The grand national is cruel to horses

[McHappyPants2012]

Alot of the horses will be injured and whipped into going faster, it's also a long race course.

I can't believe people would bet on this event

Of course

It's horrific. I don't agree with any animal 'sport', especially when people are lining their pockets by it.

Of course it is upsetting when horses die in running.

Unfortunately horses are not designed very well, if they break a leg more often than not it cannot be healed, their digestive systems are not well designed either hence the high number of colic fatalities. There is nothing that any of us can do about it.

In my years around horses many die at an early age of all sorts. Others live to late thirties or later. My partner had a racehorse killed in racing by a broken back which was really awful, my DD had a pony collapse underneath her and die two days later while riding at a riding school (colic), I used to ride one with dodgy knees (also riding school) she fell often on the flat and eventually that killed her. It is also very common for fatal injuries to incur while horses are in the field.

My point is that as lovely as horses are they are extremely fragile. We owe it to them to give them the best life posssible whether it is racing or otherwise. As long as they are looked after well nobody can do anymore.

Horses will not run/jump if they do not want too, they are much stronger than any jockey.

Actually, that isn't strictly true. In a tense situation, like a horse race, when the horse is excited, its been well fed up on cereals, primped, boxed to the course, paraded before many excited people, and it knows what's in store when the gates fly open and the herd stampede off, the horse will generally follow. It's a natural instinct. It doesn't necessarily mean that the horse wants to do it, it's just part of its natural survival instinct.

If people know 'horses dont heal so well' then why are people using them in this way then? Its ridiculous. The risk is massively high. And im sorry but they can live a fantastic life withiut being made to put their lives at risk. Nobody can do anymore? How about lowering those jumps?
I'm sick of hearing that horses won't jump if they don't want to. They will if they're trained too.

why can't horses legs be fixed when broken?

Because they can't support their weight on three legs :(

And whilst I'm on a roll, horses are incredibly well designed for their role as part of nature. They were taken out of their natural habitat, modified, and put into an alien environment. Racehorses don't get broken because they are badly made. They break because they are put in an environment that puts strain on their physiology.

horses legs are very fragile things, one overreached stride from a back hoof touching the back of the front leg can snap a tendon in two. tendons cannot be fixed like elastic once they are gone they are gone.
if that is the case "why are people using them this way", my horse damaged its tendon when she galloped up a hill without being asked. horses shouldn't be used at all in that case.
horses can damage themselves walking out of a stable, cantering round the field.
i don't know if you will understand what i am trying to say.

Ahsatan - that's like saying - it's okay for someone to assault me and break my arm because I've fallen down the stairs and broke it before...
Accidents happen naturally, it doesn't mean we have to put them in situations that heighten that risk. For our own amusement.

Perfectly said derpette .

can't they be forced to lie down while the legs get fixed or something?

If they lie down their weight crushes their vital organs and they can die :(

oh really? i didnt know that
how do they sleep at night ?

Their stables usually have pretty deep soft straw bedding so they can lay for short periods. But I'm guessing they sleep stood up too who knows. Some specialist equine facilities do have like harnesses suspended on the ceiling that supports the weight of the horse stood up allowing opportunities for some injuries to be healed but it's traumatic and carries risks of it's own and if a racing horse can't race then it's worthless to those who own and train it and they wouldn't be prepared to pay the thousands of pounds it would take to treat and rehabilitate a horse that may never race again :(

just not getting into this debate again. Its a great race spoiled by too much interference. Disappointed by changes to course (again!) that weren't warranted. Its a great race, a great sport with great horses and brave jockeys - love it and tired of this old chestnut being raised every year.
Racing has put much into animal welfare its actually quite untrue to say it doesn't.

It's not just physical injuries that are the problem. Some horses have had heart attacks on finishing a race :( :(

thats not what i was saying
they can get these injuries everyday not necessarily from racing.

tinymouse they can lay down but not for very long [periods of time, not long enough for bones to heal, and getting up and down would most likely cause more damage than maintained standing.
my horses are lazy old bags and will lay down, rest their heads on their bed and eat hay while laying flat out.

With all due respect it's not a great race. Quite the opposite in fact. Too many horses, half fall over at the first fence. The fences in the past have been too high, sometimes less than half even finish and the animals are exhausted after running a huge distance uphill. What's so great about that?

TinyMouse, horses can sleep standing or lying. They have 'check ligaments' in their legs, that work in reverse kinda, so that when they are asleep and relaxed, their joints stay locked. If left alone they mainly sleep in short bursts of a few minutes.

"if a racing horse can't race, it's worthless to those who own and train it."
That's the problem I have with racing. The ones that can race, are treated like kings. What happens to the ones who can't?

oh thanks for taking the time to explain that to me, i always wondered why they were put down for just a broken leg.

A lucky few may become well loved pets or therapy animals but the rest? Glue :(

its not just racers that are put down for bad injuries, i know it sounds harsh but if you dont have insurance to pay a vet bill even if its your most beloved pet you've had for 20 yrs you have to make a decision.
a friend of mine her pony ate a piece of wire that came from a chinese lantern that had landed in the Field. luckily someone found him in time. he was rushed to the royal vet college they operated and took 3 ft of Colon out. it was touch and go, that surgery and 2 days care with the vets cost £7000 on insurance.

See now, I find that sad and disrespectful. But then so much of human interaction with animals is! Only the lucky are valued. Hamster dies? Buy another. Want a cheap chicken? That's ok, we'll just cram 50 thousand into a big shed and 'force' them. We'll lose a load in the process, but that's ok, the rest only cost 27p to produce!

it will go on, now you have stupid nellies dressing up like fools to attend, it's become just another corporate event to make even more money out of

the poor horses will continue to be abused