[freestyle2music]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

[ec412]

that is soooo sad...the horse looks absolutely terrified!

[ridgeback]

Now that lion and tiger just need to jump off that horse straight onto the guy with the whip...pathetic.

[JRG]

How are we going to this country for the Olympics? How can we as nations support this? Because that is essentially my feelings on us sending our animals over there to compete.

[Huntertwo]

Just another reason why I can't stand that country. No regard for life whatsover. Reading the rest of the article was even more sick than the pictures. F'ing savages...

[WindyIsles]

And this is the country that is hosting the Olympics...

[BlueMoonJumper]

I completely agree that what's going on in that article was sick and disgusting, but lets not implicate an ENTIRE ETHNICITY for the acts of a VERY SICK FEW. Blanket statements regarding an entire nation just don't have a place anymore.

Remember Hitler anyone?

[Huntertwo]

I completely agree that what's going on in that article was sick and disgusting, but lets not implicate an ENTIRE ETHNICITY for the acts of a VERY SICK FEW. Blanket statements regarding an entire nation just don't have a place anymore.

Remember Hitler anyone?

Yes, but this is 2008 and if a Country stands behind this kind of behavior, condones its and does NOTHING to outlaw this disgusting animal cruelty, then I do consider it an entire Nation issue.

[Petstorejunkie]

Poor ponies, if they survive their carreer they'll be the most bombproof ponies in history.
Can you imagine?! In order for that horse to obey it has to go against all of its instincts. wow, that's really sad.
and besides all that, the big cat's claws are clutching onto that horses' withers.

[BlueMoonJumper]

I honestly don't know what the laws are in China regarding animal cruelty - do you? Not trying to start an argument, just wondering. We here in the U.S. have lots of animal cruelty laws that often go un-enforced because the local enforcement are overwhelmed...perhaps that is part of what is happening there although to a worse degree because China, despite it's now-explosive economic growth, is still a 2nd world country and not as developed as we are in terms of "rights" both animal and human.

I am just imploring that we NOT be racist, and think lesser of Chinese people as a whole and condemn them ALL for the obvious, infuriating failings of those sick people who run the zoo/show and the government officials who can not/will not do something to end it. For every effed up psycho, there are many thousands that are GOOD PEOPLE.

That's the only point I wanted to make.

[NOMIOMI1]

Ok I'm sorry but when I saw that second picture I had to laugh. I know its cruel and absolutely inhumane but the picture just looks so bizarre (sp?). WHY ON EARTH WOULD SOMEONE PAY FOR THIS??? Its like the roman coleseum how weird can you get to attract some people!!

[3horsemom]

how do you not implicate the entire country? this is not one sicko, this is an industry. there are no animal cruelty laws in china....good god they toss out baby girls to die..........why on earth do you think as a country (and/or goverment) do you think they care about animals?
stallion fighting, bear baiting, eating tiger penises all in a normal day behind the great wall.

[Badger]

the big cat's claws are clutching onto that horses' withers.

I didn't see any claws or any teeth, I bet they've all been removed from the cats.

[Huntertwo]

I didn't see any claws or any teeth, I bet they've all been removed from the cats.

I feel as bad as I do for the big cats as I do for the horse. How humans, and I use that term lightly, can do this for entertainment I'll never know.

The rest of the article was as disgusting - Throwing live animals to Tigers for tourists?? Putting a muzzled Tiger in a cage with an Ox?

[BlueMoonJumper]

OK, from a quick google search, I see that there are no laws on the books yet, but there is a movement towards it and it is indeed a known issue. According to some of the articles in read, there are MANY Chinese who agree that the practices are cruel, and very aware of what other countries especially the U.S. think of what's going on.

Thus, not every single one of the 1+ billion Chinese is a disgusting human being. YES, things need to change, like YESTERDAY, but again, lets not allow ourselves to hate every single Chinese person just because they have the misfortune of being born there; it doesn't mean they all condone it. Ok, done. Thanks for reading.

[blueskye]

I'd just like to note that while in Leipzig, Germany, last spring, I saw ads posted all over town announcing an upcoming circus with this very same act. I believe the ads I saw featured a tiger rather than a lion and the pony was a beautiful gray-white typey little thing with its head cranked in by mega tight side reins...as if the tiger wasn't enough! Ring a bell Theo?

I'm not condoning this activity, just pointing out that China doesn't have a market on animal cruelty serving as entertainment.

[Shiaway]

Let's not forget skinning racoon dogs alive!

I have several good friends who are chinese. But I still feel that China is one of the worst places to be an animal. I think the only thing we can do is stop buying things made in China. Money is the only thing that will speak. Right now China cares only about moving up in the world economically. Money talks.

[MistyBlue]

Not only is that a nervous horse...both those cats are showing classic signs of extreme nerves too. Not to mention both cats being in rough condition...the lion has teeth...you can see the tip of one in one photo. Most likely altered teeth though...blunted and capped or some countries will file the tips of the long teeth down until they hit nerve so the animal is very unlikely to try biting. They then feed it ground meat since it can't bite without being in pain. China is known for this practice...the country is very well known for being excessively cruel to animals for human entertainment and for making income. They're one of the top causes for tigers being on the endangered lists...believing tiger penis to have powers if ingested. They mass kill whales every year...claiming the right as scientific research. (but they sell all meat, oil and blubber and don't perform any tests)
A nation can be judged on how it treats it's animals...Ghandi

[HuntrJumpr]

Some of the comments here are -- in my opinion -- slightly uncalled for. There are a lot of "misdeeds" in China and I would certainly agree that this is among them. However - to call them all "savages" and just because "this is 2008" means absolutely nothing. People said but "this is the 1940s" during Hitler's era too. And just because he was a wack-job says nothing about the Germans as a whole. And 3horsemom -- ever heard of "Rocky Mountain Oysters?" Please tell me how that is different than eating tiger penises. Different animal, same concept.

Knock the government, knock whats shown in the picture, but honestly -- some of the comments are ridiculous and naive. Not to mention, probably coming from people who had never been there.

Be glad that, although there are MANY shortcomings that the country needs to work over, there has been serious improvement.

[rebecca yount]

I think that it is absolutely disgusting that ANYONE is thinking of sending horses to this horrible country.

With their human rights issues, and animal treatment issues, how on earth they got the Olympics is beyond comprehension.

I did read that they are thinking about relaxing censorship for the Olympics.

Big WHOOP!

What a bunch of idiots. I think all riders and horsemen should boycott the Olympics.