Another Death at Aintree

The daughter of a friend of mine is involved in a charity that rescues and rehomes racehorses. Some of hers come from well known stables and have been retired early because of injury or perhaps lack of stamina or even because they just don't enjoy it. She has a stable full of beautiful horses which are all moved on to good homes.

I would like to see a much smaller field in the National but I doubt if that will happen because less runners will mean less money. And of course accidents happen wherever you are. A friend of mine lost her much loved horse when it's leg was broken by another horse that it was grazing with.

Kate1949

Some years ago, we took our 15 year old nephew to the races. He was suffering from leukaemia at the time (and subsequently died) and we wanted to treat him to a day out.
A horse was injured and they put it down, there, in front of us, putting a tarpaulin up to shield it from the people in the 'posh' enclosures but not from us. It was horrendous.

That’s so very sad about your nephew Kate1949, I’m sorry the treatment did not work and how horrendous to witness the awful event of the horse losing its life what an awful day my sympathies

I know I’m banging my head on a brick wall here Fleurpepper. Breeding dogs, racing horses can be successful ethical businesses. My spaniel was loved, it was obvious all their dogs were the centre of their universe. They’re successful thst doesn’t mean they don’t love their dogs.
The same applies to people who breed fine race horses

In the future no-one will be allowed to ride horses and they will become the equivalent of zoo animals, just a few kept to exhibit the species and people will watch them like animals on a game reserve. I hope I won't be here to see that but I can see it coming. People who have never looked after horses but think they "know" about them will finish them off as a species. It will start with racing but there is already strong opposition from some to stop all equestrian activities. I take part in dressage so am very aware of the dislike some animal activists have towards the so called "dancing horses". I've ridden and owned eventers for nearly 30 years, all of them have loved the XC element, when they don't you soon know about it. I've seen 2 horses die on a XC course, both with heart attacks and in both cases on pretty easy PC courses. It happens. I have had to put two beautiful horses to sleep following field accidents, one with a broken leg and the other with a catastrophic hock injury, not being ridden just being horses doing what horses do in fields.. I've had to PTS 2 horses with strangulated colic, just the most awful thing to witness, they were both completely out of control with pain. I can't express how devastated I was on all of these occasions. I "lost " my last horse last summer and decided at 74 I was too old to buy another but I still ride. There is cruelty in the horse world, I don't mind National Hunt racing, the horses are skeletally mature, fit and well trained over schooling fences. They progress over different types of course and they are ridden by real professionals who know what they are doing and trainers enter them for races according to their strengths and ability. I dislike flat racing because horses are not skeletally mature, most don't make the grade and lots break down at an early age. However, I wish people would make as much fuss about the long term casual cruelty that I see all around me. Obese horses, fed too much and exercised too little who are candidates for Laminitis, EMS and early arthritis. Horses ridden in poorly fitting tack and unsuitable bits by people who, to be blunt, actually can't ride. Lame horses being ridden by people who should know better but choose not to. Old horses standing retired but uncared for because the owner won't do the "decent thing" and pay for euthanasia because they "love them so much". Given the choice, if I were a horse I'd rather run in the Grand National than face the life that so many horses and ponies endure but most people are too ignorant to recognise.

Oh of course we are all townies who don't know anything about horses.

All the above is abhorrent- is does not make the cruelty or racig any less so. Excusing one form of cruelty by mentionning others has never been acceptable.

Given the choice, if I were a horse I'd rather run in the Grand National than face the life that so many horses and ponies endure but most people are too ignorant to recognise.

We must not forget that these animals only exist because we have decreed it so. So the choice is an artificial one. Choose between two options that we have decreed.

My point Fleurpepper is not to excuse anything, cruelty is cruelty and there's plenty of it around, most of it is not high profile or in the media With regard to the Grand National, I don't think it is cruel (as I've said in my post) that is my opinion. Why you have the idea that I am talking about "Townies" is beyond me, I am actually talking about horse owners generally who neglect their horses, often through ignorance rather than negligence. However, I do have a lot of experience with horses so I feel qualified to express an opinion even if it is not the popular one on this thread

If we want to discuss cruelty to horses check out Tennessee Walking horses

LucyLocket That horse yesterday was sadly killed in the national, but the post circulating is saying it broke its neck….classic horsey people sharing it and believing it, probably the same kind of people that will pay a ‘bit expert’ to come and tell them what bit is right for their horse 🙄 Hill Sixteen did not break his neck, he was dead before he even got to the jump as he had a heart attack by the looks of things.

If you’re referring to my post saying the horse broke his neck, that is what has been reported in several newspapers and online. So it is not some ‘classic horsey person sharing it and believing it’ whatever that means, but me questioning what I read.

As for the comment about ‘the same people that will pay a ‘bit expert’ to come and tell them what bit is right for their horse’, I have no idea where that came from or its relevance to this thread, but I find your post pretty rude to be honest, and unnecessarily so.

Foxie48- my post about 'townies' was not directed at you in particular. This is what any of us who oppose fox hunting and in this case, horse racing especially in that particular race due to such large numbers- are always told 'oh you are townies, and you don't understand'. Loud and clear in several posts here.

It’s all about the money, racehorse owners from the rich Arab states, the stud farms and of course the connection to royalty. The whole thing is barbaric. Quite apart from the unnecessary deaths, they are supposed to be limiting the use of whips, not that you’d have known that from the way some of those jockeys were lashing their mounts today.

