AIBU to suggest The Grand National should be banned..it's abuse

[AnnieMaybe]

Watching the channel 4 programme 'how to get a Grand National Winner'

The whole thing is nothing but animal abuse for monetary gain

It should be stopped/banned

A gre

Phone developed a bit of a stutter, Frankel?

A great result for Dr Newland and Leighton!

Also I had a wry chuckle at the old rogue Battle Group reinforcing the point that you cannot force a horse to race if he doesn't want to.

Just a bit Select!

YABU - I won 20 quid.....whoop whoop!

How many of those who are anti GN are horse riders or work with horses?

Its just seems like a load of keyboard warriers clutching their pants.

I noticed that about Battle Group too frankel. The booing was loud and wrong. But some people are stupid. I just thought, 'that's part of it, isn't it? It's big occasion, he doesn't want to go, but the rest of them do, so just wait.'

Oh, what I'd add is that jockeys pulled up when there was no chance. That's the action of someone who cares about the horse, I think.

I thought the booing was as much because there have been a few false starts in recent years, limited, and the crowd were expressing their dissatisfaction that the officials still don't seem to have found a foolproof system for getting the race off first time, rather than specifically booing BG. The loudest boos were when the false start was announced rather than when the race went off without BG.

Oh, okay. I might have missed that point. I've noticed a palaver over starting in recent years and maybe the crowd was expressing anger with the starters rather than the riders.

Lol people were banging on about banning it when I was a 16 year old saturday kid, and it's still going strong. I love it, made 2800 smackers today, get in!

I am a horse rider and i think its hideous

Joysmum Melonade as a horse lover yourself, you'll know how ex race horses often have physiological issues and physical health issues far younger than leisure horses because they are started far too young and the stress on their immature bodies tells in later life

What a load of generalising nonsense. You're right, I do love horses and have worked in both showjumping and racing. And there is far more cruelty and wanton ignorance in the amateur rider scene, the keeper of the unlucky horse with the bad tempered owner in the poor quality livery yard, who just happens to be the bad rider who teaches the horse to nap and whip round and buck, who gives it a sore back because they are too heavy, and who then has it pts because of some quite often imaginary or inflicted injury at age 11 or so.

I can think of several amateur "horse lovers" whose loyal horses were pts the day before their new ones arrived, although they probably would have recovered for hacking use if turned away and given proper rest. Retirement is all too often "inconvenient" for the rider. Not to say there aren't decent ones, of course there are, but I am honestly gobsmacked at a lot of the attitudes that some amateur riders have towards their horses, when the loss of the possibility of winning a rosette becomes more important than caring for it when its past its best.

Theres actually quite a lot of study into young racehorses who are started at two (and it by no means all but only those bred to mature that early) that it is actually quite good for bone growth. Most riding horses are started at 3. Don't kid yourself that being pushed into dressage by an amateur rider bouncing around on their backs at 4 is good for them either.

This is worth a read www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/horse3053
And yes, I'm a vegan.

Animal Aid are not a credible source of information. They are an animal rights organisation that want to see an end to all use of animals by humans, in sport as pets and as a source of food.

Look to the animal welfare organisations that actively engage with the racing industry like the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare and work towards better standards rather than an organisation that consistently refuses to engage and debate the matter.

Lets not forget that its not just racehorses that go through the sales for eventual slaughter. A lot could be helped by encouraging licensing of more local slaughterhouses, ending live transportation of animals for slaughter abroad or over a certain distance and insisting on extremely high animal welfare standards for slaughter.

Sadly, plenty of unwanted showjumpers and riding club level horses change hands multiple times during their careers and its not unusual for no-one to want them beyond age 13 or older. Unless they are lucky enough to end up with an owner who will pay to keep them beyond the age they are useful at, this is simply how many horses end up, passed from pillar to post then slaughter. There is just not a market for older horses, even if they are sound.

Horse racing, at least that involving dangerous jumping, should be done away with. Find a fab day out that doesn't involve needlessly injuring or killing beautiful thoroughbred horses.

Jersey - I think the grand national should be banned and I rode Red Rum a few times as a kid.

The winner came in looking fabulous

Just because there are "worse" things involving animals doesn't mean we should ignore everything else because it's not as bad That argument I find odd, like saying that nothing apart from the worst atrocities imaginable are worth our concern. I'd like to see the end of factory farming as a priority but I'd also like to see the end of animals used in sport. I don't think a ban will ever happen, but I'd like to see attitudes change in this area so that eventually it dies a death of its own accord.

lividforleisure would you include for leisure too - like riding horses non-competitively? Or the keeping of animals as pets?

Sorry, I meant lividforlondon

Bit of a Freudian slip there.

Or lividoflondon

I don't understand the argument that it is okay to keep horse racing because 'many more horses suffer much worse lives and cruel deaths'

Such a bizarre argument.

The horses enjoy the race. If they unseat the rider, why on earth would they continue to run and jump the fences if they were in terror? Without racing, there wouldn't be nearly as many horses bred. The animals are treat beautifully. Yes, it's very sad when accidents happen, but I find this faux concern every year by those who no doubt eat meat and know sod all about racing and horses annoying. I speak as as someone who loves horses, has enjoyed and nearly worked in racing and owned ex-racehorses- not that I'm saying I know better but I know more than most who decide to wring their hands about it each year whilst never going near a horse.