Not to tread on the downtrodden, but I'm a bit concerned about this article I read about unregulated horse racing by Mexican immigrants, a sport that's growing throughout the U.S. Apparently, it's a big sport in Mexico to have informal horse races on Saturday afternoons. When immigrants come to this country, it's reasonable to expect that they would want to continue this kind of entertainment. Watching horses race is fun. How much more fun must it be if you're the owner, part owner or know the owner?
So I can understand where this comes from. Admit it. Who among us hasn't raced our friends (well, I probably haven't since high school, but I certainly did then). Racing horses is fun, especially when you are young and never going to die or get hurt. Some horses (not my Couch Potato Thoroughbred, Lucy) find it lots of fun, too. If I could run like that on my own two or four feet, that would be a Big Time.
According to the article, some folks in our immigrant population have horses they race against each other. The jockeys don't wear helmets or riding clothes. They race in blue jeans. So, if the rider isn't properly protected, what about the horse?
If you read the article linked above, you'll see that there are reports of numerous violations at these unregulated tracks. None of the violations mentioned involved the horses. But I'm worried about them.
There's almost nothing I can say that doesn't sound offensive on some level, but I'll try. Well-heeled owners of racehorses don't always provide ideal care. Horse racing can be hard on horses. I know that for these immigrants a horse must be a major investment, so they will logically give it the best in care that they can afford.
I just wish the jockeys wore helmets. And that somebody was looking out for the horses.
Be sure to look at the photos.
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