General rant about the perceptions of racing

R

racingdemon

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 September 2003
Messages
1,754
Location
Shropshire
www.facebook.com
a) Racehorse owners are not cruel heartless beastly people who only care about winning
b) Running racehorses is generally a very quick way to loose money, owners do it because they love seeing their horses, out, racing, winning is the cherry on the cake & makes all the work & worry worth while.
c) 4mile steeplechasers genuinely LOVE what they do, (as do good racehorses over any distance)
d) racehorses generally do not stay in training unless they show talent, coming back to point a) owners want the best for their horses. if people knew some of the stories about owners & what they've done to make sure their horses have good retirements, maybe racing would get much better press

I know very little about SJ & the breeding of continental warm-bloods, so would never forcibly ram my opinion of it down others throats, so why do people feel the need to so aggressively comment on something they know so little (other than snippets of mis-information from the daily mail) about.

If you disagree with it so strongly, rather than rant & rave, why don't people take the time to go & find out what really goes on behind the scenes, personally, I think a lot of people would be pleasantly surprised.
 
I never get why jump racing gets such a bad press. The horses are well trained and treated, so that if they don't make it are far more likely to get a good alternative home.

Horses break down during flat racing, that to me is tragic. :(
 
What OP says... so true. It doesn't take away from the sadness of the loss of any horse, but the whole Grand National "outcry" is simply a knee jerk reaction to the most widely watched race, not an informed overview of the whole situation.
 
Sadly, all equine sports are deemed to have their bad points. SJ: hypertension. DR: rolkur. XC: death/accident toll.

As with all sports, there are bad people and good people. Some are in it for the money and fame. Some are in it for the enjoyment and pleasure.

:)
 
I agree with NM, i think all aspects of the equine industry have there good and bad points. And really the bad points are only ever created by a handful of people who do not have the animal in their best interests... i think that's fair to say? I do not agree it should be banned (be it the grand national or whatever) but i do believe it should be made safer for both horses and riders. I think we can have sport and entertainment without so much risk to animals who do not realise what danger they are potentially being put in.

I don't think that is an extreme, un-educated opinion.
 
hear hear racingdemon! well said! ive had my rant on here before about peoples perceptions of racing, it winds me up something chronic how people just assume things with no facts or experience of it.
Ive cried many many tears and broken my heart several times over the loss of horses ive worked with as have the trainers and the owners. I find it very hurtfull to be accused as a racing groom/owner/trainer of not caring and only seeing horses as pound signs.
I CARE. as do most people i have met in the industry.
 
Baggybreeches said:
Pony Showing is the one that I find the most horrific, and I am not joking!
Click to expand...

Ditto. I think my favourite whilst working on a showing yard was them tying the ponies heads in but not before cutting the corners of their mouths so they had to hold their own heads there without leaning on the reins. "I know it's cruel" the woman said, "but everyone does it." That's ok, then :rolleyes:
 
Girlracer said:
I agree with NM, i think all aspects of the equine industry have there good and bad points. And really the bad points are only ever created by a handful of people who do not have the animal in their best interests... i think that's fair to say? I do not agree it should be banned (be it the grand national or whatever) but i do believe it should be made safer for both horses and riders. I think we can have sport and entertainment without so much risk to animals who do not realise what danger they are potentially being put in.

I don't think that is an extreme, un-educated opinion.
Click to expand...

yes, & unfortunately in every walk of life/sport/horses there is a minority, take parenting, most people love & cherish their kids, but some feel the need to batter them black & blue, doesn't mean the rest of us lock our children in cupboards & beat them,

it's just a shame that after races like the GN, racing as an industry gets such awful press :(
 
Munchkin said:
Ditto. I think my favourite whilst working on a showing yard was them tying the ponies heads in but not before cutting the corners of their mouths so they had to hold their own heads there without leaning on the reins. "I know it's cruel" the woman said, "but everyone does it." That's ok, then :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:eek: I was NOT aware of that!
 
racingdemon said:
yes, & unfortunately in every walk of life/sport/horses there is a minority, take parenting, most people love & cherish their kids, but some feel the need to batter them black & blue, doesn't mean the rest of us lock our children in cupboards & beat them,

it's just a shame that after races like the GN, racing as an industry gets such awful press :(
Click to expand...

Precisely! I can't think of one aspect of life where there aren't that minority that are evil sods and give a lot of other people an un-deserving reputation.

I have myself got a lovely little ex-racehorse, and i know what lovely, versatile animals they are and actually in some respects the up bringing racing gives them is positive. Although i do hate the fact he didn't know how to eat grass when he came out of racing, but i'm not stupid enough to say every race horse isn't allowed out to grass and anyone involved in racing is evil. And anyway i know plenty of people in other equine sports who don't let their horses out of the stable.
 
nikkimariet said:
Never heard such an obvious objection to pony showing. How come??
Click to expand...

