CANOVANAS, Puerto Rico — For thoroughbred racehorses in Puerto Rico, success can be a matter of life and death. Many losers don't make it off the racetrack grounds alive.

More than 400 horses, many in perfect health, are killed each year by lethal injection at a clinic tucked behind the Hipodromo Camarero racetrack, chief veterinarian Jose Garcia told The Associated Press after checking clinic log books going back seven years.

Unlike on the U.S. mainland, where many former racehorses are retrained for riding or sent to special refuges, the animals have few options in this U.S. Caribbean territory. Owners say caring for and feeding a losing racehorse is too expensive.

"If it doesn't produce, after a while I give it away or I kill it," said Arnoldo Maldonado, 60, a businessman who races about five horses a year. "It bothers me, but it has to be done because there is no money to pay for them ... I'm not going to keep losing."

The killings also bother veterinarians who carry them out.

While many horses are unsuitable for adoption because of injuries or bad tempers, far more could be rescued than the current few dozen a year, Garcia said.

The veterinarians at the racetrack clinic have an informal system of contacting farms and breeders when a healthy horse comes in to die. But so far there are no programs such as the U.S.-based Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which rescues and advocates for horses coming off the track.

The killing of so many racehorses in Puerto Rico isn't happening because they have suffered a serious injury, like Eight Belles, the filly euthanized after breaking both front ankles racing in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Here, even when a second home is available, veterinarians say that some owners want losing horses executed anyway — some to save money, others to have revenge.

I sure there are alot of people here in the US that would take a free horse.

You think someone would start a program to adopt them
I love horses they are majestic creatures.
After all they are a commonwealth country to the United States how hard could it be?

I gather horsemeat is not appreciated by the Puerto Ricans and there are no businesses doing/making pet food, animal feed or rendering.

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Posted May 16, 2008 01:30 PM Hide Post
I gather horsemeat is not appreciated by the Puerto Ricans

Some Europeans enjoy it i personally always thought it a sin to kill such a beautiful animal for food.
Cows on the other hand are ugly by comparison.

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Some Europeans enjoy it i personally always thought it a sin to kill such a beautiful animal for food.

Banning the use of horse meat for food was a huge issue upstate NY because of the racetrack at Saratoga. In fact, there were politicians campaigning on the issue and people were reported to have made their voting decision on whether or not the politicians supported or opposed the ban.

I remember a story from when I was in Jamaica visiting a plantation that had horses for riding. The owners told me they got all of the horses from the racetrack when they were no longer able to compete. It's ashame those horses in the article weren't afforded that benefit.

Chevalean is a brand of horse meat. It is supposed to be less fatty than bovine meat with lower cholesterol.

When it went on sale here in NYC a number of years back they couldn't sell it because people just don't think horse meat is acceptable.

When I was in France back in the 1960's it was what's for dinner.

When I was in Viet Nam they would have literally KILLED for horse. They used to eat dogs, cats, rats and insects.

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When it went on sale here in NYC a number of years back they couldn't sell it because people just don't think horse meat is acceptable.

My dogs love it i only feed them dog food made with horse meat.

My stepdaughter used to have a horse that was a retired race horse. She used it in horse shows and it was a beautiful animal with a good disposition.

A shame to see majestic animals put down for financial reasons.

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A shame to see majestic animals put down for financial reasons.

Yes i feel the same way.