THE debate regarding drug abuse at pony races seems to be going way off track. I am concerned that those against pony harness racers are showing signs of being too subjective. We must not kill this family sport or any equestrian style. Instead let's continue to encourage fair play like all sports.

It is a shame the focus of recent news articles shifted to pony abuse. Obviously most reporters can instigate debate by sensationalising what they hear and see rather than using actual equine knowledge. Royal Gazette Sports Editor Adrian Robson's Friday Forum opened up a can of worms on cruelty and could have been better received if it had more balance without appearing to favour those against the sport. Instead he appears to be jumping in the fray as a personal hater of the pony racers. His graphic description of ponies in distress was overshadowing a possible real problem of drivers going too fast on the road. Most of us notice the bias – however we should take a look at the sport and use this opportunity to better educate the public and horse world.

We are going way overboard when suggesting a sport is cruel and callous as suggested by a writer. We must also examine the positive and realistic aspects fully. Based on most logical people's thinking if we are going to be that fanatical then a bit in a horse's mouth must also be cruel. I wonder if a horse likes you on their back. Should we not allow men and women to care for horses for sport instead of turning all the horses loose to run wild and free on land that does not exist any more thanks to the industrial and real-estate revolutions? Maybe it's cruel to walk your dog on a leash with the collar around its neck. After all animals can't tell you otherwise. Do you see where I'm going with this subject? All sports whether human or animal oriented are capable of wrong-doing. In the equestrian sports experience, skill, training knowledge, education, rules, enforcement, and good organisation help to minimise abuse. Animal rights people and organisations are needed but they also need to be sensible. While they can support the idea of introducing more ideas to restrict abuses I cannot agree with those who show outright prejudice by wanting the sport to not exist.

Do not make the same mistake that Government made with the Bermuda Day parade where the innocent had to suffer for the guilty. There were no proper controls in place to separate legitimate entries from others and no understanding of the need to encourage good handlers on more docile breeds of horses. Instead everyone was thrown in the same category and the only real riding equestrian group entry with gentle mounts and a parade number was eliminated too. Who pulled the floats before trucks came along? Even Barack Obama's inauguration parade allowed horses because of their role in history. This demonstrated everyone's democratic right without discriminating even against those who love horses. Now a real part of Bermuda's heritage is missing and we may be the only floral float parade in the free world without horses.

Most pony racers know not to race on Bermuda's roads but maybe a penalty supported by Government, the SPCA and the DHPC should be put in place to discourage it. Are we concerned with idiots who overdo it or the majority? I remember driving my harness pony years ago on the road and having trouble to slow him down because he was pulling me so much on the reins. I started to also think I was going too far from home after four miles. When we arrived back at the barn I felt sorry for him and after a bath and a walk cooldown I decided to turn him loose to gather himself. Well, that pony galloped up and down the paddock for an hour before I caught him. Recently a pony ran off after crossing the finish line while being driven in a race by one of the athletes I coach in track and field. The pony decided to do three more laps before poor Darico Clark with the help of others could stop him. Darico's hands were sore in training the next day. Guess what? The pony was perfect.

I am also concerned that the horse people in general are allowing themselves to be divided because of negative reporting on this topic. The focus must not change and we should continue to develop and improve equestrian sports. It must be without discrimination towards all local equestrian disciplines such as western riding, English riding, pleasure driving, harness racing etc. We know there are some who are BEF English-riding supporters who are not fond of harness racing yet the harness racers don't complain about injuries received from jumping. Harness racing also helps finance the development of the very National Equestrian Centre everyone competes in. Don't get caught up in discriminating because based on Government's new drug policy for drug testing all sports, riders and their mounts especially jumpers will be next. It's better to encourage all disciplines to reach international standards or many other equine breeds will disappear in Bermuda.

