Jane Smiley, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, describes her passion for horses and her perspective on the world of horse racing. She reminisces on the different horses she has owned, the friends she has made because of racing, and the experiences she had with both. She mentions the harsh treatment of horses in the off-season winters. She also shares about the horses she owned and the horses that she loved. She tells about the things that drew her to racing, like the beauty and personality of the horse. But, she also tells about how she regrets putting her horses in danger on the race track. She believes that the deaths of the many horses at Santa Anita Park could be a signal of horse racing coming to an end. The memories she shares are evidence to the fact that she wouldn’t be sorry to see it end.
Smiley’s purpose is to expose the reality of horse racing and to share her personal experiences. She criticizes the betting in horse racing and the harsh treatment of the animals. Her use of diction helps her accomplish getting her message across. She describes the horses as having “beauty”, “individuality”, “willingness”, and “pleasure in their job”. These phrases help capture and explain her love for horses. However, she explains how the “mistreatment” and “betting” lead her to not be a fan of this sport anymore. She exposes the hidden harshness behind horse racing and gives good evidence to why she is no longer a fan.
Although I am not well-informed about or familiar with the world of horse racing, I agree with Smiley’s argument. I believe that since American racing has not made good enough reforms to fix the issues at hand, like cruel treatment, people should not support this. I believe that it is fair for Smiley to be content with horse racing possibly coming to an end. I grew up riding horses and it saddens me to think about them being mistreated or killed. For this reason, I agree with Smiley’s opinion and believe her argument is fair.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-smiley-racehorses-20190310-story.html
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