Deaths of horses at Cheltenham race course

And your point is ? Explain.

@Anna_Kissed
Can we assume you
a) don't eat meat/fish?
b) don't consume dairy/eggs/processed foods tainted by animal fats etc?
c) wear clothes or shoes that use any animal bi-products?
d) use any products that could have been made using animal bi-products?
And what about vegetables? Some of them have hearts.

All race horses are lovingly cared for by their lads and lasses on a daily basis.
If a horse didn't want to jump a fence, it would refuse.

Zzzzzzzzzzz bore off

Stig said:

It's not just Cheltenham, is it? That's an innocent animal dying every 2.5 days. That is disgraceful. This 'sport' ought to sort itself out.

Stig, the problem is that horses aren't very well designed. You don't see cows jumping and running around. But horses do.
They are flight animals. But they weigh a ton on fragile legs.
Nearly all horses run fine and in NH even most that fall are OK.
But when legs are damaged due to a fall or break due to stress when running, the horses are put down because it's the most humane thing to do.
More horses are killed in this country in fields because of damaged legs than ever reach the race course.
But this is nothing compared to those killed due to colic.
Many of those on the race course are worth a lot of money and are like family pets to their owners so trust me if it was possible to fix damaged legs they would irrespective of the cost. Even minor leg problems usually end in death as horses being treated are even more susceptible to colic.
So please don't think that a few deaths makes the sport barbaric.
And if horse racing didn't exist there wouldn't be many horses. Would people prefer that?

Absurdistan, I have put a like on your post, not because I am convinced that there's nothing that could be done, but because it's refreshing to have such a well thought out and well put argument rather than people just trying to shout down the opposition.

Fanny Fanackapan said:

I definitely know where AK is coming from, even if others dismiss his views with a degree of disdain.

This makes a mockery of the "flag" option - it's an opinion and one shared by many, maybe not on here though....

Presume those of you who disagree have long & meaningful conversations with our equine friends, who state they LOVE being ridden into the ground ( some literally, sadly) , whipped & pushed beyond the limit time & again ?

And all for what ?

To make the rich richer, the poor invariably poorer & all in the name of "sport" ?

And the Bookies laughing all the way to the bank.

Just hope you gamblers never "come back" as a racehorse !

Do you eat meat?
Wear leather?
Wish for a time when you only see horses in the zoo?

If the answer to 1,2 is yes or no in respect of 3 then your a hypocrite.
Personally I am more concerned about miss treatment of animals we eat or the decline of areas on this planet that wild animals can live in.

WayneK said:

I assumed Anna is a woman.

Play on Anarchist!
He's our resident tree hugger.

Absurdistan said:

... Wish for a time when you only see horses in the zoo?...

This is a spurious argument. If it were true, we'd never see any types of horses other than race horses. I see lots of horses and very few of them are race horses.

sam3110 said:

Would those horses even exist without house racing? No

Do the horses enjoy running as part of a group? Yes

Do horses die in the wild through falling? Yes

Are the people who label the sport as cruelty to animals blinkered by their own narrow minded views? Yes

Very good post

AddickUpNorth said:

It always makes me chuckle when people choose to fall back on the 'if it wasn't for the racing industry/meat industry/dairy industry/leather industry etc etc there wouldn't be these animals' argument when it comes to discussing animal rights and what may or may not constitute abuse. I'm sure the animals born into an unnatural, short lived existence of exploitation are grateful for your compassionate reasoning.

Well said, narrow minded Mike !

AddickUpNorth said:

It always makes me chuckle when people choose to fall back on the 'if it wasn't for the racing industry/meat industry/dairy industry/leather industry etc etc there wouldn't be these animals' argument when it comes to discussing animal rights and what may or may not constitute abuse. I'm sure the animals born into an unnatural, short lived existence of exploitation are grateful for your compassionate reasoning.

Eating meat and sports such as horse racing gives the animals involved value. What would you say would happen to the animals both individually and as a species if you had your way?

brogib said:

AddickUpNorth said:

It always makes me chuckle when people choose to fall back on the 'if it wasn't for the racing industry/meat industry/dairy industry/leather industry etc etc there wouldn't be these animals' argument when it comes to discussing animal rights and what may or may not constitute abuse. I'm sure the animals born into an unnatural, short lived existence of exploitation are grateful for your compassionate reasoning.

Eating meat and sports such as horse racing gives the animals involved value. What would you say would happen to the animals both individually and as a species if you had your way?

Do race horses naturally occur or have they been bred by man to what they are today?
I know they are sort of traceable back to some Arabian horse but like many animals they exist because we want them to.