Again not tarring everyone with the same brush, but my area is very very competitive BSPS etc, and some of the things my former friends would do to ponies to 'make them' was shocking, and having witnessed first hand what 2 very top producers do on a regular basis, I can honestly say I am horrified. So much so that I did actually confront said people, which caused a furore, as I said former friend :(
I also wrote to the BSPS and had a quiet word with a panel judge or two. I have produced ponies to HOYS and RIHS and BSPS and PUK Champs so it's not an ignorant opinion.
FWIW I would absolutely send my ponies to the Hollings, their ponies ooze elegance, presence and relaxation which is quite obvious they are happy and settled.
 
Munchkin said:
You wouldn't be, because according to all the showing enthusiasts on here, I made it up :)
Click to expand...

Lol!!

It was common place in showing - when I was involved in that sphere - to tack the pony in side reins and leave them like it all day.... Used to see some horrific things at shows like PUK etc....
 
my problem with the race industry is the fact that 4000 tb exracers were slaughtered last year in ireland. As an owner of one of those exracers, i think it is tragic that so many potentially good horses don't get the chance to have another life after being discarded.


i think the race industry should be forced to give money to retraining centres to give more of these horses a chance. its inhuman to treat horses as just some byproduct, a large percentage of these horses are perfectly capable of being retrained. And also overbreeding needs to be looked at.
 
Last edited:
I so agree with Racing Demon unfortunately the public perception of racing is very rich people who dont care about their horses and are only in it for the money.

In actual fact only a privaleged few make any money from it. Once youve purchased your horse and paid training fees,vets fee,gallops fees,farriers fees,transport fees, entry fees jockey fees and others that I sure Ive forgotten about. Unless your horse wins a listed race you are not going to make any money out of it and if your horse should die you are also left heartbroken.

So why do people own racehorses? its because they love the sport and there is no finer sight than seeing a beautiful fit thoroughbred soaring over a fence.

Its also surprised me about the general ignorance of some posters who think the horses are beaten alround the track and over all the fences.

Another thing is some people assume any racehorse can run in the National which is not true they have to qualify.

I am really sorry for any death on the racecourse and my heart goes out to the lad/lasses,owners/trainers and anyone associated with them. To see that empty box must be heartbreaking but some posters dont believe thats true.

Unfortunately there are some people who believe everything they read and I just wish Animal Aid were more vocal & proactive as regards horses being transported long distances for slaughter and the real welfare issues as regards hill ponies.
 
I am so glad that the OP made this post, it's long overdue IMHO.

It is in no ones interests to abuse the horses, as without them there'd be no industry for people to moan about.:rolleyes:
The deaths of ANY horse is upsetting/tragic, but to have it insinuated that nobody gives a toss, when the lads/lasses/trainers/owners of both Dooneys Gate, and Ornais will have been devastated, is repulsive.:mad:

Before slinging gross accusations about, maybe people need to go visit a yard of 2 and actually see what happens on a day to day basis, because I'd be willing to bet that those so vehemently opposed to the (disgusting/cruel/brutal) sport haven't been near a training establishment in their lives.
 
There are highs and lows in racing as in other sports.
It would be intersting to know the PROPORTION or PERCENTAGE of racehorses that break down and eventers/ show jumpers etc. Not just numbers as there are lot more horses racing. Despite this being the only obvious way to compare sports there seems to be no figures?
Also racing is in the public eye much more than other horse sports, were horse's regualry break down, but you just don't 'see' it.
Fair enough if people don't like racing but I HATE when people spout rubbish as they don't know anything about it.
Like the young 2 years old in the GN? WTF? A lot of national hunt horse are only backed at 3 or 4, some not racing until they are 5.
Some warmblood imported to this country have had a foal, show jumped and dressaged by the time they are 4. Saying 2 WB's I have known to do that both 'retired' age 7. hmmm
 
Baggybreeches said:
Pony Showing is the one that I find the most horrific, and I am not joking!
Click to expand...

Completely true... I have seen it and no-one was making it up about the slitting of mouths... pure evil.

I enjoy some racing and love going to the local p2p's, but for some reason I just can't stand the GN!! I've no idea why.. my uncle raced in the GN many years ago and some of my family are still involved so I suppose I should love it but I... just.... can't...!!!!

It's not a personal dig at the trainers/jockeys/grooms/owners, I'm sure the horses are loved and well cared for in most instances.
 
Well said Racing Demon, I don't pretend to know a huge amount about racing, but I do know a couple of people who work in racing yards, and I can tell you that they care deeply about their charges, and for people to say in cuppateas linked thread that racehorses have never known one to one relationships or have a bond with anyone is total bull. I suspect stable lads and lasses actually spend more time each day with their charges than many people on here, after all they don't have to go to work, these horses are their work!
 
Just out of interest, if there some kind of active equine welfare committee specifically for racing that's not AnimalAid etc? I can't help thinking that if there were a group with impartially gathered facts and figures and suggestions for improvement (ie for care of ex-racers, for a start), the debate could be more balanced.

One may very well exist, but I'm just not aware of it. I'm pro-racing, but there are always issues that need addressing.

And :eek: about the poor show ponies. Fecking bastards to do that to them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top