petition to make the Grand National safer

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3Beasties said:
I actually can't believe you just typed that! :eek: :eek:

An animals life should NEVER, EVER be compared to that of a humans.
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I obviously don't think that about humans, but to me, my horse is a major part of my life. He is my best friend, he makes me smile, he's there to cheer me up, he's not just a thing which I would replace? If I lost him, I'd be devastated, nothing would EVER replace my horse. Another horse wouldn't be him, just like losing your husband and finding a new partner, it's never the same.
 
3 beasties et al Humans are only important to humans. You are looking at it from a human perspective so of course humans are more important to you or to me. But actually, taken from a perspective outside of any beings, humans are NOT more important. Humans cannot be replaced, but nor can any specific animal. If humans have souls, then so do animals.
 
MagicMelon said:
Signed. Those who say that reducing the fence size will cause more problems is absolute rubbish. They are galloping over 5ft fences, they're already going as fast as they can - they wont go any faster over smaller fences. I personally find it a horrific and sickening race which I refuse to watch. Its only gotten so big due to non-horsey folk who dont realise how many horses die.
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I can't believe you consider yourself a rider yet don't understand the basic concept of how lowering fences increases speed?
:eek:
 
lassiesuca said:
I obviously don't think that about humans, but to me, my horse is a major part of my life. He is my best friend, he makes me smile, he's there to cheer me up, he's not just a thing which I would replace? If I lost him, I'd be devastated, nothing would EVER replace my horse. Another horse wouldn't be him, just like losing your husband and finding a new partner, it's never the same.
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May I suggest you NEVER, EVER again equate losing a horse to losing a husband or partner. When you are older (and hopefully a little wiser) you will realise why.
 
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lassiesuca said:
I obviously don't think that about humans, but to me, my horse is a major part of my life. He is my best friend, he makes me smile, he's there to cheer me up, he's not just a thing which I would replace? If I lost him, I'd be devastated, nothing would EVER replace my horse. Another horse wouldn't be him, just like losing your husband and finding a new partner, it's never the same.
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You've mentioned a couple of times you're a minor, which means you're probably only a few years younger than me. I've loved a person, and a horse, and broken up with the person and the horse has died, and both have been equally horrific.

But I won't even try and compare the love I felt for my first boyfriend with the love I imagine I would feel for the man who fathered my children and who I had shared decades of life with. Both of us are way too young to comprehend what it would be like to have that, because as someone mentioned on a different thread somewhere on here, the stakes get higher as you get older. I think it's insulting to people who've lost husbands and children to say it's the same as losing a horse, and that does not mean I love my horse less than you love yours.
 
Why can't I love my horse as much as I would a sibling? Why can't I be upset if he died? Why should I feel obliged to replace him? I mean seriously?

If a stranger off the street died, obviously I'd be sad for his family etc, but I wouldn't be as upset as I would if I lost my horse? If Peter Toole died (and god forbid he doesn't), then I wouldn't be as upset as I would be if my horse passed away?

Is that so wrong to love my horse and value him. I like him far more than most people! Animals (which we are aswell, just far more egotistical than other animals), are to me, just as valid. If I value my horse as much as I would a human being, then sorry, but I'd be more upset if he died than some random person?
 
lassiesuca said:
I obviously don't think that about humans, but to me, my horse is a major part of my life. He is my best friend, he makes me smile, he's there to cheer me up, he's not just a thing which I would replace? If I lost him, I'd be devastated, nothing would EVER replace my horse. Another horse wouldn't be him, just like losing your husband and finding a new partner, it's never the same.
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My horse is my life, he is my shoulder to cry on and my reason to get up in the morning, I will be devastated when he goes (hopefully when he is a ripe old age and has lived a full and happy life), absolutely devastated! But it won't come anywhere close to the pain I feel about loosing my best friend at the age of 17, 6 years later I struggle every single day so I can't begin imagine the pain her family got through!

Loosing an animal cannot be compare to loosing somebody that you love.
 
How is that insulting to those who've lost husbands and children and wives etc? Can you account for all their feelings? Of course you can't. It's not insulting, because some of us value our horses than more than just a replaceable thing which you can get another one. They are individuals like us, and just because they don't speak, doesn't make them any less valuable.
 
lassiesuca said:
Why can't I love my horse as much as I would a sibling? Why can't I be upset if he died? Why should I feel obliged to replace him? I mean seriously?

If a stranger off the street died, obviously I'd be sad for his family etc, but I wouldn't be as upset as I would if I lost my horse? If Peter Toole died (and god forbid he doesn't), then I wouldn't be as upset as I would be if my horse passed away?

