Racehorse deaths

Phoebe said:
And the owners I know have been through more horses than they can count. Syndicates of blokes who don't want to spend money keeping something that can't run so get rid...to wherever/whoever ASAP so they can buy another and get it in training and go get hammered at the races.
We can only go on what we see, hear and know ourselves and our own experiences and it's opened my eyes.
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Have you considered that this type of action goes on outside of the racing industry. If you take a look at your local yards, and those across the country it will contain individuals who buy the wrong kind of horse that doesn't suit their needs so they get rid, ofter after they have completely ruined it. Then there are those individuals who get to scared to ride and graduually start to negelect their horse, then you have the oldies who has served their owner well but now they are a bit old and can't do what they want, so said owner either ignores or sells on.

Why is the Racing industry so demonised??? The kind of things they get accused of, i.e. cruelty, happen in non-racing yards across the country all of the time.
 
Its sad but its life too.

They love racing (horses) they are bred to do it.

They have vets on hand, tried to make the course safer and take the utmost care of their horses.

So yes, it is sad when they are pts as its a life when all said and done but at least they go in a situation in which they have having a blast
 
If all races were brought in line with pointing say, same winnings. A lot off yards would finish.
The yards I worked at would not even talk about pointing, not worth it, no money/no point. The only people around us who do pointing are single people who have a couple off horses each as pleasure and race them themselves. The big "proper" race yards don't want to know
 
Ibblebibble said:
so let me get this straight, racing is cruel because it's akin to slavery making these poor horses do something they don't want to do? if this is right then any horse owned by a person is a slave!! anybody who rides a horse in any way is cruel because they are imposing their will on the horse! and if you really want to talk out your butt you could say that making a horse hack out alone is absolute cruelty as a horse is a herd animal:rolleyes:, making it go on the road could be construed as torture as you are making the poor horse go past cars, trucks, buses and all manner of dangerous scary things:rolleyes: so what is more cruel, letting a horse run up a grass track with a 'herd' of other horses or making one go out on the road alone? both situations could end in death for horse and rider, and quite frankly after some of the experiences i've had on the road i'd rather become a jockey!
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I agree with this.

The National is only particularly shocking and controversial because the horses die so spectacularly in the public eye. Most of our horse using, pet keeping, animal farming, etc involves some aspect of animal death and exploitation, the National deaths are a drop in the ocean.
 
thatsmygirl- It is more or less impossible to make anything other than a huge loss from pointing, and of course not all racing should be brought in line with point to pointing. Thats ridiculous, and I never said that, all I was implying that not all horse racing is about money, using the example of pointing.
And a lot of good horses came from point to pointing, look at Hunt Ball!
 
Oh I've got plenty to say about the other sides of horse keeping :D I'm just keeping to racing on this thread.

I'm also not trying to demonise it, I love it and watch it all the time... There are just aspects that make me uncomfortable...a bit like overpaid footballers in that sport :)
 
Phoebe said:
Well without money there would be no betting, no wages, no trainers, no prize money... Surely the entire reason behind racing horses is for punters to gamble ? I can't imagine what else would be the motivation. Even in Dubai where there is no betting the horses are run to win big prize money...
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Well with out money there would be no horse owners, racing or otherwise!!!!

The motivation to run horses or compete in any manner of things is surely to win?
 
Phoebe said:
Oh I've got plenty to say about the other sides of horse keeping :D I'm just keeping to racing on this thread.

I'm also not trying to demonise it, I love it and watch it all the time... There are just aspects that make me uncomfortable...a bit like overpaid footballers in that sport :)
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Well thats fair enough, its not a perfect industry, and there is room for improvement. I don't agree with 'racing' bashing which goes on here, and accusations from people who know nothing.
However, as I said its NOT PERFECT, things still could be done to improve racing especially for the horses.
I would like to see random yard inspections, and more money form the levy invested in charities like HEROS.
 
