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Original poster

To be dreading the grand national on Saturday?

292 replies

annabanana84 · 03/04/2013 15:41

once again the grand national has come around, and to say I despise it is an understatement. The fact that people race these poor horses for entertainment and money really defies belief. The way those poor horses get whipped, exhausted and there is not a year goes by that we hear of deaths or the animals having to be put to sleep because of them breaking their necks, backs, or other injuries. I so dread it. You can't even get away from hearing about the deaths because it's broadcast on every news programme.

OP posts:
MandragoraWurzelstock · 03/04/2013 18:53

I think the GN is simply the flagship of the racing industry

That doesn't make other deaths and injuries in racing acceptable.

jennywren45 · 03/04/2013 18:53

Yes, and lots of us do agree there.

Fairydogmother · 03/04/2013 18:55

It's the betting I can't handle! People bet on horses and then get annoyed when they fall! That sort of attitude is a disgrace!

Far too many trainers - both racing and in other equestrian sports - don't see the horses as anything more than money making machines. Makes me sick

toboldlygo · 03/04/2013 19:14

Ok, so 26 horses have died so far in 2013. How many have been transported long distance across Europe in appalling conditions to meet inhumane methods of slaughter?

People are only outraged by high profile events, the frothers seem to disappear for the rest of the year. Same as things like Crufts, there's a hundred equally prestigious champ shows every year but Crufts is the one implicated in cruelty, inbreeding etc. Because it's on the telly. Hmm

MandragoraWurzelstock · 03/04/2013 19:17

It's in reaction to the publicity Toboldlygo. I'm not sure what the problem is with that - of course people don't just hate it when it's in the news. They hate it all the time.

jellybeans · 03/04/2013 19:19

Disgraceful and not a 'sport' at all. Horses will die in pain. All for the sake of a few people having a bet. Grim. Get it banned asap along with dog racing.

DeadWomanWalking · 03/04/2013 19:21

Is it this Saturday? Right, mental note to avoid the city centre from tomorrow onwards.

catgirl1976 · 03/04/2013 19:21

No one ever gets frothy about the amount of horses that die eventing etc. The GN is just high profile.

There are good and bad trainers and owners.

I would like to see the bad eradicated and the field of the GN halved etc but racing in itself is not inherently cruel

Some horses do love to compete be it in racing, show jumping, dressage or eventing (mine does)

jellybeans · 03/04/2013 19:24

'Yes there are deaths but...'
there shouldn't be any regular deaths in 'sport'.

countrykitten · 03/04/2013 19:26

toboldlygo you are being very patronising. I care about - and campaign frequently about - all kinds of animal cruelty as I am sure many other posters do.

catgirl1976 · 03/04/2013 19:28

It would be nice if there were none but it is a risky sport to both horse and rider

Horses die by getting colic, by getting cast in their stables, by breaking a leg running around a field, by an injury plodding along on a hack etc etc

If you don't want any horses to die, the only solution would be for them not to be kept or ridden at all, and therefore not to exist.

Wishiwasanheiress · 03/04/2013 19:31

Well, I LOVE IT!!!

Roll on GN! Ill watch ya ill support ya and ill have a little flutter with ya too. I'm an avid horsey gal and this is still the sport of kings and the race to watch.

Lucyellensmum95 · 03/04/2013 19:37

"
What I do object to is horses being exploited like this for the crude, vulgar benefit of a load of drunken idiots who want to gamble, and by exploited I mean made to run in a fear/herd instinct induced frenzy in a field that is far too large to be safe."

^^ This! Just toss a friging coin!

toboldlygo · 03/04/2013 19:40

As do I, country, but I personally cannot count this one as animal cruelty. And I say that as a horse owner and rider. Horses and riders die in eventing and there's not nearly so much negative feeling towards that (and it may be patronising but, again, I can't help but feel this is because it's not regularly televised or as heavily marketed).

jelly, is that just greyhound racing or are we talking sled dog racing?

jennywren45 · 03/04/2013 19:41

Can I like that wishiwas? Grin

Wishiwasanheiress · 03/04/2013 19:48

Absolutely Jenny! That is definitely a button missing on this site. U can report but never like.... At times sums this darned place up.

Anyone got any tips on the racers? Are they out yet? I love the weirdly named. Haven't seen lists yet....

