Horse 'euthanized' after 96. Gazi Race

In the 96th Gazi Race, "Dollar Man", a horse, broke his leg while passing the 1,600-meter mark. He has then been put to sleep shortly after the race.

İstanbul

Photo: İsmail Karaman's social media

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Gazi Race, held yesterday (June 26) at Veliefendi Racecourse, was postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner of the race was a horse named "Secret Power", jockeyed by Özcan Yıldırım. After the race, another horse was also euthanized.

Dollar Man, who was 3 years old, broke his leg while passing the 1,600-meter mark and could not continue the race.

#HorseRace is Cruelty

Ender Karaman, one of the "owners" of Dollar Man, was by the horse's side crying while the horse was being euthanized.

Journalist and vegan activist Zülal Kalkandelen made a statement on her social media account and said:

"You cannot see this news in the media. Because no one cares about the horses that die on the racetracks! The 3-year-old horse #DollarMan was injured in the Gazi Race today, he was killed with a needle! While the horses were whipped, people watched the cruelty and ate!"

Bu haberi medyada göremezsiniz. Çünkü yarış pistlerinde can veren atları kimse umursamaz!

Bugün Gazi Koşusu’nda 3 yaşındaki at #DollarMan sakatlandı, iğneyle öldürüldü! @_TJK_

Atlar kamçılanırken insanlar zulmü yemek yiyerek izledi!#AtYarışıZulümdür https://t.co/yEUjK0DRWS pic.twitter.com/NQ840lcsTE
— Zülâl Kalkandelen Ⓥ (@veganzulal) June 26, 2022

İsmail Karaman, one of the owners of the horse, said, "Sleep in the light, my beautiful son."

Reasons why horses are "euthanized"

Of the 205 bones in the horse's body, 80 are in their legs.

Horses have evolved to spend most of their day (4-15 hours) on all fours, including sleeping.

Therefore, another factor that complicates the healing process of horses is that, unlike humans, they cannot lie down during the recovery process.

Whether or not an injured horse will be euthanized is a decision left to its owner. Under normal circumstances, there is no reason to kill a horse with a broken foot/leg if the owner wishes to continue caring for the horse.

A watching suggestion

"The Horse Whisperer" (1998) is a movie based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Evans.

After her 14-year-old daughter, Grace, has an accident while riding her beloved horse, her mother Annie, realizes that there is a special connection between her daughter and the horse. She sets up a campaign to find a horse groomer for treating sick horses known as the Horse Whisperers.

Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Robert Redford, Scarlett Johansson

(TY/KU/TB)