Your opinions- Ruby Walsh comments about the death at Cheltenham

cptrayes

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In getting cross with the public reaction, though, is Ruby not missing the point that the jockies choose but the horses don't?

Surely no other equestrian sport would be allowed to continue if a horse died for every twenty horse hours of the sport? That would be one top level dressage horse dropping dead in the ring in front of the judges for every 150 tests or less. One polo horse dropping dead on the field, in play, for every how many matches? Two horses in a field of forty which hunts for four hours a day dropping dead following the hounds on every single day of hunting.

I don't think the sport should be stopped, but I do think that the tide of public opinion has turned against NH racing deaths and that it will fade out over the next few decades.
 

PaddyMonty

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To some people he spoke the truth to some he didn't.
I think he spoke the truth as far as the racing industry is concerned. Given the huge number of horses that die or are destroyed through training or racing (more flat than jump) the people involved would need to have that sort of attitude to survive in the industry.
The real question for me is if the ethics of racing are acceptable.
 

JustMeThen

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I think Marcus Armytage's article is brilliantly written and he's absolutely right when he says the general public is too used to a 'sanitised' version of life; did you read about the butcher who was forced to stop displaying the meat?!
 

cptrayes

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I think Marcus Armytage's article is brilliantly written and he's absolutely right when he says the general public is too used to a 'sanitised' version of life; did you read about the butcher who was forced to stop displaying the meat?!


In the article I read, that butcher was supported by his local community and returned his traditional display within days.

I think it is true that we are used to a sanitised version of life now, but there's a world of difference between killing animals to eat, and killing them as the fodder of a multi million pound betting industry.

That is NOT a criticism of the owners or carers, but in order to send your horses to do such a dangerous thing, it must be the case that you either don't feel like I do about my horses, or that you are able somehow to blind yourselves to the enormous risks and truly believe that it will not happen to your own horse.

I am no bunny hugger :) but I simply could not send one of mine out to take those risks. If you can, then it has to be the case that we either feel differently about our horses, or differ in our assessment of the risk, doesn't it?
 
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SnowPhony

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I think the difference between your average horse owner and a jockey is that generally you and I have a one to one bond with a horse and interact with it on a daily basis. A jockey rides multiple horses in a week for a few minutes each.

Of course a death of a horse would affect you or I more than it would a jockey who doesn't really know that horse, however, I have seen several jockeys absolutely devastated at the death of a ride.
 

EffyCorsten

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I think he spoke the truth also, I agree, there is a huge difference between horses in the races and pet horses but It's still a true point. My husband LOVES Dexter but I can guarantee he would rather loose the horse than his wife in an accident.
 

Him_Indoors

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Shame a horse didn't fall on Ruby Walsh before he made such crass remarks.

He ought to compete in the Highland Games propelling a caber, seeing as he's such a ...................
 

Goldenstar

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He spoke the truth and some people didn't like it, yes he could have said it better, but that's life.

I agree with this yes a politican with a speech writer would have worded it more eloquently but in essence there's no comparison between a dead jockey and a dead horse .
But of those who know the horse care for it , bred it owned it will be deeply upset .
That's natural and normal.
 

Orangehorse

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Many people - the ones making the most fuss- simply don't meet death and injury in their daily lives. You know the saying, if you have livestock you have dead stock. So if you are dealing with lots of horses you know that at some stage you are going to have death and injury, you are sad but you don't fall apart over it.
We also know that a fall isn't the only way they can die - some drop dead on the gallops, or cause themselves injury while in the field. Being a racehorse is a dangerous life, but at the same time in every race there is always going to be three very happy people - the winning owner, jockey and trainer, and that is why they keep going.
 

AmyMay

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In Ruby Walsh's opinion horses are replaceable... since his accident, we can now see that so are mediocre jockeys

Whatever people's views on what he said, the last thing you can call him is mediocre.

I think Marcus Armytage's article is brilliantly written and he's absolutely right when he says the general public is too used to a 'sanitised' version of life; did you read about the butcher who was forced to stop displaying the meat?!

There's simply no comparison between those two examples. We race horses for sport and our enjoyment. We eat meat to live.
 
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olivia x

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I struggle to understand the firestorm in reaction to his comments. Some of what he said was taken out of context. Read in context, and it reads differently. The man is entitled to his opinions. Whether any one agrees or not-- well-- that is their entitlement too I suppose. He works in a part of the horse industry in a particular way, whether or not his view is representative, it is his view.