Oh and very much agree with those saying nobody cares what happens in eventing, totes true. GN only attracts comment by passers by essentially. Am still heart broken couldn't get Olympic tickets for this.

CityTiliDie · 03/04/2013 19:50

The average number of horses that DIE at British Race courses each year is........

Over 300!

If 300 footballers died in one country each year then football would be banned instantly but because its horses its ok Hmm

Its all about the £ the trainers and jockeys claim to have the animals best interests at heart but most sane rational people know what Bollocks that is.

The sooner they ban all animal exploitation for financial gain the better.

BASTARDS.

catgirl1976 · 03/04/2013 19:55

It's about 2 horses in every 1,000 and it has and is decreasing with added safety measures etc

Everyone would like it to be nil, be it for financial or welfare reasons but you cannot remove all the risk from the sport, only do everything practical and possible to reduce it.

I agree the GN could be made safer by reducing the field and would like to see that happen

But all equine activity carries risk be it racing or simply letting them out in the field. You will never be able to remove that as long as horses exist.

montysma1 · 03/04/2013 19:56

Catgirl, just about the most stupid justification I have ever heard. Horses get hurt in fields and in the stable, therefore its ok to injure and kill them in a horse race.

Children and adults get killed and injured accidentally too, in all manner of ways, but generally this is not used as a justification to place them in dangerous situations for the hell of it.

Also, the suggestion that they wouldnt exist without racing is absurd.All manner of species and animal breeds continue to exist, even although the "jobs" they were bred for have receded into history.

My horse "loves"...... Racing, dressage, eventing, winning, seeing the queen, .........bla bla. Bollocks, certain humans love these things, horses don't know what they are, they are , you know, horses.

DENMAN03 · 03/04/2013 20:04

Well I'm going and I love the GN, racing and horses. I don't agree it's cruel although I obviously hate to see any animal hurt. They have been bred to race. All the recent changes called for by the animal rights people have actually made the race more dangerous. By lowering the fences they go faster.. Far more horses have died in the last ten years since the changes then ever before. The two who died last year actually did so on the flat and that could happen anywhere. I think the idea of outriders to catch the loose horses is an excellent. The brook at bechers was filled in years ago and the ground has been levelled off considerably.
I think there are far worse acts of cruelty out there.

catgirl1976 · 03/04/2013 20:06

Monty.

It isn't a stupid justification, it's pointing out that horses are always at risk of fatal injury no matter what activity they are doing and looking at how much racing actually increases that risk. E.g, what is the % increase in fatalities between horses who race and horses who just hack / do dressage / live out at grass.

I did not suggest horses would not exist without racing. If you banned racing they would still exist for dressage, hunting, eventing, show jumping, driving, pleasure riding etc. And there would still be equine fatalities. Which presumably you would find unacceptable and therefore want banned. At which point, they would probably cease to exist (except for maybe a few in zoos or something) as there would be no reason to breed them.

My horse does enjoy competeting. You can tell when an animal enjoys something - it's pretty obvious. Like you can tell a dog enjoys chasing a stick or running down the beach. You wouldn't tell someone it was "bollocks" that their dog enjoyed chasing sticks because it is pretty easy to tell what a dog enjoys. It's the same with horses so I am not sure why you think it "bollocks" for someone to be able to tell what a horse enjoys.

zukiecat · 03/04/2013 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

McNewPants2013 · 03/04/2013 20:15

Dogs are trained to do fighting, which is barbaric, does that mean that they are bred and trained for this it should be legalised.

I don't like any sport involving animals.

Even prince Harry was investigated for animal cruelty for using an item in Polo

catgirl1976 · 03/04/2013 20:17

I campaign for animal welfare all year round too Zukie. As do many people who are involved in equestrian sports.

Lucyellensmum95 · 03/04/2013 20:19

What I object to is the horses being objects owned by rich people who probably haven't even met the horse, or a syndicate of drunken fuckwits. They don't give two fucks about the horses welfare beyond the fact that if the horse wasn't in tip top condition it woudlnt be profitable. It may as well be a ferrari than a horse. Not just in the national but in all the races.

The same for dog racing. We had a guy come into the vets with a greyhound and she had cut her leg (they do seem to cut themselves alot) and i made a comment about her being ready to retire and be a pet - the guy looked at me like I was mad and said, "she is not bloody good to me as a pet, once she can't race i'll be bringing her here to be put down" - CUNT!

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