THE EQUINE VERSION OF “HANDMAID’S TALE”
The heartbreaking loss of the legendary racehorse Black Caviar, and later her foal, has cast a spotlight on the exploitation within the breeding industry.
Black Caviar was euthanized shortly after giving birth to her 9th foal. She allegedly was suffering from laminitis, which is likely to have been exacerbated by her pregnancy.
“Black Caviar has been hailed as a hero for horseracing but the truth is she was a victim of a ruthless sport that puts profit above all else”.
“Black Caviar was put on the racetrack first time as a 2yo, and she had no choice but to race just like every other racehorse. And then when she was retired from racing, she was forced to breed. Instead of giving her the retirement she deserved, she was exploited up until the day she died.”
In an interview with trainer Peter Moody, he explained how Black Caviar was prone to poor blood flow in her hooves and that there was no blood flow at all on the day she gave birth, which became the reason for euthanizing her.
“The question that needs to be asked now is, what did the vets know about her supposedly laminetic condition and how long was she suffering from it? If they knew Black Caviar was at risk, why would they continue to impregnate her?
“Pregnancy is well known to exacerbate laminitis in horses who are prone to it. And the added weight to her body from carrying a foal, would without a doubt have caused excruciating pain in her laminitic feet. Was her health compromised by the greed of owners wanting to produce as many foals as possible?”
“We will never know the true circumstances but almost certainly she would be still alive today if she wasn’t treated like a breeding machine.”
EARNED NEARLY $8 MILLION &
NOT DESERVING OF A PEACEFUL RETIREMENT?
Many believed that after earning nearly $8 million and winning 25 out of 25 races, Black Caviar would enjoy a well-deserved, peaceful retirement. Unfortunately, that was far from the reality.
Instead, she was bred relentlessly, producing 9 foals over the course of 11 years. (There were 2 years where she “missed”. She was bred but did not conceive.)
It was the toll of being a broodmare that ultimately claimed her life, just shy of her 18th birthday. (The average horse lives for 25 to 30 years.)
While Black Caviar was spared the fate many other broodmares face—being sent to the knackery—her story has highlighted the grim realities of the horse racing industry.
Broodmares typically have around 10 foals in their lifetime, but some have been forced to produce as many as 16. This is despite the fact that foals are often weaned prematurely, with the bond between mother and baby cruelly severed.
Following Black Caviar’s death, breeders were quick to defend their practices, though many people accused her owners of greed for breeding her so frequently.
Out of the 11 years after Black Caviar retired from racing, she gave birth to nine foals, again, with only two years off due to missed pregnancies.
The process is brutal. When a mare gives birth, and her foal is just a few weeks old, she is often returned to a stallion to be bred again.
The gestation period for a horse is around 340 days, and mares are typically bred back as soon as possible.
It is not uncommon for brood mares to have 10 foals. (THIS is what YOU support when you watch, attend or bet on a horse race.)
Looking at breeding records it’s not hard to find mares who have been bred even more times.
BLACK CAVIAR’S BREEDING RECORD
Her 9th foal is not listed on the record above because he or she died a few days after birth.
Not only is being bred repeatedly and pregnant for most of Black Caviar’s “retirement” days not the life most would envision for a horse who won almost $8 million — but it’s important to note it’s not uncommon for handlers to use a device called a “twitch,” during breeding. It twists the soft part of the mare’s nose to maintain control while the stallion mounts her.
MYTH BUSTED
Some defenders of Black Caviar’s being bred so frequently argued that, in the wild, mares naturally give birth every year.
This, however, is a myth.
According to testimony given during a recent NSW parliamentary inquiry on Brumby populations, experts explained that wild mares typically have a foal every other year, or even less frequently, not annually
Even the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions which are doing its best to eradicate the wild horse population in Australia with barbaric, inhumane methods agrees:
“Feral horses breed in spring to summer and have a gestation period of about 11 months. They can produce one foal a year, but they typically produce 2 every 3 years.”
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