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The horse racing industry advertises itself as "glamorous," but in reality, exploitation, welfare violations, cruelty, and premature deaths are an inherent and unavoidable part of this industry based on greed.

FACTS:

1. The horse racing industry causes thousands of horses to be born only to be slaughtered or abandoned to an existence of neglect, starvation, and suffering. There are three reasons for this:
   
   1. Very large numbers must be produced annually to generate a few fast ones to be selected to compete. Of the many thousands bred to race, very few make the grade. The rest must be disposed of.
      
   2. During training or racing, injuries are common. Injured horses are also euthanized or sold from one owner to another into increasingly worse conditions.
      
   3. When race horses have finished their career - usually at a very early age, before they are fully mature - they, too, must be disposed of. Their numbers exceed by far the number of humane retirement facilities.

   The above has been found to be true of every country where this issue has been studied, including England, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. In the small country of Macau, for example, approximately 300 horses are imported per year, the same number as are retired. Most of those retired are euthanized. Some who do not make the grade, but who can still race, are exported to race and/or to an unknown fate in China or Vietnam. A local Macau newspaper published photos of healthy horses (some as young as 4 years old) who were no longer fast enough to win races, being lined up and shot, their bodies dumped at a local landfill. The horses were shot because shooting is a cheaper, though much less humane method of euthanasia than lethal injection.

   In the U.S., around 5,000 leave racing every year, the same number who enter it. As in Macau and in every other country where horse racing exists, many end up euthanized or sent into a downward spiral of abuse.

2. Race horses frequently suffer injuries because they are forced to train and race before their skeletal system has finished growing.

   To compete in the races with the largest purses - which are for 2 and 3 year olds - horses must be trained and raced at too young an age, before their bones' growth plates have matured. This causes many lower-limb ailments and injuries, including fractures, pulled ligaments, and strained tendons. Such injuries are common in horse racing.

   Riding horses are started at 3-4 years old, while race horses are often started as young as 1.5 years. Riding horses are brought along slowly and with as little stress to their still-maturing joints as possible, while race horses are forced to run beyond their limits, pounding their still-developing joints into the ground. When the riding horse is just entering his prime, the race horse is ending his career, and possibly his life.

   One study showed that for every 22 races, at least one horse suffers an injury severe enough to prevent him or her from finishing a race. Another study estimated that 800 Thoroughbreds die from racing-related injuries every year in North America. Most owners are not willing to pay high veterinary fees for an injured horse who is unlikely to ever race again, and instead, choose to euthanize the animal.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

A VET banned from keeping animals after she was convicted of gross animal cruelty is facing jail after claiming she did not understand she couldn't keep dogs, horses and a bird.

Julie Tilbrook wept in court yesterday as she held up a photo of one of her horses, telling a magistrate it felt sad and knew welfare inspectors were coming to take it.

RSPCA officers seized two stallions, five dogs and a canary - all in good condition - from her Lara property in January.

Tilbrook yesterday faced Geelong Magistrates' Court to answer eight new charges of owning animals in violation of a court order.

The fresh charges breached a six-month suspended sentence imposed last September after she was found guilty of starving and mistreating 22 horses, some of which were near death.

She was disqualified from owning animals for five years.

The court yesterday heard that Tilbrook last year applied for a stay of an order to remove the dogs, horses and bird so she could appeal the magistrate's ruling.

But it was rejected by a County Court judge on December 20 last year, meaning she could no longer keep the animals.

On January 15 RSPCA inspectors seized a Jack Russell terrier, four kelpies, two stallions and a canary.

Tilbrook, who represented herself, said she was distressed and confused by the judge's decision, and asked her daughters to feed the animals while she got legal advice.

"I told my daughter, 'I'm going to get out of town because I have a feeling they are going to lock me up'."

Tilbrook said she camped "up country" with no water because she feared a set-up.

She said she was forced back to her Lara house because it was being vandalised, but claimed she did not go near the animals.

Tilbrook showed magistrate Michael Coghlan a picture of a stallion removed by the RSPCA in January.

"This is a very sad horse. That is a horse who knows he is the next one. He has seen people come to the property and take away his herd," she said, crying.

Mr Coghlan said Tilbrook organised someone else to care for the animals because she knew the ban was in effect and was trying to get around it.

He said he was satisfied the animals were in her possession.

Mr Coghlan urged Tilbrook to hire a lawyer and arrange material relating to mental health problems.

"You are facing a significant term of imprisonment. It concerns me there may be material that may put things in a different light," he said.

Prosecutor Andrew Halse said the RSPCA hoped to find the animals new owners.

Tilbrook faces court on May 29.

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