The Grand National :D

Exceller stood at Gainsway Farm and Ferdinand stood at Claibourne Farms. Both are reknowned and excellent breeding operations in Kentucky - these horses will have lived in the total lap of luxury at these farms, and will have wanted for nothing.
 
Previous Grand National winner Comply Or Die retired after this years race - where is he going? He is off to live the life of luxury at Timmy Murphey's farm. Timmy owes this horse a great deal and is rewarding him by giving him everything he wants. That's hardly a slaughterhouse.
 
Over2You said:
I do not know exactly what 'skeletons' endurance has (please elaborate), but anytime I have seen it, the horses receive regular and thorough vet checks. I have also seen horses cross the finish line with plenty of energy left after covering 30+ miles!! They are NOT dripping in sweat, just about to collapse after 4-miles!!

For those horses who do go onto a happy retirement, there are hundreds of others who are not quite as lucky. However, as I said, even top ones (like Ferdinand and Exceller) end their careers in the slaughterhouse. Those are the two who were confirmed to have been slaughtered. I am still researching this subject. There are likely countless other champions who suffered the same fate. Not exactly a win-win situation for the horses is it when not even the winners are safe from the knacker man?
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I am not for or against racing. I'm simply a leisure rider who enjoys my horses! As has been said before, what of all the natives bred on the hills etc and then culled? Is this a win-win situation for them?

Endurance? No skeletons? Just because you don't know of the skeletons doesn't mean they aren't there. What of the once famous "April Airs, a 26-year-old Anglo-Arab, had been a respected horse competing in long-distance events of up to 75 miles in the 90s. She is now severely underweight and being nursed back to health at the sanctuary."
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/news/2010/10/22/famous-endurance-horse-found-sanctuary

Was that a win-win situation for her and you have no idea of any others with similar fates or from any other discipline. Race horses (I believe?) have more documentation etc so they can be traced more easily than horses within other sports?

Racehorses may not love racing. Can you honestly say eventers, endurance horses, leisure horses, show jumpers etc would not be happier out free than bending to our wills? I do everything I can for my horses and know they at the least content with their lot.

I've been on Show Jumping yards where majority of horses were stabled 24/7 for a minimum of 2 months! There was no fitness programme, no exercising on a weekly basis - never mind a daily basis.

Just my 2 cents.
 
"Can you honestly say eventers, endurance horses, leisure horses, show jumpers etc would not be happier out free than bending to our wills?"

Mishaspey - I am curious. Where is this 'out free' to which you refer? Do you mean turn them out on Dartmoor and let them get on with it? Or in our fields as pets?

And I can hand on heart say that the horses I have kept - mainly polo ponies, hunters and leisure horses have been listless after a relatively short time when turned away.

My current horse had to have nearly 10 weeks off due to snow and illness. During that time, he was mainly in his field with company, but wasn't his usual bright self. Until, that is, the day I started him back in work. He saw his tack and 'knuckered' at me, grabbed the bit when offered and positively danced down the road.

If that was 'bending to my will', all my experience of horse keeping told me he was pretty ok with it!
 
EKW said:
Previous Grand National winner Comply Or Die retired after this years race - where is he going? He is off to live the life of luxury at Timmy Murphey's farm. Timmy owes this horse a great deal and is rewarding him by giving him everything he wants. That's hardly a slaughterhouse.
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That's lovely, great news to hear :)
 
lcsd114 said:
I just rewatched the 1987 GN online. (Maori Venture, my second winner, yay!) I watched that one in particular because of Dark Ivy and I have a couple of comments/observations.

1) Dark Ivy was killed immediately @ Bechers the first time round why they had to skip .
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That was the last time I bet on the National - Dark Ivy was my favoured horse
 
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