Keeneland Equine Welfare Concerns
Keeneland Yearling Sale: equine welfare concerns
Keeneland in September is the home of horses and money, where yearling thoroughbreds preside: Bidabidabidabidabidamoneymoneymoneymoneymoney, 950, now 1 million it is, do I hear 1 million fifty, bida bida bida bida bida, now one million one hundred thousand, bidabidabidamoneymoneymoneymoneymoney, 1.1, now 2, one hundred more, 1.2 now 3, here we go, moneymoneymoneymoneymoney, 4 bidabida now 5, …and thus goes the auctioneer selling each horse swiftly. Going once, twice, thrice, gone… sold $1.6 million. Men in green, Keeneland green. The blood; blue, the money; green. Out steps 1.6, handed to his groom in waiting at the exit to a strange new world and on the other side of the ring, in steps the next blueblood, this prize, a filly led in by her groom, handed to the ringmaster with shiny black shoes. A brief intro, sire, mare, family money-winning accomplishments, bold-type ancestors noted, half-sibling accomplishments, a smooth-talking personality presenting brief avails, and again, here we go, people sifting about in the hallway the encircles the seats; bidabidabidabidayomoneymoneymoney 10, now 20, 50 now 75, 100,000 dollars, now 125 bidabidabidabidabidupsomemoremoneynowifyouwantthis runner…
A man’s world, a money game painted green, a dozen or so yearlings going for over a million in session one, more million-dollar babies to follow. Historically, a quarter of them will never make it to the track, nearly a third will never win a race. Keeneland green. Beyond pedigree, anatomy is important, maintenance of soundness, bloodstock agents appreciating conformation inducive to durability, trainers looking for bone, or more often, overlooking bone for faddish blood. Here I stand looking at bone and throat, short canons, balance, hock, mind, always looking for a horse with a well-developed mind, a mind of flight along with a tendency to willingly join the herd of man, behaviorist me. Watch that yearling walk, watch her perceptions. After money talks, will she be willing to listen, to prevail, to stay sound and healthy under duress, to run by and through horses at speed with confidence and finesse.
Nearly all of the yearlings’ faces have been clipped clean, much like many the American Breeders’ Cup runners faces who are clipped clean. The Jockey Club breeders remain a bastion of amateur horsemanship, some of the sorriest on the planet, I am sorry to report.
Clipping vibrissae is abusive, inhumane, unnecessary, and counterproductive to the development of a willing partnership. The Keeneland sale was a display of horsefolk diminishing the dignity of the horse.
Pharmaceutical sedation of the yearlings remains prevalent, drugs continuing to replace horsemanship in the racing industry. Most disappointingly, the drugging begins at the yearling sales, prevalent and tolerated, obvious but unnecessary had proper preparation been in place. A third, or so, of the yearlings express postures and behaviors suggestive of tranquilization, droopy glazed eyes, sagging lower lip, dropped penises. When questioned, some of the breeders admitted to tranquilization use, ‘a little ace in the oats this morning." Injections, 'yeah, doc stopped by early.’ Others were in denial. Most didn’t have much to say when confronted about the abusive practice of clipping vibrissae. 9 of 10 facial lacerations I have sewn up through time were on horses with clipped vibrissae. The percentage of yearlings at Keeneland with facial trauma approached 15-20%, one after the other with beat up heads because the vibrissae are clipped. Vibrissae are utilized for spatial safety. A horse uses her wiskers to protect her eyes, face, and nostrils, and with these sensory structures removed, the yearlings are bashing their heads about in the stalls because they have been abusively deprived of them by Jockey Club Breeders.
After having their vibrissae clipped, many stalled horses stop drinking, sometimes for days, and this leads to colic and sometimes death due to deprivation of the most important horse nutrient, water. Clipping vibrissae is the primary cause of facial trauma in Keeneland yearlings. You should have seen all the banged-up heads.
