The following report was originally posted in April 2012. Two years later little has changed to stop the deaths. The death toll as per Race horse Deathwatch now stands at 1091 Deaths in 2584 Days. A staggering increase which equates to ten horses a month since 2012. The race horse deathwatch website details the name of each horse that has died its injuries. The number destroyed, as worthless after making their owners money, is sickening. 41 have died since the start of 2014. Animal Aid staged a protest this year at the three-day Grand National annual event. The protests have become an annual event and are also held outside the Grand National's broadcasting studios, at Channel 4. Fiona Pereira of Animal Aid, said: “We have come along today to show our opposition to the grand national but also to try and tell people that there is an alternative to betting to the Grand National, people can use their money instead to help to fund horse sanctuaries which rescue horses amongst other equines as well. “Horses are the only animals for whom it is supposed to be permissible to beat them in public for nothing more than entertainment." Background and earlier report In March 2012 T.E.K. reported that horse deaths had sadly occurred during The Cheltenham Festival in the U.K. It was March 14 and the official death watch figures showed that, there had been 804 horse deaths in 1830 days. Just 30 days later that death toll has risen to 816. That means that 14 race horses have tragically lost their lives during that brief time. The race horse death watch was created by animal aid. The website explains, "Race Horse Death Watch was launched during the 2007 Cheltenham Festival. Its purpose is to expose and record every on-course Thoroughbred fatality in Britain. The horse racing authorities have resolutely failed to put horse death information into the public domain, preferring to dismiss equine fatalities as ‘accidental’ and ‘unexplained’. Even when several horses die at a single meeting, the term ‘statistical blip’ is often deployed. Animal Aid has produced a series of revealing reports over the last seven years exposing the welfare problems associated with Thoroughbred breeding, racing, training and disposal of commercially ‘unproductive’ horses. Our research indicates that around 420 horses are raced to death every year. About 38 per cent die on racecourses, while the others are destroyed as a result of training injuries, or are killed because they are no longer commercially viable". What a terrible state of affairs. These magnificent animals are used for mankind's own purpose with often careless disregard. All for the sake of making money, when all is said and done. If UK horse racing is to continue surely it must improve its animal welfare a great deal. You do have to wonder if this is not another so called "sport" that has had its day. Today April 14, 2012 the annual steeplechase the Grand National has been run. Of 40 horses and riders only 15 horses completed the race. To date two horses have been reported dead. Two too many. Time for a re-think, for sure. And if you enjoy a flutter on the horses, especially the National, you are a party to the killing.
4 Comments
Hanna
4/14/2012 04:05:36 pm
I've never knew that number of death but somehow I never liked it Firstly the little they show how they get trained is barbaric. Secondly, look at their nostrils which can't be normal. So what are they doing to these poor horses to get them so big?
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ethel
4/14/2012 09:07:41 pm
It is shocking Hanna. Unless they can greatly improve welfare how can such races be justified?
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Franny
5/6/2012 12:14:39 am
All horse, pony, donkey and mule nostrils are naturally big, in order to get enough air into their huge lungs, because they don't breathe through their mouths like we do. After exercise their nostrils remain flared because they are puffing (as we do through our mouths). However, I, like you Hanna, think there are far too many unnecessary deaths in horseracing.
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B. McPherson
4/8/2014 02:04:23 am
Steeplechasing is a barbaric practice whose time has passed. It is simply wrong to treat animals this way. I just asked my horse and he agreed with me.
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