Course invaders at today's Grand National. (2 Viewers)

[oscillatewildly]

Have they got a valid point? I stopped going to the dogs years ago (only ever an occasional visitor on social occasions) when I learned about the shocking mistreatment of the dogs that just weren't up to it.
Or are they just once a year attention seekers at the biggest racing event of the year?

 

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[Grendel]

Shame they couldn’t get it abandoned - would have been hilarious

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Lots of damaged horses so far. Looked like one wasn’t getting up at the first fence

bit sick really

 

[ovduk78]

Lots of damaged horses so far. Looked like one wasn’t getting up at the first fence

bit sick really

But the Jockey club claim that the welfare of the horses is the most important part of horseracing. It is definitely not for the benefit of the betting companies or the local economy in this case. It's not just jumping these fences that is cruel as races like the Derby are also cruel for young horses.

 

[Grendel]

one dead reported and another earlier in the week and one at Leicester

Race Horse Death Watch

www.horsedeathwatch.com

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Have they got a valid point? I stopped going to the dogs years ago (only ever an occasional visitor on social occasions) when I learned about the shocking mistreatment of the dogs that just weren't up to it.
Or are they just once a year attention seekers at the biggest racing event of the year?

Well given that another horse has been killed for the sake of people's entertainment I'd say it was justified. As G says a pity they couldn't get it cancelled

 

[SBT]

Have they got a valid point? I stopped going to the dogs years ago (only ever an occasional visitor on social occasions) when I learned about the shocking mistreatment of the dogs that just weren't up to it.
Or are they just once a year attention seekers at the biggest racing event of the year?

The answer to both of your questions is yes.

 

[Grendel]

Well given that another horse has been killed for the sake of people's entertainment I'd say it was justified. As G says a pity they couldn't get it cancelled

It seems so archaic as a sport now somehow

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

It seems so archaic as a sport now somehow

As does polo yet weirdly I don't often hear about horses being killed after a match

 

[oscillatewildly]

It is without question the most spectacular (equestrian) sporting event although the height of those fences separates it (ethically) from other jump meetings. I know that in recent years calls for a reduction in the height of the fences has been met, begrudgingly I think, with a paltry response of a couple of centimetres, and I don't think that applied to all of the fences.
For those bemoaning the ravages of PC and H&S, I don't think the National will be topping your list.

 

[Grendel]

It is without question the most spectacular (equestrian) sporting event although the height of those fences separates it (ethically) from other jump meetings. I know that in recent years calls for a reduction in the height of the fences has been met, begrudgingly I think, with a paltry response of a couple of centimetres, and I don't think that applied to all of the fences.
For those bemoaning the ravages of PC and H&S, I don't think the National will be topping your list.

cheltenham is worse

 

[oscillatewildly]

cheltenham is worse

Is it? Strangely enough I went there for the first time last month. I wouldn't have put it on a par with the Aintree festival.

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

Never been particulalrly into racing but usually have a go on Cheltenham and the National. Found myself drawn to the falls and inevitable injuries this year rather than the actual race.

All told I think it’s time to do away with it all together now.

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

I was particularly uneasy with the justification from the toffs during the delay. I.e. the horses a treated like royalty etc. during training. Well done for looking after your animals properly.

Presumably they’d trade living to a ripe old age for dying at 20 as a millionaire.

 

[Grendel]

Is it? Strangely enough I went there for the first time last month. I wouldn't have put it on a par with the Aintree festival.

3 every year on average due at the “Festival”

 

[Grendel]

I was particularly uneasy with the justification from the toffs during the delay. I.e. the horses a treated like royalty etc. during training. Well done for looking after your animals properly.

Presumably they’d trade living to a ripe old age for dying at 20 as a millionaire.

The horses are imprisoned 23 hours a day and treated like shite then when useless to the owner shot dead

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

The horses are imprisoned 23 hours a day and treated like shite then when useless to the owner shot dead

It doesn’t surprise me. And realistically I presume if you have a goldmine of a horse that you “treat like royalty” and spend all that money on the last race you’d put it in is the National. I suspect 80% of the animals run today are the race horse equivalent of cannon fodder. The more I think about it the more it needs knocking on the head.

 

[Grendel]

It seems the horse experts that own these imprisoned animals now blame the protestors for the death on fence one. Well that makes total sense.

Good to see though our underpaid and over stretched police force are able to arrest 118 people - of which it seems only 26 actually at the event - for trying to stop this obscenity

 

[Sick Boy]

Didn’t someone on here claim horses love horse racing?

 

[clint van damme]

I actually find it quite cathartic to find out a horse that's lost me money has been destroyed. I'd like to extend it to others that let my bets down like football teams and Boxers.

 

[Grendel]

Didn’t someone on here claim horses love horse racing?

Ahhh

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[Grendel]

The racing mob aren’t happy at all and coming out with all the usual cliches

 

[Evo1883]

It's a real shame , I can't think of anything other than "sport" where so many deaths of participating animals is considered fine

 

[clint van damme]

Read this article on the train on the way down to London yesterday.

Grand National: 'The day I realised everything about horse racing was wrong'

Grand National: 'The day I realised everything about horse racing was wrong'

news.sky.com

 

[Grendel]

It’s the first year also I think no one has started a thread on here about the race and whose going to win. Hopefully some form of reality is settling in.

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Has never sat right with me. I couldn't go to something like that knowing what I was supporting, but as usual the ignorant masses stand there drinking booze and clapping like seals.

 

[skybluetony176]

What goes massively underreported is the deaths during training. Mainly from pulmonary embolisms. They basically train them within an inch of their lives to sort out the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. A hell of a lot of horses don’t make it to the race track, they either die from the training or get sent to the knackers yard for dog meat when it becomes clear that they won’t come near to being competitive.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I think they have

 

[ccfctommy]

The horses are imprisoned 23 hours a day and treated like shite then when useless to the owner shot dead

No they are not. You're talking shite

 

[ccfctommy]

Horse racing goes on every single day of the year bar Xmas day. Where's the outrage on those days?

 

[Grendel]

No they are not. You're talking shite

Yes they are. They are stabled to avoid injury and never can graze freely with other horses in fields - which is all they want in reality

 

[Grendel]

Horse racing goes on every single day of the year bar Xmas day. Where's the outrage on those days?

I have consistently said I want it banned and I’m glad that awareness is growing regarding this activity

 

[NorthernWisdom]

It’s the first year also I think no one has started a thread on here about the race and whose going to win. Hopefully some form of reality is settling in.

It is fair to say this thread is quite a shift from previous years.

 

[Boosh]

The sad reality is if a horse falls to their death and a punter had backed them. Said punter is more concerned with their bet than the life of a gorgeous creature created by God.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

The sad reality is if a horse falls to their death and a punter had backed them. Said punter is more concerned with their bet than the life of a gorgeous creature created by God.

While I agree about the thought process I think the gorgeous creature is created by two other horses.