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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:

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 14/04/2012 22:53

Yeah but it the rich fake tanned and royal who r track side. The rest r in the bookies and their 10 p don't make a difference .

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 22:53

Then all the classes that bet on this foul spectacle are equally vile.

schoolgovernor · 14/04/2012 22:54

Seeing as it's been mentioned that "most" of the anti's have nothing to do with horses. Here (again) is an anti who is very much involved with horses, and has been all her life.
Someone mentioned that if racing were to cease we'd never see these noble beasts again. Which is rubbish of course as the breed is not Racehorse, it is Thoroughbred - and Thoroughbred horses are used in other disciplines.
Others have mentioned, as they always do, that horses love to run and do it because it is their nature. Omitting to mention that the other reason that horses run flat out as a herd is fear. Some respected equine behaviourist have made a good case for the horses being hyped up by the build up, the noise, the crowds, and being in herd escape mode for the race.

Most horse owners and lovers who are against the National are against because they see the broader picture of mis-use of horses in racing, from birth to death. For them it's a much wider picture than just one race. That is why they don't compare it to other sports such as eventing, even though that can be quite physically testing for horses.

Still, every year a few more people who know nothing about horses at all look at the race, the injuries and fatalities and think again. Sometimes people who know very little about animals see things more clearly than those who appear to have the knowledge.

threestepsforward · 14/04/2012 22:54

oh, and I did indeed own a pony woney when young (or more accurately my parents did!) and I still think it's a barbaric and cruel race.

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 22:55

Again, wheresmycaffeine is stealing the thoughts from my head!

threestepsforward · 14/04/2012 22:56

hear hear schoolgovernor

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:00

schoolgovernor - I read your posts with immense interest yesterday. I do not post here often, I am more of a lurker (weird lurker face) but I thought your posts were absolutely excellent. Succint, calm, (more than I am!) and very knowledgable. I think your posts are great. I am not a university grad and I often do not post because I can't compete with the clever conversation and words that are used but I couldn't not post here because I feel so passionate about it.

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:01

at threestepsforward we could start a "pony wony" clique

ToadsPornFrogsPawn · 14/04/2012 23:02

3steps, obviously I wrote the shorthand for "representatives/members of every class" enjoy the national. And not everybody at Aintree today was either rich or royal. It's ludicrous to try to make out that racing somehow "belongs" to the posh

ExcitedElectrons · 14/04/2012 23:02

Dog racing is not a cruel sport. The dogs love to run, I work in a greyhound kennels, have seen it all. If they break a leg, they are not shot or hanged, they are treated and live happy lives. They lead a life of luxury.

I agree that the Grand National jumps are too high, but the horses love to run. Think of the animals being killed just so you could eat your dinner tonight - is that not the same? They all had personalities and character, but were still slaughtered for their meat. But because a horse died doing what they love to doing that makes them different? If an animal does not want to race, it won't.

Most people are very ill informed - most have never seen a racing stables/kennels in their life and judge from what they see from the TV or on youtube.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 14/04/2012 23:06

Sorry feeding :) the regulars in a bookie will bet on two bloody flues on the wall they bet on anything and everything , no one race or meeting ever gets their full support. It's those who attend the race and throw copious amounts of cash around and all those celebs who just have to suit and boot up to be seen Trackside that r the reason these things keep going. maybe they should put their money and their faces to enforcing stricter welfare rules instead. Oh but where's the fun in watching a horse trot casually round a nice flat field :( god for bid it actually has a chance to enjoy it and act like a horse instead of being treated like a race car.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 14/04/2012 23:07

Flies

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:07

I have 5 ex racing greyhounds in my house at the moment. They have all been physically abused. They have all been massively emotionally abused. (if emotional is the right term for a dog). None of them will allow my partnher of children near them. They all have huge problems due to the way they were treated when they were "living the life of luxury" as racing dogs. Please do NOT post about how well greyhounds are treated. I can post pictures of each and every one of these poor "life of luxury" animals.

sanguinechompa · 14/04/2012 23:07

Thoroughbreds are bred to go fast. Which is risky. Whatever the discipline.

And I agree we should be looking at National Hunt racing as a whole rather than just at this one race and then more people would appreciate that thousands of races are run every year in which horses and jockeys come home safely.

You can also quote form equine behaviourists who describe the main emotion in a pack of galloping animals as 'excitement' which is admittedly hard to distinguish from fear but nonetheless a very different emotion. Have you never seen a herd of horses in a field gallop around for the sheer fun and thrill of it?

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:08

*partner not partnher

threestepsforward · 14/04/2012 23:10

I just meant to say that no matter who you are (whatever your "class" - and that's a thread in itself!) there will be people who feel the GN is awful (sorry if I seemed arsey, wasn't my intention!). ...I also wanted to challenge the suggestion that if you had not been around horses in your life, you didn't understand. I have been. I love horses and this probably makes me all the more despising of this race.

And for my last two penneth worth, I don't think the GN is remotely down to skill or impeccable breeding. It's pure luck if horses get through that utter scrum and chaos and make the finish line...

ExcitedElectrons · 14/04/2012 23:11

Feeding funnily enough, as I work in a kennels the ones I look after are very well treated.

Bar a few who are awfully kept and treated, most of them lead happy lives.

I will accept that there will always be animal cruelty. I'm very grateful for working in such a loving kennels.

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:12

again, a good post from threesteps

I have been around hos a lot and i agree that it is pure LUCK

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:12

oops

Haven't been around "ho's" a lot! hehe. HORSES!

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:13

Fair enough excited - you hadn't said that you work in kennels. Fair play to you.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 14/04/2012 23:14

Ur right again feeding they r nit treated as pets they have no idea what to do in a home situation. They soil everywhere they chase everything cos they don't know any different :( they have no idea what it us like to be a beloved family pet snd it can take months or years to gain their trust :( it's just soooo selfish. Y raise then in such a way that if their sport career is ever over they r screwed :(

ExcitedElectrons · 14/04/2012 23:16

I said it in my first post feeding :) Also glad that you have rehomed 5, they are beautiful dogs.

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:18

I am probably a bit OTT when it comes to animals! I have been a vegan since the age of 7. I cannot abide the idea that being physically superior to another species means that you can kill and eat it, or abuse it, or any of the other things that "we" do.

Birdsgottafly · 14/04/2012 23:19

, I don't think the GN is remotely down to skill or impeccable breeding. It's pure luck if horses get through that utter scrum and chaos and make the finish line...

That 's what makes it appealing to 'the masses', you don't have to know anything about horse racing or studying 'form', anyone can pick the winner.

FeedingTheBirds · 14/04/2012 23:19

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