AIBU to beg you not to bet on the Grand National? It's animal abuse.

[hhorvath]

Please think about what you're condoning.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=grand+national+deaths&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhieOLlZXTAhUCOxoKHTDFDagQ_AUICSgC&biw=1366&bih=638

www.independent.co.uk/voices/grand-national-races-animal-cruelty-get-rid-of-dangerous-jump-a7672131.html

"It’s time for the Grand National again – that curious time of year when people who claim to like horses gather to exploit them, often hurting and killing them in the process.

Since 2000, 48 horses have died at the annual festival that the National is part of. Others have suffered horribly with broken backs, necks or legs, severed tendons, or heart attacks. This is the reality of British horse racing."

If you use this as entertainment, the blood of murdered horses is on your hands as well.

Would you bet on a race where human beings fell and broke their legs or necks and had to be shot? At least they would have consented. Horses cannot consent to this life.

Would you be "fine" with it as long as it hadn't happened since 2012, despite horses dying after the race from their injuries since then?

Please don't be dazzled by the so-called glamour of this bloodsport.

Happens every year. People get themselves wound up over the Grand National and ignore the fact that Racing takes place in this country on 360-odd days of the year.

I'm not a big fan of the National as a stand alone race but I work in Racing, and it is fundamentally not a cruel sport. There are always going to be unscrupulous people in every walk of life and whether you like it or not animals will sometimes come to harm no matter how many precautions you take.

People being made redundant over animals literally being raced to death. Hm, which is the priority?

Is no-one going to answer my question? Why don't other races get this sort of focus? What makes the Grand National particularly bad?

Because it's a huge news event . An annual spectacle. Cheltenham Gold Cup week is not far behind and maybe even more barbaric.

The Grand National bring it to focus. That's all. It's there all of the time and not necessarily worse. View at as an eyepiece into the racing world.

So just to be clear - you're angry about all horse racing in general and are genuinely disappointed that I've not covered the cruelty at all the other races?

Or are you trying to deflect from the actual point of the post by making a ridiculous argument?

Ah.

The 'stop preaching' posts are pathetic and cowardly.

People being made redundant over animals literally being raced to death. Hm, which is the priority

Really? People losing their livelihoods. There is no industry anymore so they can't get another job. They lose their house etc etc.

I still maintain you're being crazily simplistic.

And you still haven't answered the question over the horses currently in the industry?

The 'stop preaching' posts are pathetic and cowardly.

It just shows them up as being heartless if they think that being upset about animals being abused is "preachy" and I shouldn't interrupt their nice Saturday afternoon by making a clearly labelled post on a web forum.

There is literally no reason why the animals can't be retired.

You are suddenly asking me to coordinate and plan in detail the dissolution of an entire industry before I can object to a bloodsport. Do you realise how ridiculous that is?

But you are wrong. Racing is not an industry based on horses being raced to death.
Do you have horses op?

Why do people get all het up about the grand national? There is horse racing every other day of the year, why do you only care about it when its a well known race?

I am selfish. And heartless and I've just ordered a steak to eat whilst I watch the race.

@Thattimeofyearagain Aww, a preachy vegan who puts animal lives over humans. Full House !!

How do you know when someone is a vegan?
They will say it to you, email it to you, post you a letter about it and then come on the internet and get butthurt about it every 10 seconds

I'm not a big fan of the National as a stand alone race but I work in Racing, and it is fundamentally not a cruel sport

It is. As it professional dressage and showjumping but no one says about that, do they?

From a horseriders perspective it all looks fine. But I'm not a horserider. My fundamental instinct with horses is to understand them first not take the anthropomorphic stance. They are not humans.

I don't keep horses. I could not afford a horse. If I did have one, I would not be arrogant enough to make it take my weight so I could entertain myself.

You are suddenly asking me to coordinate and plan in detail the dissolution of an entire industry before I can object to a bloodsport. Do you realise how ridiculous that is?

Not at all - you're saying this is a big thing for you. I am asking how it works. I would have thought you would have a cognitive argument.

Who pays for all the horses?

With the best will there aren't enough horse shelters as is - what happens with the mass influx? There will be an awful lot of destroyed horses.

Yeah I'm insane. Not the people who bet on animal abuse.

I know a little bit about racing, and I know that racehorses are better looked after and live in better conditions than some humans I know.

They are the most pampered/spoiled animals you'll ever come across.

Ah good, a semantic argument.

Please explain how the horses are "abused". We're talking about animals that people have spent tens of thousands of pounds on at even the cheapest level, the higher end horses can change hands for millions of pounds. The owners will never make their money back - it costs on average £16,000 per year per horse just to pay basic training fees in this country. The owners do it because they love the sport, not to make money.

Same goes for the stable staff, they are mainly on minimum wage working 6 days a week from the crack of dawn because they love these animals.

You care so much about animal welfare to post an uneducated thread but you don't care about the people your going to render unemployed coz you want to shut the industry down. Bet you post on benefit threads telling unemployed people they should try harder too.
Oh how nice it must be to live in your pink fluffy world where everyone is perfect and all animals roam free.

Make it take your weight?
All riding of horses is cruel now?

Greyhound racers say the same guff about being "treated like kings". Go to a shelter for ex-racers and you'll see some of the most emotionally fucked up dogs you'll ever meet.

Most adults make choices based on what they are comfortable with and don't appreciate being lectured.

I really don't have any sympathy for them. If i was doing something bad I would want to be told about it. Insulating yourself from the reality of your actions is childish.

I was with you until this...nobody likes a preachy vegan. If someone asks why you're vegan, you can tell them, otherwise keep it to yourself. I used to be vegan. It's preachy people like you who give vegans a bad name.