Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

The Grand National. When will they stop this cruel race for human entertainment?

115 replies

BL0B · 11/04/2026 07:00

I can’t believe it’s still going on. Drugged horses, deaths, whips, bloody dangerous jumps. Then sent to the abattoir when they’re not performing anymore

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
ShamedBySiri · 11/04/2026 22:39

Actually I’m beginning to think three day eventing is far worse. I live near Badminton and go every year. I think cross country courses are far too complex these days with many jumps being a combination of two or three at very difficult angles, often involving narrow 90° corners. The best make it look easy but get the approach just slightly wrong and the horse is set up to either run out or fall. These are top horses - they don’t want to run out or fall. They shouldn’t be set up to fail. A certain rider was disciplined for pushing on his obviously very tired horse to finish the course a couple of years or so ago. I think the ground jury are stricter now and will step in to stop the rider from continuing if they see an obviously tired horse. Also there seem to be far more very serious injuries or deaths of event riders - jockeys seem to tumble and roll (of course lots do get injured) but event riders seem to get landed on by a somersaulting horse with fatal consequences. Only recently I have seen a report about a rider who had a very serious head injury a month or so ago. Still comatose and clearly suffered life changing injury.

BL0B · 11/04/2026 22:40

tnorfotkcab · 11/04/2026 22:27

What do you eat?

Lettuce obviously

OP posts:
ShamedBySiri · 11/04/2026 22:40

DeathMetalMum · 11/04/2026 22:34

I don't see the same outcry over show-jumping. Horses are also injured/killed after accidents during that sport too.

There’s lots of cruelty training showjumpers.

DeathMetalMum · 11/04/2026 22:43

ShamedBySiri · 11/04/2026 22:40

There’s lots of cruelty training showjumpers.

I know, but there's never an outcry say when the Olympics is on to ban the sport.

I do wonder if the different target audience of each sport, impacts some people's views.

ShamedBySiri · 11/04/2026 22:46

I watch a few American cowboy horse trainers and similar on YouTube. The Idaho Horseshoeing school deals with some shocking cases of neglect. There’s a huge amount of cruelty in the horse trade over there. I’ve seen a couple of beautiful horses retrained after being rescued from a kill pen. It takes huge skill to retrain them after they have been exposed to such cruelty - they don’t much like people at that stage!

Watch The Clever Cowgirl and see some of the horses she has rescued from auction.

ShamedBySiri · 11/04/2026 22:51

I am Maximus looked like he could go round again at the end. What a handful - I don’t think he will be easy to retrain or keep in retirement.

From the Telegraph:

“The winner will, doubtless, be paraded outside Mullins’s local, The Lord Bagenal, at some stage but do not expect it to last as long as the race.
Explaining the winner’s character, Mullins said: “Normally the horses come to the car park, we have an ice-cream van for the kids and people want their photographs taken with the horses.
“Galopin Des Champs was there for an hour and a half, Lossiemouth for two hours, but I Am Maximus... he ate about three babies and kicked about four pensioners. We had to load him and take him home after five minutes. That’s I Am Maximus, he’ll eat you without salt. He is a character – don’t stand in his way.””

https://x.com/racingtv/status/2043003505405768046?s=46

Racing TV (@RacingTV) on X

I Am Maximus full of beans after a second Grand National triumph ❤️

https://x.com/racingtv/status/2043003505405768046?s=46

Unequalworld · 11/04/2026 22:53

Watching Gold Dancer break his back and drag his legs at the final fence yesterday and then be raced to the finish line to win and immediately be shot. Dead. As the owner and punters counted their winnings. Sick.

I'll never watch again. Its abuse. Its sick

Unequalworld · 11/04/2026 22:57

ShakyBake · 11/04/2026 21:23

Oh stop being such a damp weekend, as said it brings in 4bn and supports tens of thousands of jobs. The horses bloody love it too.

Gold Dancer didn't look like he loved it yesterday. But he was shot so what do you care

WiddlinDiddlin · 11/04/2026 23:41

Notashamed13 · 11/04/2026 22:04

I agree that they are a commodity, but you cant raise a "winner" by treating them like shit.