By my estimate, 98% of the vibrissae are clipped, with men doing 98% of the bidding on naked-faced babies. A covey of male auctioneers sell the horses, prompted by green-suited bid spotters, all men. Men, men, men in green, money money money, green money, old money, plenty of money, SOLD. Whiskerless thoroughbreds, confused and dismayed at being whiskerless, abusively chain-shanked and drugged. “A number of international equestrian organisations have banned the trimming of a horse's whiskers. Since 1st July 2021, horses are prohibited from competing in any FEI competitions internationally if their “sensory hairs have been clipped and/or shaven or in any other way removed”. Keeneland needs to follow suit, and now. The United States Equestrian Foundation has banned the disrespectful practice. Kentucky horsemen appear to be the most horse-disrespectful horsemen around.
Through the ring the yearlings go, chained and shanked, whiskerless, a sorry affair altogether when viewed from the horse’s perspective, and mine, but few others. In addition to inadequate preparation, much of the unwelcome behaviors when being handled are due to the sensory deprivation. Horses with clipped whiskers become confused and frustrated, they bash their heads into the stall walls as evidenced by all the apparent head trauma on many of them, all unnecessary, all due to the deplorable amateur Kentucky brand of forceful horsemanship.
Vibrissae are essential sensory structures that allow horses to race safely at speed in close company, spatial locators of not only their position, but other horses’ shifting spatial positions surroudning them. Their whiskers can feel the rail, sense the going, know the acceleration of others approaching or departing, and so much more that we do not know. The amount of brain tissue to which vibrissae deliver information is considerable, informing neurologists of the critical survival and protection functions of horses’ treasured facial hairs.Banning the vibrissae-clipping practice would save the sale breeders millions of dollars and alleviate some the public concern with horse abuse in the racing industry, yet the incompetent breeders continue abusing the horses so they look clean. The horses may look clean, but they are confused without the full array of sensory organs. And if I am not able to put a stop to the yearling-abusive practice, you know who will be swooping in next, and that will be another black eye for the industry and game, more lost millions if not billions because of a lack of integrity of the breeders. The Keeneland breeders are doping with sedatives, clipping vibrissae to serious detrimental psychological and physical affect, and then lead their horses to the ring with their horses abusive chain shanked.
https://www.animallaw.info/statute/germany-cruelty-german-animal-welfare-act
To be fair, a few of the yearlings had vibrissae intact, and notably, they had no obvious head injuries like too many of the whiskerless. As well, at least one of the ring handlers is female, beautiful hair flowing down her back, pinned down so as not be grabbed a hold of easily by a frustrated sales candidate. Perhaps ~20% of the incoming grooms with the horse’s last day with them at hand, are women with hair tied up.
The auctioneer drone is incessant, sales wear on, thousands of horses, thousands of chain shanks, bidda, biddahererightnow, bidda here, two now 3, three or more yearlings in all, lots of withdrawals due to injury and infirmity. Relatives win big races, and value skyrockets. The full sibling to Authentic sells, or was it to Audible? Blue blood, and thick. Money, money, the tempo unfading, stock moving through, live stock, an introduction for each yearling, most unnamed, known by their sire, and dam’s sire, pedigreed bloodstock, bluebloods going for green, flesh disguised as money. Walking money, walk that talk, Mr Auctioneer, Yes, sir. What’ll you give for this fine filly, sir, 50,000? 50,000 is it, now 100, one now two, 300,000, now 350, forty, and a bidabidabidabidabidabida … money flying off chins, fingers, ear taps, computer clicks, cap tips, eyeglass cues, and nods… sweeps of paper, high-handed salutes bidabida, half the action online, it seems.
Chains, the yearlings are mostly brought in seized with lip chains and nose chains, shanks and rubbers, war bridles of all sorts. A few arrive with the kinder European style bitted halters, which appear preferable, effective, and less harsh. Let me make it clear it should not be about effective restraint, but effective preparation, the horses should all be vetted for behavior. Where sedation is prevalent, amateur horsemanship follows, a direct correlation. The shaved whiskers, the chains, the drugs—a poor reflection on the human/animal bond in Kentucky.
