Italian Road Racing (videos)

Fairynuff

Fairynuff

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and pics..not for the faint hearted.
I posted a while back re the 'traditional' road races in which many horses are killed every year. I recieved some negative feedback from some of the HHO members who more or less said that'if its legal it cant be bad and anyway, many horses die on British racetracks etc'. I would like to show you the LEGAL road racing which brings in a lot of dosh for the townhall coffers and the ILLEGAL road racing which makes a lot of dosh through ILLEGAL betting. In my opinion, there is NO difference and both should be stopped. I have contacted the WHW but have had no reply (yet.) What do you think, should something be done or should it be tolerated due to being a 'tradition?'

Tiffany died in a LEGAL road race-she slipped a fell against a metal barrier. A metal tube entered her heart and she died slowly. She is not the only one to die LEGALLY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuEb2ZPiTfM

then we have the ILLEGAL road racing which makes a lot of dosh for the criminals (there are over 1'000 horses and ponies kept in dreadful conditions in the city of Palermo (and others) the authorities do NOTHING about it. The horse in the following link fell while road racing at 11pm at night (in the city.) He was badly injured and was dragged onto the pavement where he had his throat cut to finish him off. These things happen every day in Italy. How can we stop this disgrace from continuing in Europe?
http://www.geapress.org/zoomafia/pa...rto-cavallo-–-attenzione-immagini-forti/13576
Mairi.
 
That video is pretty horrible to see :(

Is there an internet petition system in Italy? Here in Belgium there's this one http://www.lapetition.be/

Not sure if it's a system used throughout Europe though.

You need to get rid of that dodgy little bloke at the top before too eh? ;)
 
This make me sick, Im very against this sort of thing in any country. I watched alot of things like this recently. I think as human beings we should take full resonsibitly of our cruel actions. Id like to see the owners or people who organise such races being scared into running on ice (as a comprasion) see where it gets them. Really gets my back up..... OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
SusannaF said:
I can't watch either. Is this part of the palio tradition?
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apart from the (in)famous Palio di Siena there are countless others all over Italy including the pretty humiliating donkey Palios. Some are legal, some are not but the end results are the same.

This is common place....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcLQ4i-Al0s&feature=related
please realise that the horse being dragged onto the truck is ALIVE and is NOT on his way to a clinic. He can only be regarded as fit for human consumption if he is slaughter (and hopefully, legally.)
 
Disgusting and I am very dissapointed that WHW did not respond to you. When and to who did you contact as I would like to know why they have not responded to you?
 
All horse sports have inherant risks, but must be one of the sports least designed with the health & comfort of the animal in mind. Seeing the conditions where I used to live & there were large numbers of these road races, I hate it. Hammered on roads from young ages, the only time they come out of tiny boxes.

I was teaching a kid to do a turn in the road one summer day, windows down. A gig cam around the corner & only stopped just in time. 2 burly blokes up, one with reins wond around his arms. Other guy, obviously try to sell horse, says 'see how strong she is, once she's going she can't hardly be stopped no matter how hard you pull', other guy 'yeah, see what you mean'. Didn't give a toss about poor horses mouth (which was obviously ruined), fact it seemed terrified or the fact they'd nearly hit us (this was in a quiet cul-de-sac).

You see them pounding the roads, so many look like babies....
 
Fairynuff On that last link you have put up on the right hand side there is a dark coloured horse with a broken leg, and they are making it walk on it!!!!! I agree with you 100000% that this should be stopped. But if we can not stop things like this in our own "back yards" as it was then who do you it in a different conuntry?
 
Disgraceful :(

Can't believe there are people raging against a pampered prince like Totilas having no turnout when there are posts like this going ignored.

These races absolutely should be banned (and the ban enforced!), what recourse do you have in Italy?
 
Odd "sport" - yes
Awful- yes
Any worse than watching a top eventer/racehorse fall and break its neck? - no

I am not saying it is right, far from it, but any "sport" which involves horses will carry with it HUGE risk.
 
Nocturnal said:
Disgraceful :(

Can't believe there are people raging against a pampered prince like Totilas having no turnout when there are posts like this going ignored.

These races absolutely should be banned (and the ban enforced!), what recourse do you have in Italy?
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Who's ignoring it!!!!???!!! It's disgusting - everyone agrees. If someone came on here saying this was acceptable I can guarantee you that the thread would become as long as the Totilas one!
 
lexiedhb said:
Odd "sport" - yes
Awful- yes
Any worse than watching a top eventer/racehorse fall and break its neck? - no

I am not saying it is right, far from it, but any "sport" which involves horses will carry with it HUGE risk.
Click to expand...


top eventers and racehorses are not batterd around a slippy tarmac or cobble road. Nor are any other horses, ponies or donkeys in general. I have no objections to racing etc if it is carried out in conditions suitable for the health, well being and safety of the animal. The 'events' which I have highlighted cannot be called 'sport.' There is absolutely nothing sporting in these races.
 
