To wish the grand national wasnt an event

[Dineout112]

I hate it as so many horses get badly injured or even killed . I don’t know how people can enjoy it 🙁

What Guinefort said, we owe so much to the racing industry - not just horse owners but small animals too.

I agree OP.

With any sport there is risk of injury etc. but human athletes don't get shot when they break a leg and they choose to compete.

The number of deaths in horse racing is appalling.

Anyone who's ridden a race horse knows how much enjoyment the animals get out of it, they're built to run and jump.

They haves lives akin to that of premiership footballers. It's evidence of elite training and the relationships between people & horses, which date back thousands of years.

ha ha can u imagine if a human athlete broke a leg and they shot him/her and covered him/her with a bit of tarp...

I feel more sorry for animals in the farming industry, ones having products tested on them, even donkeys on the beach- sometimes they look really badly treated (not all-obv there are lots of well loved and cared for ones). Animals shouldn't be used for entertainment but I think the fact that the grand national has so many eyes on it means that the horses/event will always be under scrutiny, it is the animals who don't get peoples attention are the ones that need it and truely suffer.

That's the sport and no one is forced to take part

Apart from the horses, of course. But they're just dumb beasts so what do they matter?

The entire racing industry should be banned, but the National will be a good start. One day when the human race is more evolved, this 'sport' will be looked upon in a similar light to dog fighting and bear-baiting.

Dairy cows bother me. You see them here sometimes, crossing the road or moving from field to field (under escort of course..:)) and the poor things just waddle along with their giant distended udders.....and these are the small herds, the giant shed-based agribusiness herds are probably much worse...

Milk with your tea?

Barbaro, yes accidents can happen anywhere but that doesn’t take away from the cruelty of an event

FourFriedChickens go vegan then. Problem solved.

There was a research study done on horse injuries a few years back. It found that something like 60% of injuries sustained by horses happened while turned out in their paddocks. 10% odd happened while in the stable. 13% happened under saddle. Should we therefore ban the practice of turning horses out in to a field?

Aintree have made changes to the course in recent years to protect the welfare of the animals. The fences are actually smaller than they used to be. There are also vets all over the course and all the runners are taken immediately to be cooled and checked by a vet after the race. Any horse clearly struggling/exhausted during the race should be pulled up the rider and the jockey can be punished for failing to do so.

Trust me when I say that NO ONE wants horses to be injured during the race. Regardless of whether you think that the owners/trainers/racecourses care about the horses or not, they are their business. It serves no one to run dangerous races that are cruel to horses.

They weren’t born to run.

They were born to graze. They are prey animals. They gallop full pelt to get away from a predator in short bursts rather than endured galloping for a sustained length of time.

Yes, we have bred them to maximise speed and endurance but nonetheless horses were no more born to charge at top speed for a lengthy period than any other prey animal.

I have horses. Three horses. One a meat rescue baby. I have owned, loaned, been around, ridden and worked with horses for most of my life.

I really don't like racing (and I am not alone in doing so amongst the many equestrians I know -from my experience it is one area where 'the equestrian world, two people, three opinions' doesn't stand). Particularly dislike flat racing, where horses young enough that their skeleton isn't fully matured are pushed to the limit of their capabilities to make rich people richer and poor people poorer (while the lower leg growth plates are fused by 2 ish, hocks don't fuse til 4, humerus til about then too, spine til 6). Then there's the exercise induced pulmonary haemmorhage. (And ftr no any dead horses can't go into the human food chain, their passport will have had it stamped out, plus they're incredibly likely to have been given bute at some point which would preclude it even if their passport didn't). I have seen the damage suffered by many ex racers...spinal, leg and gastric issues. Many get put down once they've left racing into leisure homes as a result of these issues.

Advances made in motorsport filter down to day to day drivers - safety systems etc. All intensive breeding of thoroughbreds does is produce yet more generations of horse who might be startlingly fast but who you'd need a second mortgage to feed cos they can't keep weight on and a third one for the farrier because by and large they have terrible feet. You need shares in sudocrem for the mud fever they seem to be able to get even in the height of summer. And their grandsire is also likely to be their great grandsire.