Yes but to me you can't compair pointing to real racing anyway.
Pointing is more a hobby
real race yards are there to make money.
You were making the point off pointing being part off the racing industry but to me it's not in the same league so tried to use pointing as a way off saying " put it in line with the winnings" and the industry will die. Just to put across it is about money.
 
I'm not against racing per se. But I do dislike the practice of backing horses so young and the way so many are disgarded from the industry. I don't watch the GN, not because I think it is wrong, but because I know there is a good chance I will see a horse die, live before my eyes. Just don't want to see it.I often watch the rerun though if I know no horse lost its life as it is spectacular to watch. I think the horses generally enjoy it (before they are exhausted in any case), and the jockeys are unbelievably brave.
 
I never said "put it in line with winnings" ??????#
And if its not part of industry to you then fair enough, but it is for a lot of people.

Being misquoted really grinds my gears!
 
Dab said:
^^^this and maybe some kind of tax on owners that gets put into a pool to assit with re-training, retirement etc
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Yeh, maybe professional trainig yards have to have some re-training and retirement facilities?

The owner of Eddie Stobart, who owns a lot of racehorse has a re-training facility.
 
Phoebe so true, I love watching racing and always will just couldn't stick working in it cause off the stuck up owners.
You could go into every point off keeping horses or any animal as pets but yep I'm keeping it just to racing as well :)
don't get me started on showing ;)
or novices not having a clue
or the fat obese horses on the yard
so so much but hey this is aracing thread. :)
I must say if it wasn't for the owners I would prob still be in racing now, they were looked after like kings/queens and I loved most parts off the job and the fact u could take your fav horses home with you when he had finished his career was the best bit :)
my lad has raced for 7 years and they made sure he never got hurt, not one lump/bump etc on him and now my pride and joy.
 
Dominobrown- no I said about putting winning in line to try to put across, racing is about money. Pointing is a hobby the owners know there's nothing to gain but do it for fun. Real race yards wouldn't carry on if this was the case, they do it for the money.
No race yard I worked in would fill a stable with a point to pointer, why? No money so people can't say it's not about the money.
Hope iv explained this better? I'm crap at explaining things at the best off times.
 
Just watching the GN build up. Its powerful stuff. It's about bravery, tenacity, courage, dreams, emotion, guts.... I could go on and on.

Those horses are simply magnificent. I am in total awe of them.
 
amymay said:
Just watching the GN build up. Its powerful stuff. It's about bravery, tenacity, courage, dreams, emotion, guts.... I could go on and on.

Those horses are simply magnificent. I am in total awe of them.
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I have had leaky eyes a couple of times already! :o Couldn't agree more :)
 
Nah said:
Poor Ruby Walsh :O
Just seen his fall and I'm sure that could have killed both horse and rider...

Glad they're both ok!!
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i know it was a real hit, he is quite lucky he wasnt killed actually and I am very surprised the horse was okay (although you never know what injuries they sustain that are unseen)
 
Does anyone else with an ex-racer watch things like this and see all the stuff about the power and muscle and breathing, and then look at the horse currently chilling in the field not be able to compare the two?!
 
Lolo said:
Does anyone else with an ex-racer watch things like this and see all the stuff about the power and muscle and breathing, and then look at the horse currently chilling in the field not be able to compare the two?!
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Hehe, I used to look at the horses in training mooching in their stables sometimes and find it impossible to believe they were supposed to be athletes. I should find some pictures of donkey horses!
 
Lolo said:
Does anyone else with an ex-racer watch things like this and see all the stuff about the power and muscle and breathing, and then look at the horse currently chilling in the field not be able to compare the two?!
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Yes! I found some videos of the ex racer at the yard and it seems so odd that not long ago, that horse was thundering around a track. Now he's acting like a muppet with the other ex racer in the field :P

For those who are interested...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uE_wILEAAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP6EA-W6Adg ...that slip at the start of the clip, I couldn't help but gasp! They look so fragile!
 
jesstickle said:
Hehe, I used to look at the horses in training mooching in their stables sometimes and find it impossible to believe they were supposed to be athletes. I should find some pictures of donkey horses!
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Especially for you, some highly tuned athletes :p

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