Daily Mirror - Horse gets shot

Actually fairly sure it is the same horse if you look at the photos The Mirror hasn't published (ie there's one of him standing and you can see the facial markings) plus he's got boots/tape covering his socks.

Still, doesn't and shouldn't be front page news.
 
Poor horse :( What an upsetting picture!

However, what do they expect to happen? Do they not realise that even "pet" horses will most likely end up getting shot in the head? Unless he goes in his sleep, or before I can get help, Ned will be shot when his times comes. Another story making horse people look evil.
 
The horse in question was put down on Saturday. They have waited a week before printing this. They clearly don't give a toss about the refernedum, the terrorists beheading people, ebola et al if they think that that is front page news.
 
Looking at the front page tag line, isn't this to show the less savoury side of horse racing? I know that accidents happen everywhere, horses end up on the scrap heap in every discipline etc but statistics from racing are significantly higher. A picture like this will please the anti-racing brigade and enrage race supporters - tabloids love a controversial article!
 
Some wee wideo animal rights activist ran round the inside of the track to take the pics. The screens go all the way round if there is any way the public could see - by sight or by camera, if there is a blind spot then they don't screen it off. I'm guessing they didnt notice this person.

It just goes to show what lengths some of these people will go to. They must spend thousands of pounds getting to racecourses just hoping to get thay odd picture. Saddos.
 
I suppose that, if you feel so strongly about something, those are the lengths you will go to - like those getting jobs in laboratories to get pictures of animal testing to those getting jobs in abattoirs to get photos of that too.
 
Shame they couldn't have headlined with something useful if they are suddenly so concerned over animal welfare. Like a photo showing the daily number of healthy dogs destroyed as there is just no room for them. Or the horses left starving and hidden. Or the unwanted racehorses whose owners/trainers just dump them cheaply onto an open market - we all know there are people like that and sadly they seem to outweigh those who make or find a good home for their horses. There are many views concerning racing just as there are vast number of opinions and good AND bad people attached to this. It would not have been my first port of call...
 
I don't understand what is wrong with it TBH. Lots of people are ignorant of that side of racing, just like they are about what goes on in abattoirs. Nothing wrong with shooting a horse with a broken leg or eating meat, but there's a lot wrong with trying to shield the public from the realities. I think we should show everything, and then let people make their minds up.
 
teapot said:
Actually fairly sure it is the same horse if you look at the photos The Mirror hasn't published (ie there's one of him standing and you can see the facial markings) plus he's got boots/tape covering his socks.

Still, doesn't and shouldn't be front page news.
Click to expand...

The horse who was shot apparently had white legs, which this one doesn't. Which ads to the confusion of if its the actual horse or a picture from files.
 
I didn't read it in that anything else should have been done, rather that he had suffered a catastrophic injury - I don't think we should ever ignore such injuries/pretend they don't happen as I think they do need monitoring so that horses can race with the lowest risk to them possible. Did he just break down on the flat? Iirc the stats for horses breaking down on american dirt tracks are pretty high, I'd rather someone kept a tally even if I'm not a great animal aid fan, you never know maybe some day someone will step in and point out that that surface isn't great to run horses on.
 
equi said:
The horse who was shot apparently had white legs, which this one doesn't. Which ads to the confusion of if its the actual horse or a picture from files.
Click to expand...

But he has black boots on. You can see the white socks underneath if you look carefully.
 
And I don't understand the confusion over the horse, they have used an old stock picture of him with Frankie on which shows his socks but he appears to have been booted last week - he still has white feet...
 
Flat racing. The only flat racing fatality at Doncaster this year.

I have no issue with people knowing the fatalities of racehorses but I do have issue with that picture being on the front page of the newspaper. I know they need to make themselves stand out from every other newpaper that is reporting on the referendum but that particular image? Not the way forward.

Lets not forget that come April this very same newspaper will be tauting it's Grand National sweepstakes kit!
 
I have a problem with this photo being published - his connections shouldn't have to have this on a tabloid front page - it is just incredibly insensitive. But, is is the Daily Fail.
 
It's an especially low way of distracting from all the news that they'd prefer the public not to think about at present and nothing more. Another case of the media midwifing in what everyone "ought" to be concerned with. I wonder who decides that.

Horrible injury for the horse involved, and surely traumatic for those involved in its care too.
 
Wagtail said:
I don't understand what is wrong with it TBH. Lots of people are ignorant of that side of racing, just like they are about what goes on in abattoirs. Nothing wrong with shooting a horse with a broken leg or eating meat, but there's a lot wrong with trying to shield the public from the realities. I think we should show everything, and then let people make their minds up.
Click to expand...
You mean, if people don't want to see, they can always look away (and children have their eyes covered by parents if they are deemed too sensitive to witness death)? I actually have some sympathy with that position, but there is also the issue of printing a picture that clearly would be upsetting to those who know the horse - and that seems disrespectful to me.
 
Wagtail said:
I don't understand what is wrong with it TBH. Lots of people are ignorant of that side of racing, just like they are about what goes on in abattoirs. Nothing wrong with shooting a horse with a broken leg or eating meat, but there's a lot wrong with trying to shield the public from the realities. I think we should show everything, and then let people make their minds up.
Click to expand...

Assuming of course that the Dailly Mirror have the best of intentions and really believe they are delivering a public service in publishing this "article" and thereby better informing the public .....

I'm sorry, absolute bullshit and if that is truly what you believe then, well, words fail me really. A disgusting piece of tabloid, sensationalist rubbish that demonstrates absolutely no regard to the distress that this will clearly cause connections. We will all lose our beloved equines by one means or another at some point - would you want a photographic reminder of the moment of his/her passing? I feel sorry for all at Micheal Bell's yard having to see this today, particularly as the "journalist" in question refers to Wigmore Hall as "it" throughout - astonishing lack of sensitivity

I wonder will the DM redress the balance with an article that demonstrates the level of care these athletes get or highlights the amount the racing industry ploughs into equine welfare and vetinary advancement? I doubt it, would require some investigative journalism after all ....


I am appalled, shame on them, and I will be making my feelings known to the paper

Statement from Michael Bell

http://www.michaelbellracing.com/20...el-bell-daily-mirror-article-on-wigmore-hall/
 
Last edited:
Pathetic, all the paper cares about is selling as many copies as it can. I haven't even read the article because it will probably make my blood boil but like the majority of articles like this they are written by an journalist with no or extremely little animal or equine knowledge, basically the blind leading the blind. Most of the time the facts within the articles are twisted and dramatised...
 
I still have a haunting image of the fatal fall of Dark Ivy, a Grand National favourite who sadly broke his neck in the race many years ago, possibly printed by the same paper, nothing changes. I would hate to see photos of the death of an animal I knew and cared for displayed this way, the photographer, journos & editor are guilty of the worst "brutal", cruel and insensitive treatment and lack of respect for horse and humans involved here.
Glad I got that off my chest.
 
Crass and insensitive. An article for the kind of people who like to rubberneck at accidents.

Disgraceful and terribly unfair on the horse's connections.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top