In what way 'treat like shit'?

Imprisoned in a 14 x 14 box?
Given exercise once a day?
Fed on inappropriate food that causes ulcers?
Burn their legs to supposedly strengthen tendons (pin-firing, legal until 1990, blind eye turned to it by the RCVS since, only banned by the UK racing authorities since 2022) - no veterinary/scientific evidence it actually does anything except force box rest until the injuries heal.
Denied the ability to exhibit natural behaviours like grazing, moving freely, interacting with others of their own kind, form social groups.
Worked and ridden a good 4/5 years BEFORE their bones finish forming, before growth plates close, before various joints particularly those in the pelvis and spine are fully mature.

Heavily aversive measures are used to stop horses objecting - mains electrified edges to box doors to stop cribbing (biting the wooden door edge and frame to alleviate the burning acidic ulcer symptoms) - tongues tied down to stop them getting the tongue over the bit to protect the roof of the mouth from the bits action - mouths strapped shut to achieve same - martingales to stop them raising their head to evade the bits action...

And that is just the legal things - whilst de-nerving/blocking nerves isn't race legal, it happens.

We treat rapists and murderers better.

Treadcarefully11 · 11/04/2026 23:47

WiddlinDiddlin · 11/04/2026 23:41

In what way 'treat like shit'?

Imprisoned in a 14 x 14 box?
Given exercise once a day?
Fed on inappropriate food that causes ulcers?
Burn their legs to supposedly strengthen tendons (pin-firing, legal until 1990, blind eye turned to it by the RCVS since, only banned by the UK racing authorities since 2022) - no veterinary/scientific evidence it actually does anything except force box rest until the injuries heal.
Denied the ability to exhibit natural behaviours like grazing, moving freely, interacting with others of their own kind, form social groups.
Worked and ridden a good 4/5 years BEFORE their bones finish forming, before growth plates close, before various joints particularly those in the pelvis and spine are fully mature.

Heavily aversive measures are used to stop horses objecting - mains electrified edges to box doors to stop cribbing (biting the wooden door edge and frame to alleviate the burning acidic ulcer symptoms) - tongues tied down to stop them getting the tongue over the bit to protect the roof of the mouth from the bits action - mouths strapped shut to achieve same - martingales to stop them raising their head to evade the bits action...

And that is just the legal things - whilst de-nerving/blocking nerves isn't race legal, it happens.

We treat rapists and murderers better.

Let me guess, you’ve never visited a racing yard in your life?

I love horse racing. I was at Aintree this week and also attend around 50+ other meetings every year.

I’ve been to every UK racecourse and many overseas. I’ve owned/part owned a number of racehorses and have visited many yards over the years. I can safely say that the majority of posts on this thread are complete nonsense and written from a place of total ignorance.

Notashamed13 · 11/04/2026 23:54

WiddlinDiddlin · 11/04/2026 23:41

In what way 'treat like shit'?

Imprisoned in a 14 x 14 box?
Given exercise once a day?
Fed on inappropriate food that causes ulcers?
Burn their legs to supposedly strengthen tendons (pin-firing, legal until 1990, blind eye turned to it by the RCVS since, only banned by the UK racing authorities since 2022) - no veterinary/scientific evidence it actually does anything except force box rest until the injuries heal.
Denied the ability to exhibit natural behaviours like grazing, moving freely, interacting with others of their own kind, form social groups.
Worked and ridden a good 4/5 years BEFORE their bones finish forming, before growth plates close, before various joints particularly those in the pelvis and spine are fully mature.

Heavily aversive measures are used to stop horses objecting - mains electrified edges to box doors to stop cribbing (biting the wooden door edge and frame to alleviate the burning acidic ulcer symptoms) - tongues tied down to stop them getting the tongue over the bit to protect the roof of the mouth from the bits action - mouths strapped shut to achieve same - martingales to stop them raising their head to evade the bits action...

And that is just the legal things - whilst de-nerving/blocking nerves isn't race legal, it happens.

We treat rapists and murderers better.

