I'm beginning to think dog racing maybe more logical than horse racing. As population grows and real estate becomes more expensive, taxes rise and development encroaches, horse farms are going to be less attractive to operate. Growing feed for horses also takes up a lot of land. Dogs are considerably less expensive to keep and much easier to re-home once their racing careers are over. Their life expectancy is less than horses and they can pretty much adapt to being pets in any home, experienced with dogs or not. A horse is a bigger commitment and requires some knowledge of equine care. An ex-racehorse isn't usually as gentle as a Shetland pony and many have leg injuries that will bother them forever. When a 1200 lb. horse falls in a race it is very often an ugly outcome. Although dogs have wipe-outs too, unless they break their backs they can usually be saved. Just compare the difference between a dog with a broken leg and what Barbaro went through.
The greyhound racing industry is now working with rescue organization to find dogs coming off the track homes. Greyhounds have as good or better chance of being adopted as any other dog due to their efforts. And greyhounds make great companions.
Greyhound racing in many countries has serious problems of over-breeding, drugs and corruption, not to mention horrible methods used to dispose of dogs. From the few meeting I've been to in Florida and England I don't think the races could be fixed. I'm a newbie but can pick 10 out of 15 winners, a few exactas and a couple of trifectas at a Florida meeting. My first time out at Wimbledon dogs in England I picked 7 out of 10 winners and 3 exacta including a hurdle race just from reading the form. If the races were fixed that would not be possible. The favored drug in Australia is cocaine rubbed across the dogs gums right before it competes producing significant improvement in performance. Caffeine is still used in places like Spain. There is no way a beginner like me could pick that many winners if doping was going on here.
Betting on dogs is much easier than horses. There are only 6 or 8 runners in a field depending which country you are in. If a dog is scratched, which doesn't happen that often, there is no substitute dog added to the field so the trap stays empty and all dogs start from their assigned gate. There are no jockeys to make bad decisions in running so a dog runs on his own merit every time. The grading system is simple and the fractions will tell you if a dog is fast out the traps and can stay out of trouble. If an incident is going to happen dogs apparently bump or wipe out at the first turn. For me the let down of a lose is somehow easier to shallow than at the Thoroughbred races because of the simplicity; they jump, they chase their very best and no one stops them. Sure sometimes they bump each other but it's okay because it isn't any bodies fault. I can deal with that.
They are magnificent, and they chase because that is what they are born to do naturally, they are sight hounds. Their motivation for running is completely different to horses. Horses are running away, dogs are chasing. I wish I had gotten interested in dog racing years ago, I would have liked to train one. All you need is a treadmill and a hydro pool, and to read, read, read greyhound racing books. Educated trainers make better trainers. I was always put off the dogs by people who thought the sport beneath them (my mother). I enjoy them for the fine canine athletes they are and I don't care about impressing people anymore. I do what I like because I really like what I do and I'm okay doing things by myself. It's a sense of freedom that is as good as winning. All I hope for is that greyhound racing will be cleaned up entirely world wide or closed down in countries that fail to comply with humane standards. The animals are fabulous, they do love to run and their beauty in action makes me teary eyed.
(Photos by Annie Wade)
Jazzman.
Gary, a regular at the track.
