Six horses die at the Cheltenham Festival - Should Horseracing be banned?

[Oldyella]

What, precisely, should be banned?

If you proposed, with no prior knowledge, a sport where we breed and race animals that occasionally die due to injuries received in course of this, would it be accepted?

Of course racing will never be banned, too embedded into society.

 

[Eire Red United]

What, precisely, should be banned?

PETA.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

If you proposed, with no prior knowledge, a sport where we breed and race animals that occasionally die due to injuries received in course of this, would it be accepted?

Of course racing will never be banned, too embedded into society.

Why stop at racing?
Eventing, showjumping, dressage and any other equestrian sports have fatalities. My sister's horse was put down after being kicked by another horse who was sharing a field with it.
The bodily make up of all horses leave them prone to injuries and even their diet is a risk to them.

 

[Trizy]

Not a huge fan of horse racing but people love it so why ban it? Remove the fences/jumps and it could not be safer.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Absolutely should be banned.

 

[Oldyella]

Why stop at racing?
Eventing, showjumping, dressage and any other equestrian sports have fatalities. My sister's horse was put down after being kicked by another horse who was sharing a field with it.
The bodily make up of all horses leave them prone to injuries and even their diet is a risk to them.

Fair point re other equestrian events. Honestly, having been forced to attend a fair amount of show jumping events by an Ex, I would ban them on that alone!

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Absolutely should be banned.

Why is that?

 

[golden_blunder]

If it wasn’t for racing, horses would become another source of food

 

[hobbers]

Horses are so inherently fragile that they're going to be in a significant degree of danger whenever humans interact with them.

So either you ban any and all competitions involving horses or none, imo. And I would tend towards keeping them.

 

[Silva]

If it wasn’t for racing, horses would become another source of food

I've got some bad news for you.

 

[VeevaVee]

Do they have to be killed because of an injury? They might not be able to race again but I'm sure someone would have them.

 

[Silva]

Do they have to be killed because of an injury? They might not be able to race again but I'm sure someone would have them.

Once they're broke they ain't healing.

 

[VeevaVee]

Once they're broke they ain't healing.

Ah really? Feck. They're a strange animal really aren't they?

 

[Silva]

Ah really? Feck. They're a strange animal really aren't they?

They're a heavy prey animal which spends almost all their time standing up and are easily startled. Unless you plan on keeping them in a year long coma, which will cause them other problems anyway, any broken bones will only get worse.

 

[golden_blunder]

I've got some bad news for you.

I mean as common as cow or lamb

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Why is that?

Because of the amount of killing and injuries to the horses. The horses are basically used as slaves and then killed when they don't win or slightly leave their peak.

I find it strange people are out to get bull fighting banned in Spain but horse racing seems to get away with it. Probably because of the amount of money in the betting market.

 

[ivaldo]

I mean as common as cow or lamb

Nah, otherwise we'd all be eating donkey.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Because of the amount of killing and injuries to the horses. The horses are basically used as slaves and then killed when they don't win or slightly leave their peak.

I find it strange people are out to get bull fighting banned in Spain but horse racing seems to get away with it. Probably because of the amount of money in the betting market.

Congratulations, you have supplied one of the most bizarre postings I've ever read on this forum.
Are you seriously comparing horse racing with bullfighting?
One activity produces animals to race which they do more successfully if they they are treated kindly and their medical, dietary and emotional needs are catered for to the best of training staff's ability.
In short they are pampered in comparison to almost all other animals.
Racehorses are not pets. We require something from them to justify the expense of their keep and associated costs. That requirement is that they race and maybe they are bred from.
The object of the exercise is that they will race for as long as they are up to the task and then an alternative use will be found for them.
This may be as a worker in another sphere, it maybe as breeding stock and the unlucky ones may lose their life but horses are not at the top of the food chain and they cannot thrive as a species without assistance from man.
They get a much better deal than 99% of other animals.
Would you seriously stop equine sports and accept the slaughter of all the horses who are currently part of this activity together with the severe economic concequences that would go with it?
Animals die for reasons other than old age. Let's ban cars to save the life of dogs, cats, squirrels and pigeons.
I am neither for nor against bullfighting by the way. I would not attend it but would not ban it either.