Love a good AI response....I dont need a bracketed explanation of what crib biting is......get educated on the things you hate so much.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:15

NormalAuntFanny · 11/04/2026 17:20

If it were banned tomorrow those horses wouldn't be saved, just killed.

There are no happy herds of wild horses, no wide open plains they can relocate to. Racing and riding is what keeps those amazing animals out of museums and zoos.

The only way horses will continue to survive in any real numbers is if we use them as we have for thousands of years.

I don't think anyone here has said that riding should be banned.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:17

Treadcarefully11 · 11/04/2026 23:47

Let me guess, you’ve never visited a racing yard in your life?

I love horse racing. I was at Aintree this week and also attend around 50+ other meetings every year.

I’ve been to every UK racecourse and many overseas. I’ve owned/part owned a number of racehorses and have visited many yards over the years. I can safely say that the majority of posts on this thread are complete nonsense and written from a place of total ignorance.

What do you think of what happened to Gold Dancer?

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:23

ShakyBake · 11/04/2026 21:23

Oh stop being such a damp weekend, as said it brings in 4bn and supports tens of thousands of jobs. The horses bloody love it too.

How do you know they love it? The ones who die or get injured probably don't.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:30

MuskIsACnt · 11/04/2026 22:00

Horse racing is pretty grim for the horses, but lots of horses have crappy lives and deaths (and I say that as a horse owner).

I’m more concerned about the millions of farm animals who have crappy lives and deaths just to end up on our plates.

Can't we try to improve all horses' lives?

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:30

WiddlinDiddlin · 11/04/2026 21:45

With the dubious of benefit of having worked in the industry when I was a lot younger and stupider...

Campaigning to ban it at this stage is futile, as previous posters have pointed out the revenue it generates across multiple industries is vast, you would not achieve your goal even remotely - all that might happen is that racing HERE in the UK is ended and horses bred here are shipped to Ireland, to Australia, Japan, USA, Dubai etc etc.

What would make a significant difference to horse welfare is some rule changes.

Ban putting horses under 3 years old into training. Ban them touching a racecourse until 5.

Instantly you cut the 'wastage' that is, horses bred excessively 'just in case they're good enough', many of whom are broken down through early training before they see a track, because the costs of keeping them around until old enough is prohibitive.

You also cut down the numbers breaking down because they're raced too young.

You'd also likely improve the handling/early training of those horses because you cannot simply leave them in a field until 3 then bring them in and start riding them, they'd need some handling and education - that stands them in better stead for a future after racing.

More time to get them properly fit to race means fewer injuries on the track, it means fewer jumping accidents too as there is time to school them properly over fences and its far less likely you'd have wild crazy jumpers people take risks on because their fast or because they have incredible stamina (many of the early fallers in the National are this type, nutters with guts but poor jumping skills).

It would also cost more to have a racehorse if you're not seeing a return on your money for four or five years, which reduces the numbers, sharpens peoples minds about taking care of them (remember with the exception of high value stallions, they're rarely insured because the cost outweighs any payout you'd get!).

Theres various other rules I'd bring in, like stipulations on access to turn out, social interaction with others etc... but this ONE change would reshape horse racing in the UK and in a way that produces higher quality, longer lasting, sounder and happier horses, which would lead other countries to follow suit.

If everyone pushing for an outright ban that will never happen in their lifetimes, pushed for this... it could happen.

Good post.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:32

Twoshoesnewshoes · 11/04/2026 22:20

162000 cows were slaughtered in the UK in February this year for the meat industry.
so I can’t get too worried about a few horses tbh.

Cows generally aren't dying the way horses like Golden Dance died, though. Nor being pushed to race.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:35

loggerlikesweet261 · 11/04/2026 22:30

Well then you are missing out of some of the simplest pleasures in life.

milk, beef, bacon - delicious

your time on this earth is infinite (100yrs if you’re lucky) and long before you and long after you, cows will be milked and beefed, pigs will be bacon’d and people will enjoy (and make fortunes) off horse racing

That doesn't have any bearing on whether it's ethical or not.

If you just think about enjoyment and not ethics, you're no better than an animal yourself. There's plenty of ethical things to enjoy.