Is that so wrong to love my horse and value him. I like him far more than most people! Animals (which we are aswell, just far more egotistical than other animals), are to me, just as valid. If I value my horse as much as I would a human being, then sorry, but I'd be more upset if he died than some random person?
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Words actually fail me. I hope no one from his family visits HHO.
 
lassiesuca said:
How is that insulting to those who've lost husbands and children and wives etc? Can you account for all their feelings? Of course you can't. It's not insulting, because some of us value our horses than more than just a replaceable thing which you can get another one. They are individuals like us, and just because they don't speak, doesn't make them any less valuable.
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Because you are equating the grief you would feel at losing your horse to, say, that of 3Beasties when losing her best friend, when there would be no possible comparison - and that is what is insulting to both 3Beasties and her friend's memory. I hope it is a long time before you have to find that out the hard way.
 
Golf Girl said:
Are you serious?? Unbelievable :(
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On the contrary - she's quite correct. She is not denying it is sad or that she would not grieve. Much as we love them, if we lose a horse, chances are we get another. Therefore they are able to be replaced.
 
3Beasties said:
My horse is my life, he is my shoulder to cry on and my reason to get up in the morning, I will be devastated when he goes (hopefully when he is a ripe old age and has lived a full and happy life), absolutely devastated! But it won't come anywhere close to the pain I feel about loosing my best friend at the age of 17, 6 years later I struggle every single day so I can't begin imagine the pain her family got through!

Loosing an animal cannot be compare to loosing somebody that you love.
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I love my animals, they are something I love.

I lost my dog, who I've grown up with since I was a baby, he was the same age as me and passed at the age of 15. I was really upset when he went, back in January, and still am. Everyday I still have a good cry about it.

I think we all deal with things differently, so can't really account for how one person feels. I'm not implyign you love your horse any less than me, but we perhaps deal with death totally differently.

I get really emotional when I lose an animal, and perhaps it's something I need to combat, but it aches. When I lost my great Grandma, I was really upset, but I'm okay now, it hurt like I did losing my dog, although perhaps this sounds really callous and bizarre, but I think that it hurt more when I lost my dog, but that was because I didn't see my Grandma that much.

A friend of mine died back in January, too (wasn't a good month to say the least), she was pregnant and lost her baby too. I was really upset by it, as were all my friends, again, it hurt a lot, but it hurt just the same losing my dog.

I think we all deal with it differently.

I'm sorry for your losses :)
 
pastie2 said:
I think that you, young lady have some very serious issues. You have clearly never lost a human being that you have been close too. Or even more frightening that you lack the milk of human kindness, I would describe you as an acid drop.
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This is ridiculous?

I love how everyone is empathetic towards humans, but view animals so differently? It saddens me, but then you will never ever change my love for my horse, and don't know me, nor what goes in my life, so :).

I've lost loved ones, I've also lost several animals, and it doesn't get easier. When my cat passed, I refused to get a new one, because he wasn't replaceable. My dog is never going to be replaced with a new one, because I'm still grieving over my loss of him.

I find it almost 'cold hearted' that some people view their animals as just replaceable things? They give you so much joy, happiness and love- how can you replace that? Just like a human, who gives you joy, happiness and love- so could another, but it's never the same.
 
lassiesuca said:
I find it almost 'cold hearted' that some people view their animals as just replaceable things? They give you so much joy, happiness and love- how can you replace that? Just like a human, who gives you joy, happiness and love- so could another, but it's never the same.
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Seriously, when you are in a hole stop digging!!
 
lassiesuca said:
A friend of mine died back in January, too (wasn't a good month to say the least), she was pregnant and lost her baby too. I was really upset by it, as were all my friends, again, it hurt a lot, but it hurt just the same losing my dog.
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I've managed to keep quiet for hours and hours, and this, ladies and gents, is why this individual is best not replied to. She actually, genuinely, needs help. The delusions were quite amusing a few pages back (races with speed limits?!), not so much when you're comparing losing a pregnant friend to losing a dog.
 
Well I agree with Lassiesuca. I have had close family die and I was sad, but much more sad when my pet rabbit died. Maybe I just have a different relationship with animals and humans than others, but my pets have always been my life. I can't go a day without seeing my horse I feel physically ill. I have been given no reason to see why a human life is any more valuable than an animals life. Our pets live in a man made world, none of it is natural to them yet they will give us their lives, without understanding it. Those horses in the grand national gave their lives for our "sport". They had no understanding of it, nobody told them that this is the longest race over huge hedges and they could die. They placed their trust in humans and paid for it with their lives. Humans have the choice, the horses didnt
 
To get this back on topic.