 

[esmufc07]

Congratulations, you have supplied one of the most bizarre postings I've ever read on this forum.
Are you seriously comparing horse racing with bullfighting?
One activity produces animals to race which they do more successfully if they they are treated kindly and their medical, dietary and emotional needs are catered for to the best of training staff's ability.
In short they are pampered in comparison to almost all other animals.
Racehorses are not pets. We require something from them to justify the expense of their keep and associated costs. That requirement is that they race and maybe they are bred from.
The object of the exercise is that they will race for as long as they are up to the task and then an alternative use will be found for them.
This may be as a worker in another sphere, it maybe as breeding stock and the unlucky ones may lose their life but horses are not at the top of the food chain and they cannot thrive as a species without assistance from man.
They get a much better deal than 99% of other animals.
Would you seriously stop equine sports and accept the slaughter of all the horses who are currently part of this activity together with the severe economic concequences that would go with it?
Animals die for reasons other than old age. Let's ban cars to save the life of dogs, cats, squirrels and pigeons.
I am neither for nor against bullfighting by the way. I would not attend it but would not ban it either.

Good post that man

 

[VeevaVee]

Congratulations, you have supplied one of the most bizarre postings I've ever read on this forum.
Are you seriously comparing horse racing with bullfighting?
One activity produces animals to race which they do more successfully if they they are treated kindly and their medical, dietary and emotional needs are catered for to the best of training staff's ability.
In short they are pampered in comparison to almost all other animals.

I know the guy that trains Hemmings' horses. They have a better life than a lot of humans.

 

[esmufc07]

I know the guy that trains Hemmings' horses. They have a better life than a lot of humans.

Show off

 

[VeevaVee]

Show off

Irish guy, always in the pub my Dad goes in. Funny as feck when not so fecked he can't speak

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Congratulations, you have supplied one of the most bizarre postings I've ever read on this forum.
Are you seriously comparing horse racing with bullfighting?
One activity produces animals to race which they do more successfully if they they are treated kindly and their medical, dietary and emotional needs are catered for to the best of training staff's ability.
In short they are pampered in comparison to almost all other animals.
Racehorses are not pets. We require something from them to justify the expense of their keep and associated costs. That requirement is that they race and maybe they are bred from.
The object of the exercise is that they will race for as long as they are up to the task and then an alternative use will be found for them.
This may be as a worker in another sphere, it maybe as breeding stock and the unlucky ones may lose their life but horses are not at the top of the food chain and they cannot thrive as a species without assistance from man.
They get a much better deal than 99% of other animals.
Would you seriously stop equine sports and accept the slaughter of all the horses who are currently part of this activity together with the severe economic concequences that would go with it?
Animals die for reasons other than old age. Let's ban cars to save the life of dogs, cats, squirrels and pigeons.
I am neither for nor against bullfighting by the way. I would not attend it but would not ban it either.

Nice to see some common sense on this thread, I was at a loss for the hate of horse racing when this thread first opened, and expressed as such.

Racehorses as in general are near top of the tree when it comes to animal care, it's just sadly an easy target for do-gooders who know very little about it.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Because of the amount of killing and injuries to the horses. The horses are basically used as slaves and then killed when they don't win or slightly leave their peak.

I find it strange people are out to get bull fighting banned in Spain but horse racing seems to get away with it. Probably because of the amount of money in the betting market.

I know quite a lot about horse racing, and as such this is the worst post I have read on this forum.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

I always have to fight the corner of horse racing at this time of the year as agenda driven idiots use the National as a banner to further their twisted cause.

1 horse lost its' life during the 3 day meeting. No horse was fatally injured during the big race for the 6th year on the trot.
There were probably fatalities during the same time in regular races at lesser tracks, at point to points and during exercise gallops up and down the British Isles but we don't hear a peep about them.
I would love to have some of the ban-it brigade go to JP's stud at Martinstown and see just how well retired racehorses are often treated or Aiden's stables at Ballydoyle where he plays classical music to his inmates to soothe them in their boxes.
Many smaller establishments lavish their charges with TLC also.
It's so sad when a lovely horse gets a fatal injury but to take away the livelihoods of thousands on the premise of an ignorant falsehood is just wrong.

 

[Eire Red United]

Nah, otherwise we'd all be eating donkey.

Don’t think donkey is really eaten much anywhere, whereas horse meat is as normal as beef in many countries.

 

[Jippy]

Don’t think donkey is really eaten much anywhere, whereas horse meat is as normal as beef in many countries.