However, there are many things I disagree with in the equestrian world. I disagree with jumping youngsters (immature hocks).
I don't like the 'kick and pull' style of riding many schools start kids off with. Don't like seeing increasingly harsh gadgetry on horses in place of adequate schooling. Don't agree with indiscriminate breeding, there are too many neglected horses as it is. I could go on but I won't.

However. Racing is never going to be banned. Kids are never going to stop having lessons. Etc.

All I, and anyone else can do is not support the things I don't agree with, not bet on races, go for private instruction over riding school and/or choose a riding school very carefully, and ensure I keep my own horses as absolutely humanely as I can and in as natural a way as possible. What other people do with theirs, if it is within animal welfare legislation, isn't for me to try to change, much as I might like to.

Chrys, sure , if you dont'like cow abuse, go vegan.

If you consider the Grand National to be horse abuse, don't watch it.

My point is that people are very quick to point out the faults of horse racing, while slurping back tea with milk and eating bacon sandwiches.

Bet365 have got a really great offer on for existing customers by the way. If you can pick your horses by 12 you get 50 percent of your stake back on each way bets.

I've bet across 8 horses for £20 from that :)

It's a bit shit to start talking about who you've put a bet on and discussing the horses chances on a thread started by an op who is upset by the race.

Fair enough to say you disagree but don't start chatting about odds etc.

Here are some uptodate stats;

www.google.co.uk/amp/metro.co.uk/2018/04/13/many-horses-die-grand-national-7465188/amp/

Warning - the pics aren't pretty.

For me personally the GN is worse than even other jump races because of the scale and publicity of it.

Totally agree SaucyJane . It just so sad 🙁

"The entire racing industry should be banned, but the National will be a good start. One day when the human race is more evolved, this 'sport' will be looked upon in a similar light to dog fighting and bear-baiting. "

I live near wild horses, they run for fun sometimes and look beautiful doing so, under their own will.

That Metro article says 1 death in every 250 races, Saucy. A tiny number. 11 in 18 years at the Grand National.

"Peta, the League Against Cruel Sports and other organisations are opposing the Grand National once again this year."

PETA are a deranged bunch of fuckwits and their backing immediately makes me wonder what the true story is.

I am so glad that others feel this way.I hate it and think the whole event is just vile,but am always made to feel such a party pooper when I say anything.

That Metro article says 1 death in every 250 races, Saucy. A tiny number. 11 in 18 years at the Grand National.

I think we have different definitions of tiny. I wouldn't want to take part in a sporting event where someone would die in any 250 races. The horses don't have a choice.

And if there's been 11 in 18 years at the Grand National then there are clearly a much higher number at that event. It's more than a 50% chance of a death each year.

I won't be watching and I am also vegan if that makes a difference as many people will dismiss contrary opinions as hypocritical.

@Crowd "Those horses have access to the best care money can buy, year round. In the event of an accident they are put to sleep asap so they don't suffer. "

Yes, they do, no one can deny that being a racehorse is a life of luxury, unless you don't make the grade. If you're lucky, you may be one of the thousands that get rehomed and get a new career, if you're not, well, it's not a pleasant ending.

Racehorses are however quite tricky, they're used to a certain life, it's very disciplined and quite different to a normal horses life and they sometimes don't cope that well.

Thoroughbreds aren't my horse of choice than, too high maintenance

It's a bit shit to start talking about who you've put a bet on and discussing the horses chances on a thread started by an op who is upset by the race.

Sure, but the betting thread in chat has been hijacked by people saying how cruel the race is.

@ badlad..got a tip for me?

"I am also vegan if that makes a difference"

Yes. It makes you hypocritical and it's a shame you don't think so.

In the US, for example, over 500,000 children as young as 6 harvest 25% of crops. S. Americans are starving as quinoa is exported to feed vegan lifestyles in the West. Rabbits, moles, voles, mice, badgers and other animals are killed to protect crops. Often poisoned or blown up or shot. Organic farming uses pesticides.

Being vegan doesn't mean anything other than you are a hypocrite.