Horses' suffering
BEHIND horse racing's glamorous facade lies a catalogue of suffering and death.
According to national campaign group Animal Aid, more than 400 horses are raced to death every year. Some 48% of these fatalities occur during, or immediately after, a race and can result from a broken leg, back, neck or pelvis, fatal spine injuries, exhaustion, heart attack or burst blood vessels.
The other victims perish from training injuries or are killed after being assessed by their owners as no-hopers.
The punishing Grand National is Britain's longest horse race, covering a distance of four miles and 856 yards. The horses are required to jump 30 formidable obstacles, some of which include perilous drops, ditches and sharp turns. Forty horses usually take part – an excessively crowded field which adds to the risk of collision.
Thirty horses were killed at the Aintree event between 1998 and 2008.
This sport is only kept alive through betting income and course attendance fees. Please don't back cruelty – for you it's only a harmless flutter but horses could pay with their lives.
For more information and to view Animal Aid's 90-second film, visit the Animal Aid website.
M CHARLES Gladstone Street Nottingham
4 Comments
by Jake, Warsop
Tuesday, April 13 2010, 12:26AM
“Tortoise throwing is NOT confined to allotments. EEC regulation 351b (subsection 21a) specifically states that the art of tortoise throwing may t'ake place in any open space, provided no injury to spectators is perceived, and is withinthe locality of an approriate dispenser of fine ales equipped with a changing room for both male and female contenders. Furthermore (subsection 21b), states that provision must be made available to cross genders and other assorted wierdo's in regards to changing into the required (article74) protective clothing.'”
by Marcus, York
Sunday, April 11 2010, 3:02PM
“What about hair coursing? I could never understand why blokes on horses would want to chase after a wig on the end of a peice of string.”
by Bill, Nether Gander
Sunday, April 11 2010, 2:55PM
“The ancient sport of tortoise throwing should come under the same scrutiny too. So many games ending in broken windows and smashed greenhouses. It would help if it were confined to open fields instead of allotments.”
by m, gedling
Saturday, April 10 2010, 11:37PM
“but without betting there would be no horse race, ie no horses,
so no horses would die because no new horses were born,
but if lots of horses were reared to race then isnt that a good thing ?
or do you think wiping out horses is best because then there woudlnt be any suffering if there wasnt any horses ?”