General Chat

im not sure why i bet on it, after disliking it so much, i think its because i always have, since being little i always remember being asked to choose a horse,

i wish they would lower them more Ann or take them out altogether, :-(

it wouldnt bother me if they stopped the national full stop,

How on earth can anyone disaprove of something to the point of being unable to watch it, and then bet on it thus helping to perpetuate the very thing you clearly dislike!! Doesn't make any sense!

No Stray.

Hypocrite no ! ........your as honest as they come.

A lot of us complain but still have a flutter... :-S

Stray, I believe they have actually lowered the fences but it doesn't seem to have helped.

im the same hayley, its the only time i gamble "except the lotto"

and i hate it, we had the race on yesterday and i watched it with my head turned from the tv, it turns my stomach, why they cant just lower the fences, its like a blood bath of horses falling, :-(

will i bet next year probably :-( i know im a hypocrite

The horse that broke a leg and was shot, the favourite, Cheltenham Gold cup winner was actually riderless when he fell, he'd unseated his rider at Beachers then fell after another jump when going on on his own.

The other horse actually broke his neck when he fell.
One of the jockeys broke his leg when he was unseated, good job they don't shoot jockeys when they break a leg.

The owner of ???? Pete who was shot said that in his opinion there were too many runners allowed.

For all the race meetings I have attended I have never seen a injured horse or jocky

PP I know I see top horses being trained not too far from me they are pretty well looked after and yes training is part of their everyday day life till a peak is got.......

horses will in a blind panic or when frightened try and get passed anything in their way,,,,,,,,,I wasnt implying that happened yesterday as I havnt seen it,,,,
they will stay in a paddock in a placid mood,,,,,,spook one and all hell can break loose.

some horse will refuse to jump due to fear,

Totally agree with Tecwyn and AnnCardiff, well said.

Horses are herd animals, for them it's safety in numbers so they will continue to run with the others rather than being left alone.

Unsatisfactory conditions for any animal is not right but you can't tackle all the world's problems at the same time. Atm the national is in the public eye so will get the attention.

When it comes down to it, in the horse racing industry money is the most important thing. As long as the horse is making money then s/he will be treated like a queen/king but how many continue to be treated like that once they've passed their 'sell by date'. What about those who don't quite make the grade? How many of them are given food/water/shelter? How many of them end up as dog meat?

Kay, I think that horses do not try to get over obstacles as you say, If that is true why do some horses refuse a jump? and why do they mostly stay within the confines of their paddock,

Race horses are looked after in the stables but they are put through their paces on a regular basis as part of their training so it is not true that its only when the horse hits the start line.

Roy

a horses instincts is to run a straight line,,,,,,anything in its way it will try to get over,,,,,,,,

if those horses yesterday hadnt been racing......I'll bet a grand they would still be alive today......

however the racing faternity band betters and losers enjoy it,,,,,,

Chris injury to horses within a stable yard isnt caused by putting in that position....a racing horse is well taken care of ,,,,,till it hits the start line.!

RR - I was speaking in general not specifically about the National. However, OH's complaint the previous night when looking at list of runners said. 'in his opinion there were too many runners'.

Trainers and jockey - well fond as they have to be of horses - they are still in it for the business whereas the average owner has a bond/love for his horse/s.
I know several times our friend has had a difference of opinion when trainer has wanted to run the horse and friend has thought no he would not risk the conditions.

There were a number of riderless horses that did not jump though Chris, I watched several going round yes horses in a 'herd' will jump , isn't that just herd instinct? they must still have that however thorough bred they are?

I wouldn't dispute that trainers and jockeys love their horses ( most of them) but that doesn't seem to make them sensible enough to say 'this is pushing too many horses, in too small a space, to jump too difficult a jump'...,

if it were the horses choice then let them do it without the jockeys and see just how many 'choose' to jump all the 30 fences and care which of them trots home first ? people could still put money on it.

Certainly we're all entitled to our opinion - lets just hope the commercial animals see it that way, one level of concern for them and quite another for the more upmarket, bit like human beings!!. I do, however, thoroughly agree that if people feel so strongly about racing they shouldn't continue to bet, as without betting it would be stopped in it's tracks. I too, strive to persuade meat eating friends and family only to buy 'home grown' /slaughtered meat and to avoid the supermarket meat particualrly pigs! As you say Rambling Rose this does at least ensure that the creature had a good life and didn't have to travel miles to it's death thus keeping stress and 'cruelty' to the minimum. I think we owe them that!

There are more horses suffer accidents in the stables/yard and training than at actual races. Not all horses who no longer race are put down.

Have a friend with two horses - and no he is not mega rich but he and several others OH knows, ensure that when the racing life of their horse is over, they go to good homes. In other words they go on loan to another person for point-to-point or they are retired and used for hacking. The owner with one or two horses cares for them and loves them as a family pet, gets upset if they go sick/hurt and if they lose them, are utterly devastated. If they are lucky - the winnings will cover the training costs.

If a horse belonging to friend is running - he bets the huge sum of £10. As for hamper and champagne, they usually buy a bagette and a cup of coffee.

Trouble with a horse is that here is a very heavy animal supported by four very thin and fragile legs. Break a leg and that is it. Putting him down quickly is the kindest thing to do.

Go to a racing stable yard and watch the horses, when they see they are going in a transport box, the ears are up and they get so excited. They are bred for this - watch a race, a riderless horse - what does he do? He runs and jumps the rest of the field - rarely will he take the 'slip road'.

Remember you can take a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. One day this week OH watching a race and at the fence horsey decided I do not want to jump and sent his jockey ahead! If they don't want to race, they don't.

I guess this won't be popular but am trying to put the other side that we know of. There are fatalities in every sport - whether or not they include animals.

In answer to Regina...No I don't eat meat. I cannot persuade others not to do so, but what I can do or try to do is to help in whatever small way possible, to ensure the animals have a good quality of life, are not mistreated or injured un-necessarily, and have as humane a death as possible.

In my view ANY step to reduce the probability of injury to a racehorse, or other animal 'used by man' is a (albeit tiny) step towards reducing cruelty to other animals, whether that cruelty is caused by negligence or ignorance or greed.

The thing that upset me most was that everyone waS cheering and laughing at the end without a thought for the poor horses. I am anti, the horses have no choice, others do.
If people feel that strongly, they would not continue to bet. There you go Hayley!!!
I think its a bit two faced thats all. :-) :-) :-)

Sue

Regina, If people still lived as they did 60 years ago and reared their own live stock then most of what you say would not exist,

And yes I do justify keeping animals for food

and yes i do think it 's wrong to bread animals for entertainment

If you think that represents double standards that's fine, You are entitled to your opinion

But i am also entitled to my opinion


Roy

Oh no! double standards here I think - so what you are saying is that any suffering of animals for commercial reasons is justified and unimportant in the name of feeding us all and of course making a profit for the 'industry', and that it is OK for some of them be kept in less than satisfactory conditions particularly pigs, to travel heaven knows how many miles in any weather,wait around and then be slaughered knowinf full well what lies in store for them, but then of course they are just a comodity, like a can of beans - but a racehorse's feelings and perseptions are somehow different - I don't think so - cruelty is cruelty whatever the reasons for it!