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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The grand national is cruel to horses

999 replies

McHappyPants2012 · 12/04/2012 15:20

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

OP posts:
catgirl1976 · 14/04/2012 15:22

Erm.......I'm not sure they were put on this planet for a purpose Hmm
...........I am pretty sure they evolved and we domesticated them (and then bred them)

ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 14/04/2012 15:26

Animals were put on this planet to serve man.

What utter tripe. Are you religious? They were not "put" anywhere - they evolved alongside us, who evolved as well. And because evolution has seen to it that we are apparently "in charge" then it's our duty to look after them and respect them, because otherwise they would be screwed because of attitudes like the one you wrote down Angry.

PurpleRomanesco · 14/04/2012 15:37

Animals were put on this planet to serve man.

So why the bleeding hell do I end up serving mine!? Grooming, Feeding, Exercising, Patting, Scratching and telling them how beautiful they our (in equal measures least I not upset one). I must be a mug.

ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 14/04/2012 15:38
Grin

Me too. And the only animal I own is a damn cat!

catinboots · 14/04/2012 15:41

Er derpette so you're saying your dogs only behave because that's how you've trained them??

They don't enjoy playing fetch no??? Is it just because they're trained???

catgirl1976 · 14/04/2012 15:44

Yup - my cats are of the firm opinion that I exist to serve them (and they'd be right)

My horses takes hours a day to serve care for and a fair amount of sweaty hard work.

No one serves me! :)

catinboots · 14/04/2012 15:45

As the old saying goes:

You can tell a gelding, ask a mare and discuss it with a stallion Grin

Horses are as bloody minded as dogs and toddlers and men

You can guide and shape them but you cannot rule them

GrannyS · 14/04/2012 16:00

It's alright saying the horse loves it and they have a choice. But i think that if you sat down with said horse on the morning of the GN and said" "look mate, big race today, chance you might die on the way round, you still up for it?", there might not be as many runners if they could understand every word you said and could reply.

Marne · 14/04/2012 16:10

But you could say that about any sport Granny, many humans risk their lifes every day driving fast cars, jumping out of planes and riding horses, theres always a risk that they could die. May be the horses would still want to take the risk? Grin.

montysma1 · 14/04/2012 16:18

Are you actually insane?

GrannyS · 14/04/2012 16:19

That's true Marne, humans do risk their lives but they know the risk. Also true that some horses might still go for it!! That's something we'll never know. :)

LottieJenkins · 14/04/2012 16:21

Ive backed OrganisedConfusion! Very suitable for me!!

Marne · 14/04/2012 16:29

oh, look at all those riderless horses still racing with there ears pricked up, poor horses obviously dont want to be there Hmm.

Quite a few fallers but so far all have got up (keeping fingers crossed)

seaofyou · 14/04/2012 16:31

organised gone down sorry! Oh it's awful to watch them go down:( Don't know why I am watching it tbh?

Marne · 14/04/2012 16:32

Looks like one fatality Sad, not many left in it.

GrannyS · 14/04/2012 16:35

I watched too, but through my fingers, shouting every time one went down. There were loads of fallers too. Hopefully all are ok.

GrannyS · 14/04/2012 16:37

My OH thought there might be a fatality but i was hoping not. :(

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 14/04/2012 16:38

I have to say, that having seen the mad buggers, (horses) trying to gaily hurl themselves from the top of the Derby Bank at Hickstead, with their white faced rider hanging on for dear life and trying vainly to stop them, I'd imagine that a fair few horses would still compete if given the choice!

0bviously0blivious · 14/04/2012 16:40

So many fallers this year :(

MyLittleMiracle · 14/04/2012 16:42

Just thought I would point out the horses will continue racing cos its their natural instinct to stay as a herd as they are in the wild safer, so the fact they are still racing is just part of nature. A horse is an animal of flight by nature, not fight. Who won? Just curious.

LineRunner · 14/04/2012 16:42

It looked very much like a horse has died (big black death tent blocking a fence) but it also looked like a jockey was trampled too there.

catgirl1976 · 14/04/2012 16:44

Did look like one :(

MyLittleMiracle · 14/04/2012 16:45

Might be that the horse had to be put out of its misery. I hate reading things like this. (ready emoticon)

Ratbagcatbag · 14/04/2012 16:51

I could be wrong (hope in a way I'm not) but it looks like all the horses got up and I think it was a jockey trampled which resulted in the tent!

Ratbagcatbag · 14/04/2012 16:52

As in hope all the horses are ok, and the injury is a person (sorry - but true) but hope they're ok as well.