It was on the menu quite a bit in Rome when I was there last. Not seen it elsewhere though.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Congratulations, you have supplied one of the most bizarre postings I've ever read on this forum.
Are you seriously comparing horse racing with bullfighting?
One activity produces animals to race which they do more successfully if they they are treated kindly and their medical, dietary and emotional needs are catered for to the best of training staff's ability.
In short they are pampered in comparison to almost all other animals.
Racehorses are not pets. We require something from them to justify the expense of their keep and associated costs. That requirement is that they race and maybe they are bred from.
The object of the exercise is that they will race for as long as they are up to the task and then an alternative use will be found for them.
This may be as a worker in another sphere, it maybe as breeding stock and the unlucky ones may lose their life but horses are not at the top of the food chain and they cannot thrive as a species without assistance from man.
They get a much better deal than 99% of other animals.
Would you seriously stop equine sports and accept the slaughter of all the horses who are currently part of this activity together with the severe economic concequences that would go with it?
Animals die for reasons other than old age. Let's ban cars to save the life of dogs, cats, squirrels and pigeons.
I am neither for nor against bullfighting by the way. I would not attend it but would not ban it either.

I'm not comparing them hand in hand, but to me the similarities lie in that in both sports the animals are basically murdered the minute they are no longer fit for purpose and personally I don't think it's right. The horses may be treat well up until race time but then murder is still murder isn't it? Whether they have been 'bred' with that intention or not. I'm not one of these social justice warrior people protesting it be banned, but personally as I've got older I have found I can't support a sport which treats animals that way. Don't think that is all that strange to be honest.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

I know quite a lot about horse racing, and as such this is the worst post I have read on this forum.

Well done for knowing alot about horse racing. I don't like the murdering of animals, sue me.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

I'm not comparing them hand in hand, but to me the similarities lie in that in both sports the animals are basically murdered the minute they are no longer fit for purpose and personally I don't think it's right. The horses may be treat well up until race time but then murder is still murder isn't it? Whether they have been 'bred' with that intention or not. I'm not one of these social justice warrior people protesting it be banned, but personally as I've got older I have found I can't support a sport which treats animals that way. Don't think that is all that strange to be honest.

Are you serious?

 

[Akshay]

I always have to fight the corner of horse racing at this time of the year as agenda driven idiots use the National as a banner to further their twisted cause.

1 horse lost its' life during the 3 day meeting. No horse was fatally injured during the big race for the 6th year on the trot.
There were probably fatalities during the same time in regular races at lesser tracks, at point to points and during exercise gallops up and down the British Isles but we don't hear a peep about them.
I would love to have some of the ban-it brigade go to JP's stud at Martinstown and see just how well retired racehorses are often treated or Aiden's stables at Ballydoyle where he plays classical music to his inmates to soothe them in their boxes.
Many smaller establishments lavish their charges with TLC also.
It's so sad when a lovely horse gets a fatal injury but to take away the livelihoods of thousands on the premise of an ignorant falsehood is just wrong.

For horses that have to be retired due to injury, is there really no form of medical care that can allow them to have a life outside of the race track? I'd just be surprised if in an industry with so much money there wasn't a way to care for these animals if there really was the will for it. Mind you, I know nothing about horses having only attended one race in my life.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Well done for knowing alot about horse racing. I don't like the murdering of animals, sue me.

Your understanding of the sport is flawed to say the least, perhaps if you know very little about a subject it's best to not have such strong views of it.

 

[Sweet Square]

I always have to fight the corner of horse racing at this time of the year as agenda driven idiots use the National as a banner to further their twisted cause.

1 horse lost its' life during the 3 day meeting. No horse was fatally injured during the big race for the 6th year on the trot.
There were probably fatalities during the same time in regular races at lesser tracks, at point to points and during exercise gallops up and down the British Isles but we don't hear a peep about them.
I would love to have some of the ban-it brigade go to JP's stud at Martinstown and see just how well retired racehorses are often treated or Aiden's stables at Ballydoyle where he plays classical music to his inmates to soothe them in their boxes.
Many smaller establishments lavish their charges with TLC also.
It's so sad when a lovely horse gets a fatal injury but to take away the livelihoods of thousands on the premise of an ignorant falsehood is just wrong.

Can't you make a similar argument with fox hunting. I'm not sure how I feel on horse racing but I'm at the point where the only defence I can come up with is that I like watching it and betting on it. Morally it's a pretty shitty sport.