People with a bias mindset need to be educated that all equine breeds we know today have been developed by man from all the earth's regions to better meet the requirements of its chosen discipline. A trainer realised the horse he was using for a particular job or event had to be bred for it to make both the handler and animal's task easier. Equine parents who were naturally good at the task at hand were chosen to produce offspring who also showed talent. In time breeds were produced as we know today in races, shows and for pleasure. The biggest problems that arose were that each breed specialist thought their equine event was superior. They were also inflexible to learn or be objective to other styles. This is the problem I see with the new wave of horse people and people in general today in Bermuda. If they did not grow up involved in harness racing they don't understand it. In their minds it must be cruel or unnatural. This is wrong. I grew up in a time when Bermuda had a greater variety of equestrian sports and learned to love all styles.

Western cutting horses work a cow without helping them with the reins because they like their job so much. In the early 1990's I was invited to perform a western reining pattern at the Exhibition (Ag Show). I demonstrated this breed trait successfully by doing the riding maneuvers without a bridle. Standardbred harness racing horses have been a tradition in Bermuda since the Shelley Bay era. The name standardbred was given to the breed at a time in the late 1800's when the breed was being developed in the eastern US. These offspring were descendants of the stallion Hambletonian who produced a line of horses which met the standard time of 2 minutes and 30 seconds for a mile required to be a harness racer. With their superior genetics for speed, endurance and hardiness they became the fastest harness racers on the planet. Today they reach speeds of 35 miles an hour and go a mile in under 1 minute 50 seconds. The Trotting Bred Registered ponies we speak of have been bred for decades from their Standardbred horse counterpart to have a fast pacing or trotting gait also and are a relatively new breed. Very seldom they make the best riding type because they find it hard to canter and even their natural road (slower) gait is fast. I hope this helps to resolve some of the misunderstanding when this unique breed of ponies are seen in action showing determination by sweating and foaming from the mouth. Also the whip should only be applied to get a horses attention not to hurt him as insinuated.

Equine racing scientists constantly improve racing gear such as feather light sulky's (racing buggies) etc. The type of form-fitted nylon harness used today makes it even easier for today's speedsters with greatly improved comfort combined with more flexible leg hobbles to further assist their natural movement. Most of all I am impressed with the fact that almost everyone involved in the sport keeps up with the technology.

This island has a great opportunity to be a part of history in the making. No other country is involved in this pony breeds international exposure like selective areas in the US, Canada and Bermuda. It reminds me of what England, Canada and the US have done jointly to improve and develop another driving breed known as the Hackney pony whose genetics are from the Hackney horse. Bermuda also had some of the best hackneys in North America in the 1960's, 70's and 80's. Unfortunately we stopped showing this animated breed. Let's not make the same mistake. Our children should not always have to visit other countries to see everything.

Although horse riding is my preference these days I grew up in a family involved in harness racing and still enjoy watching the stake races in particular at the Bermuda NEC. Unfortunately the track always favours the rail pony because it is a quarter mile mostly-round shaped show track. It limits the real speed of the world class ponies we have. Because of some unfair press we should be concerned that the powers that be will not seriously take the DHPA request for a bigger track. Although conservationists will object, ideally Government should help the DHPC improve its current home to have longer straights because we have some of the fastest harness racing ponies in the world and it is a very popular sport. Respecting that some area residents don't wish it, as an alternative surely a compromise could be made to use the old Shelly Bay venue at times.

For those who think Bermuda's pony racers are pitiful, abusive and going against the will of the animal, it is a proven fact that horses live a longer, healthier life when doing what they were bred to do. The funny thing is tourists comment to me every week that our horses appear to be the best kept horses they've ever seen. It's largely because we import high protein quality grains and hay and have to make an effort to exercise our steeds because of limited pasture land. Ironically according to my old veterinary friend, the late Dr. Paddy Heslop, statistics will show we kill our mounts mostly with kindness because our main problem is colic from overfed horses – not from too much exercise. Overall I think that all of us, including the SPCA, and pony racers do the best job we can.

MIKE WATSON

Owner of Three decades of Bermuda Exhibition Champions

2004 Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration World Championship rider

Exhibition Livestock Committee Member