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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2012 18:15

Though flat racing is different as you say CaveMum.

When you watch a show jumper, they have to be presented at the jump by the rider and "told" where to take off. And for some jumps they cannot afford to be too far back (like when it's a combination), so they jump close and practically vertically.

Compare to the hurdler, the jumps are grass/twigs IIRC but racer horses jump "flat" they do a huge leap to clear. The size of the running field has to be taken into account, it's not just a horse landing, could be a dozen.
A jockey can't present his horse at a jump with the same precision as a showjumper, it's just not possible .

You don't hear of many showjumpers dying-I'm sure some do- and also they tend to be a much longer lived horse.

CaveMum · 12/04/2012 18:21

In the interests of a fair and balanced discussion I'd recommend that people take the time to read the following links. They are not "propaganda", merely a presentation of the facts about racing in Britian:

Injuries and Fatalities

BlackOutTheSun · 12/04/2012 18:22

I don't like it at all

A TV show can be cancelled for 3 horse deaths over 2 years.
Yet 5 horses died in 1 race in the Cheltenham Festival, but thats ok?

CaveMum · 12/04/2012 18:26

5 horses did not die in 1 race at Cheltenham this year, they were spread across 3 different races.

As I mentioned before, racing in the USA is very different, and more dangerous, than racing in the UK. Of the three horses that died in the filming of "Luck" (over a 2 year period), one was a freak accident where the horse reared up and fell over, striking it's head on the ground. The tv show was not cancelled because of the deaths, it was cancelled because it had falling ratings and the deaths were an excuse.

ToadsPornFrogsPawn · 12/04/2012 18:32

I love the National, and had a winning bet last year
if you don't like it, don't watch. Worse things happen every day, and the racing industry provides jobs for many people.
Lots of people are killed in hazardous occupations every year. Lots of actions carry risks.
Horses can and do refuse to run

muminthecity · 12/04/2012 18:36

Wow, I am at this thread. I've never really thought about the cruelty aspect before, and had no idea so many horses have died during the Grand National. When my dad offers to put a bet on for me, like he does every other year, I shall say no thank you and will explain why. Thank you OP.

carabos · 12/04/2012 18:54

I have only two words to say on the subject of animal cruelty - not "Grand National", but "battery chickens".

CaveMum · 12/04/2012 18:59

carabos, exactly! If people are that concerned about animal welfare why don't they actively campaign against something that is actually cruel before targeting a heavily regulated sport where 99.9% of the participants return safe and sound?

catgirl1976 · 12/04/2012 19:01

I am a horse love and horse owner and I love the National

It is tragic when horses die and it is very upsetting but racing in itself is not cruel, nor is the national.

My horses a kept on a racing yard - there is no cruelty.

Flightty · 12/04/2012 19:03

Oh I bloody hate the national, LOOOONG thread about it last year, there was lots of arguing. A lot of people made fair points about the way racehorses are looked after, in general terms, but when it comes down to it, it didn't change my mind one bit - this race is all about money and competition and that's for the people, not the horses' benefit AT ALL.

It's nasty and selfish and hideous. It's bad for the horses and it should be banned.

I've never bet on it and never will. Mind you I don't bet on anything anyway but if I did it would be a sport that involved people, not animals.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2012 19:04

I've been a vegetarian for 31 of my 45 years on this earth. It takes alot to sicken me, TBH I get hardened by things I see and unfortunately a bit desensitised.

I've bought F.R. eggs for years (when the shops didn't sell them, I bought from a farm where I knew the chooks were F.R)
Chickens are probably one of the worse off of farmed animals.

Aribura · 12/04/2012 19:08

Excuse me whilst I eat a ham sandwich. That's okay cruelty to animals, because it's not a pretty horsey running down a field, is it?

rekite · 12/04/2012 19:09

I love the National and always have a flutter

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2012 19:11

Depends where you buy your ham from Aribura. It could've started off life as a horse

JosephineCD · 12/04/2012 19:14

Evidence suggests that, every year, thousands of horses who don?t pay their way are slaughtered for meat or killed in their yards.
Yeah you're right, but we also kill millions of other animals for meat every year. And the racehorses live considerably better lives than most of them. Should we man the eating of meat?

FondleWithCare · 12/04/2012 19:16

No aribura I'm a vegetarian so don't support cruelty in that sense either and there are a lot of others like me too. There are also a lot of meat-eaters who only buy free-range.

Agincourt · 12/04/2012 19:21

you do have a choice, if you don't want to bet on it then don't

I never bet. I never gamble at all actually

I just drink and smoke

catgirl1976 · 12/04/2012 19:21

Evidence suggests that, every year, thousands of horses who don?t pay their way are slaughtered for meat or killed in their yards.

Really? I have been involved in horses all my life and never seen this - it makes no sense

Flightty · 12/04/2012 19:21

Yeah the national and battery farming...or are these things mutually exclusive? Do we have to choose? FGS

signet2012 · 12/04/2012 19:23

I personally dislike any racing of animals.

I HATE horse racing because they fall over, and get hurt and it drives me mad that people think its ok to do this.

I HATE dog racing because it chases that fluffy thing and then doesn't get it to eat it. I'd be fuming if I had ran round after a steak for twenty minutes to be offered a rich tea biscuit. Furious.

I do eat meat. I think I am desensitized to that much more than I am racing, although I lie to myself and tell myself it grows in the ground. I refuse point blank to eat lamb and I refuse to watch any programmes that show people killing animals. I would love to not eat meat, but in all honesty I like it.

I do make sure that I only buy what I need, make it last long as I can, buy free range eggs etc and try and even it up by sponsoring a few animal charities.

Actually, reading this I have decided I am an idiot. FFS!

(Still don't like horse racing though)

Flightty · 12/04/2012 19:23

Cavemum I know whip use is 'heavily regulated' but that didn't stop the winner last year getting a ban for overusing it did it.

The penalties are pathetic so it still happens. Thats not what I'd call regulation.

norfolkinchance · 12/04/2012 19:25

YABU I prefer dog racing personally but do always bet on the Grand National, its a national tradition

Agincourt · 12/04/2012 19:26

horses are animals if people choose to eat them then it's up to them really
same with peepole

Ponyofdoom · 12/04/2012 19:27

Hear hear Cavemum. I have kept horses all my life and support racing though I have never taken part. Horses die in all sorts of ways; colic, broken legs in the field, laminitis, tendon damage when showjumping or eventing. Dressage is apparently very hard on the joints etc. If we wrapped horses in cotton wool they would still have accidents in their stables or die of laminitis from too much grass. If they do get fatally injured at least they are put to sleep humanely so have a far better death than humans. Thoroughbreds are bred for speed and they do love it, like hunting its the electricity of the chase. Go and worry about human suffering not horses which love what they are doing and have a good life. Oh and racehorses are retrained to be hacks, teamchasers or hunters when they have finished racing, my friend took one on recently and loves him.

catgirl1976 · 12/04/2012 19:29

I hate all this "oh they shoot them if they break their legs because then they are worthless" type hysteria

Its ill informed and unhelpful

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