Interesting GN Build up

Wagtail said:
I have mixed feelings about racing. It does seem hard to justify the high odds of horses dying in a particular race. I wasn't aware that only one view point was allowed. :confused: Surely healthy discussion should be welcomed?
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Me too, I cant understand why the Grand National governing body wont reduce the number of runners and riders, 40 is way too many. How many poor lives have to be wasted before they will do something about it. These poor horses have been subjected to race through human desire and have died in the course of human entertainment. Poor horses.
 
No worse than any other race - horses race every day of the week and horses die every week in racing - unfortunately it's the people who know bugger all about horse racing because they only watch race a year who suddenly feel that they need to comment about how cruel it is.
 
Perhaps if the animal rights brigade hadn't had their way and made the fences smaller there wouldn't be so many fatalities. In years gone by when the fences were bigger the race was run much slower with far less casualties.
 
Know enough about horses at 49 cant and wont watch this race. Yes i know theres enough going on in other horse sports but this is money and thats it. Rant over.
 
its not the height of the fences nor the distance thats the issue. i love the national but think there are too many horses in the race. more horses fall on the lower fences - fence 5 is one of the smallest and i think 3 fell at that.
i dont like how people can be so against racing when if you think about it there are problems with all equine sports - that doesnt stop me enjoying eventing and sj etc.
i think by lowering the fences there may be more issues with horses travelling faster or even respecting the fences less.
still sad regarding the deaths, but will i watch it next year? yes!
 
It's always sad when a horse dies in any activity that is for human enjoyment.
I was so hoping for no equine casualties this year in gn to get the general public onside.
 
For all those National or racing bashers, please consider holding up a mirror and ask whether you apply the same standards of care/welfare in your own dealings with horses or those around you, or in your choosen discipline etc that you are demanding from Racing.
 
I enjoy placing a bet on the grand national and I am happy that every horse I backed came home, especially Hello Bud who I put a humour bet on.

However I am so upset to hear about the 2 gorgeous horses who were destroyed. Synchronised made me laugh at the beginning of the race and its devastating he was destroyed.

I don't want to see racing banned but it needs to be made safer!!! I don't think I will be watching last year.
 
Dab said:
For all those National or racing bashers, please consider holding up a mirror and ask whether you apply the same standards of care/welfare in your own dealings with horses or those around you, or in your choosen discipline etc that you are demanding from Racing.
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**Applauds**

I used to be a huge dressage fan !(watching - not doing more than basic stuff myself!) - but more recently I've started to question how right it is to make horses perform such moves as tempi changes and pirouettes. Now I've seen horses spin in the field when arsing around - I've seen them change legs regularly - but is to harness that ability for human enjoyment any better than the National, or racing in general? But you don't hear about the fatalities and the number of horses PTS in other equestrian sports because of injuries and lameness problems caused by the over training and abnormal training - unlike racing which is in the public eye all the time.
 
Holly Hocks said:
**Applauds**

I used to be a huge dressage fan !(watching - not doing more than basic stuff myself!) - but more recently I've started to question how right it is to make horses perform such moves as tempi changes and pirouettes. Now I've seen horses spin in the field when arsing around - I've seen them change legs regularly - but is to harness that ability for human enjoyment any better than the National, or racing in general? But you don't hear about the fatalities and the number of horses PTS in other equestrian sports because of injuries and lameness problems caused by the over training and abnormal training - unlike racing which is in the public eye all the time.
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So people who disagree with the national are obviously people who mistreat there horses, have no knowledge of racing etc etc ????

Honestly, the race is sick and barbaric!!!!!!!!
 
Beans2000 said:
So people who disagree with the national are obviously people who mistreat there horses, have no knowledge of racing etc etc ????

Honestly, the race is sick and barbaric!!!!!!!!
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No Beans - not obviously - what I'm saying is that people kick off about one race, but it's very rare that people take a closer look at other equestrian sports and criticise with the same venom - but the reason they don't is because a lot of the other sports are "closed" sports which aren't as well regulated as racing is and their figures don't have to be published. Racing is transparent - what you see is what you get.

