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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think horse racing is cruel?

181 replies

alwaysncxx · 12/03/2019 17:53

Got very upset watching some of the horses fall today at Cheltenham Sad

I can't help but feel sad when it happens.

OP posts:
Whatsforu · 12/03/2019 20:47

The amount of misinformation on this thread is staggering!!! The thing is you are always going to get people both sides of the fence but you have to know your facts. You can tell the people who are guessing or read some crap on the internet. Horse racing is obviously high profile and visible. The neglected laminitic in the field no so much so!!!

villainousbroodmare · 12/03/2019 20:48

Hmmm, you've misinterpreted that one, puppymouse. Sure what could a wind op on a normal horse achieve? I'm an equine vet btw.

Brilliantidiot · 12/03/2019 20:50

@ILoveMaxiBondi

Yes, good point. I was under the impression though that racers are weaned and then shoved in a field to reach yearlings, then brought in and broken and training starts and the ones with potential are continued. I think doing anything other than basic leading/halter training, feet up, grooming/bonding with a horse so young is wrong. Research shows that some horses don't mature physically until 8, the stress on them carrying weight and training at that age is massive.
I agree that it's easy to bully them into something before they're stronger than you. Unfortunately the practice isn't restricted to racing.

puppymouse · 12/03/2019 20:52

@villainousbroodmare I'm specifically talking about racehorses as per the thread. I won't argue with someone as qualified as you, though as you'll know a lot more than I do. As a pp said - always going to be people on both sides of the fence.

MrsTeach · 12/03/2019 20:52

Yes it's cruel.
Not half as cruel as the way we treat pigs, cows, sheep and chickens. But that's okay because it's considered normal and not done on tv.

Brilliantidiot · 12/03/2019 21:01

Horse racing is obviously high profile and visible. The neglected laminitic in the field no so much so!!!

I agree with this, so many horses are mistreated through well meaning ignorance, lack of basic knowledge and the latest fad. Someone at my yard a few years ago asked me why her horse kept bucking her off. He was never allowed out in winter in case he got muddy, fed the wrong stuff and too much, and over rugged. She didn't see what she was doing wrong. Poor horse cooped up 24 hours a day, fed heating food it didn't need because 'its cruel not to feed him!' but never left enough hay. And she wondered why the poor thing exploded every time she got him out the stable. Unsurprisingly he colicked. Had to be PTS because she didn't recognise the symptoms and so intervention wasn't early enough. I despair sometimes.

Deadbydaylight · 13/03/2019 05:58

Because, I assume, you aren’t abusive in your methods! If you decided to employ some more unpleasant tactics you would end up with an obliging horse, but I assume you’re nice and actually care about him so won’t ever do that.

You really didn't read my post did you? If you force my horse to do anything, he fights back. If I did use abuse on him, it would not work. He used to bolt at the sight of a lunge whip because he had clearly been hit with one a lot and wrongly. Its taken me well over 2 years to gain his trust that I won't do the same and for him to react sanely with a whip. He still panics sometimes, and he cant handle it with anyone he doesn't trust.

Anyone is naive to tar the entire sport with a few bad experiences. We should cancel dressage too based on that idea, considering the people who over tighten nosebands, ride the horses badly, etc. But then you have people like Carl hester who do it right and beat them. The idiots abusing their horses still havent realised they should do the same as him to achieve the same results.

Then you've got your average riders. Where do you start there? How about the overweight riders getting on their horses and actually making them go lame? The ones starving their horses because they can't handle them? Or worse the ones over feeding, over rugging and thinking an obese horse is normal?

The majority of racehorses are well trained and very well looked after. I can't say the same about the majority of average horses out there owned by your average person, not in racing or high levels of competition.

Bagpuss5 · 13/03/2019 06:20

Animals are cruel, naturally, as they are looking for food and not raising pets. If things continue in the west there will be no animals kept for food and no animals kept for work, and no animals except pampered cats /dogs as pets (who will sabotage any small mammal and bird populations).

So if you want to see animals you will have to go to the ME and Far east. if we stop producing meat for food/ sport animals others will take up the baton. And they won't have our regulations.

But that seems to be how it is to go, virtue signalling our love of animals without acknowledging the consequences.

Booboostwo · 13/03/2019 07:50

The biggest problem with racing is the overbreeding of horses. They breed far, far more horses than they can reasonably look after. ROR and similar initiatives are wonderful but are a drop in the ocean. Thousands of racehorses are bred, broken too early and race until they break down and are put to sleep. The majority of failed racehorses are not retrained and eventually retired in a green field after a long and happy life - they are exported, kept in stables and raced until euthanized.

