should the grand national be banned? POLL

What I don't understand is, why did the horses have to be put down? All they did was break a leg. If a footballer did the same then it might well mean the end of his career, but there's just as good a chance that he'll be back on the pitch after a few months for healing and extra training. Even if the horses injuries were severe enough that they'd never race again, why could they not have been used for breeding or sold for some other purpose? Retired greyhounds are commonly adopted as pets; why could something similar not happen for retired racehorses?

I don't know much about horses, but it seems to me that the main reason for deaths is because the owners don't want to have to pay for the upkeep while the animal recovers. If that's the case then it should be the owners being denounced by animal rights groups, not the sport.

What I don't understand is, why did the horses have to be put down? All they did was break a leg. If a footballer did the same then it might well mean the end of his career, but there's just as good a chance that he'll be back on the pitch after a few months for healing and extra training. Even if the horses injuries were severe enough that they'd never race again, why could they not have been used for breeding or sold for some other purpose? Retired greyhounds are commonly adopted as pets; why could something similar not happen for retired racehorses?

I don't know much about horses, but it seems to me that the main reason for deaths is because the owners don't want to have to pay for the upkeep while the animal recovers. If that's the case then it should be the owners being denounced by animal rights groups, not the sport.

Fabrice Muamba could've died earlier this year - but no one suggests banning football

Did any die this year? I only saw them falling over and then getting back up again. Didn't seem too bad. Although out of 40 only 15 seemed to have finished the race :/

I just read up a bit more and 2 horses got put down because they fractured a leg? They shouldn't have been put down because of that! That hardly seems like a 'fatal' injury, what the hell. I don't think they should be banning the race, but the owners should be a bit more responsible and instead of putting down the horses that are injured, just look after them. Seems really inhumane to put them down because they are unable to race again. Synchronised carried on running after falling so I don't believe he would have died had be not been 'put down'. They didn't just die in the race, they were killed. That's what I think anyway.

What I don't understand is, why did the horses have to be put down? All they did was break a leg. If a footballer did the same then it might well mean the end of his career, but there's just as good a chance that he'll be back on the pitch after a few months for healing and extra training. Even if the horses injuries were severe enough that they'd never race again, why could they not have been used for breeding or sold for some other purpose? Retired greyhounds are commonly adopted as pets; why could something similar not happen for retired racehorses?

I don't know much about horses, but it seems to me that the main reason for deaths is because the owners don't want to have to pay for the upkeep while the animal recovers. If that's the case then it should be the owners being denounced by animal rights groups, not the sport.

Biggest load of codswallop i've ever heard! The sport entertains, the horses enjoy it, yes there is risk and jockeys and horses may die but it is on the whole enjoyed by all. If the horses did not enjoy it, why do they get back up and get back involved? More ******** from those who have no respect for how other people live. If it is so upsetting, don't watch it! The Grand National is the most spectacular of it's kind in the world, keep your bull**** in Westminster!

I hate animals. Especially horses

Die, die, die horsies.

No banning the national would be stupid! If anyones complaining about the wlefare of the animals, why not start by complaining about Bullfighting or something, where the welfare of the animals is terrible. The horses that die are a minority, you can't just ban it. This is going down the same road as all the 'Health and Safety' B0LL0CKS.

errrr...

this may sound calous but you cant treat an animal the same as a human by the logic of what youre saying we can no longer eat meat as it involves 'murdering' an animal as they have no choice in the matter?

well if we think about this both these animals [this year at least] died because of humans killing them neither one died from the race as they were euphanised.

what changes are you proposing that wouldnt compromise the race?

hmmm that may be but again these are animals not people and as such they arent afforded the same rights.

What an utterly ****e argument.

First of all, bull-fighting doesn't happen in this country, so why would people here give a damn?

Secondly, telling people to go and complain about something else is awfully childish and a pathetic attempt to turn attention away from something which clearly needs better safety measures in place.

Thirdly, this "Healthy and Safety *******s" that you're having a go at, do you think it's put in place just to piss people off? I'd like to see you living in a world where health and safety measures don't exist and I guarantee you'll be pleading for people to introduce them after a few days.

I think they should keep it going as it is. They shouldn't 'improve' it because the reason the Grand National is good is because there are big jumps and loads of jockeys come off which is exciting. I don't think the horses suffer much, they are put down quickly after they get injured. Loads of animals get killed everyday for meat and most people aren't concerned about that, I don't see why horses dieing in the Grand National is any different.

i think what the poster was trying to convey is how H&S has gone so far in recent years that many formaly perfectly acceptable activities that are relatively low risk have still been dumped all over by the mothers brigade because of one or two incidents that have been made high profile but are in the severe minority

I believe there is a difference to killing out of necessity and risking their lives for nothing more than sport. We can't survive without food. We can survive without getting horses to race each other.

we cant survive without food, true. we can happily survive without meat though, its not a necessity, after all dont vegans and vegetarians get by perfectly well without it? but i beieve this does relate back to your last point about animals being awarded the same rights as humans as choice is a human right, no? but on that note many would argue that humans place on this earth be it through nature or just our evolution is to tame animals and that is has been done with horses whether you want to call it 'tamed' or 'enslaved' is another matter but the same conclusion.


(again I want to make it clear I don't think an outright ban is right, I think they deserve the chance to improve safety)



Directly due to the events that happened during the race itself.

yes but these events could occur at any event be it the GN, a standard horse race or just taking your pony for a walk


I'm no expert in horse biology or the exact course layout so I have no idea, I just know more can be done to improve safety. If some concessions need to be made in the courses layout then so be it. It's for the greater good.

but if we think about it theres not really much that can be changed? grass is about as soft as you can get without making the horses run on bubble wrap and if the jumps are made any smaller many would argue it would encourage the horses to hit them at higher speed thus increasing the liklihood of them tripping over.

This is another debate altogether and one which will never end!
true say there

This. You could argue we don't need to have the grand national but we dont need to eat meat either..

But in horse racing, it is not relatively low risk (15 of the 40 horses made it to the end without something going wrong) and horse deaths are commonplace so today's event are certainly not in the "severe minority".