Should horse racing be banned?

Robdude · 14-04-2012 05:35PM

If horse racing should be banned because some of the horses might die - shouldn't we ban all types of animal slaughtering because all of those animals will die?

We should ban fishing, and cattle farms, and make it illegal to buy or sell meat. Then a lot less animals would die!

We should also ban hunting; because the goal of hunting is to kill animals.

Mickeroo · 14-04-2012 05:36PM

Robdude wrote: »

If horse racing should be banned because some of the horses might die - shouldn't we ban all types of animal slaughtering because all of those animals will die?

We should ban fishing, and cattle farms, and make it illegal to buy or sell meat. Then a lot less animals would die!

We should also ban hunting; because the goal of hunting is to kill animals.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Do they eat the horses that die in the races?

Mint Sauce · 14-04-2012 05:36PM

Horse racing, No. I think the horse racing authorties have gone to some lenght to protect the horses well being. Synchonised was one of the horses who unfortunatly died today, he actully unseated his rider in the warm up, and was examined by a vet before his rider got back on and raced. It was a horrible co incidence he was one of the horses who died.

It is vey sad when an animal dies or has to be put down, but you dont usally hear of these incidents in your normal everyday race meet.

But the grandnational, I wouldn't miss it if it was never ran again. I only really watch or follow the the big races or festivals, I might only places a bet on a few races a year, the National being one of them, but at times during the race today I was shuffling uncomforably on the seat.

Dannyg90 · 14-04-2012 05:37PM

it shouldn't be banned. While no one especially the owners wants a horse to die while racing for the obvious financial reasons as well as personal attachment to the horse unfortunately it happens every so often, but the fact remains that most race horses would not have lived at all without horse racing as they were bred for that purpose. If horse racing was banned outright the population of horses would drop very quickly because people aren't going to be willing to pay the expensive upkeep for a horse they can't race.

FueledByAisling · 14-04-2012 05:37PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Is there an argument to be made for the horses enjoying the racing?

I ride and know myself that a good bunch of horses do loooove to race. However some don't, a lot of the horses run out of fear as it is their nature. But it's more the treatment they get, recently a whip ban has been put in place which I'm very happy about but people still break that rule. Also the amount of weird **** they get fed sometimes to make them run faster is ridiculous. In america a horse had broken it's leg before a race and the owner injected it with a drug to numb the pain so it would run the race.

My name is URL · 14-04-2012 05:37PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

In fairness, thats a complete straw man. The very point of bull fighting is to hurt/maim the animal. That's not the case with horse racing.

Maybe it is a strawman. But more horses die each year as a result of injury or because they are no longer wanted by breeders, than are killed each year by matadors.

I don't understand how anybody could be opposed to one sport and supportive of the other.

14-04-2012 05:38PM

Obviously banning is way too strong a word but if they reduced the amount of horses in the race it'd be a safer race for horse and jockey.

Green Diesel · 14-04-2012 05:39PM

As a matter of interest, what happens which makes it necessary to destroy them? Broken legs?

titan18 · 14-04-2012 05:39PM

Robdude wrote: »

If horse racing should be banned because some of the horses might die - shouldn't we ban all types of animal slaughtering because all of those animals will die?

We should ban fishing, and cattle farms, and make it illegal to buy or sell meat. Then a lot less animals would die!

We should also ban hunting; because the goal of hunting is to kill animals.

Tbf, a lot of people would support a ban on those things, especially hunting.

Also, there's a big difference between an animal dying for food, and an animal dying as a result of doing something for entertainment and financial reasons.

Robdude · 14-04-2012 05:39PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Do they eat the horses that die in the races?

If killing animals is wrong; the top priority should be banning the things that kill the most animals.

While some horses do die while racing, it is not the intent and it represents a small percentage of the horses. The owners pay a lot of money for the horses and want to see them alive and healthy.

Meanwhile, our store shelves are literally lined with dead animals we've killed for no reason other than we want to eat them; despite having the means to avoid it.

Da Shins Kelly · 14-04-2012 05:40PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Is there an argument to be made for the horses enjoying the racing?

