PETA calls for eventing to be banned

[happyhunter123]

What looneys!!

According to PETA:
'These events are too demanding for the horses. Horses are sensitive animals and to make them jump such dangerous obstacles under time pressure is animal abuse'

http://eventingnation.com/home/peta-calls-for-end-to-eventing.html

 

[teapot]

Oh ffs - they'd have a coronary if they went and watched high goal polo...

 

[Moomin1]

Oh ffs - they'd have a coronary if they went and watched high goal polo...

Much as I have my own opinions about PETA, I don't think high goal polo is anything we should be proud about in this country...

I think it's pretty horrendous.

 

[RachelBristol]

Horses have been working animals almost as far back as horse and human in time! Now they have food, training, shoes, blankets...... etc.... etc Horses then died at the drop of a hat and were left on the side of the road! V's now?... this report = poppycock!

 

[Bedlam]

Good luck with that then PETA.

 

[Marydoll]

Eejits

 

[Mackenzie6]

How ridiculous !,

All my eventers have absolutley thrived on competing !, part of the buzz is how your horse gets so happy and excited after the SJ waiting for the XC.

Horses simply won't do Xcountry at the levels it is deemed 'dangerous' unless they love it.
Although I respect PETA for their work I really think they need to spend some time with event horses and their riders at home and competing to understand the partnership involved. Yes it's considered a dangerous sport but horses are not stupid and like I have said they would not do it if they didn't want to !. The majority of riders would not continue to compete a horse with a distinct fear of any of the phases anyway. Yes there are the minorities but with the cost of eventing horses...... Why would someone persist with a horse who is not bold enough or is clearly unhappy??. My horse ..... competed and then broke a leg in the field..... He was put down and left me heartbroken..... We as humans could walk in front of a bus ?..... Where do we draw the line ?

Imagine if eventing at every level was banned...... What the hell does PETA think would happen to so many of the horses ?..... Slaughter. Simple.

Rant over

 

[1stclassalan]

Oh ffs - they'd have a coronary if they went and watched high goal polo...

I went to a match once and that's what happen to TWO of the ponies. I can't think of Polo without seeing those two horses collapse and die. At the time, I was dead keen on having a go but that did it for me - I could never drive a horse that hard.

I think that all the various protestors have their points but if we banned all they want banned - we'd all end up sitting indoors wrapped in cotton wool - by then, all the animals would have been put down for their own good or in the name of conservation!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Well at least people will now kind of know what racing gets subjected to from the likes of PETA!

They only see what goes on at events in the public eye. They dont go behind the scenes either at the competition or at home so they don't ever truly understand how well our athletes are looked after.

 

[pip6]

I've bred three horses to go eve ting, oldest now five has had a fantastic start to her career winning a ode at only her third outing. Very proud to breed them for this sport, think it's fantastic life for them.

 

[essex_rider]

PETA seriously need to sort it out! I am vegan and massively into animal rights, but i have to say PETA really do focus their over the top campaigns in completely the wrong places.

Being a vegan and riding horses is a contradiction in itself, and i do get critisised for it, but i have always had horses, have always competed and don't see myself ever stopping. My horses are happy, well cared for and love life.

What PETA don't seem to get is that we know our own horses, we know if they are happy doing what is asked of them, and, i would hope, we know when they have reached their limits, and would not push them into dangerous situations.

There are deaths in eventing but there are also deaths in fields every day. In my opinion domesticated horses have a far better life in general then wild horses who overbreed, starve, suffer etc.

I must add that i do not agree with horse racing, in my opinion the horses are too young, run too hard etc

It really winds me up that PETA do campaigns like this because it just makes them a laughing stock, and takes away from groups that actually try and make a difference to animals lives such as animal aid!

 

[fburton]

I went to a match once and that's what happen to TWO of the ponies. I can't think of Polo without seeing those two horses collapse and die. At the time, I was dead keen on having a go but that did it for me - I could never drive a horse that hard.

At least they died doing what they love (because they simply won't do polo at that level if they don't love it). Of course, it's always tragic when a horse expires while doing a sport.

Personally, I think we can use domestic animals as we like, as long as we take reasonable steps to minimize suffering.

"Should the sport be doing more to study and understand heart-related issues that arise during cross country?"

I would be very surprised if no research was being done on this issue.

 

[fburton]

PETA seriously need to sort it out! I am vegan and massively into animal rights, but i have to say PETA really do focus their over the top campaigns in completely the wrong places.

This is a very good point (although I believe in animal welfare, not rights). PETA should concentrate their efforts on where suffering is greatest - that's a no-brainer.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I wish they would concentrate on the thousands of horses in this country left in fields with nothing but rubbish and ragwort to eat, full of worms and beaten.

