten times more dangerous for the human riding, than the horse itself.
That does not mean that there arent cruel people that corrupt the racing industry- because there are plenty of them. Once a horse has no value of them, say they become lame or anything of that sorts, their sold to crummy homes- or worse [as stated in the response above].
This is a sad subject, though, and yes- animal cruelty is..well, cruel- to be put lightly.
There are a few organizations that try to end animal cruelty and animal testing- but I assume it will take a lot more to exterminate this cruel animal treatment.
Also, thanks for taking the time for writing this post- it can bring awareness to others!
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That's a rather heart-breaking story Ingredient.
It is so unnecessary to torture the animal like that! I makes me so mad!
It's bad enough that they have to shoot an animal, which may be quick, but there is a brief moment where the animal feels pain. Putting the animal down is a more formal and acceptable way, the such which is used in vets. The reasons for putting these animals down is RIDICULOUS! How would they like it if there were a series of races, and if you were deemed slow or never to really get anywhere, people would drag you. By your hair, to a place, where they would one by one, cut offyour hair, your limbs, and last but not least, slit your throat. Think about that, I mean how does a person label an animal 'useless'. Many humans in society, around the world, are practically useless and only making the world worse. Yet, you don't see people dragging them to a slaughter room, slitting their throats and shooting them, do we?
End of my rage rant. .-.'
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I agree Elizabeth, pitbulls are very loving dogs. But, are taught to be cruel by horrible people. This is a massive misunderstanding about these dogs.
Some animals are on the brink of being extinct, but some stupid people are still hunting them! For what?
Their pelts may be pretty, horns valuable, but still people. Have some sense, will you?
Indeed, Elizabeth. One day, people will realize the pain that they have put these animals through.
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Man, why are people so wrong these days? DX The giant golden crowned flying fox is almost to extinction! Due to deforestation. I can't believe people who work at these topics. And I totally understand you Katra, I agree with you Thyme and Katra. These things are horrible. Why not hunt a couple then be done?
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Well agree on somethings that were said in the first post of this threat, the way some people treat animals is so ridiculous and outgraous! No animal should be tortured, abused or neglected there is just no need for any of it! Like I've said thousands of times to many people who have complained about animals' I murderer or a rapist get a few years or rarely life in jail, but if a dog attacks someone they're put to sleep? If a dog gets this punishment I believe murderers and rapists should get the same punishment!
Zoo's
Yes, zoo's were once like that and many animals would have suffered torture etc but now that has all been changed. Animals in zoos are now in fact well looked after and in great condition. I visited 'Edinburgh Zoo' not to long ago and all the animals I seen had very large enclosures, were in tip-top condition and looked as happy as ever. Although zoos have once been a horrible place they have now changed for the best.
Tests
About testing on animals I totally agree with you. I don't see why scientists feel the need to test on monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits and everything else they test on for cures, cosmetics, perfumes etc. An innocent animal does not deserve it. In my opinion there should be no animal testing, rapists and murderers fully deserve to be tested on-besides they're humans so wouldn't the effects be more clear and right? I am totally against animal testing and think its un-needed.
Jockeys
However I don't totally agree with what is said about horse racing. The horses they use 'Thoroughbreds' are born to race as you can tell by their build, traits and if you do some research or just wach one of those horses whether it be in a field, on the track or in a video-they just love to run. A horse is jam packed with muscle and the leathers are mearly a piece of leather, which they barely feel-hence why it looks like jockeys whip to horses hard, they actually hardly feel it. Foals are taking from their parents at the age they are suppose to be as they will begin the weaning process. If you've heard the saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' eventhough this saying is sometimes provent wrong, in horses it is hard to teach an older one new things-thats why they are brought into racing at a young age. Most horses when getting to that age are sent to a horse retirement center to live out the rest of their lives or sent to a friend or family member-they are no longer allowed to be slaughtered in certain countries and only certain ones still allow it. However, if a horse has a bad injury that are seen as untreatable they are put down by a veteran, not slaughtered depending on the country. Although if a injur isn't to serious they do try and mend the horse. Yes, some people/owners may try and race their injured horses but I'm sure something would be done about that if they were caught.
