A Canadian Family

Quebec Horse Racing: “a sport offering colour and excitement” or animal cruelty?

1960s Vintage Postcard: Harness Racing in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec

When I opened my Montreal Gazette this morning, this is what I saw –  Ponies put out to pasture, so I decided that this would be a good time to share this vintage postcard of harness racing at the Trois-Rivieres Hippodrome in the late 1960s.

The text on the back of the card describes harness racing as “a sport offering color and excitement”. I’ve never been to a modern horsetrack so I can’t speak to whether it’s exciting, but I can say that even though horse-racing has a century-old tradition in our province, it no longer “attracts large crowds” in Quebec. In fact, Quebec’s horse racing industry has been in steady decline for some time and it’s reached a final crisis over the past few months as first the Trois-Rivieres Hippodrome and now the famous Blue Bonnets Raceway seem to have closed down for good.

Most commentators – understandably – are concerned with the economic hardship this will cause to people such as racetrack personnel and horse-breeders whose income depends on the horse-racing industry, but some Quebeckers have another viewpoint.

Opponents of horse-racing point to the fact that the racing industry in Quebec is not supported by families going to the races for entertainment – it’s supported by gamblers. So, the financial benefits or under 10,000 race industry workers is offset by the social and financial problems caused by the rise of gambling addictions.

Proponents of horse-racing maintain that since the horses are valuable they are obviously well-treated. They are well-fed, receive excellent medical care and are eventually retired to farms as studs or brood mares.

Animal-rights activists argue that this treatment is reserved for elite horses and that many others don’t receive such top-notch treatment. In addition, if  the horses  underperform – or are injured – they are sold to slaughterhouses.

Supporters of horse-racing also say that horses are born to run, are naturally competitive and enjoy their close relationships with trainers, handlers and riders.

Others counter that commercial interests have created such intense pressure that there are many unhealthy practices such as over-training, over-working and the use of performance enhancing drugs. These practices can lead to discomfort for the horses, and sometimes injuries which can lead to the horse being put down.

I think these differences of opinion are really variations of one big question: Should animals have any rights?

It’s not a simple question at all and I’ll give you one example from this blog. I’ve posted several vintage postcards of horses/oxen pulling carts, but when I post  Dog Carts  I often get reactions that are critical to the idea that dogs should be pulling carts.  These comments – and recent conversations with friends - have caused me to reflect on whether those of us who believe in animal rights, believe in animal rights for all animals, or just those that we view as pets – or as relatively cute (e.g. baby seals).

Should animals have rights?

What do you think?

Related Posts:

A Gaspesian Dog Cart at St. Anne des Monts, P.Q.

A Habitant Dog Cart on Gaspe Coast, P.Q.

A roadside Group on Gaspe Highway, P.Q.

Dog Cart, Quebec

Dog Cart, Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec

October 15, 2009 - Posted by Evelyn Yvonne Theriault | . | A Festival of Postcards, animal cruelty, animal rights, harness racing, horse racing, race track