What Georgians Need to Know About Horseracing

WHY WE MUST KEEP IT OUT OF GEORGIA

Horseracing is a Failing Industry gradually getting kicked out of other states in the U.S.

"But Horseracing is big colorful hats, the Kentucky Derby, beautiful horses and people, right? Why should I vote against horseracing???"

What you see on tv is a glamourized, fictitious portrayal of the sport. Racehorses are not allowed to be horses. Even though horses are naturally social, herd animals, that should graze most of every day, racehorses are not allowed to do any of those things. They live a lonely, isolated existence. They are contained to their 10' x 10' stalls whenever they are not training or racing, about 23 hours a day. That is their lives until they are no longer useful and then they are discarded to the highest bidder. They are trained and raced too young, before their bodies are fully matured and suffer constant injuries. They are fed medications to mask the pain to get them through races and training. Racehorses often die on the racetrack or the training track. Over a thousand a year and those are the ones we know about.

TODAY’S HORSERACING INDUSTRY IS KNOWN FOR:

GENEROUS GAMBLING SUBSIDIES
Federal criminal indictments in the national press
HORSE FATALITIES
ILLEGAL DOPING
NEW FEDERAL REGULATION

The doping and fatalities of American racehorses and the indictment of 27 major trainers and veterinarians in the national news led to THE FEDERAL HORSERACING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY ACT OF 2020 that will be overseen by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency under the FTC.

The “Georgia Horse Racing Commission” proposed by this state legislation to "oversee" racing and enforce rules will not be independent but instead will be made up of the very individuals who stand to make money on horseracing here – racehorse owners & trainers - effectively putting the FOX in charge of the HEN HOUSE.

"But won't horseracing bring jobs to Georgia???"

The 'billions in economic impact' promised by the gambling lobby will not materialize. Ancillary track jobs are low-paying and low-skilled. Jobs related directly to horseracing, such as jockeys, trainers, stewards, vet care, grooms, walkers, exercisers, outriders, farriers, etc. will go to out-of-state individuals because they will need to be experienced to be hired. It is an unsustainable unprofitable business model as evidenced by tracks closing every year.

For several years now, the gambling and horseracing industries have tried to get legislation passed in the state of Georgia to allow pari-mutuel gambling on horseracing because without it, racing horses IS NOT PROFITABLE. If they get parimutuel betting legalized, it will pave the way for casinos next. That has been their motis operandi in other states. Get horseracing approved, cry poverty a few years later and ask for more gambling to keep the "jobs" they've created. Then once the horseracing is not necessary, they will "de-couple" it and shut the track down.

THE COST TO GEORGIA TAXPAYERS WILL BE ENORMOUS

Georgia’s taxpayers will have to pick up the tab for the horses the racing industry discards (those that lose races or cannot be raced) at anywhere from 0 to 8 years old. HISA will not protect those horses once they leave racing. THAT will be left up to the already underfunded and understaffed GDA and Georgia's individual Animal Control agencies across Georgia to ensure that horse is cared for properly and up to Georgia’s animal lovers to ensure that horse does not end up in a kill pen bound for slaughter. A horse can live to the age of 30. Just 100 additional horses every year will cost Georgians over $200 million to care for the remainder of their lives. The aftercare programs this legislation contains will only contribute a few dollars a year, nowhere near the amount needed to absorb the costs of care. It costs >$9k a year to care for 1 HEALTHY (non ex-racehorse) horse in Georgia, while 1ex-RACEhorse needing rehabilitation, re-training, and medical care can cost >$15k a year. Georgia already has equine rescues for its existing homeless horses.

PLEASE HELP KEEP HORSERACING OUT OF GEORGIA by asking your Georgia State Senator and Representative to vote no:

"But isn't Horseracing the "Sport of Kings"???"

Maybe at one time horseracing was the pastime of the rich and the royal, with the love of the horse as its centerpiece. Those days are long gone. It is now an industry known for ruining their horses for life just for purse money.

FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE:

openstates.org

Similar to Georgia's dogs and cats, horses suffer from overpopulation which results in homelessness, neglect and slaughter. Georgia cannot afford to add more horses to the humane issues it already has. Our research on the issue is detailed in the Fact Sheet.

2023 HORSERACING FACT SHEET for legislators.png

They deserve better.

for HER...

And for THEM...

HORSERACING FACT SHEET

The racing industry is not at all concerned about the horses that make a living for them and discard them if they are not winning enough money or can't be used as stud. This creates an economic burden as well as a humanitarian issue for the states that allow them in. We don't want it here.