Some of them probably do. But the Grand National is an incredibly stressful race, by the looks of things. The fences are HUGE (The Chair and Becher's Brooke up close are monstrous) and the size of the field (40 horses or thereabouts) is a serious hazard (impaired vision, pushing and shoving, several loose horses causing accidents). There are some horses that are 100% suited to it, but there are some seriously irresponsible trainers and owners out there who put horses in that are simply not capable, be it jumping-wise or stamina-wise, to complete the race, and those horses are being put at great risk of being seriously injured or killed. For example, I think it was utter insanity on the part of the connections of Synchronized to run that horse today. The whole race itself is just asking for trouble, really.

Glico Man · 14-04-2012 05:40PM

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Think that joke fell at the first

Thats a good put down

14-04-2012 05:41PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

Robdude wrote: »

If horse racing should be banned because some of the horses might die - shouldn't we ban all types of animal slaughtering because all of those animals will die?

We should ban fishing, and cattle farms, and make it illegal to buy or sell meat. Then a lot less animals would die!

We should also ban hunting; because the goal of hunting is to kill animals.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Do they eat the horses that die in the races?

I have eaten horse meat in restaurants abroad. Remember thinking at the time it was quite nice....

Robdude · 14-04-2012 05:42PM

titan18 wrote: »

Tbf, a lot of people would support a ban on those things, especially hunting.

Also, there's a big difference between an animal dying for food, and an animal dying as a result of doing something for entertainment and financial reasons.

That's only true in situations where it is necessary to eat the animal to live. Sure, at one point in time, we as a society might have needed to kill other animals to survive.

We're LONG past that point. Plenty of people live healthy lives without eating animals. We all could. I eat steak because I ENJOY it, not because I risk death or starvation with out it.

It's only a slightly different type of enjoyment than watching horses run around a track. Both are completely unessential for my survival. Plenty of vegetarians are proof of this.

But anyway - if someone is against all of those things; horse racing seems like an odd place to start the call for bans. It's trivial compared to the other stuff.

bil · 14-04-2012 05:42PM

o yeah and lets ban motor racing because humans die in that. also lets ban football, running and evey sport that may involve injury. In short, shut up op

inmyday · 14-04-2012 05:43PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If they were race horses and died while racing they were most likely crap horses to begin with and deserved their fate.

Crazy stuff. Dya watch horse racing?
Crap horses???
deserved???

Ya must be taking the mick? Im guessing you are, yeah?

Princess Peach · 14-04-2012 05:43PM

Robdude wrote: »

If killing animals is wrong; the top priority should be banning the things that kill the most animals.

While some horses do die while racing, it is not the intent and it represents a small percentage of the horses. The owners pay a lot of money for the horses and want to see them alive and healthy.

Meanwhile, our store shelves are literally lined with dead animals we've killed for no reason other than we want to eat them; despite having the means to avoid it.

You are bringing up a whole different topic here.

And its not only about the horses who die in the race. Its also about the treatment of the race houses, and the treatment of the horses who aren't good enough to race.

My name is URL · 14-04-2012 05:44PM

bil wrote: »

o yeah and lets ban motor racing because humans die in that. also lets ban football, running and evey sport that may involve injury. In short, shut up op

Very intelligent response there, bil. Much appreciated.

Maire2009 · 14-04-2012 05:44PM

FueledByAisling wrote: »

I ride and know myself that a good bunch of horses do loooove to race. However some don't, a lot of the horses run out of fear as it is their nature. But it's more the treatment they get, recently a whip ban has been put in place which I'm very happy about but people still break that rule. Also the amount of weird **** they get fed sometimes to make them run faster is ridiculous. In america a horse had broken it's leg before a race and the owner injected it with a drug to numb the pain so it would run the race.

How could it run with a broken leg? Surely if its leg was broken it couldn't move it properly and wouldn't have supported its weight? Didn't anyone else notice? Like, if you see a person with a broken leg you know they aren't moving right, whether or not they feel the pain.

Calling for an all out ban is wrong. Sure, do something about the fences at the Grand National, do everything to reduce the risk, but ban it? The same people calling for it to be banned today will not even think about it tomorrow. Not saying its the case for all, but the majority won't give a second thought to a horse again until the next big name dies at a big meet.

Mickeroo · 14-04-2012 05:44PM

My name is URL wrote: »

Maybe it is a strawman. But more horses die each year as a result of injury or because they are no longer wanted by breeders, than are killed each year by matadors.

I don't understand how anybody could be opposed to one sport and supportive of the other.

They're killed humanely though, i think that's the key difference.

At the end of the day both race horses and fighting bulls are commodities bred for a single purpose, so from that point of view its not cruelty in either case. Its a complex issue.

