Re: interview with John Phillips in the edition of Jan. 13:
For those of us who are concerned about the survival of our sport and our industry, it is heartening to have John Phillips take a leadership role in addressing the shifting center of public opinion regarding horse welfare.
Yes, some of us (like my partners at Mosaic Racing) have the welfare of our horses before, during, and after racing as our primary mission. That's our choice. But for the industry as a whole, it is clear that racehorse welfare need to become a cost of doing business. Phillips talks of blissful ignorance; yes, but there has long been willful ignorance about the public's growing concerns about what happens to racehorses.
Essentially, the industry needs to deal with what economists call externalities. This means not leaving it to someone else to take care of our horses after we are done with them, but bearing the costs ourselves. As Phillips says, “those who participate in this sport at any level at any location in any role must realize the public demands a good faith effort to address post-race retraining, retirement, or humane management.”
Phillips is right: If we as an industry don't address this, “racing could go the way of elephants in the Ringling Brothers Circus or Shamu at Sea World.” Let's not let this happen to our beloved sport.
Martha Farnsworth, Mosaic Racing Stable
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