Awful awful awful *warning - disturbing footage*

Spudlet said:
I'm sorry, but I don't get America's relationship with the horse at all:confused:

On the one hand, they ban slaughter so they end with loads of welfare problems (abandonment, horses being exported).



Then on the other hand, you have things like this going on, not to mention the 'speed breaking' contests (who can break a horse in in under 5 minutes), the BLM mustang round-ups and so on.

Is there a happy medium out there?? Is it just that the two extremes of the spectrum shout loudest?

It's just beyond me:confused:
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Thank you Spudlet, you've said exactly what I was thinking!
 
misterjay said:
They say the Suicide race is part of their native heritage - WTF!
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According to Wiki it's based on a native race but....
"Held for more than 70 years, the race is known for the portion of the race where horses and riders run down Suicide Hill, a 62-degree slope that runs for 225 feet (69 m) to the Okanogan River.[1] Though the race was inspired by Indian endurance races, the actual Omak race was the 1935 brainchild of a local Omak business owner. The race has provoked serious concerns among animal welfare and animals rights groups"

And there I suspect you have have the real reason for it being held :mad:
 
Spudlet said:
I'm sorry, but I don't get America's relationship with the horse at all:confused:

On the one hand, they ban slaughter so they end with loads of welfare problems (abandonment, horses being exported).

They have sanctuaries that will 'save' horses that you can't help but feel might have been better off being humanely pts - the mare with horrendous burns all over springs to mind, she made it eventually but her wounds must have been agonising, and it was a long, long recovery - was it really fair to put her through that?

Then on the other hand, you have things like this going on, not to mention the 'speed breaking' contests (who can break a horse in in under 5 minutes), the BLM mustang round-ups and so on.

Is there a happy medium out there?? Is it just that the two extremes of the spectrum shout loudest?

It's just beyond me:confused:
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People do stupid irresponsible things all over the world, not just here. I take a bit of offense to whomever it was that made the "only in America" statement. I have no interest in watching the video, the description was horrible enough. Not every American horse person breaks a horse before they are old enough, nor are we all Parelli worshippers. I for one think they are highly overrated and could care less about them. Those seem to be the two biggest misconceptions I see written the most. Without going into a longer tangent, yes there is a happy medium here.
 
The HSUS who produced this video is a very bad group, it is an animal rights (not welfare) group. It's president is Alex Pachencko...he was an animal terrorist supporter while he was at the top of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)...he supported the murder of researchers by the ALF (Animal Liberation Front). This is a full blown terrorist group supported by Pachencko.

This race isn't supported by American horsemen.

Horses are injured in this race.

Horses are also injured/killed in the Grand National, Point-to-Points, Foxhunting, Show Jumping, 3-Day eventing, Hacking out, Carriage competitions and Flat racing etc....
 
Tharg said:
TBF I think hunts have been down steeper slopes...
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Some of the hunt videos on youtube are insane. I remember one that had a huge ditch and the ground was so muddy and chewed up that a lot of the horses slipped and fell trying to do it. In another some guy flew off his horse when it stumbled going through some trench thing (not sure what the exact term for it would be) with jumps in it. They both flew head first into the water and the people standing nearby were laughing! :mad:
 
I must be totally hard hearted as I dont think it's that bad. Don't get me wrong, it's not nice, but I've seen worse falls at xc and racing.
 
Still, amazing how horrible we can be to horses/animals if there's anough money in it... that's just life I guess....

But we've all got a good excuse that we can all use, eh? We're ONLY human.

After all, horses were BORN to be carry humans, ridden, thrown over jumps, down hills, into ditches and then, sored to make the feet lift higher, harnessed to heavy ploughs, carriages, then made to carry painful metal in between their gums and ridden for miles on end in harsh desert conditions, also, to dance and do fancy pirrouttes, then made to round up cattle, sheep, and take heavy men into the streets to do a show for the queen.

It's just so much fun! God's gift to men truly are a versatile animal.
 