Like all pet animal breeding, the breeder should only breed animals that can find a life long home or that he can look after for life. Anything else is irresponsible.

Happydays1244 · 13/03/2019 08:31

It’s extremely cruel . People don’t realise how many horses die per year in the uk due to it
And re ‘ if they don’t want to race they won’t ‘ -
They are FORCED to race

Limensoda · 13/03/2019 08:38

No, it's not cruel.
There are dangers for the horses and jockeys. The horses get well looked after and receive the best care.
If horses were wild, they face more dangers than racehorses do.
As someone said, horses kept by individuals are more likely to suffer cruelty, racehorses don't. Most of them live a better life than many humans.

Bluesheep8 · 13/03/2019 08:46

I agree with piopina. Racehorses are backed FAR too young. I grew up with horses and they weren't backed until at least the age of 4. Yet yearlings are raced. They are still foals for goodness sake.

mydogisthebest · 13/03/2019 08:55

I think it is cruel. Look how many horses die each year just so some humans can have a bit of fun.

Jockeys have a choice, horses don't. If as many jockeys got killed as horses then I am pretty sure horse racing would end.

Springersrock · 13/03/2019 13:39

We have a retired racer. He was intended to be a companion for my daughter’s retired riding horse. He’s a total love but there’s no way you can make him do something he doesn’t want to do

We were told his hocks were too damaged and he was lame so couldn’t be ridden.

He hasn’t done very well as a retiree, he was very institutionalised and got bored with no work to do and started to develop some bad habits so with lots of help from our vet and farrier we have bought him back into some very gentle work and he’s happy as Larry again.

I do think racing is cruel - they are broken in and raced too young IMO, then discarded when they’re no longer earning the £££

Insecure123 · 13/03/2019 13:53

with everything people have different views and that is ok. Personally I don't like horse racing and never have. I have helped rehabilitate some ex race horses and in every single case it has brought some not very nice things to light. The most recent horse I am working on just now - although on the whole is healthy etc - is quite heartbreaking between old injuries (absolutely manageable) and his behaviour.

But thats just my view on it and I wouldn't judge others for theirs.

Insecure123 · 13/03/2019 13:54

I do agree that in some cases they are backed and raced too young too. But I am not clued up enough to say whether that is the minority or across the board

Lolipop44 · 13/03/2019 15:44

I have always hated horse racing especially events such as Cheltenham & the grand national.
Poor innocent horses die for peoples entertainment and gambling a few quid. Makes me sick!!

alwaysncxx · 15/03/2019 13:55

Sad news at Cheltenham today, Sir Erec had to be euthanised due to a broken leg SadSad

OP posts:
RLOU30 · 15/03/2019 13:58

Sir Eric 🐴❤️ I’m ashamed to say I had it on (not a bet) just on the TV and never again it was vile. I feel shaken and so sad.

Whatsforu · 15/03/2019 13:58

Very sad news.
Always what I don't get for someone who is against horse racing you sure as hell watch alot of it. Can't wait to start a fight more like!!!!

BadLad · 15/03/2019 14:05

Just three weeks until the Grand National.

Anyone got any early thoughts / tips?

brizzlemint · 15/03/2019 14:07

Boycott it? Don't watch it, don't go to see it and definitely don't bet on it.

RLOU30 · 15/03/2019 14:07

Why so insensitive ?

southnownorth · 15/03/2019 14:10

I was watching it and it was nasty Sad

Such a patient beautiful horse when he was getting his shoe put on.

user1480880826 · 15/03/2019 14:14

It’s very cruel. The training regime is pretty brutal, the horses are whipped, they’re forced to jump rediculously dangerous jumps and when they fall and injure themselves they’re shot because they’re no longer valuable.

The whole “sport” of horse racing is awful. I’m from Cheltenham and the people who go to the gold cup are totally tedious. They all dress up like they’re landed gentry in their tweeds and and barbours and prance around like they’re at crufts.

Anyone who says the horses aren’t forced to race are kidding themselves. Those horses are totally under the control of people via a cruel practice of being broken in and trained.

And yes, you might say it’s not worse than farming animals but at least some good comes out of a farmed animal and, in this country at least, they’re well treated while they’re alive and their slaughter is closely regulated unlike a bullet in the head in the middle of a racecourse.

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