Lost his passion for horse racing

Dear Editor:

I was once a fan of horse racing, but lost my passion for the sport long before Eight Belles crashed into the dirt on shattered ankles after the Kentucky Derby. Thoroughbred horses are bred for speed and the side effect is weak limbs that snap like twigs. They are run two years before their bodies are fully developed, resulting in the breaking down of joints, tendons, and bones.

I have a beautiful thoroughbred mare who spends her days at my farm munching grass. She is one of the lucky ones. She wasn't fast enough. Her racing career was short, and she was sent to auction, where she would likely have been bought by a "kill buyer" for a slaughterhouse. Luckily, she was instead purchased by a rescue group.

Ten years later, she still suffers post-traumatic stress. She is terrified of whips and tightened reins, a reminder of what jockeys used to do to her to induce panic and speed.

I didn't watch the Kentucky Derby. I can't support that type of animal abuse.

My desire to sip a mint julep while sporting a wide-brimmed hat isn't as strong as my concern for horses' welfare. Thank you, Marnie Gray Chester, SC