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Didnt watc the video just read the replies and can remember watching this video before - the suicide race.

Disgraceful, surely America's animal welfare Officers could put an end to this???
 
flamehead said:
I must be totally hard hearted as I dont think it's that bad. Don't get me wrong, it's not nice, but I've seen worse falls at xc and racing.
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Do you think that seeing bad falls in xc and racing has made you hard hearted (or, at least, more hard hearted than you would have been had you not seen them)?

I'm not sure it is a universal reaction because I have seen awful things happen in horse sports (mostly racing), but that has increasingly made me feel that more should be done to reduce the chance of horses - who are after all completely innocent victims in sporting accidents - getting injured or killed rather than simply accepting the status quo. Progress has slowly been made, and is still being made, but imo that doesn't justify complacency.
 
Trakehner said:
Horses are also injured/killed in the Grand National, Point-to-Points, Foxhunting, Show Jumping, 3-Day eventing, Hacking out, Carriage competitions and Flat racing etc....
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Yes they are, but not at such a high injury/mortality rate as this "competition"! They are regulated and have health and safety procedures in place to make it as safe as possible for horse and rider. If you look at a year's worth of say eventing competitions - how many result in horse's death or serious injury? Compared to just one sucide race "competition" 6 were seriously injured out of just 17 horses?! It's just ridculous, barbaric with no thought for the horse and should stop.
 
insane that people can compare that pure abuse to highly regulated competitions - makes me laugh!

I'd end up with a criminal record if that happened over here, that's for sure.
 
I haven't watched the video but have seen others. I don't condone the 'Suicide Race' but before we start mouthing off about how awful it is and only the Americans (I have been guilty of the same,) lets have a look at our track record. Lets just take one of our many equestrian sports and passtimes...racing.
Here is a list of all equines fatally injured and PTS or killed while racing, since the beginning of 2011. Its long isn't it but I dont hear you all gasping and shuddering in horror.
And we are known as (the) horselovers par excellence?
Just for the record, I love racing.
Sheilas Bond 2011-03-04 Wolverhampton Broke Near Hind Leg - Destroyed
Luck Of The Draw (IRE) 2011-02-24 Southwell AW Pulled Up - Fatally Injured
Star Player (IRE) 2011-02-21 Carlisle Broke Leg - Destroyed
Political Pendant 2011-02-21 Carlisle Fell - Fatally Injured
Abey M Boy 2011-02-21 Hereford Fell- Injured Back Destroyed
Marjac (IRE) 2011-02-20 Market Rasen Broke Leg - Destroyed
Pride Of Dulcote (FR) 2011-02-19 Ascot NH Broke Hind Leg - Destroyed
Nodforms Paula (IRE) 2011-02-18 Fakenham Fatal Injury - Destroyed
Kilmurry (IRE) 2011-02-12 Warwick NH Broke Down - Destroyed
Silver Guest 2011-02-09 Lingfield AW Fatal Heart Attack After Race
Dansimar 2011-02-05 Sandown NH Fatal Injury - Destroyed
A French Horse (FR) 2011-02-03 Towcester Fell - Fatally Injured Destroyed
Wotsurpoison 2011-01-31 Ayr NH Broke Down - Destroyed
The Gripper (IRE) 2011-01-27 Warwick NH Pulled Up Injured - Destroyed
Zarinski (IRE) 2011-01-23 Market Rasen Broke Leg - Destroyed
Omix D Or (FR) 2011-01-22 Wincanton Fell - Fatally Injured Destroyed
Vodka Brook (IRE) 2011-01-19 Newcastle NH Fell - Fatally Injured Destroyed
Tifoso (FR) 2011-01-18 Southwell NH Finished Race Injured - Destroyed
Lord Larsson 2011-01-15 Wetherby Fatal Injury - Destroyed
Peveril 2011-01-15 Warwick NH Fell - Dead
South Bank (IRE) 2011-01-13 Hereford Fell - Fatally Injured Destroyed
Light Dragoon 2011-01-10 Taunton Pulled Up Injured - Destroyed
Natureofthebeast (IRE) 2011-01-08 Wincanton Fell - Fatally Injured Destroyed
Karanja 2011-01-08 Chepstow NH Collapsed and Died After Race
Flighty Frances (IRE) 2011-01-08 Chepstow NH Fell - Fractured Fetlock Destroyed
Flashy Conquest 2011-01-03 Lingfield NH Severed Tendon - Destroyed
Joe Lively (IRE) 2011-01-01 Cheltenham Pulled Up Injured - Destroyed
Lethal Glaze (IRE) 2011-01-01 Cheltenham Fell - Dead
Dermey Bowler (IRE) 2010-12-28 Ffos Las Struck Into - Destroyed
Toomuchinformation
 
