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.

How they die is just so horrible as well. Broken legs, broken backs. So brutal. Poor animals

The poster makes a good point though and theads do tend to progress to talk about other related issues.

I’m really glad more and more people seem to find horse racing unacceptable, but it brings up the question of using animals unnecessarily in other ways, like for food for many people. I think it’s good to provoke people’s thoughts on the wider issue of animal welfare.

We don’t need horse racing. We do need food, but for many of us that doesn’t need to come from animals. (Those of us with access to other foods and no medical conditions requiring meat) Yet, not everyone who is against using animals unnecessarily for entertainment is against using them unnecessarily for food.

People justify using horses for sport, just like they justify animals for food. When you want to do something, people will say anything to justify it, no matter what it is.

What annoys me most is that these protesters basically pick on the national because its such a high profile race.

50 horses have died racing this year alone. 50!

6 have died racing the Grand National in the past 10 years.

There is so much fuss every time the National comes around.

Idiots.

Why wouldn’t they pick a high profile race to raise awareness for the cruelty in horse racing? They would be silly to pick a random Saturday afternoon race, it wouldn’t raise as much awareness of get people talking about the issues. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@EarlofShrewsbury because what would be the point of protesting at a low level local race with no media there? If you want to get the debate going you need to pick a high profile event to protest at.

The race start is delayed by at least 5 or 6 minutes every year. Some years it has been longer than this year's 14 minutes. It's standard.

The horse wasn’t whipped repeatedly. Jockeys often wave the whip which might appear to be making contact but it is not. There are strict rules about whip use, and to reiterate, the racing whip isn’t a riding crop - it’s padded foam and not painful.

So if I whipped your child to make her run faster with the padded foam 'whip' you'd be ok with that?

The jumps aren’t actually particularly high

I'm not sure how high you jump, but I'd say 140 - 160cm is pretty high. Also some horses are careful and jump over not through, as you can see.

They should just get rid of the whip altogether. Whether you like it or not, the optics are terrible. Racing is going to have to start taking that into consideration.

They are picking the National because of the National’s record, they are picking it because it is one of the most high profile races in the world, perhaps one of the most high profile “sports” that involve animals that die frequently.

They are wasting their time though. Humans couldn’t give a shit about animals, and that will never change.

I’d go for the poster themselves rather than their child. It’s the poster that’s so keen to tell us it doesn’t hurt. 😉

And as I’ve said, I’ve been hit by one. Have you?

''@Alltheprettyseahorses · Today 10:12

The race start is delayed by at least 5 or 6 minutes every year. Some years it has been longer than this year's 14 minutes. It's standard.''

It is not ''standard'' to have idiots trying to glue themselves, or whatever they were trying to achieve, to equipment.

The point is they are adding unwanted disruption and causing additional delay.

I’ve seen someone’s skin after being hit with one repeatedly. It was bruised and sore. I have no desire to be hit with one, it’s not my thing at all. 😉

But you’d be glad for that poster to do it to you repeatedly or for it to be done to your child. Great. Horses can’t consent to that and they shouldn’t be used for ‘entertainment’.

It’s necessary if this ‘entertainment’ is to be stopped, so it’s not unwanted by many people that want this ‘sport’ to end. Things take time to change, but change will come.

I personally can’t wait for the aliens to come down and start racing humans. The smallest of the aliens will ride the humans over the fences, sometimes some humans necks will snap but the aliens will humanely put a laser beam in the human’s head. These racing humans will live in paradise compared with other humans tied up to fence poles next to the launchpads, with just a bucket of water to drink.

I can’t wait for the Coronation ! All I hear is that race horses are treated like kings and royalty so looking forward to seeing Charles stabled in isolation before being paraded in a paddock then raced round Aintree with a jockey on his back, being repeatedly whipped and forced to jump Becher’s Brook , Canal Turn and The Chair ,hopefully not breaking a leg or his neck and being shot before being carted off to the knackers yard ! All in front of the drunken masses, ruthless trainers and millionaire owners hoping to make a quick buck !! After all , we’re told repeatedly that these beautiful innocent racehorses are treated like royalty!!

Yes!

Perhaps we just get our kids to do the equivalent course, one where they may break their necks or legs! They won't mind being hit when we want them to go faster because we will use something padded! Everyone will laugh and cheer and get really pissed while the children, most of whom will be of an anxious disposition, will entertain us all
Hurrah 🥂

so you would be happy for me to hit your child with one?

Well no, because there are no circumstances where it’s necessary to hit a child.

Whips, when used for steering, can be necessary for safety with large running animals, not just in racing. They should never be used as punishment.

but it doesnt hurt? so why cant I hit your child to make her run faster?

No. The horses won't have known there were protesters and if a delay is so dangerous why is there one every year? 14 minutes isn't exceptionally long for that race.

Yeah I'm not sure I really buy the delay argument. Pretty sure thats just a deflection to blame the protestors. We event and we are often delayed starting the cross country phase, sometimes stopped half way round if theres been a fall. Yes horses get worked up but that shouldn't and doesn't make them unsafe.

I thought the whips had a chip in them so over-use is avoided or registered....?
Not that I agree with it in any way shape or form.

For those who care about this, and all other ill-treatment of any and all other life on Earth, I implore you to watch "Earthlings".

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358456/