Is time to put a stop to the Grand National?

1. 82

   CMHypnoposted 12 years ago

   Two horses, including the favourite, had to be put down after the Grand National on Saturday.  Several more horses and jockeys were injured.  I know there is a lot of tradition around this race, but is it time to put a stop to it?
   
   
   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article … perts.html

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   1. 80

      Barbsbitsnpiecesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The Grand National should continue, and it will. It's not about the tradition of the race. It's about man and sport.
      
      These dangers in horse racing have always existed. It's just now modern organizations track and promote safety and welfare in horse racing and other sports in a much more visible way. Boxing is dangerous. Riding a bicycle in traffic with vehicles is dangerous. Hockey is dangerous. Greyhound racing leaves much to be desired. But man races and plays, and races and plays his animals. And he will continue to do so.
      
      The claim "My horse is faster than yours" is how horse racing came about. It's not going to go away.
      
      The promoters and participants in any sport, or play need to provide the safest environment possible for man and beast, even in a world that grows more dangerous every day. Worthy sportsman (and -women) will follow through on these questions.

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2. 73

   WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

   Horse racing involves a lot of psychological and physical cruelty to the horses. I think it should be banned totally, as it serves no useful function whatsoever. If people want to bet on races, they have plenty of chances to do so on events involving humans not horses.
   
   Animal Aid targets horse racing in one of its campaigns.
   http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/horse/

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   1. 76

      clairemyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I do not see the poin in horse racing,and I have worked with horses in other spheres for 40 yrs. I think the use of such young animals is wrong, and the way the are discarded when they are of no more use is a disgrace.
      as for the grand National, well it is tradition but not a good one, mainly because there are too many badly trained horses that are allowd to enter. In fact too many horses fullstop.

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   2. 60

      Jesus was a hippyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yet most race horses lead a better life than most wild animals. I guess we could just make it illegal to ride horses completely thus making them useless to us and we could leave them all out in the wild to die of starvation or disease or being eaten by a predator.

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3. 82

   CMHypnoposted 12 years ago

   Trouble with a total ban is that racing in this country employs a lot of people and there is a lot of money in it.  Start small with one race and gradually bring in more legislation?  Personally, I would ban boxing, but that's never going to happen.

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      Jesus was a hippyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Boxing? 2 consenting adults should be able to do whatever they choose. Talk about imposing your views on others.

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      1. 82

         CMHypnoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I'm not imposing my views on others, I said that I would ban boxing if it was my personal choice, which I am fully aware that it is not. That it what democracy is - I can have opinions on lots of things, but what happens is the consensus of the majority.  The fact that you regard boxing as acceptable is your opinion, and one that you seem pretty keen to impose on me?

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4. 93

   habeeposted 12 years ago

   The GN is much more punishing that regular horse races. 4 miles and 30 jumps is asking too much of any horse, IMO. My biggest issue with regular horse racing is how horses are treated once they are retired.

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   1. 82

      CMHypnoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We also have a similar problem with racing greyhounds over here Habee.  Once their career is over they far too often get put down or mistreated.

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5. 76

   clairemyposted 12 years ago

   in respect of the length and number of fences there is as much asked of 3 day event horses probably more as they have to complete roads and tracks and steeplechase course all in one day. I still think the number of horses running together causes a lot of the accidents and yes racehorses when of no use get a very raw deal.

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   1. 82

      CMHypnoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Only 15 actually completed the race on Saturday, and the loose horses that keep running after they have ditched their riders cause chaos and bring other horses down.

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6. 76

   clairemyposted 12 years ago

   My point exactly, how many times have I watched that happen , its always horrific to see the horses go down, but to be bought down by a horse refusing in front of it or crossing its path at a fence...........chaos and tragedy.

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