 

[RexHamilton]

Ill rephrase my point, it isn't them having to be put down so to speak that's the issue i was bringing up at all, its what the horses are being forced to do that causes the injuries in the first place. as i said originally I dont have a major opinion either side of the debate, its not something im passionate about enough to research to actually have a valid opinion to share, I just noticed the equestrian/horse loving types i know tend to be vehemently pro animal welfare types yet seem happy to watch horses whipped and forced to race around courses for us to bet on that ultimately causes unnecessary injury to the animals, which in all intents and purposes seems a bit cruel in the bigger picture perhaps? to repeat the example i used above, You can tell dogs absolutely love running around the little courses at crufts, yet horse racing doesnt seem like a particularly pleasant thing for the horses to be forced to do.

Why did at least 6/7 horses continue running and jumping fences in the grand national after their jockey had been unseated then? Horses clearly enjoy racing, otherwise the moment the jockey (who is supposedly forcing them) is unseated, they would stop. They certainly wouldn't jump some of the biggest fences in steeplechasing without a jockey if they hated it.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Can't you make a similar argument with fox hunting. I'm not sure how I feel on horse racing but I'm at the point where the only defence I can come up with is that I like watching it and betting on it. Morally it's a pretty shitty sport.

Are you talking about the impact on people's jobs and potential slaughter of animals rendered useless by the ban?
If so, the impact in the U.K. has been minimal approximately 20 years after the ban was implemented.
I'm not really getting your point TBH.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

For horses that have to be retired due to injury, is there really no form of medical care that can allow them to have a life outside of the race track? I'd just be surprised if in an industry with so much money there wasn't a way to care for these animals if there really was the will for it. Mind you, I know nothing about horses having only attended one race in my life.

Fair question.
Only the most serious of injuries result in the horses death. On course vets do everything possible to save an injured horse Saint Are who was injured in this years National was treated on course and transferred to an equine hospital for further rehab.
The problem with horses is that they have fragile limbs and heavy tops which puts great pressure on injuries. They are also restless, active creatures who won't keep still for any length of time while their injury is recovering. There's also complications caused by them shifting weight onto their functioning limbs while keeping weight off an afflicted one.

Articles like this one describe it in better detail than I can.

https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/broken-leg-horse.htm

 

[ZupZup]

Why did at least 6/7 horses continue running and jumping fences in the grand national after their jockey had been unseated then? Horses clearly enjoy racing, otherwise the moment the jockey (who is supposedly forcing them) is unseated, they would stop. They certainly wouldn't jump some of the biggest fences in steeplechasing without a jockey if they hated it.

I'm not anti-horse racing... but that's a bizarre argument really... they've been trained/brainwashed to race and jump fences. It's what they know. Horses that have never been trained to do it would not start running around a course and hurdling over big fences because it's such a great laugh.

It's like some awful people train dogs to fight. Then they put it in a ring with another dog and that's what happens. Then you would come along and say... "the dogs must enjoy it - otherwise they just wouldn't fight each other".

 

[Infra-red]

Jump racing accounts for about 80% of the 150 deaths per year on racecourses in the UK. I can imagine a time where we only see racing on the flat.

 

[RexHamilton]

I'm not anti-horse racing... but that's a bizarre argument really... they've been trained/brainwashed to race and jump fences. It's what they know. Horses that have never been trained to do it would not start running around a course and hurdling over big fences because it's such a great laugh.

It's like some awful people train dogs to fight. Then they put it in a ring with another dog and that's what happens. Then you would come along and say... "the dogs must enjoy it - otherwise they just wouldn't fight each other".

You're comparing the torture and starvation of dogs so that they fight for their lives to one the most cared for group of animals in the world and I'm the one making bizarre arguments?

Yes they've been trained to do it, and of course they wouldn't do it without been trained for it, but if the jockey wasn't forcing them to do it, they could simply just stop, unless of course, you know, it wasn't that terrible an ordeal on them.

 

[ZupZup]

You're comparing the torture and starvation of dogs so that they fight for their lives to one the most cared for group of animals in the world and I'm the one making bizarre arguments?

Yes they've been trained to do it, and of course they wouldn't do it without been trained for it, but if the jockey wasn't forcing them to do it, they could simply just stop, unless of course, you know, it wasn't that terrible an ordeal on them.

You really think horses have a great understanding... that they could just stop what they have spent their lives been trained to do because the jockey has been unseated? Ok mate.