I don't think the man should be excoriated for his opinion. People should be able to express what they think without such extreme reactions. Do I agree or disagree with him? not sure. My own views on racing and jumping are a bit mixed. Whatever opinions I hold contradict each other. So I am not even going to try to express them.

That said, I am a strong advocate of free speech, along the lines of Voltaire who said ( more or less) "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it."
 

DiNozzo

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I thought it was oscar wilde who said that? Not nitpicking- just curious!

I think Ruby Walsh's comments were fair and honest, putting the events into the context that race goers, jockeys, owners, etc have, whereas the general public do not always have that link to the sport.
 

justabob

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In Ruby Walsh's opinion horses are replaceable... since his accident, we can now see that so are mediocre jockeys

I have read your post with amazement, If you think that Ruby is a mediocre jockey you have no right to an opinion, as you must know very little about your subject matter. Every horse that goes into training will take a chance, that is the name of the game. I would rather put a horse in training than put a riding horse into the sales with the risk of the poor thing being bought by a numpty, or worse. I love racing, it stirs the blood and no, it is not safe and there are fatalities, but this is what these wonderful thoroughbreds have been bred to do, race.
I agree with everything Ruby said, they are replaceable but people are not. I love my horses and give them a wonderful and fulfilled life. I have and always will have retired racehorses. So unlike some of the affronted on here, I am putting something back into the industry that I have always loved. There are many people like me that do the same.
 

dogatemysalad

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Can't see a problem with RW's comments. He's right but that isn't to say, like many of us, he doesn't care about the horses that he's involved with.

My horse of a life time was seriously ill at the same time as my son. I spent my days at my son's hospital bed only leaving to check on my horse before and after leaving him.
My son recovered but my horse didn't and was PTS. It broke my heart to say goodbye to her (still does 10 years later) but I would put my son first again in the same situation.
 

ozpoz

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If people gave as much thought to the plight of 20,000 starving refugees in Syria and no aid going in, as it deemed "too dangerous," as they do to racing, the world would be a better place.

It was horrible to see some of the comments.. there are much worse welfare issues for humans and equines.
 

justabob

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If people gave as much thought to the plight of 20,000 starving refugees in Syria and no aid going in, as it deemed "too dangerous," as they do to racing, the world would be a better place.

It was horrible to see some of the comments.. there are much worse welfare issues for humans and equines.
Hit the *like* button.
 

dogatemysalad

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If people gave as much thought to the plight of 20,000 starving refugees in Syria and no aid going in, as it deemed "too dangerous," as they do to racing, the world would be a better place.

It was horrible to see some of the comments.. there are much worse welfare issues for humans and equines.

Being concerned about equine welfare doesn't exclude someone from being concerned about people. Surely the most compassionate people value not only human life but all life ?
 

Wagtail

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Being concerned about equine welfare doesn't exclude someone from being concerned about people. Surely the most compassionate people value not only human life but all life ?

This ^

It really pees me off when people go on about all the things in the world that are much worse blah blah blah as though caring for lesser cruelties means you don't care for the big ones. That's absolute rubbish. Caring is infinite.
 

Ibblebibble

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having lost both a horse and a sister I can quite honestly say i agree with him, yes losing my horse was heartbreaking and painful, actual physical chest pain for 2 days, but losing my sister was life changing and devastating in a way that just does not compare.
I have another sister but she is in no way a replacement, and it would be an insult to her to try and see her that way. But I have other horses and yes they have replaced the one i lost, they are different to her and not an identical replacement certainly, but they have filled the void that my old girl left.
 

ozpoz

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Wagtail, I didn't read much caring or compassion in some of the comments gloating over a jockey's injuries because of a comment taken out of context.
Quite probably from people who are privileged to ride the horses they do because of the influence of NH sires. And I see all too few people expressing their caring and compassion over the genocide taking place in various parts of the world. I'd call it cognitive dissonance.
 

PolarSkye

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Wagtail, I didn't read much caring or compassion in some of the comments gloating over a jockey's injuries because of a comment taken out of context.
Quite probably from people who are privileged to ride the horses they do because of the influence of NH sires. And I see all too few people expressing their caring and compassion over the genocide taking place in various parts of the world. I'd call it cognitive dissonance.

What a reasoned, intelligent, rational post. Thank you.

P
 

Fellewell

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Do you people really think Ruby Walsh would get such amazing performances from horses if he didn't have a deep affinity with the horse?
He's at the top of his game and his genuine feel for a horse is what put him there.
I'm not interested in what someone says he said I just have to watch what he does. Even though what is reported is a perfectly reasonable reaction from him.
 
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