I would have more respect for them then. But then that would require lots of effort and tackling difficult people.

Easier to go for easier and more headline grabbing targets....

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

F@nnies is really all i can think of.

 

[misterjinglejay]

Bl***y Peta!

 

[ExmoorHunter]

Oh really?!!! Is this the same organisation that has been exposed for putting animals to sleep in their rescue centres?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-j-winograd/peta-kills-puppies-kittens_b_2979220.html

 

[s4sugar]

Oh really?!!! Is this the same organisation that has been exposed for putting animals to sleep in their rescue centres?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-j-winograd/peta-kills-puppies-kittens_b_2979220.html

Yes because they don't consider anyone should own any animal.

This is actually a good expose of them (full episode) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inFtOMx8nDU

 

[djlynwood]

Oh ffs - they'd have a coronary if they went and watched high goal polo...

why, what happens in high goal polo?

 

[jrp204]

So if animals shouldn't be kept what do they expect to happen? Lots of cows,sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, gp's, horses etc all running free?
Or, there simply wouldn't be any animals. That would be a sorry state of affairs.

 

[Piglet]

I would far rather be an event horse than a poor moorland pony scratching around for food and giving everything to their foals. The ponies on our moors are do thin you can see every rib and hip bone even through their winter coats. Why don't PETA concentrate on those travelling people who hammer their very young horses up and down roads!!

 

[lindsayH]

Agree Piglet, or a fat "much-loved" pet cob with chronic low grade laminitis and arthritis. Clearly PETA have absolutely no understanding of horses and should stick to talking about things they actually know something about.

 

[teapot]

why, what happens in high goal polo?

This is just one example and it gives you an idea of how rough the game can be! It doesn't happen in every game and the last one is the most horrendous of fouls you'll probably ever see.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=380237518755422

 

[Flame_]

So if animals shouldn't be kept what do they expect to happen? Lots of cows,sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, gp's, horses etc all running free?
Or, there simply wouldn't be any animals. That would be a sorry state of affairs.

That's it, there just wouldn't be domesticated or farm animals being bred. I really respect the vegan perspectives on animal use and ownership, there's a fair principle at the root of it and it's well thought out enough to genuinely make sense, unlike so many fluffy ideals (eg Ban horse slaughter: What happens to all the excess horses??? Ban eventing: Why, people will just use different ways to test horses??? etc) Its far removed from the world we're used to, and I'm with you that it would be sad, not least to all the employment and industries it would hit, but it is actually a well reasoned perspective unlike most of the hypocritical, unworkable, pointless, little, drop-in-the-ocean causes, like the one in the title.

 

[HBM1]

I have seen some shocking riding at events and those individual riders do need pulling up, literally. However, seeing the vast majority of event horses love their job I can't see PETA having much effect. It isn't as if the horses know what the time is anyway.

 

[MillyMoomie]

I cannot put into words what I think of this. But I will condense my final thought.

I will not let this happen

 

[Nicnac]

How about HHO calls for PETA to be banned?

 

[tallyho!]

Whatever the opinions, I really don't like it when people say horses can "love" something they do. How on earth are we to know?

Would they do a full course on their own if we let them loose on Badminton grounds? Would they still run without a rider at Ascot?

Please, don't anthropomorphise horses like that. Or any animal.

Just because they don't protest, doesn't mean they dream about hurling themselves over two L200's each night.

I know we say "he loves carrots"... I can believe that. I just don't believe a horse LOVES eventing.

I think my horse prefers jumping to flatwork because his attitude changes but I don't think he "loves" it. I think the case is that the owner loves eventing and likes the fact that the horse seems willing to do as is asked.

 

[Honeylight]

This is just one example and it gives you an idea of how rough the game can be! It doesn't happen in every game and the last one is the most horrendous of fouls you'll probably ever see.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=380237518755422

Peta's ridiculous aside; I am surprised polo hasn't been a target for animal rights people. I knew someone that had a gap year job at a polo yard & she said they took some of the ponies' molars out to facilitate the use of gags. Just look at the hardware in the poor b......s mouths & martingales as well. All that stopping from a gallop must put a terrific strain on the tendons.
Why does this not get attacked where racing, eventing etc do is simple; no TV coverage.

 

[Moomin1]

Peta's ridiculous aside; I am surprised polo hasn't been a target for animal rights people. I knew someone that had a gap year job at a polo yard & she said they took some of the ponies' molars out to facilitate the use of gags. Just look at the hardware in the poor b......s mouths & martingales as well. All that stopping from a gallop must put a terrific strain on the tendons.
Why does this not get attacked where racing, eventing etc do is simple; no TV coverage.

I think polo should be banned, without a doubt.

Horrendous 'sport'.