Im sorry that you feel that way but these are working horses and not pets. Therefore they have a purpose. To be honest i think that it would be very sad indeed if the Grand national was banned but that wont happen because of the money involved. I was talking to many non horsey people at work and all bar one of them said that yes they were upset that horses died but that's racing and if we banned that then everything else would have to be banned too.

I have had to deal with 2 horses recently who died in the field one of a hart attack and the other with a broken leg.
 
Munchkin said:
I've managed to keep quiet for hours and hours, and this, ladies and gents, is why this individual is best not replied to. She actually, genuinely, needs help. The delusions were quite amusing a few pages back (races with speed limits?!), not so much when you're comparing losing a pregnant friend to losing a dog.
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I'd known my friend for two years. I'd grown up with my dog for 15 years? How can you tell me how I SHOULD feel?

That's really hurt me now, and I'm sorry if I've hurt others because I love my animals so? Like seriously, I don't need help.

I don't like many people, for reasons which are none of your business. Particularly my family, people aren't very nice in this world. People stab you in the back, people piss on you because a better offer has come along, people get pleasure out of torturing other people, animals etc. People laugh at one another and gang together to mock you.

Animals don't do this. Animals don't mock you, they don't laugh at you, they don't stab you in the back and are there waiting in the field for you when you need reassurance, they are there when you need a hug and you can return the favour.

I don't need help, I just value my animals a lot.

How dare you tell me how I should and shouldn't feel? That's really, really hurtful. My friend meant a lot to me, as did my dog. My dog was part of MY family. My childhood. It hurt like hell when he died, as it did when my friend died. I still am upset over her, but I am still upset over my dog.

That's really unfair to say
 
teagreen said:
And steeplechases kill horses. So really, it wouldn't be any different.
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Yep! Pretty much! Steeplechase races are a dangerous sport, not just GN. Did you know that Dooneys Gate the horse that broke its neck at this years GN. This was his first Grand National at the age of 10 and the Jockey was a little over weight for the horse & race. His first Grand National & last ever race. Ballabriggs was close to collapse from dehydration, probably from being scared shitlass after whip abuse - Which Jason Maguire has been given a 5 day ban on, for excessive use of the whip
Ginger McCain has said "Don't improve it by making it easier or you will finish up with a bog standard four-and-a-half-mile steeplechase that basically any horse can jump."
Does he mean to say he wants to see horses struggle over big & difficult fences??? and see them fall & die????
To me that would be the best idea, making a course easy to jump, the fastest & boldest horse would still win instead of falling into a crumpled heap at the first fence because they are too big & difficult.

But hey, I'm not a Steeple chase fan. Flat racing is ok. But I just feel that Standards are slipping it preparation for the horses to run the GN. Are they REALLY ready & fit for the race????
Are half of them fit for the race & the other half not fit for race, how often does the outsider win & beat the system??
is the whole race a sham & a conspiracy therory going on behind it all????
 
ridefast said:
Well I agree with Lassiesuca. I have had close family die and I was sad, but much more sad when my pet rabbit died. Maybe I just have a different relationship with animals and humans than others, but my pets have always been my life. I can't go a day without seeing my horse I feel physically ill. I have been given no reason to see why a human life is any more valuable than an animals life. Our pets live in a man made world, none of it is natural to them yet they will give us their lives, without understanding it. Those horses in the grand national gave their lives for our "sport". They had no understanding of it, nobody told them that this is the longest race over huge hedges and they could die. They placed their trust in humans and paid for it with their lives. Humans have the choice, the horses didnt
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Are you serious???? What an horrible thing to say! A bl*ody rabbit over a close family member??

Lassiesuca - I understand that you love your animals, I love all of mine however I understand that it is a COMPLETELY different love to that I have for my friends and family. They are not replaceable. I think what other ppl were trying to get at is that - you can go out and buy another horse/dog/rabbit but you cannot go and buy friends and family, once they are gone, they are gone. :( And the two should not be compared.
 
Why should they not be compared?

Is it illegal to value an animal equally or perhaps to some, more than the loss of a human?
It's not sick, twisted or callous. It's called emotion, it's called loving something you care deeply about, a family member. There is no harm in doing so.

I love my friends, family and of course, all my animals. When one of them passes, I am deeply upset. Don't tell my the pain I should feel. Don't tell me the pain I shouldn't feel. Don't tell me how I need help and don't judge me before you even know me.
 
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