All in the name of sport * WARNING*

TicTac

TicTac

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOOiixz2zFE&feature=share

This is why I dislike the racing industry. Please be warned that this video is awful to watch.

I know that cruelty goes on in all walks of life and in other equestrian disciplines as well but the mass production of racehorses and the hard work they have to endure at such a young age does not sit comfortably with me. Those that make it have a life of luxury for as long as they are winning but those that don't can end up on the scrap heap.

There is good and bad in everything, I know that and I do try to remain open minded about things, but this is bad, and it needs to be stopped.
 
The image of the poor filly broke my heart. Obviously physics has something to do with it- she couldn't've stopped right away- but seeing her continue to run like that..
 
i have never seen that before and i think that is truely sickening. im not a fan of racing anyway and i dont see why they seem to think that they are faster when they are younger went they really arnt. i know they run because they love to run but being forced to run faster then their bodies can take is wrong.
 
It wont be long before people will post about these things happening in all equine sports, or even out in the field, which is true, but this is very sad indeed.
 
TicTac said:
Those that make it have a life of luxury for as long as they are winning
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Just to point out that that "life of luxury" is what we humans imagine as luxury! I believe we need to question how luxurious and healthy it actually is for horses rather than humans or human convenience! Horses weren't designed/evolved to spend most of their lives alone in a small box and eating high energy low roughage diets etc. etc. etc. then going out X amount of times for a run/exercise...
 
sheep said:
The image of the poor filly broke my heart. Obviously physics has something to do with it- she couldn't've stopped right away- but seeing her continue to run like that..
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Blind panic? Running from the pain?

Poor baby. All of them really. I've had to seriously rethink how I feel about racing . . . thanks for posting this link - even though it made extremely uncomfortable watching . . .

P
 
cuppatea said:
horses break legs in fields too.
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They do.

Can't use that defence though as far as these young horses are concerned, I'm afraid (and I do love racing, before you assume otherwise).

Very, very difficult to watch. Left me feeling quite wobbly actually.

Just to point out - this was in the USA, not the UK.
 
While the video makes difficult viewing, i'm not sure i can make the connection between the 'good performing horses being treated well' and the 'poor performing horses being treated badly'. I also think this is a very sweeping statement, while there are many 'bad' trainers and owners, these days there are far more that do ensure the care of their horses regardless of their performance.

I'm no 'fan' of racing, its not something i follow, but equally i dont have any issue with it existing. In all factions of equestrianism there will always be the good and the bad, as well as the terrible accidents, and the fantastic achievements, its life i suppose.
 
amandap said:
Just to point out that that "life of luxury" is what we humans imagine as luxury! I believe we need to question how luxurious and healthy it actually is for horses rather than humans or human convenience! Horses weren't designed/evolved to spend most of their lives alone in a small box and eating high energy low roughage diets etc. etc. etc. then going out X amount of times for a run/exercise...
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Agree, but then most of us have to/ choose to keep horses like that because of a lack of turnout or the type of work a horse does etc etc but that's a different subject!

Just wanted to point out that racehorses do get looked after whilst they are in training, how you perceive that ' looking after' is a different matter again!
 
Can't look sorry, as I know what'll I see:(

Humans exploit animals I'm afraid and that's how it's always been, and that's how it will always be.

Well at least until we destroy ourselves that is of course.
 
Ooooh this could be a good one. Popcorn anyone? ;)

It is a horrid film, those are horrid things happening. Reality is I bet there isn't a horse sport in existence that can really be declared 100% abuse-free. I do think though, that video could be fairly exceptional... I wonder if the same thing happens in the UK/Ireland?

I think racing gets bad press because it's so much IN the press. Yes there are things about the racing industry that I'm not mad about, but at the same time I know an international showjumper whose horses are nowhere near as happy as the neighbouring race trainers'. I'm not a big racing fan, it upsets me to see horses injured in jump races, but at the same time I don't blame racing for those injuries same way as when I watched poor Mary King at express eventing years ago, I didn't blame her for Call Again Cavalier's injury. Again I think it's just the amount of racing and its more prominent position in the spotlight that makes it seem like there are more injuries. I wonder, proportionately, what the injury ratios are like between the various sports? (Not making any assertions with that statement, I am just genuinely wondering)

I would rather assume that the vast majority of race trainers treat their horses well and occurences like this are in the minority.
 