Amateur horsemanship remains perseverant at Keeneland, tolerated and accepted, bidabidamoneymoneynow 50, 100, 150-2, now 250—3. Bida bidabidabidaabidaba 4 resonates, ringing loud as I arrive to restructure the thoroughbred culture conscience, to menace their abuse. Here we go, yet again, first racing drugs, now horsemanship drugs, a lot of pharmaceutically-sedated yearlings. Keeneland sale drug-use of behavior modification drugs without apparent restriction.
I have a veterinary eye for veterinary-induced behaviors. It is disappointing to see that a significant percentage of the Keeneland yearlings are doped, sedated to manage their lack of appropriate preparation. Of course, as my readers and students and teachers know, my horse-care criticisms are unbounded. The most significant issue this time is the shaving and clipping of vibrissae, removing the facial whiskers with malice aforethought, amputation of essential sensory organs, which elicits much of the perceived need to sedate the yearlings.
This must stop, such an egregious outright abuse of yearling thoroughbreds by Kentuckians who should know better. I aim to make the world a better place for horses, the racehorse world in particular, and the vibrissae clipping, drugging, and chaining of the Keeneland yearlings must be regulated for their sake.
Sid Gustafson DVM
Reference links and suggested readi
https://horsesport.com/magazine/behaviour/ethics-legalities-trimming-horses-whiskers/
https://www.animallaw.info/statute/germany-cruelty-german-animal-welfare-act
https://www.animallaw.info/sites/default/files/lralvol9_p159.pdf
“ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731107000420
“Dignity is each animal’s inherent worth that humans must uphold in their relationships with that animal. This means that we must respect each animal for himself or herself (including individual particularities, behaviours, and prefer- ences). We must therefore take that unique worth into account and hold each animal in high moral regard, independent of our own impressions, opinions, and experiences. As such, animals’ inherent worth should not be tied to their instrumental usefulness, nor to their sentimental, heritage, or market value.
Strain is a physical or psychological action by a human being to impose a benefit. In extreme cases, the term also includes any violence applied to animals to force them to do something against their will or to prevent them from doing what they want. The definition also covers the negative consequences of such actions. Strain always affects dignity. Dignity is only comprised, however, if overriding interests cannot justify it. This is the case, for example, when animals are subjected to pain, suffering, or harm, or exposed to anxiety or humiliation, or undergo interventions that profoundly alter their appearance or abilities, or are excessively objectified as instruments, also known as instrumentalization (Art. 3 AniWA).
The AniWA (art. 4) prohibits the unjustified 1and unnecessary imposition of strains on animals (injury, pain, stress, restriction of freedom, violation of dignity, overwork, etc.). Implicit in this standard is the need to weigh the different interests of the parties involved (humans, animals, and the environment) to determine whether the strain is justified. If its impact on the horse outweighs the interests of the other parties, the strain in question is abusive and amounts to a contempt of dignity.
The concepts of pain, suffering, and harm are not easy to distinguish, but understanding them helps to clarify any impairments to welfare. Pain is characterised by an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with real or suspected tissue damage (lameness, colic). It is noted that donkeys do not show pain as blatantly as horses do; they remain more stoic. Animals experience suffering as negative emotions that affect their quality of life and impair their welfare. Suffering is expressed through abnormal behaviour and body language (facial expressions, ear position, postures, etc.). Harm is manifested by loss of functionality or behavioural disorders, such as limited responsiveness to stimuli. It appears when animals are pushed to extreme levels of adaptation."
British law forbidding tail docking from 1949:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/70
Dr Gustafson graduated from Washington State University as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. He is a practicing veterinarian, animal welfare journalist, equine behavior educator, and novelist. The application of behavioral science to the husbandry of horses enhances optimal health, performance, soundness, contentment, and longevity. Behavioral, social, locomotory, and nutritional strategies enhance the prosperity, vigor, and health of stabled horses. Sid offers veterinary care, training, husbandry, and conditioning from the horse's perspective to achieve willing and winning equine partnerships with humans.
