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

Are there places for retired racehorses and does the industry contribute - yes and yes.

Just to get the facts right. Neptune Collonges is a gelding so they won't be getting anything for his sperm.

Catgirl I don't get your last post.

Usually at the GN (I didnt watch the build up but assume they did) they do a parade of all the previous winners? Most of whom are now retired

They haven't had to round them up form working down pits, or resucue them from the abbatoir to put the parade together. They are being taken care of.

Hopefully some of you saw that and it will help dispell any ideas that a retired national winner is likely to be mistreated, shot or discarded

Thanks Purple but I doubt they'd listen to us lot anyway.

Anyone remember Dessie? I'm trying to think of a horse that some of you may have heard of, Dessert Orchid?

Look him up, He had a lovely retirement. :)

I'm more worried that being retired means he has been injured by this race. That's all I meant. I doubt we will find out though. They're very good at press releases.

Flighty : "Ob and me go back a way. I assume she just doesn't like me".
Err, Flighty, why would you say such a thing?
What possible reason would I have for not liking you?
I just missed Zukie's post. Thats all. It wasn't personal.

Better to be proactive though Flightty.

flightty - I don't think he was, but if it is the case he will get excellent care and treatment

Paul Nicholls trainer of Neptune who won the GN is actually very open about his horses.

Katie Walsh was using the whip excessively in my view in the final 2 furlongs.

Oh come on, this was hardly slaughter was it zukie? it is extremely sad that the horses died, and it is a terrible waste of life but its what they are bred to do - or should animals not have jobs even if that puts them in danger?

I think the answer is to have an even smaller field. Forty is clearly still too many.

Katie Walsh rode a great race she did really well.

But the horses aren't sniffing out explosives, or catching criminals. They are (apparently) providing entertainment.

The race lasts, what, 7 minutes? And you have 5% fatality rate, and a further 5%+ serious injury rate.

The race is unsafe for horses (and riders).

Fix it; or stop it.

The winner will probably have been a gelding, so will be worth nothing at stud.
If people on here think that he's guaranteed be looked after and pampered for the rest of his life, try reading the story of Hallo Dandy, a past national winner (I refuse to use the word grand - more like shame), who was rescued from a state of severe neglect. The racing industry doesn't care about horses at all.
I hope some people are satisfied that there are two dead horses, killed for their entertainment.
*I've been vegetarian for over 20 years and don't wear leather, but I fail to see the point of the posters who say that if you eat meat etc you can't criticise this dreadful race. If any kind of cruelty or wrong towards animals (or people) is stopped, no matter how small, that is a good thing.

Purple Synchronised ducked under the tape before the start and unseated his jockey. He looked fine after the pre-race incident.

Neptune is a gelding. Owner has horses at home - he will be going there if retired although not up to speed with retirement/reasons for retirement yet.

Yeah, Katie Walsh is a great jockey. Which is why I'm commenting on her like I would if she were a bloke. (And why is annoys me to see her referred to as 'Miss Katie Walsh' by the BBC.)

The third-placed jocky who rode Sea Bass in my view over-used the whip in the last two furlongs.

She whipped the shit out of her horse toward the end. I mentioned it to DH

Referred to as Miss K Walsh as an amateur. Male amateur jockeys referred to as Mr.When they turn professional they lose the prefix.

Also, I think the winning horse is bring retired as the owner found it too emotional watching him race after his previous and more high profile fell and died a few years ago, watching him today probably made him think that it's not worth the risk.