Anyone watching the Grand National?

[PinkLemonadee]

Just put it on to see protesters being dragged off the track. Feel bad for the horses in the ring, it looks warm and there's so many people about.

I have owned many race horses. I know racing yards. I’m not changing my views.

I do not agree with the Grand National and think yesterday's should be the last one. I did not watch it.

As for the protests, my first thought was how amateur and self defeating they were. Running or trying to get on the track is about as likely to get support for the cause as Extinction Rebellion protesting on the DLR.

@TizerorFizz that's fine as long as you can live with yourself supporting something that abuses horses in the name of sport and where a high % end their days being shipped abroad in appalling conditons for meat.
Just please dont ever call yourself a horse lover!

That's fine, I have many friends who feel the same way. I had a light bulb moment yesterday - had had a lovely day with my own horses - they'd been so sweet and willing all day - was absolutely horrible to come home and watch that tide of horses basically being dashed on the rocks. I'd be quite happy if it was banned. Not racing altogether though.

Fifty thoroughbreds have died in the UK since January this year just on the actual racetrack alone.

https://www.horsedeathwatch.com/ is a useful website for keeping track.

I don't get so worked up about heart attacks as that can happen to horses in work at any time. I think the GN deaths from falls are totally preventable.

Honestly, take ex racecourses if you own horses. You know perfectly well they are bred to race and jump. They can die in a field! Or cantering. One of mine did! All types of horses can be neglected as very many are. Or just left with a boring life as cannot be ridden. Just kept as bored pets. Better to race than have no horse life at all. How come no one protests when the RSPCA rescue emaciated horses! They haven’t had any love and attention! People just focus on racing because they are ignorant and poorly informed.

It’s definitely not legal and so I’m not sure what countries it goes on in tbh and like you I don’t like looking it up too much.

This was just in response to a poster who said horse racing is fine as they’re not bred to be pets, they’re bred to race and she thinks it’s fine because she enjoys it.

Multiple posters have also said because they do it then they must enjoy it - which is ridiculous.

That's not the case @TizerorFizz . I am very far from ignorant and poorly informed and I think the GN is absolutely wrong.

If delays to the race start caused deaths, why did the start time go from 3.15 or whatever it used to be years ago to 5.15? If parading for a long time caused deaths, why do the horses perform an extended parade for this race every year? What's the excuse for the horse earlier on (I wouldn't recommend looking at what happened to the poor animal because it was hellish, the video clip appeared in my twitter timeline). The protesters are just being used as scapegoats for what inevitably happens when 39 horses abreast are galloped at top speed towards a fence where there isn't anywhere near enough room for them to get over together. Like last year for example.

(and if your horses are breaking their legs in the field, why on earth weren't you checking for holes? I have never come across that in real life)

No horse would chose to race over living in a field. This shows your woeful lack of knowledge of horse psychology and welfare. No horse would chose to spend 22 hours per day in a stable rather than in a field.
Of course they cam die in a field, that is unavoidable, but deaths in racing are avoidable and are purely a result of that sport.
No-one is saying that lads and lasses don't love the horses they look after but please don't pretend you like racing for any other reason than making money out of animal abuse.

Racehorses lead extremely unnatural lives whilst on training. Even the backing at 1-2 yrs old is cruel and leads to major skeletal issues eg kissing spines when they are older. In other equestrian disciplines No horse is backed until it it 3 yrs old as this is when the growth plates have closed.
People focus on racing because it perpetuates abuse in the name of sport.
220 horses dying on racetracks every year is not something to be proud of.

Not lying
I posted the article from the Guardian.

Haha exactly! IMO the horses shouldn’t even be there to wait.

Good on them for giving it a go.

Tbf horses can injure themselves badly enough to be euthanized when they are out in the field. One of my sister's horses got stuck in a fence, broke it in panic and impaled itself on the post.

The first thing I do in the morning is watch them moving towards me to see if any are on three legs!

If they love racing so much, is it kind to keep them cooped up in stables for so much of the time? Why not at least let them run around outdoors more?

Could it be because that way the owners risk not being able to make so much money out of them?

Of course they are bred to race and jump.
They can of course die at any time, just like anything else.

You can enjoy horse racing like the GN as that’s your choice but you cannot say you love horses and care about their welfare as that’s not possible.

The protesters care about horses and their welfare more than you do as they are protesting to make horse racing safer.

If anyone truly cared about horses and racing then they too would want as safer race and as least stressful race as possible for the horses.

But they don’t want that they want to cram loads of horses in together and have ridiculously high fences, knowing that thst increases the risk of injury and possible death as that’s what their viewers want to see.

Compromising animal welfare simply for entertainment (and money) purposes is a disgusting thing to do.

Please note
The Grand National is a three day event.
Please don’t call out MN as liars without understanding the comments fully.

I think most people think of the GN as one race. Aintree is the event.

The horses run, and continue to run riderless, because their brains and bodies flood with panic herd flight response to triggers such as coming to the starting blocks and then seeing other horses run.

you know this if you ride a leisure horse in a racing town and note his reaction to even just hearing the hoof beats on the gallops. Mine, a dressage horse, basically loses his mind. Total panic and takes him ages to calm down.

The abuse in racing stables (ulcers are rife, about 80 to 90% are affected) are the least of it.

My friend an equine vet hates being duty vet at races. He says you will never call these animals cosseted no matter how gleaming and fit they look in the paddocks. He says between their lives and the lives of Romanian horses bred for slaughter he would prefer the latter. Both make their final journeys under terrible conditions but the Romanian horses at least lead more natural lives.

Please note
The Grand National is a three day event.
Please don’t call out MN as liars without understanding the comments fully.

Erm...

Perhaps you need to do a bit of basic research

OT, but my vet says the worst injuries she's seen are from Polo

She also had to take a sabbatical after working in Kentucky for the eventing as it was so hot all the horses were colicking

The Grand National is a steeplechase and the highlight of
Aintree's 3 day Grand National Festival

= 3 days
= 3 dead horses

Oh dear Vincent, I don’t like polo either. I mean it just seems like so many accidents waiting to happen, and the number of ponies that simply collapse and die of a heart attack after a what’s it called, pucka?

Yes but that would be an accident. Forcing them to race at high speeds over high jumps is not an accident it is preventable.

I was listening to LBC this morning , they were discussing this subject .

One caller was a Vet* who was a Veterinary Officer (though not involved in the GN yesterday)

*I have no idea if LBC check the credentials or like on MN just say it is taken on trust .

The presenter said the usual "Oh they love to race they carry on running and jumping etc"
She said it is because they are herd animals , they need to stay with the safety of other horses
On a track the adrenaline will be surging which is why an injured horse will still run,
And on the tracj the vets are there in seconds . Not like a domestic or yard injury where a non-adrenilised horse will wait for attention.

It was also stated they don't go into the meat market as they are given drugs which would make this impossible ,

And this is my opinion:

I guess they'll end up as petfood ?
Or there's the unthinkable alternative that they are transported without pain relief to avoid the dtug contamination.