I think racing is qualitatively different as cows and pigs at least theoretically can have a comfy life and humane death. Horses bred for racing are a difficult matter.

QueenSophia · 12/04/2026 05:37

Notashamed13 · 11/04/2026 22:30

Funny thing is, I'm in agreement with you, but have common sense and awareness because I've done my research. The GN is absolutely nothing to worry about compared to the rest of the racing industry. It will never be banned. There are prime time adverts on my local TV showing what a fun family day out the races can be. I still stand by the fact the horses have a great life, and its just something I have to accept.

Why do you think they have a great life necessarily? It's interesting the pp with first hand experience is more sceptical.

And if we all just accepted unethical things, where would we be? We'd still have dogfighting and cockfighting.

Rummly · 12/04/2026 06:34

It’s an annual event…

…the MN anti-Grand National thread.

And they’re off! Sentimental’s in an early lead, closely followed by Hypocrite. Horse Racing Ignoramus coming up on the outside, with Mawkish Nonsense challenging. Not A Clue is coming through strongly. But Pointless Ill-informed Whingeing is now ahead, and wins by a length from Nothing Better To Do.

Unequalworld · 12/04/2026 07:54

Rummly · 12/04/2026 06:34

It’s an annual event…

…the MN anti-Grand National thread.

And they’re off! Sentimental’s in an early lead, closely followed by Hypocrite. Horse Racing Ignoramus coming up on the outside, with Mawkish Nonsense challenging. Not A Clue is coming through strongly. But Pointless Ill-informed Whingeing is now ahead, and wins by a length from Nothing Better To Do.

Thanks for that invaluable contribution 🙄

Seriously, most threads on AIBU could be described like that by some.

Is opinion that is different to yours intolerable?

I watched that poor horse break its back be riden onwards to its death a couple of minutes after winning. Bravo horse racing, at least the owner gets his winnings ! Is that really all that matters 🤔

Never said it should be banned but could try harder to prevent horses needless extermination

Unequalworld · 12/04/2026 07:58

That picture as Gold Dancer breaks his back, legs dragging behind is appalling. He was riden onwards to win and be shot minutes later. Adrenaline rush, last moments being raced to death.

MyGhastIsFlabbered · 12/04/2026 07:59

The photo of Gold Dancer caught me this morning and I’m now sat here with tears in my eyes for that poor horse. It’s barbaric. But then some people get enjoyment of fox hunting so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dancingspleen1 · 12/04/2026 08:08

HoppityBun · 11/04/2026 19:41

No! No! Horses run when they’re riderless because they are herd animals. They are prey animals and it is staying with the herd that is their instinct in order to keep them safe. They are safe when they are together and they are vulnerable on their own. It is not within a horse’s psychology to stop running when the rest of the herd is charging away. They cannot do that.

Herd animals simply cannot leave the herd: it’s against every instinct to do so. Therefore, they will run with the other horses. They do not do this because they have made some considered decision or for some kind of fun. Anyone that tells you that doesn’t know what they’re talking about and if it’s a horse racing person that tells you that, then that really is a key to their lack of understanding of horse behaviour.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that horses in any sports industry have very little autonomy. So little, in fact, that some stallions simply cannot serve as stallions after they retire because any sexual instincts have been suppressed, at best by chucking cold buckets of water at them. Very few animals are given choices, although it’s fascinating to watch them when they are. Giving choices to race horses would be a financial disaster.

Horse racing people only know how horses behave in a racing environment. It is very difficult for them to change their beliefs because that would mean confronting things which they do not wish to confront. It’s human nature. Nobody wants to accept that what they have been doing all their life is unkind and unnatural. Some racing people are beginning to do that, but it’s not easy for them. Humans just don’t behave that way. Therefore, you double down, deny and tell those who criticise you that they simply don’t understand or have the deep insight and knowledge that you have.

That is also a clue to how we changed this: confrontation does not change peoples’ minds.

Edited

Really great post. I know very little about horses but have long suspected horse racing was cruel. You've explained it perfectly.

Swipe left for the next trending thread