Richard Hillman · 14-04-2012 05:45PM

The BBC had a feature before the race about one of the horse that went on to die. The family were telling them about how much they love the horse and he is a member of the family etc etc. I was watching thinking bull****. If they loved that horse they wouldnt be letting it run in the death trap that is the Grand National.

I love Horse Racing but dislike jumps racing greatly. The horses that are in it are pretty much the ones that were not good enough for proper racing. I dont see the point in running 3 miles and jumping over hurdles. Its just not proper racing.

Discodog · 14-04-2012 05:45PM

The welfare of animals will always come second to the income from gambling. Anyone who thinks that race horses are always well treated should see how many have been killed during the recession. In the past a racer that wasn't good enough could be sold - now that's not so easy.

But the other income animal, the Greyhound, suffers a far worse fate. Literally thousands are killed every year & it defies belief as to why there is never an outcry about it especially as so many people have a dog at home. 672 Greyhounds were killed in Irish Pounds during 2010 & of those 256 were killed by the ISPCA. Anyone who has kept dogs must realise that when a Greyhound has pups only one or two go on to race. The rest are just wastage.

The National won't be banned but at least Greyhound racing is dying a slow death in the UK.

Jimoslimos · 14-04-2012 05:45PM

I don't honestly know what way to feel tbh. 20 horses since 2000 is a very high figure, I have a feeling that these deaths will have more media coverage, because one was a high profile horse/rider.

Some of those "animal lovers" arguing against jump racing, especially pet owners, unwittingly put their own pets through much distress by artificially prolonging their lives - not many, but some.

mackg · 14-04-2012 05:45PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If they were race horses and died while racing they were most likely crap horses to begin with and deserved their fate.

Am I the only one that thought this was funny?

My name is URL · 14-04-2012 05:46PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

They're killed humanely though, i think that's the key difference.

At the end of the day both race horses and fighting bulls are commodities bred for a single purpose, so from that point of view its not cruelty in either case. Its a complex issue.

I guess that's a subjective thing. Personally I wouldn't call what happened to those horses today 'humane'.

Morricone · 14-04-2012 05:46PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If they were race horses and died while racing they were most likely crap horses to begin with and deserved their fate.

Are you for fúcking real?! One of the horses put down had won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most prestigious event in National Hunt racing.

You're either trolling or else you're an incredibly thick cúnt.

I'm gonna take the ban that comes with that because someone needs to call you out on your bollocks.

Mod: User banned.

AskMyChocolate · 14-04-2012 05:46PM

I can see both sides of the argument. On the one hand maybe it isn't right for humans to use animals for sport and risk their lives. On the other hand, there can be no doubt that when it comes to animal welfare,and the treatment of animals race horses have a far far better life than 99% of all other animals. I'd far rather be a race horse than a chicken or a lamb. As for the treatment of workhorses or the treatment of horses by certain members of the travelling community there is simply no comparison.

It should also be noted that the horseracing industry from breeding to racing to gambling is a massive employer in this state. On balance I wouldn't be in favour of banning it.

lynchieboy · 14-04-2012 05:47PM

Is national hunt racing worse than this carry on, why dont you see animal rights activists sabotaging or protesting at these events?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOEc30rgW_U

titan18 · 14-04-2012 05:47PM

Robdude wrote: »

That's only true in situations where it is necessary to eat the animal to live. Sure, at one point in time, we as a society might have needed to kill other animals to survive.

We're LONG past that point. Plenty of people live healthy lives without eating animals. We all could. I eat steak because I ENJOY it, not because I risk death or starvation with out it.

It's only a slightly different type of enjoyment than watching horses run around a track. Both are completely unessential for my survival. Plenty of vegetarians are proof of this.

But anyway - if someone is against all of those things; horse racing seems like an odd place to start the call for bans. It's trivial compared to the other stuff.

Not really, Western society might be past that point but what about areas that are not suitable for growing fruit or vegatables, who have to resort to fishing or trying to breed cattle,goats, pigs etc for food.

Then, you have to take into account the amount of farm landed needed to feed an entire world of vegetarians. It would probably result in more deforestation and animals dying due to the destruction of their habitats or as collateral damage.

3hn2givr7mx1sc · 14-04-2012 05:47PM

Where are all these horse's rights activists the other 364 days of the year? Ye only come out of the woodwork on Grand National day.

Should horse racing be banned?

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