The list of deaths above from racing is very sad, but in the UK there are safety committees and the racecourse authorities take safety of horses very seriously and try everything they can to reduce the number of accidents. When you take into account of the number of racehorses and races run and injuries it can only be a quite low percentage. When you have galloping, racing, tiring animals jumping large fences there are always going to be injuries. As we all know, a horse can gallop round a field by itself and injure itself, sometimes fatally.

On the other hand, I wonder what safety committess there are for the suidcide race?
I have an american breed of horse, and I can assure you that americans LOVE their show horses, and are convinced that they are not doing anything wrong. It is accepted as NORMAL to ride horses as 2 year olds (and not by lightweight jockeys on big TBs) and there are ridden showing classes at this age.

I am just amazed that a nation that has banned humane slaughter of horses in the USA
(so they can be transported to Canada and Mexico instead), can still allow such awful show practices.
 
Aaaaah, so that makes it alright then does it? Orangehorse, thats exactly the reply I was expecting! Just as well we have taken safety precautions, just think of the utter carnage there would be if we didn't.So what are the dead racers, collateral damage?
 
Fairynuff said:
Aaaaah, so that makes it alright then does it? Orangehorse, thats exactly the reply I was expecting! Just as well we have taken safety precautions, just think of the utter carnage there would be if we didn't.So what are the dead racers, collateral damage?
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How anyone can conpare racing in this country to the barbaric cruelty dipicted on the op clip is beyond me.

And just think if we did ban racing, what would happen to all the racehorses, simple they would be put down and then would not be born. What would happen to all the money the race horse industry pumps in to equine develpment, vetinary procedures diet, health research, breeding etc etc simple it would cease to do so.

Prehaps while we are at it we should ban eventing and showjumping too, both very cruel the poor darlings are forced to jump, and both have equine casualtys, and going even furthur how many horses are killed out on hacks, riding is so unatural prehaps that needs banning too!
 
I didn't say it made it all right, just that horses are fragile, as we know. Racing is an industry generating much money for betting, trainers, staff, etc. etc. and horses are the raw material. Also a great deal of money has over the years gone from "the racing industry" into research to benefit ALL horses and ponies in the UK.

I am sad and upset when a racehorse dies, but it is an accident.
 
jroz said:
People do stupid irresponsible things all over the world, not just here. I take a bit of offense to whomever it was that made the "only in America" statement. I have no interest in watching the video, the description was horrible enough. Not every American horse person breaks a horse before they are old enough, nor are we all Parelli worshippers. I for one think they are highly overrated and could care less about them. Those seem to be the two biggest misconceptions I see written the most. Without going into a longer tangent, yes there is a happy medium here.
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i thought that quote seemed a bit harsh too but there is a valid point to it, none of the disgusting cruelties that have been shown on here recently would be aloud in the UK, yes there are some sick b*stards in england but NEVER would this be aloud as a sport!
 
Yeah, I've seen this before. Its truly awful isnt it?

I dont agree with racing either though. Backing the horses ridiculously young, the high fatality rates, horses ruined before they should even have been started. Awful. I hate that so many people think the grand national is something special, bloody horrid if you ask me!
 
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