The Grand National – Please Don’t Back the Cruelty

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The Grand National is a deliberately hazardous race.

A dangerously overcrowded field of 40 horses is forced to confront 30 extraordinarily challenging and treacherous jumps, over a course of four-and-a-half miles, the longest in the world. Since 2000, 20 horses have died on the Grand National course and, over the course of the three-day meeting, 34 horses have been killed at the three-day in that same period.

The event has seen numerous horses collapse, some of whom have died. Most recently, in 2009, Irish horse Hear The Echo collapsed and never recovered, shortly before the finishing post. Millions of television viewers were especially distressed to see the 2011 Grand National winner, Ballabriggs, being thrashed at the end of a race that left him so exhausted, that he needed oxygen. His jockey, Jason Maguire, was banned from racing for five days but kept his prize money and his winner’s position. The modern race horse is bred to be fast, but at the expense of bone strength and general health.

Despite its long history, the past decade has been the race’s deadliest decade. The fences have seen physical changes. From 1961, they were sloped on the take-off side. In 2009, run-outs were introduced that enable fences to be bypassed by the runners and loose horses. There have also been changes to the core structure of the fences. However, these innovations have not reduced the fatalities.  The death rate has actually increased over the last 50 years.

Horses have been my life for around 45 years so I have an in depth knowledge of horses & equine injuries. It is positively cruel to expect a horse to run 41/2 miles at full gallop & jump a total of 30 fences as well.

Please, don’t back the cruelty.  Sign the petition below:

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/f/ACTIVE/petition/?id=10&campaign=horse

Very rarely do you hear of the horses that have died, either as a result of a fall or after crossing the finishing line;  many die after the race from heart attacks or internal bleeding, but you will never hear of them.

I would suggest anyone interested in actual fatalities as a result of racing to view the following,

http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/  then & only then will you get an idea of how cruel this sport of kings really is.

Related articles

• 2011 winner Ballabriggs heads 82 entries for the 2012 Grand National (guardian.co.uk)
• Seven horses face race against time to get a run in the Grand National (guardian.co.uk)

Animal Aid: Horse Racing

Horse Racing

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/horse/ALL/1344//

Most people regard horse racing as a harmless sport in which the animals are willing participants who thoroughly enjoy the thrill. The truth is that, behind the scenes, lies a story of immense suffering.

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Approximately 12,000 foals are born into the closely-related British and Irish racing industries each year, yet fewer than 50 per cent go on to become racers. Those horses who do not make the grade may be slaughtered for meat or repeatedly change hands in a downward spiral of neglect. Of those horses who do go on to race, around 420 are raced to death every year.

Very rarely do you hear of the horses that have died, either as a result of a fall or after crossing the finishing line;  many die after the race from heart attacks or internal bleeding, but you will never hear of them.

I would suggest anyone interested in actual fatalities as a result of racing to view the following,

http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/  then & only then will you get an idea of how cruel this sport of kings really is.

Use of the Whip – A Hiding To Nothing

Animal Aid embarked upon an investigation of the use of the whip in British horse racing assuming we would find evidence that the welfare of horses was being compromised. What we did not anticipate was that our analysis would produce such clear, statistically-rooted evidence that use of the whip is counter-productive in terms of producing winners. A Hiding to Nothing is launched to mark Horse Racing Awareness Week 2004

The survey details the whip being used on young horses during their first ever race. Horses in a state of total exhaustion and out of contention were also beaten. The whip was used on the neck and shoulders, as well as the hind quarters. Horses being whipped 20, even 30, times during a race were observed

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/horse/ALL/602/

Related articles

• Safety first at the track. (showbet.wordpress.com)
• HBO defends ‘Luck’ series after 2 horses die (goerie.com)