That’s flat racing. The Grand National is a national hunt race - totally different and isn’t followed by toffs, Royals or Arab sheiks. The majority of the race goers are ordinary, working class people.

Apart from that I no longer have a flutter on it as realised several years ago that it’s cruel. It has been made safer over the years as it really did use to be horrifically dangerous with far bigger fences. Time for it to go I think.

Time someone did a risk assessment of all race tracks if they’ve not already done so. I have no ace to grind about racing in general but The Grand National has always been high risk and although it has been “improved” the record is not good as proven again this year. Perhaps it’s time to call it a day. One of the owners is claiming the delayed start from the protestors caused the horse to fall. Even without protestors it is still a gruelling race.

A sports commentator - yes, we did watch it - said that there had been a peaceful protest, presumably people with banners. I've seen no coverage of that. I did wonder whether the race would be safer but if the horses died it clearly wasn't safe enough. I've signed the petition.

25Avalon

Time someone did a risk assessment of all race tracks if they’ve not already done so. I have no ace to grind about racing in general but The Grand National has always been high risk and although it has been “improved” the record is not good as proven again this year. Perhaps it’s time to call it a day. One of the owners is claiming the delayed start from the protestors caused the horse to fall. Even without protestors it is still a gruelling race.

They do such things and Aintree does not come high up on the list when it comes to injuries and fatalities. From memory Southwell does quite badly and possibly Fakenham ( but I may be doing a disservice to Fakenham). Believe me these things are looked at all the time and there are reports after every meeting. The park course at Aintree worries me more than the National course as it’s very flat and fast.

That is very perturbing MayBee if Aintree isn’t top of the list.

The assumption that we have dominion over the animal kingdom and can do as we wish with them is one I question.

25Avalon

That is very perturbing MayBee if Aintree isn’t top of the list.

But MayBee has just said that it's not top of the list when it comes to fatalities and injuries. So why should that be perturbing?

The delay caused by the protestors contributed to the horse falling at the fence. Racehorses know when they are saddled up that a race is imminent, delays caused after saddling up lead to the horses becoming unsettled and agitated as they are ready to race. Don’t blame the course, trainers or the racing bodies, horses enjoy racing, it is what they are bred for, blame the protestors who really do not understand what they are doing.

I too am upset that a horse has died but all the facts need to be taken into account, Aintree has been modified over the years and is much safer than it used to be, the horse was in such an agitated state due to the delays that it just crashed through the first fence. Very sad for all concerned.

It’s all very well having an idealistic view but as someone who is involved with animal rights I believe some realism wouldn’t go amiss.

Animals in the wild have a tough time of it and that includes horses. Every day is a constant hunt for food. Illness and injury occur and no vets to attend to them. Fights for dominance, starvation and painfully slow deaths are a fact of life.

My view (as an animal lover) is that humans have to work so there’s nothing wrong with an animal working as long as it’s humane and in return has food, medicine and downtime and freedom to a degree. I believe animals would accept this if they had a voice.

If anyone wants to get really het up over cruelty to animals please look into factory farming; it is truly horrific.

MaizieD

25Avalon

That is very perturbing MayBee if Aintree isn’t top of the list.

But MayBee has just said that it's not top of the list when it comes to fatalities and injuries. So why should that be perturbing?

Perturbing that a course that has cause so many fatalities and injuries is not the worse. Worrying that some are even more worse! (aware of grammar).

Time has come to ban all animal “sports”. They can’t consent.

Shropshirelass

The delay caused by the protestors contributed to the horse falling at the fence. Racehorses know when they are saddled up that a race is imminent, delays caused after saddling up lead to the horses becoming unsettled and agitated as they are ready to race. Don’t blame the course, trainers or the racing bodies, horses enjoy racing, it is what they are bred for, blame the protestors who really do not understand what they are doing.

I too am upset that a horse has died but all the facts need to be taken into account, Aintree has been modified over the years and is much safer than it used to be, the horse was in such an agitated state due to the delays that it just crashed through the first fence. Very sad for all concerned.

Pretty much what I was going to write. I have no issue with people protesting about things they would like to change but I wish they had been more aware of the consequences of doing something that delayed the race start. Horses are creatures of routine and changing that routine for extremely fit TBs is like shaking a bottle of pop then taking the top off. It's impossible to control the energy. Jockeys and trainers have clear plans when racing with regard to where they will place the horse at the start, and how they will run the race safely for both horse and rider. The chaos at the first few fences would almost certainly not have happened if the horses had not been returned to the stables after such a long time waiting in the paddock. Those first few fences are not difficult and it's usually an opportunity for the jockeys to settle the horses into a rhythm for the rest of the race. Impossible to do under those circumstances.

Horses take 6 or 7 years for their skeleton to be fully developed, one of the last areas being their spines and neck. It is actually destructive to ride them before this age, let alone race them at a year old. We should really look at using horses as beasts of burden and have a rethink taking their development into account but we won't because it is the richer element of society who do the most riding.
equineink.com/2019/08/10/the-stages-of-equine-skeletal-development/

I would like to see jump racing barred or at the very least much smaller fields and smaller fences (more safety measures have been brought in across the years)

For the animal rights protesters to condemn all owners of racehorses and horses in general and all farmers is just wrong and ridiculous - I understand them protesting but it would have been better for those horses taking part, who were definitely spooked by the delays, to simply use their right to peacefully protest

Tickingbird

Extremely balanced view and I agree 100%