Im sure I remember learning at college years ago the justification of training racehorses as young as they do. Apparently, studies have shown that tendon adapts to have more tensile loading strength when exposed to high impact training at a younger age than, say a 3 year old.

This is good for tendons, but for good bone density, it is better to train them later, hence the high number of breakages.

At least they are put to rest as quickly as possible on the race track, but what about when training at home?.

Yes they do break their legs in their field, but they havent been put in a situation where they are more at risk of this happening.
 
I've never seen anything like it. I feel quite sick after watching that.

horses break legs in fields too.
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Whilst I agree that yes, horses do break their legs in the field, your comment is completely out of context here. How can you even compare a break in the field to the amount of sheer pressure these yearlings are under. It is not comparable in the slightest.
 
Sorry, couldn't bear to watch but guess I know what happened.

Sadly, whilst there are people making money from racing, from the little old lady sitting in the betting shop every morning, to the little boys and girls who dream of being jockeys, to the people who aspire to own a race horse, to the people who take their money and supply, trainers, course owners .... there will be a cause and need for race horses to be bred, specifically to race. There will be good ones and bad ones. Good outcomes and bad outcomes. A lottery, a profitable, happy and sad one.

If we were all vegetarians and vegans I doubt we would ever see animals in fields.

Its supply and demand.

Its a sad fact of life but is, sadly at times, life.
 
I have never actually seen or understood what 'breaking down' means when I have seen it written on this forum before in response to folk talking about race horses that didn't make it out of training

.... I guess now I do!

That poor filly with the broken leg - by god I hope I never see that again !
 
Oh here we go!! I hope you realise that that is a PETA video, an organisation who would rather put an animal (horse, dog, cat) to sleep rather than let it live its life as a pet!! Yes, the video is not pleasant to watch but it is edited and compiled to have the most shocking impact possible! Yes, these things do happen, I'm not saying it's right but they do. They would be just as likely to happen to a horse in the wild fleeing a predator. OK, it would be less likely to happen in a field if it was living as an ornament but how many people on here have horses just to be an ornament!?!

I'm sorry, but PETA sicken me. They are so short sighted and close minded you can't even have an intelligent conversation with them.

The racing industry comes under so much more attack than other horse sports due to the sheer numbers and visibility. I would be interested to see percentages (not just raw numbers) comparing the differing equestrian disciplines and the breakdowns and fatalities. I honestly do not think that the percentage would be significantly higher in racing (though I'm willing to eat my hat if proven wrong).
 
Oh here we go!! I hope you realise that that is a PETA video
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It is very obviously a PETA video. As for editing for shock value - again, probably quite true. However, you can't get away from the catastophic injuries suffered, editing or not. Quite, quite appalling. Anyone not shocked or moved, is not an animal lover in my view.

I honestly do not think that the percentage would be significantly higher in racing
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As for percentile differences in equine sports. You do need to do some research, and also apply a little logic.

(Again I add the note that I am not against racing).
 
TicTac said:
Agree, but then most of us have to/ choose to keep horses like that because of a lack of turnout or the type of work a horse does etc etc but that's a different subject!