AshTay said:
Who's ignoring it!!!!???!!! It's disgusting - everyone agrees. If someone came on here saying this was acceptable I can guarantee you that the thread would become as long as the Totilas one!
Click to expand...

*sigh*
When I said 'ignored' I was referring to the fact that Fairynuff had to bump it twice before getting a response.

Now, I'm getting out of here!
bolt.gif
 
Fairynuff - do you have any ideas of the numbers (percentage probably more helpful) of horses that partake in this that die each year? Compared to say, racing? Figures like that are more meaningful for rallying support than videos of a couple of horses.
 
Nocturnal said:
*sigh*
When I said 'ignored' I was referring to the fact that Fairynuff had to bump it twice before getting a response.

Now, I'm getting out of here!
bolt.gif
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please don't go! I need help in directing these videos to those who can help. I sent the Tiffany video to the WHW (contact us) but have had no reply. If someone could give me a name, I will send all the vidoes and general info that I can get my hands on. I really want to start a wee snowball which just might help future horses. Please remember, most of the horses are TBs, some are even Welsh Mountain ponies imported from Holland but originally from the UK. Help, anyone?
 
Fairynuff said:
please don't go! I need help in directing these videos to those who can help. I sent the Tiffany video to the WHW (contact us) but have had no reply. If someone could give me a name, I will send all the vidoes and general info that I can get my hands on. I really want to start a wee snowball which just might help future horses. Please remember, most of the horses are TBs, some are even Welsh Mountain ponies imported from Holland but originally from the UK. Help, anyone?
Click to expand...

If WHW won't help I'm not sure what to suggest :(. How about the FVE (Federation of Veterinarians of Europe) or the Italian Horse Protection Ass.? I'm afraid I don't know enough about european animal welfare societies to be much help. :(
 
I wish i hadn't opened that and watched that video, i just don't get how these things can go on. Such a feeling of helplessness towards all the animals that are put through these things just so a few humans can get a few minutes of pleasure.
 
An e mail has just arrived from the WHW. WHW don't have a permanent rep here in Italy but work with one of the Italian animal charities. They have been in touch with them and will let me know of any outcome. I hope that something can be done for the future of these poor animals. Will let you know if there is any news. Thanks, Mairi.:)
 
Really glad you got a reply OP and so hope they can do something. This is unspeakable.

I really hope it's just my rusty Italian and that you are correct, but does it say in that article that they cut the animal's throat? From what I understood they just left it to die from the wounds to its head. I really hope I am wrong. In the pics there looks to be a cut at the base of its neck across its chest, but I thought if you slit something's throat the most efficient way to do it was chin to chest.

I come from Italian family and lived there years ago, there attitude to animals largely stinks (or did do) I have to say, in the South they are a different kettle of fish altogether. I know life is very tough in places like Palermo and also these illegal races will be heavily mafia involved/run I bet, if there's money to be made they'll be in on it, another reason the races will be untouchable.

As someone on here rightly said, it makes you feel so damn helpless. The only thing I keep coming back to though with vile and downright uncivilised activities such as this, and the barbaric Spanish goings on, and many others (unfortunately) is why can't we do something about this now we're in the EU? Why aren't the civilised countries like us, and Germany (who I know are kinder to their animals, not dissimilarly to us) dragging these hideous, vile, backward embarrassments of countries up to our level, forcibly?

I don't know what the answer is, life is cheap in Palermo or it always used to be. But the fact that article mentions how appallingly these horses are kept it's dreadful to say but the horse in the photo (and no doubt the one in the vid, my internet connection here is not good enough for vid at the moment) are actually the fortunate ones.

Please keep us posted re WHW. Wondering also would the Daily Mail take it up if they have indeed had success with their Anne the elephant story? Just desperately casting about for ideas really xx
 
Fairynuff said:
apart from the (in)famous Palio di Siena there are countless others all over Italy including the pretty humiliating donkey Palios. Some are legal, some are not but the end results are the same.

This is common place....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcLQ4i-Al0s&feature=related
please realise that the horse being dragged onto the truck is ALIVE and is NOT on his way to a clinic. He can only be regarded as fit for human consumption if he is slaughter (and hopefully, legally.)
Click to expand...

As with all the videos, this is awful :(

But what the hell is happening in the starters box thing? It doesn't look real, the horses legs are bending in all directions, it looks so odd, the horse appeared to be standing still until 'something' upset it. Then it's legs looked unreal and bendy. (sorry, not very good description)

All so sad :(
 
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