Since 2000, 49 horses have died from their injuries at the Aintree Grnd National meeting - 11 in the National itself.

Around 200 horses are killed each year on British racecourses.

The consequences are felt especially by horses entered into jump racing - the sector responsible for 80% of racehorse fatalities. But animals racing on the Flat also suffer a high casualty rate. Amongst a typical group of 100, 1 fracture will occur every month. Typically race horses die - or are killed - as a result of a broken limb or neck, severe tendon injuries, spinal injuries or a heart attack.

Serious racing-related illnesses such as bleeding lungs
and gastric ulcers are now also endemic. Eighty-two per
cent of Flat race horses older than three years of age
suffer from bleeding lungs (Exercise-Induced Pulmonary
Haemorrhage), which can cause blood to leak from the
nostrils. Gastric ulcers are present in no fewer than
93 per cent of horses in training, in whom the condition
gets progressively worse. When horses are retired, the
condition improves.

Keep It Real wrote:Right subforum?

Since 2000, 49 horses have died from their injuries at the Aintree Grnd National meeting - 11 in the National itself.

Around 200 horses are killed each year on British racecourses.

http://www.banthegrandnational.org.uk

This stuff makes Halal slaughter look innocuous especially given that the flesh yielded at least nourishes human bodies. Nature is red in tooth and claw but do we humans not generally aim to avoid such activities where possible?

Thommo wrote:

Keep It Real wrote:Right subforum?

Since 2000, 49 horses have died from their injuries at the Aintree Grnd National meeting - 11 in the National itself.

Around 200 horses are killed each year on British racecourses.

http://www.banthegrandnational.org.uk

This stuff makes Halal slaughter look innocuous especially given that the flesh yielded at least nourishes human bodies. Nature is red in tooth and claw but do we humans not generally aim to avoid such activities where possible?

Yes, it's dubious as fuck (and Fallible is right, the dogs are worse. And you can say similar things about other sports like pro boxing too), no it's not on the same level as Halal slaughter.

You're talking about 49 animals, that's pretty bad. Do you really think the number of Halal slaughters catering to the same city of Liverpool and its environs is within an order of magnitude as small?

fluttermoth wrote:I'm not disagreeing with you; animal racing is nowhere near the same as halal slaughter.

I would just like to make two points though; first of all, boxers (humans doing boxing, obviously, not boxer dogs ) have made an informed decision to take part, which no animal can.

fluttermoth wrote:Secondly, the horses that die actually on racecourses is the tip of the iceberg; a far bigger problem, IMHO, is the 'wastage'; the animals who break down (especially in thoroughbred racehorses which, quite apart from being selectively bred to the very limit of speed over stamina, are 'hothoused' and broken to ride at a ridiculously early age, which causes them massive health problems later), or just don't make the grade, is appalling.

Thousands upon thousands of registered racing greyhounds just 'disappear' every year. I think they've started DNA testing all racing dogs to try and make them traceable, but that seems to working out even worse than the old ear tattooing. I've met loads of ex-racers who had their ears cut off before being dumped, but at least they were allowed to live. Now they're probably shot and disposed of in other ways

Thommo wrote:

fluttermoth wrote:I'm not disagreeing with you; animal racing is nowhere near the same as halal slaughter.

I would just like to make two points though; first of all, boxers (humans doing boxing, obviously, not boxer dogs ) have made an informed decision to take part, which no animal can.

That is true and that is a fair point worth making.

I'm not saying that boxing should be banned, but I'm not sure that boxers are genuinely made aware of the certainty of severe brain damage that accompanies their sport. Just as people have ethical concerns about poverty pushing people into harmful activities like prostitution, I think the same could be said for boxing. I personally cannot justify watching professional boxing for that reason.

Amateur boxing, particularly among the lighter weight categories is rather different. And either way, this is only about my own ethics, not about what I demand of other people. I wouldn't go to a strip club and I wouldn't go to a boxing match. But equally I will not lecture others that they should not go, it's up to them.

I also would not want to suggest in any way that boxers aren't brave, skillful, dedicated and fantastic athletes.

fluttermoth wrote:Secondly, the horses that die actually on racecourses is the tip of the iceberg; a far bigger problem, IMHO, is the 'wastage'; the animals who break down (especially in thoroughbred racehorses which, quite apart from being selectively bred to the very limit of speed over stamina, are 'hothoused' and broken to ride at a ridiculously early age, which causes them massive health problems later), or just don't make the grade, is appalling.

Thousands upon thousands of registered racing greyhounds just 'disappear' every year. I think they've started DNA testing all racing dogs to try and make them traceable, but that seems to working out even worse than the old ear tattooing. I've met loads of ex-racers who had their ears cut off before being dumped, but at least they were allowed to live. Now they're probably shot and disposed of in other ways

SafeAsMilk wrote:I'm not really sure what that has to do with, or in any way justifies them being tortured.

SafeAsMilk wrote:By the way KIR, shouldn't this thread be called "The trouble with horse and dog racing (tortuous [sic] British)"?

jamest wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:I'm not really sure what that has to do with, or in any way justifies them being tortured.

I didn't suggest that it did. Playing devil's advocate, I'm merely suggesting that if humans didn't have a use for horses, then horses generally would probably be more fucked than they already are. The only conclusion you can reasonably infer from these comments is that human behaviour is generally deplorable, to the extent that if we didn't allow humans to use animals such as horses as they currently do then one would have to fear for the future of there being any horses at all. Except maybe in zoos.

Keep It Real wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:By the way KIR, shouldn't this thread be called "The trouble with horse and dog racing (tortuous [sic] British)"?

I didn't know this thread would include dog racing when I started it. BB tought me I should have used the word torturous in the Yulin thread title - targeting a historic item of my self acknowlodged ignorance seems...small.

The British are not the only nationality to administer cruelty of this type to horses; unlike the Chinese/Yulin issue.