After two more horses died during the Grand National on Saturday animal welfare groups are calling for the annual race to be banned or at least modified to be safer for horses.
What do you think?, the fences (especially the notorious Bechers brook and The Chair) are fucking huge and the horses are at full stretch and beyond trying to clear them safely. Horses die in the race every year so I think something has to be done, I don't like animals dying for peoples entertainment or to put money into the pockets of bookmakers. The winner Ballabriggs had to hosed down with cold water and given oxygen otherwise it might have collapsed and died because it was pushed to its limits.
The length of the course (over 4 miles), the large field of houses (over 30) and the huge fences are the main bones of contention.
Some people claim the horses "like it" but if they really like it why do they need an Irish midget on their backs with a whip?
We need to punish the French, ignore the Germans and forgive the Russians - Condoleezza Rice.
If the gates kill every horse then they are to much to expect, if it just kills the random horse then it's the trainers who are killing the horses by putting them in a situation they can't handle.
People make the decisions not the horses.
blame them, if their horse is killed then ban that trainer/owner from entering any other races.
Races horses do love to race, it's a fact.
By the way, flat track race horses get killed sometimes also.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams
I have mixed feelings about racing. It's given me a very nice lifestyle but it's an awful sport. Racehorses are considered athletes & there is a tremendous amount of doping going on, some stables have the reputation of "run them till they drop". If your horses are money makers they are taken very good care of, once they stop making money they are either sold to the killers or to the Amish, which in my opinion they'd be better off dead. I have several rescues & all they have to do is live happily ever after in the fields but I can't save them all. Retired racehorses are a dime a dozen.
(04-14-2011, 01:25 PM)Ordinary Peephole Wrote: I don't think any racehorse enjoys the Grand National, its like the fucking charge of the light brigade.
you would be wrong as usual, jumpers love to jump and runners love to run.
no different than chasers love to chase foxes and duck dogs love to fetch ducks.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams
I've only been to the races once. There I was having a grand time betting and watching when one of the horses tripped. Out came this big truck and they put up a tarp so we couldn't see what they were doing and they proceeded to put the horse down and load him up and take him away.
I lost all my taste for horseracing that night. No offense Duchess, but I'd be happy if it were outlawed. Plus, I've heard about some pretty horrible things (dogfood, anyone?) that happen to some horses that can't race anymore. Blurg.
He's doing great, LC - thanks for asking! He is fully adjusted and happy. Unlike the ass-crawling rodents OP is accustomed to in-between his bed wettings and kid-making with girlfriends, these creatures have high levels of noticeable social and emotional intelligence.
OMG! this breaks my heart. The photos are very disturbing to say the least. I think a race of this type is way to dangerous for the horses and the jockeys.
I have watched the races at Saratoga and have gone up in the mornings and watched them exercises them. It's beautiful. I have never had to see a horse injured in a race though. I don't think I could stand that. Horses are such magnificant animals.
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