I worked in racing a long time ago, when the horses are out for exercise and training nd we would approach the "gallop" for those that dont know it is the área to canter etc, they would be ready and raring to go before we would actually jump off. Yes they do love to run, this was not with whips etc horse riders will understand if I say they would pull and pull hard.
Also yes their lives within certainly our yard was one of luxury, excellent food, groomed watered , we had one lad or lass to 2 horses.
If a horse doesn't want to run, it wont! No amount of whipping it will change that. You often see horses on the TV that have refused to move & they start the race without them. Don't see how that is considered cruel! It's in their blood to want to run!
As if you're not allowed to care about two things at once.
I do, which is why I am a vegetarian and have been for many years. I am also a member of numerous charities which save animals (Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, RSPB, WWF, Woodland Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife, etc). In fact I don't eat eggs any more and am bordering on veganism because I know what happens to calves.
I don't buy leather and shop ethically. I hate the way humans treat animals.
I'm glad they made the changes to the Grand National in 2013, which so far has resulted in no deaths in that race.
I know from riding that some horses love to run and will go and go and go, but on the same token I don't see why we cannot make it as safe as possible for the horses (and jockeys) and not push them beyond their limits resulting in falls and heart attacks. Granted there will still be losses, but I just think we should be reducing it as much as humanely possible.
The training is a bit cruel insofar as it's intense and there's not a lot of care for retired racehorses from within the industry unless the genetics are good. But the actual racing itself. The horses love it. Ears forward and galloping full tilt, that's a happy horse.
On a slightly different note: Many clouds in the gold cup.
Tomorrow sees the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, the biggest event in the National Hunt calender. What are your thoughts to this form of sport? Is it cruel and at odds with today's culture, or an old sporting tradition that should continue, despite the likelihood that a few horses will meet their end whilst jumping over hurdles and fences?
Last year, after one horse died in the Champion Hurdle, jockey Ruby Walsh said the following to the BBC:
"It's very unfortunate what happened to Our Conor but Our Conor is still a horse. He's an animal. What happened here last year with John Thomas McNamara made your heart sink - he has a wife, three kids. That made my heart sink. Jason Maguire yesterday, he's got a wife and she is expecting and last night he was fighting for his life. That is heart-breaking. Our Conor has no family, he's a horse, it's sad, but it has to be kept a little bit - in my eyes - in reality. He lives outside your back door, he doesn't live inside it."
I strongly disapprove of all animal exploitation/cruelty - including horse racing.>:(:cry:
Oh how compassionate - not. And attitudes like that jockey's are why i despair of the human race. We are the most arrogant, cruel species on the planet, not seeming to comprehend that we are PART of the animal kingdom and that just because we are (allegedly) more intelligent doesn't mean we should go around considering it okay that other animals die in our pursuit of our own selfish desires (horse racing, testing on animals for cosmetics etc). Indeed, because we are (allegedly) more intelligent we should care more about other animals, including those in our own species.
The horse may not have had a 'family' but it was still a living, breathing being which could feel fear, could feel terror and could feel physical pain. More, other animals don't understand why they are feeling pain, as we do. It just makes them more frightened.
Shame on that jockey for his/her sentiments. Shame on the human race.
Yet some avoid the fences that the rest of the herd are jumping.
They do so because horses are not natural jumpers. They will typically only jump in the wild if fleeing from a predator. Anytime that I have seen horses turned out in an arena with jumps they will not jump them. If they do have a run around then they will avoid jumping them.
Another thing. When horses unseat their riders in show jumping then the horse will not continue to jump the course. They might go for a trot or canter round until they are caught. The only time I have seen a horse continue riderless was when a rider fell off at the start of a triple combination and the horse continued to jump the rest of the combination. However the horse didn't jump anything else after that.
I do love my horse racing but the last two years or so i have questioned my love of the sport due to some deaths and other brutal falls The Our Conor and Darlan deaths being the two obvious examples. The thing is though, if we did ban horse racing tommorow, would the horses in this country ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after? I very much doubt it.
They do so because horses are not natural jumpers. They will typically only jump in the wild if fleeing from a predator. Anytime that I have seen horses turned out in an arena with jumps they will not jump them. If they do have a run around then they will avoid jumping them.
Another thing. When horses unseat their riders in show jumping then the horse will not continue to jump the course. They might go for a trot or canter round until they are caught. The only time I have seen a horse continue riderless was when a rider fell off at the start of a triple combination and the horse continued to jump the rest of the combination. However the horse didn't jump anything else after that.
