Personally I won\’t bet on 8yo or older horses on the Flat other than in exceptional cases….

Horses are not raised as food and the cultural taboo against humans eating horse was there long before you and I were born. That’s why horses can - and do - receive medications banned for animals intended for human consumption - medications that are known carcinogens.

The Freedom of Information Act investigation just released by Animal Angels proved beyond any doubt (with evidence obtained from the USDA itself) that horses slaughtered in US plants suffered shameful and unneccessary cruelty.

USDA veterinarians have testified that some 80% of horses slaughtered in the US - under USDA supervision - woke up about 90 seconds after ’stunning’ to experience dismemberment alive and sentient, in some cases only expiring by drowning in their own blood on the kill floor.

With all the evidence, nobody except a fool or a sadist could argue horse slaugher is humane or morally acceptable. Why are we still having this discussion? Because paid lobbyists, working for foreign slaughter interests, have controlled the US Senate (up till now) and some eejits believe horse slaughter lobby spin that stopping the cruel slaughter of horses will lead to the banning of other meat sources. That makes as much sense as the Domino Theory that kept our kids dying in the Viet Nam War years after it was an obvious mistake. In both cases, corporate profits were at the root of the lies.

As long as some powers that be, including the NTRA, waffle on horse slaughter, fans will continue to leave the sport much as they did after the death of Eight Belles.

Racing has a public image problem. Responsible ownership, including retirement and retraining, are key to fixing that. Kudos to tracks that are enforcing their zero-tolerance policies for slaughter, and trainers who insist their vets and other workers sign no-slaughter agreements. It’s a step in the right direction.

Without a doubt, the NTRA has just proven that the racing industry needs independent oversight by Congress to assure the welfare of its horses.

And by the way, per your radio interview a couple months ago with Keith Dane of the HSUS and Bill Rhoden of the NYT, racing commissions are NOT independent as you stated. They are paid by the state from the millions of dollars in tax revenues made from the number of wagers on the backs and broken legs of the horses they keep sending to race without prerace day lameness examinations. The same horses that then end up in these auctions, painfully limping onto slaughter trailers to die in a slaughterhouse if they do not die during the transport. You’re excuse for not supporting the Conyer’s bill is pathetic.