Circus
Surprisingly, I kind of agree with you on the whole circus thing. Just yesterday I watched a video on how they treat animals at circuses and it wasn't nice at all; they beat the animals with sticks and whips, I even witnessed someone beating up a tiger and a lion as well as chaining them up in not to good conditious. I have also heard many things about circuses not treating their animals properly and for this I never visit the circus. Although some may treat their animals farely I think this is unfare-only if the animal likes what its doing it should be done. If they don't care and respect the animals the way they need to they couldn't be allowed to show them. In my opinion.
Animal Fighting
Again, this is something I am totally against. Why cause an animal so much hate and anger that it feels the need to kill something of its own or even something of a different species. I believe the fighting of animals is completely wrong and no one should be involved in it. Maybe put 2 people in a ring with blades on their legs or arms and see how that turns out, ot put those people in the ring with the animal looking to kill-it would be a completely different story. It wrong and shouldn't happen.
I agree, many people hate dogs that are known for fighting-the pitbull being a great exaple for this. Although I haven't owned one all the videos and documentarys I've watched they're honestly lovely dogs. I was watching a show the other day and apparently its been proven Golden Retrievers have been known to bite and attack more than a Pitbull. Fighting isn't the dogs instinct I can assure you, its how you bring the dog up. When I was younger I had a BullMastiff named Cara and a Yorkshire Terrier named Lucky. Cara was the softed dog you could have met I use to sit on her back, pull her ears and tail, take her food off her and not even once had she growled, bitten or even went for me-she would just lie there, honestly she was a bit softy not once did she pull me on walks either she would walk along side me. But on the other hand my Yorky I would dress her up, pull her ears and tail and she would bark and growl-even try and pull me over on walks since I was only young. And I think that proves it all, its how you bring up your dog.
I don't mind criticism but these are my views and opinions, which I truly believe in and doubt I am going to change my views. But I am 100% against animal abuse and if could I would stop it in a heart beat. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone or made them upset with my opinions, but that's how I feel.
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I want to say something about slaughterhouses.
Cutting the throat of an animal will kill it in less then 30 seconds. It will. It does, and for more then 15 of those seconds, the animal is already unconcious.
This is after being shot with a captive bolt gun, which will almost certainly kill it. It is like being shot in the head.
If a slaughterhouse abuses it's animals, they stress. Stressed animals have terrible meat quality, and the slaughterhouse loses money.
Search 'The glass walls project by Temple Grandin' (Warning for animal gore)
It shows and explains the process behind slaughterhouses and how they work.
Keep in mind ALF, ELF, PETA, and HSOA Are all BAD sources. Earthlings, and documentaries filmed by Peta or any of the above organizations, are often filled with scenes the people involved have out-right admitted to being paid to do, for the sake of the video. It's sick.
Circuses are terrible for animals. Look at them. Do they look happy? Do the big cats with snarls on their faces, ears flattened, and lashing tails look like they benefit? How about the tigers bred to live in little cages their whole lives? Terrible. It's just as bad as white tigers (Who are horribly inbred and unhealthy, same with ligers)
Orcas and Dolphins should never be kept in captivity. Orcas especially. At least, not like they are now. It's sick, sick, sick, and I can go into much more detail on this subject if needed.
As for fur farming. Keep in mind an animal missing or with patchy fur equals money loss for the people running it. The animals are killed quickly and painlessly. They're fed amazing diets to keep their fur in it's best condition, and often have room and stimulation to avoid pacing or chewing, which ruins their pelts.
If zoos are accredited and take good care of their animals, I see no reason why they're cruel. They educate people. They dispel myths about how 'big cats might make good pets' and more. This is not the same as a road-side zoo, or the T.I.G.E.R.S. Facility (Which is terrible).
Not well educated about horse racing.
Animal fighting is cruel. Plain and simple. That's it. No debate. Why.