1000 Horses Killed

[Gromit]

A AB post about a kitten dropped in a wheelie bin or a dog maltreated is guaranteed to generated many tens of posts condeming the people who participate in such cruelty.

In the meantime racehorses are being killed every week. We have just seen the 1000th horse killed since 2007.

// A thousand horses have died on Britain's racecourses since 2007, according to records kept by an animal rights organisation. Animal Aid's "Death Watch" list reached the 1,000 mark late last month when a seven-year-old gelding, Hired Hand, was destroyed at Bangor-on-Dee, Clwyd, after being injured in a race. //

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/03/thousand-horses-died-on-british-racecourses

Maybe we just pretend to e a nation of animal lovers? Why else would we turn a blind eye to such carnage on the race track?

[Canary42]

Self-styled animal lovers are always highly selective - for example cat owners totally disregard their pet's wholesale slaughter of the country's lovely songbird population.

A cat being badly treated raises lots of posts, but the suffering of our feathered friends from feline frenzies goes mainly unmentioned.

[Sharingan]

Okay then whilst we're on this topic of racehorses, does anyone want to rehome an ex racehorse? He came to us recently, oddly to save him from slaughter and we are looking to rehome him to someone suitable. Impeccable gentle stable manners, 16'2 HH, Dark Bay gelding, 18 years old, has done absolutely everything in terms of riding but forward going apparently, good with the smith and to box but out of work for the last 12 months so needs bringing back into work gently. Would make a very beautiful lawnmower if nothing else, which is what he's doing at the moment and is a real sweetie:)
We already have several horses so don't want to keep him long term and he turned up with us because my Dad who is known for a bit of racehorse rescue here and there has been in the Ukraine and someone forwarded the people to us as he wasn't available at the time. He's free but all homes will be vetted obviously to make sure he doesn't come to grief:)
http://tinypic.com/r/2qa7q6a/5

[Kromovaracun]

There is an enormous amount of hypocrisy among Britain's animal lovers. Many of them will champion an animal's right to life, but see no contradiction in tucking into a big hunk of dead cow a few minutes later because 'it's been killed in the right way.' Likewise, in the States, everybody lost their minds when a policeman shot a dog, however nobody batted an eyelid about a man who died in suspicious circumstances in police custody on the very same week.

I find it rather difficult to empathise with.

[bazwillrun]

horse enjoy it do they ?

Hmmm...and exactly how do you know that ? does the horse communicate this in writing, verbally or maybe stamp the ground with its hoof when asked ?

Just like animals in circuses this "sport" that the animals have no choice but to partake in should be banned....oh no hold on theres shed loads of money in it.

[DTCwordfan]

Close down the whole countryside, concrete it over, no rural sports, none of these issues about horseracing, badgers, hedgehogs, bees, pollution, tree disease, foot and mouth, genetic crops. Now that's the way to go. Bloody urbanites.

[Gromit]

DTCwordfan.

Aren't most racecourses in towns?

[Sycamore3House]

If racehorses do not like what they do why do some 'Refuse to Race' when under starters orders.
There was a well known jumps horse (& probably many more) in Ireland last year that was destroyed because he had broken his leg frolicking in the field.

[DTCwordfan]

I would argue no they are not......Newbury, Goodwood, Ascot, Newmarket, Cartmel, Wetherby come immediately to mind - and many are on the edges with countryside around them.

[DTCwordfan]

I guess gromit would have them turned into even more housing land or sell them off to Aldi, Tescos, or Waitrose.

[grumpy01]

Sell the horses to Tesco?

[Gromit]

Newmarket was one I checked and had it down as a town

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newmarket,_Suffolk

// Newmarket is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It is a major local business cluster, with annual investment rivalling that of the Cambridge Science Park, the other major cluster in the region. //

http://i40.tinypic.com/2i1lhk6.jpg

[Hymie]

I’m with Kromovaracun on this one - you should see how many animals are killed every year at my local abattoir.

[Gromit]

Newmarket New Town.
It does have a ring to it. But I think it should have an M&S as well.

[ladybirder]

Gromit you have posted my badger thread (at 00.46) which got 153 posts. I also started this thread about horse racing and the Grand National in particular. So YES I do care about ALL animal cruelty.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals-and-Nature/Question1006938.html

[Quizmonster]

They're called RACEhorses for a reason and - as Svejk said above - "Without racing they would not exist."
They can't be used for anything else such as pulling ploughs or beer-drays or as kiddies' gymkhana-pets. Consequently, why would anyone spend a fortune on breeding and feeding them if not to race them? If racing were stopped tomorrow, thousands would be out down instantly rather than just a very few of them losing their lives in accidents over time.
In addition, I have no idea just how many people work in the horse-racing industry in Britain and its satellite job-areas, but it is certainly in the multi-thousands. We're talking jockeys, trainers, stable-staff, vets, saddlers, race-course staff, bookies' staff and a host of other employments too long for me to bother trying to list.

[whiskeryron]

//
Jeza
Badgers carry bovine TB. Horse racing is a sport. all sport carries risks. Badger baiting was once a sport that was banned. Maybe if it hadn't been banned bovine TB wouldn't be a problem. I am not saying I agree with badger baiting I don't. I try to look at every side of the story. //

Solution save the Horses let's have Badger racing.

WR.

[Quizmonster]

Put down, not out down.

[whiskeryron]

When a racehorse in an accident breaks a leg is it a fact that they are destroyed because it would cost the owners too much loss of revenue to treat & get the horse back to good health for racing again ?

WR.