Animals Used for Entertainment
THE SECRET LIVES OF NYC'S CARRIAGE HORSES
By Mace Walgrave
New York City is known for their iconic horse drawn carriages that are available to the public. They can be seen on the streets by passersby, in movies and on TV shows, and used as props on advertisements and brochures. I am here, in this blog, to say that this activity needs to be ban from the city of New York and any other metropolitan area that subjectifies any animals to this kind of trauma and stress. Close your eyes and think of an ideal environment for a horse. I’ll bet what came to mind was a spacious green pasture or a big barn full of yellow hay. What you probably didn’t imagine was a vast concrete jungle with some of the busiest streets in the world full. |
THE PROBLEM WITH HORSE RACING
By Carly Phillips
When a person is asked to think about exploited non-human animals used for entertainment, the brain usually goes to the most well-known cases. The whales and dolphins in their fishbowls in Sea World. The animals cramped in cages in zoos all across the country, across the world. The elephants and lions and tigers who have all of their natural instincts “trained” out of them, so they are docile enough to be let in front of a crowd. However, no one usually gives a second thought to horses bred for racing. Why would they? Horse racing is just a sport, it’s fun for all parties involved. Apart from the fact that, on average, close to ten horses died each week at American racetracks in 2018. If you do the math, that’s five hundred and twenty horses dead in a year. These deaths are due largely to unnatural reasons that are directly connected to the act of racing, and that is why racing needs to be outlawed in the United States. |
WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES: WHEN NONHUMAN ANIMALS ARE USED FOR HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT
In fall 2019 students in the Animals and Society class did a series of optional projects to help us understand some issues in more depth. One of these projects was to watch either the documentary Blackfish or Lolita to learn more about orcas (sometimes called “killer whales”) in captivity. After watching this movie students thought about other species of animals who are used in different types of industries for human entertainment. Each participating student set out to learn more about how a species and industry of their choosing. Unfortunately, no one identified an industry in which other species are well cared for in the pursuit of human entertainment. Here are a few of the entries describing how various species used across a range of industries.
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WHIPLASH
By Olufolajimi "Jimi" Onadipe
Thoroughbreds are a breed of horse developed in England solely for the purpose of racing and jumping. Most thoroughbreds have short leg bones, delicate heads, wide chests and thin bodies. When they reach two years of age, they are allowed to race and typically they spend their lives on the horse track until they are five years old. On the racetrack, they are whipped violently by jockeys to run faster. Whipping horses in order to have them race faster against other horses for human entertainment is a cruel way to exploit the breathtaking speed they are blessed with. |
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SUPPORT ELEPHANT TOURISM - THAILAND
By Jenna Thompson
The beautiful country of Thailand is well known for the nation’s symbol – elephants. Many tourists flock to the attraction of riding elephants and taking photos with them since it is considered a once in a lifetime opportunity that is hard to pass up. Imagine feeling each step a massive elephant takes beneath you, one-by-one. However, many visitors are unaware of the harmful consequences and continue to support elephant tourism. |