Just wanted to point out that racehorses do get looked after whilst they are in training, how you perceive that ' looking after' is a different matter again!
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Yep different subjects as is the question (that no one ever seems to ask) of why do horses break legs in fields so often? :confused:
 
I am a huge racing person and it has been my life for about 30 years. I am shocked by what I have just seen but I have also been affected by it. I had a horse shatter a shoulder on me when I as track riding in Australia. It is very unfortunate and I am aware that a fatality is a fatality but it does happen.
I am infact against PETA. They are anti cats being kept as pets and horses being ridden. I have to give their marketing department 100% for deploying very good shock tactics! I have been to several lectures at the RVC about fractures and bio mechanics of the horse. It was most interesting and educated me a lot on the limbs of horses. I personally think that the PETA clip does vilify horse racing. I am into flat racing and I agree with the racing of 2 year olds. I do not agree per se of the times which are clocked in America at the breeze ups. I think the breeze ups are a great way for young TB's to be sold and purchased but to be clocking sub 10 seconds a furlong is not right. I would be interested to see if they would put a block and not allow horses to breeze faster than an 11-12 sec/furlong. I do not object to the first horse having a few back handers - these horses are for sale and he looked a little lazy and if I recall correctly he was wearing blinkers which again would indicate he was lazy.
I'd just like to add about the grey which continued having bust it's front leg, this is due to the adrenalin which is pumping around their bodies that they tend to have so many natural (endorphins) pain killing rushing around their bodies that it isn't quite as horrific as it looks. They cannot stop immediately due to the momentum and also they wouldn't know what they have just done. I can relate to this when the filly I rode broke her shoulder.
The term "breaking down" or "broke down" is used when a horse has done a tendon or ligament and is going to have an enforced time off work. When a horse breaks a leg, shoulder or pelvis it is generally referred to as a fatality.
 
I have to agree that was a dreadful piece of film to watch, and I think that this film was in extremis. PETA and Animal Aid are experts at making vidios to get their point accross in shock tactics. Racing and training in the US is very different from this country, the nearest we get to doing that here are the Breeze Up Sales, where horses are never pushed out and always gallop in pairs. As for how racehorses are kept, and the people that think that it is unnatrual for them to be stabled most of the day, it is for a very short period of their lives and that regime is the safest and most practicle way to keep them. They are mostly young colts and fillies, some go on to hurdling and to a Nationl Hunt yard where they have plenty of turn out and a different routine. Obviously a lot dont make the grade as we all know.
 
amymay said:
It is very obviously a PETA video. As for editing for shock value - again, probably quite true. However, you can't get away from the catastophic injuries suffered, editing or not. Quite, quite appalling. Anyone not shocked or moved, is not an animal lover in my view.

As for percentile differences in equine sports. You do need to do some research, and also apply a little logic.

(Again I add the note that I am not against racing).
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I never said I wasn't shocked or moved. That filly with the broken leg made me feel nauseus!! I have felt horrified by some injuries I have seen in Eventing as well though but you don't hear an outcry about that sport like you do about racing. However, I will never ever agree with PETA... bunch of short sight lunatics in my opinion!

I told you I was willing to be proven wrong as I DON'T know the numbers and never said I did. There is obviously a much higher number of fatalities and casualties in racing but there is also a much higher number competing. And I've never seen statistics and can't seem to find any comparing the disciplines. At what point have I not applied logic here?

If someone can provide unbiased figures I am more than happy to eat my hat.
 
I would also like to add that PETA editing in the horses being taken away etc is just ridiculous. The horses have to be taken away and it looks very professional in they winch they are using to get it into the trailer etc. For a person who knows nothing about livestock, animals or bloodstock this is just adding to their shock tactics.
 
I would add though that those horses did seem to be going excessively fast. But I admit to knowing very little about the racing industry, or indeed, if the video has been edited to make them appear to be going faster than they are (which wouldn't surprise me). So what seems fast to me might actually be within acceptable limits.
 
Again, that is footage from the USA, not the UK. I am 99.9999% certain that those trials do not happen in the UK.


You don't have to look hard on the internet to see all sorts of things happening to animals in the USA which is taken as standard which we would not do to animals in the UK.
 
galaxy23 said:
Again, that is footage from the USA, not the UK. I am 99.9999% certain that those trials do not happen in the UK.


You don't have to look hard on the internet to see all sorts of things happening to animals in the USA which is taken as standard which we would not do to animals in the UK.
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Yes we do have Breeze Ups in the UK but they are not run quite how the Yanks do it.
 
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