Spot on GG. I was just composing in my head a similar response whilst reading this thread. Horses have a sheep mentality and follow the herd - they can be safely contained within a field and show no inclination to jump over a gate, hedge or any other boundary. A horse needs a person astride it to lead the way!
why deny horses the right to earn a living. they are earning big money for their owners and themselves plus entertain their fans and grab /having a lifestyle far above the boring field lifestyle version. even the ones running in sellers can earn thousands. also where are the animal rights lobby who seem to have dissolved somewhat lately. are they massed outside the slaughter houses and chicken sheds. bet not
They do so because horses are not natural jumpers. They will typically only jump in the wild if fleeing from a predator. Anytime that I have seen horses turned out in an arena with jumps they will not jump them. If they do have a run around then they will avoid jumping them.
Another thing. When horses unseat their riders in show jumping then the horse will not continue to jump the course. They might go for a trot or canter round until they are caught. The only time I have seen a horse continue riderless was when a rider fell off at the start of a triple combination and the horse continued to jump the rest of the combination. However the horse didn't jump anything else after that.
It sounds like you've watched a lot of horse racing.
these cheltenham horses are the cream and are living legends..they get treated fantastic.
That's true, so long as they're making money for connections. When they are no longer earning their keep, it's invariably the slippery slope to the knacker's yard, and these are perfectly healthy racehorses. Of course the racing industry, C4 etc would have you believe racehorses live out their retirement in a nice field in the country. Only a very lucky few are that fortunate. Here are some articles that may be of interest:
As for this nonsense about horses enjoying racing because they continue after unseating their jockey, they are herd animals simply following the herd and are completely unaware of the dangers involved. it would be interesting to see how many horses would choose to race if they knew just how dangerous it was for them, a broken leg, for instance, routinely treated in humans, meaning almost certain death for a horse.
Comments
Also yes their lives within certainly our yard was one of luxury, excellent food, groomed watered , we had one lad or lass to 2 horses.
So why do they whip them then?
I'm vegetarian.
People can 'focus' on whatever they like and don't need you telling them otherwise.
If they are serious they need to be told, because focusing on horse riding is not saving as many animals life.
So they are wasting resources and time.
I do, which is why I am a vegetarian and have been for many years. I am also a member of numerous charities which save animals (Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, RSPB, WWF, Woodland Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife, etc). In fact I don't eat eggs any more and am bordering on veganism because I know what happens to calves.
I don't buy leather and shop ethically. I hate the way humans treat animals.
I know from riding that some horses love to run and will go and go and go, but on the same token I don't see why we cannot make it as safe as possible for the horses (and jockeys) and not push them beyond their limits resulting in falls and heart attacks. Granted there will still be losses, but I just think we should be reducing it as much as humanely possible.
Holy sh!t that made me cry, stuff like that makes me feel ashamed I belong to such a vile species >:(>:(>:(>:(>:(>:(
On a slightly different note: Many clouds in the gold cup.
Soya plantations are one of the biggest reasons for deforestation in the amazon. So your soya milk has probably killed more animals than cows milk.
I strongly disapprove of all animal exploitation/cruelty - including horse racing.>:(:cry:
They do so out of instinct. The rest of the herd is running so they continue to run.
Very well said!!
They do so because horses are not natural jumpers. They will typically only jump in the wild if fleeing from a predator. Anytime that I have seen horses turned out in an arena with jumps they will not jump them. If they do have a run around then they will avoid jumping them.
Another thing. When horses unseat their riders in show jumping then the horse will not continue to jump the course. They might go for a trot or canter round until they are caught. The only time I have seen a horse continue riderless was when a rider fell off at the start of a triple combination and the horse continued to jump the rest of the combination. However the horse didn't jump anything else after that.
Spot on GG. I was just composing in my head a similar response whilst reading this thread. Horses have a sheep mentality and follow the herd - they can be safely contained within a field and show no inclination to jump over a gate, hedge or any other boundary. A horse needs a person astride it to lead the way!
It sounds like you've watched a lot of horse racing.
That's true, so long as they're making money for connections. When they are no longer earning their keep, it's invariably the slippery slope to the knacker's yard, and these are perfectly healthy racehorses. Of course the racing industry, C4 etc would have you believe racehorses live out their retirement in a nice field in the country. Only a very lucky few are that fortunate. Here are some articles that may be of interest:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/06/racehorse-slaughter-animal-welfare
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jun/02/recession-number-racehorses-destroyed-abbatoirs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1132675/Why-healthy-foals--just-day-old--killed-Britain-crisis-hit-racing-industry-slaughtering-adult-thoroughbreds-thousands--end-dog-food-French-dinner-plates.html
As for this nonsense about horses enjoying racing because they continue after unseating their jockey, they are herd animals simply following the herd and are completely unaware of the dangers involved. it would be interesting to see how many horses would choose to race if they knew just how dangerous it was for them, a broken leg, for instance, routinely treated in humans, meaning almost certain death for a horse.