Horse slaughter: Life after the track

The arrest of thoroughbred breeder Ernie Paragallo led us to do a little digging. We found life after racing is not always glorious for thoroughbreds.

The Humane Society of the United States says 20 percent end up at slaughter annually.

"We've lost Kentucky Derby champion Ferdinand, Kentucky Derby champion Exceller, many stakes winners are pulled from the slaughter pen," said Susan Hamlin, New York State legislative director of the Equine Welfare Alliance.

They fail to perform. So they are sent to slaughter, crammed onto overcrowded trailers, often injured on the ride, stunned, then hung upside down with their throats cut so they bleed out.

The end result - butcher them and sell their meat for consumption in Europe or Asia.

Right now there are no slaughter houses in the United States. Horses here are shipped to Mexico or Canada.

But without a federal ban, states can pass their own laws and some are moving to open facilities now.

Legislation is pending in Washington, but so far has always failed.

"It comes down to special interests that represent a very narrow population," Hamlin said..

The American Association of Equine Practitioners tells NewsChannel 13 it's not pro-slaughter, but has not supported the legislation because it feels slaughter is symptomatic of the larger problem, the growing number of unwanted horses.

Thoroughbred owner John Hendrickson says if you choose to breed, you should be responsible for the entire life of the horse.

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"Every owner should not only take care of their own but look out for the overall good because this isn't right these million dollar horses someday may end up as ten dollar meat," said Hendrickson.

He, along with Trainer Nick Zito and his wife Kim, try to keep track of their horses, even after they're sold.

"I have this thing, I put a little sticker on everybody's jockey club foal papers. It says if this horse needs a home when it retires please call and then I put my name and phone number," said Kim Zito.

Retirement can come early for thoroughbreds too.

A thoroughbred named Snow Bank was pulled off a track in the Finger Lakes just months ago, already done with her racing career at the age of three. She was emaciated, had a skin condition and a leg injury. She is recovering now at Peaceful Acres in Schenectady County.

Once  healed, rescues there often go on to rescue people in therapeutic programs.

"What can a horse do? Absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing, be in a field and work with a kid that's been the victim of a sexual crime and when that kid feels better and feels stronger, what has that horse just done by eating and being in a field? It saved a kids life," said Peaceful Acres founder Nanci Beyerl.

Some major tracks, including Churchill Downs in Kentucky, will permanently revoke the stall of any owner or trainer who is caught selling horses for slaughter.

The New York Racing Association which operates the Saratoga Race Course and two downstate tracks doesn't have rules penalizing trainers and owners for selling horses to slaughter.