When Horses are Persons
Animal rights activists have considered sentient nonhumans as persons for quite some time. But on rare occasions, the animal-using world deigns to use the term when referring to an animal.
In "Hungary's Spirits Are Back Up, on a Horse," the New York Times' Nicholas Kulish reports that a thoroughbred known as Overdose, who is owned by Hungarian Zoltan Mikoczy, has become "the Hungarian Seabiscuit. He appears to remind Hungarians of themselves: undervalued and underestimated."
Overdose is doing quite well and is on a winning streak, therefore he is worth something. Kulish reports:
“I didn’t buy the horse for business or to make a profit,” Mr. Mikoczy said. “You do not sell dreams.”
Here's my question for Mr. Mikoczy: What happens when Overdose isn't making money anymore? I'm just curious.
Overdose has become a celebrity and a symbol and a sign of hope for Hungary. The secretary of the Association for the Future of Equestrian Sports in Hungary, Zalan Horvath, said:
So a horse can indeed be considered a person to the animal-exploiting world–when said horse is apparently responsible for making an entire country look good. And when he can make a politician look good.
