![]() Cano Transport owner Alberto "Cano" Santiago was also contacted by text but did not respond. I don't think it is fair, and it's going to hurt racing in Puerto Rico, absolutely."īloodHorse contacted by email executives with Puerto Rico's two owners organizations-Confederación Hípica de Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Horse Owners Association-but those emails were not answered. "It is sad to see this because many people are not going to be in a position to compete with the rich people. Requiring these bigger containers, there is no way the people shipping these horses can survive," Pomales continued. "The racing community had been enjoying shipping horses to Puerto Rico this way because they get a break in the price. They have everything they need to get there well. They have plenty of care and are given antibiotics. "The people behind this change shipped horses this way for years, why wasn't it cruel back then? We had one bad incident and that was unfortunate but they improved the dividers in the containers. "Why now? When we have been shipping these horses for more than 20 years?" he asked when contacted by BloodHorse. As for the Standardbreds, to change it completely, we have put enough information out there that other groups can get behind it and act on it."įlorida veterinarian Hiram Pomales, who has signed off on the health certificates for horses being shipped by boat to Puerto Rico for about 20 years, said the new regulations are unnecessary and unfair. "I think it will stop what I see as inhumane and cruel treatment of these racehorses. Jose Garcia Blanco, a veterinarian and bloodstock agent who was interviewed as part of the commission's investigation. "I would have liked it better if we had a way to prohibit this kind of treatment for all horses, but if this order changes things economically so that it is as expensive to ship these horses by boat as it is by air, then I'm good with it," said Dr. The Standardbreds shipped to Puerto Rico are frequently used for unregulated racing events. The Racing Commission's new regulations go a long way toward improving the travel conditions of the horses being shipped, but they only apply to the shipment of Thoroughbreds involved in racing because they are the only type of horses the agency has jurisdiction over. The tight space, poor air circulation on the boats, and having their heads tied predispose these horses to serious health problems such as pleural pneumonia and laminitis. Horses, commonly 10-12 but sometimes up to 15, are loaded from one end to the other and stand side by side as if in a starting gate and remain in the container for more than three days. ![]() The containers used for cargo shipping are 40-foot steel boxes with windows cut out of the sides, metal hay racks welded inside, wooden dividers installed to separate the animals, and a fan affixed to a small window on one end to circulate air. While many horses have survived this trip in the past, a majority also later suffer from illnesses related to dehydration and the stress from shipping, according to Puerto Rican owners, breeders, and the founders of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare. Shipping by cargo boat came under scrutiny after an April 2019 incident in which eight horses died while in transit and one had to be euthanized at the port in Puerto Rico because of its extensive injuries. Gradually horses in training were added and now most horses being shipped are inexpensive Thoroughbreds claimed at various United States tracks, along with Standardbred racehorses. said only broodmares were sent on the cargo boats. An owner spends $1,400 per horse to ship by cargo ship versus $2,500-$3,000 to ship by air. Puerto Rican owners and agents gravitated toward the sea route instead of shipping by plane to save money. Beginning in the early 2000s, TOTE Maritime out of Jacksonville, Fla., began allowing the shipping of horses in modified cargo containers. Puerto Rican racehorse owners have been shipping horses for about 20 years. The new rules, which go into effect March 28, were hailed by some as a desperately needed overhaul of a practice long considered inhumane, while others saw unnecessary government intrusion that will unfairly hurt racehorse owners who aren't among the industry's wealthiest players.
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