I would like to see the number of runners reduced - and I agree with what someone earlier said - making the course supposedly "safer" has had the opposite effect.
 
Beans2000 said:
So people who disagree with the national are obviously people who mistreat there horses, have no knowledge of racing etc etc ????

Honestly, the race is sick and barbaric!!!!!!!!
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No, she didn't say that. She said all equestrian sports have their issues and because racing is in the public eye much more than, for example, dressage it is focussed on more.

Now, of course you can disagree with that, but you should at least make some effort to try and understand before you go off on one.

Personally, I have more problem with the people who let their horses pedal bones fall out through their feet with laminitis that is badly managed or not managed at all, than I do with owners who want to run their horse in the national. I'm pretty sure I know which causes more suffering and yet which makes newspaper headlines?
 
So sad to think that at least one horse will loose its life in this race and thats always going to be the case, as far as i can remember i think theres only been one year when there hasnt been any fatalities, im sure il be corrected if im wrong :-/
Its like Rusian roulette, sorry but i hate the race, these horses run thier hearts out, its so upsetting. RIP beautifull horses.
 
Beans I'm not sure that's quite what the poster was saying. It's more about what we get our horses to do for entertainment not about people having no knowledge x
 
I'm not sure how it could be made safer.

According to Pete was brought down towards the end when the field had spread out somewhat - probably not much more congestion than a Gold Cup or other festival race. I've seen similar happen (with similar consequences) in a 5 runner race, so it's not just a numbers thing. They go slower in the national (need to get 4 miles) than they do in a 2 mile chase, and the higher fences do seem to jump better (the Chair being the obvious example). Ditches also seem to jump better as they stand the horses off giving them a chance to get into the air.

Outriders (like the hunt horses at P2Ps/major events) might help catch some of the loose horses (or at least make it easier to keep hold of them) but most of them are keen to keep jumping.
 
I love my horses and no way would i enter them for a race/competition knowing that there was a strong chance of them being killed.
Yes tragedies happen out hacking or in the field at grass, but to knowingly enter your horse would make me feel that the horses are seen as a business, to make money.

The race needs to either have a serious overhaul or end it now (which wont happen as it brings in far too much money)
 
So sad to hear that Synchronised and According to Pete were put down :(, especially as it looked like both had got up and looked ok. According to Petes' owners looked like lovely people too. Clare Balding seemed genuinely upset when announcing that though.

Hope that Weird Al, and any other horses being treated make a full recovery. On the replay, I notice the vet trailer moving down next to the track, so assume one is going for further treatment.

Yes, it is sad when a horse loses thier life racing, but as has been said before, they can lose their life in the field. When a horse loses it's life eventing or hunting how many people say 'at least they died doing what they loved', but when a horse dies in racing, the sport is barbaric and should be banned? Seems like double standards to me.
 
Agree with a lot of the posts. Reducing the height of the fences does not seem to have had the desired effect so may be the next step is to reduce the number of runners? Thoughts go out to all those involved with the horses lost and injured
 
I am not anti the national but there is no way I'd let any of my horses do any competition where there's a potential 1 in 20 chance they could die. I know going eventing can be equally dangerous and that a horse can break its leg or need to be pts if it's just being quiet at home but the national is another kettle of fish. Not sure if the glory is worth the loss to be honest
 
So how many dressage coms see 2 horses put down in 20 mins???

Nothing against racing in general although horses dying I obviously hate but the grand national is sick and no better than animal abuse!
 
Dab said:
Hi Beans2000, very interested to hear why in particular you think that the National is sick and barbaric, and on what grounds you think it should be banned (if you do)?
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I think it should have less runners, over a shorter distance and maybe a pacemaker as clearly everyone goes far to bloody fast and its the horses that pay the price.
Im no expert but have worked in racing and have a very 'racing' family, who dont agree with all my views.
 
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