Should the Grand National go on?
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Should the Grand National go on?Another two horses have been put down at this year's Grand National as a result of fractured legs. Another horse I believe died earlier in the three-day race meeting. I'm not an expert on horse racing but I can't help think that the race as it is today is wrong and shouldn't be continued. Harsh as it sounds, the injury of a jockey, while sad, doesn't bother me half as much as the injury or death of a horse - the horse has very little choice in wheter it 'competes'. I think this was proven today by Synchronised, the favourite who was put down after falling at the 6th jump, who unseated his jockey before the race began, most likely because he simply didn't want to do it.
The manager of Aintree today said:
"Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National and we make every effort to ensure that everyone involved in the event is able to participate in safety."
Another official also spoke of the Grand National needing to maintain its unique identity (presumably by keeping the unnecessarily high jumps and dangerously tricky turns). What identity is this exactly? So-called 'entertainment' which sees animals being treated as money-making business tools, with the owners having little consideration for the animal's welfare, and which practically guarantees the death of at least one horse per year.
What do others think?Last edited by Rascacielos; 14-04-2012 at 19:09. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Not more animal welfare rubbish-you are not doing Unit 1 of Edexcel English Language-They are animals nothing more.(Original post by Rascacielos)
Another two horses have been put down at this year's Grand National as a result of fractured legs. Another horse I believe died earlier in the three-day race meeting. I'm not an expert on horse racing but I can't help think that the race as it is today is wrong and shouldn't be continued. Harsh as it sounds, the injury of a jockey, while sad, doesn't bother me half as much as the injury or death of a horse - the horse has very little choice in wheter it 'competes'. I think this was proven today by Synchronised, the favourite who was put down after falling at the 6th jump, who unseated his jockey before the race began, most likely because he simply didn't want to do it.
The manager of Aintree today said:
"Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National and we make every effort to ensure that everyone involved in the event is able to participate in safety."
Another official also spoke of the Grand National needing to maintain its unique identity (presumably by keeping the unnecessarily high jumps and dangerously tricky turns). What identity is this exactly? So-called 'entertainment' which sees animals being treated as money-making business tools, with the owners having little consideration for the animal's welfare, and which practically guarantees the death of at least one horse per year.
What do others think? -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?personally i greatly enjoy the grand national despite some horses unfortunatly being put down, its a great bit of British history and has been enjoyed the world over for over a hundred years and as such see no real reason why it should be canned, why should the occasional death of a horse mean the cancellation of the entire event? horses are injured and killed all the time be it just casually riding or walking down the road, should we ban those two activities?
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?I hate to point out the obvious, but you are also an animal.(Original post by Dalek1099)
Not more animal welfare rubbish-you are not doing Unit 1 of Edexcel English Language-They are animals nothing more. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?The horses who don't want to race, refuse to jump, the ones that do, jump the fences and race on. They love what they do. Ultimately, they wouldn't have even had lives if they weren't bread for racing. These horses probably lead better lives than you and I... they're pampered, fed, watered, and get to do what they love day in, day out, and that's race!(Original post by Rascacielos)
the horse has very little choice in whether it 'competes'. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?The occasional death?! Horses die more or less every year at the Grand National. A horse dying in a race should be an exception and not a generally accepted fact. The difference with a horse walking down teh road or having a heart attack is that most of the time it's an accident. Okay, technically it might be classed as an accident at the GN but given the amount of horses that die, it's almost a case of the organisers, owners and whoever else is responsible, just letting it happen.(Original post by calumsteele1)
personally i greatly enjoy the grand national despite some horses unfortunatly being put down, its a great bit of British history and has been enjoyed the world over for over a hundred years and as such see no real reason why it should be canned, why should the occasional death of a horse mean the cancellation of the entire event? horses are injured and killed all the time be it just casually riding or walking down the road, should we ban those two activities? -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Except today one of the horses that died threw its rider off before starting. This isn't unusual and is pretty indicative to me of a horse not wanting to race.(Original post by littlehobbit)
The horses who don't want to race, refuse to jump, the ones that do, jump the fences and race on. They love what they do. Ultimately, they wouldn't have even had lives if they weren't bread for racing. These horses probably lead better lives than you and I... they're pampered, fed, watered, and get to do what they love day in, day out, and that's race!
And I wonder what happens to the horses that do refuse? I doubt it's a carrot and a kind word of "don't worry, another day maybe." -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?I'm not saying that... although it wouldn't bother me.(Original post by Stringer987)
What a Animal welfare loving pansy! Why dont we go the full distance and ban any sport involving an animal! -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?I own a horse and love horses. I'm not against hurdles and don't object to the fact that sometimes a horse has to be put down.
That said... I think the fact that they've just killed this year's Gold Cup winner, a wonderful horse with huge potential and great fame - strongly suggests that the Grand National has a corrupting influence, causing owners, trainers and vets to lose judgement and to not be as caring of their horses as they should be. There's a world of difference between standard jump racing and the madness of the National. To have the favorite and a Gold Cup winner put down and for the poor animal to have obviously been in a bit of a state pre-race and yet still pushed in, frankly, smacks of cruelty.
I think the time has come to end this particular race, popular though it is. It's rather shameful to enjoy a spectacle that has such things happening reliably in it - a bit like going to the Colosseum in Ancient Rome for a good time. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?But if it still ran with the other horses then it had a choice. They enjoy racing. They wouldn't get this far if they didn't.(Original post by Rascacielos)
Except today one of the horses that died threw its rider off before starting. This isn't unusual and is pretty indicative to me of a horse not wanting to race.
And I wonder what happens to the horses that do refuse? I doubt it's a carrot and a kind word of "don't worry, another day maybe." -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Its a form of entertainment? Also for the effort the Horses go through during the national. They are very well treated before and after.(Original post by Rascacielos)
I'm not saying that... although it wouldn't bother me. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Yea I guess you're right, I hadn't thought of that. If they're not happy to race, the owners probably sell them on, I would like to think (maybe naively) that they're not mistreated!(Original post by Rascacielos)
And I wonder what happens to the horses that do refuse? I doubt it's a carrot and a kind word of "don't worry, another day maybe." -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Only if they win.(Original post by Stringer987)
Its a form of entertainment? Also for the effort the Horses go through during the national. They are very well treated before and after. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?the horses die because they trip though theres no evil force striking them down and giggling about it and tbh tripping is an accident, its unfortunate the consequnces of it but none the less two horses give or take a couple a year is not that great a number is it? compared to things like game hunting [comparable because its a sport and a form of entertainment] its negligable plus the animals are treated impeccably arent they? despite the occasional death it cant be said the animals dont enjoy a good life otherwise? without horse racing the need for these horses to exist is gone isnt it?(Original post by Rascacielos)
The occasional death?! Horses die more or less every year at the Grand National. A horse dying in a race should be an exception and not a generally accepted fact. The difference with a horse walking down teh road or having a heart attack is that most of the time it's an accident. Okay, technically it might be classed as an accident at the GN but given the amount of horses that die, it's almost a case of the organisers, owners and whoever else is responsible, just letting it happen. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?Most if not all of the horses that ran today probably spend their time being pampered more than I do, when they're not training. Horses die in the wild. What happens to a horse that, say, breaks its leg in the wild? It suffers.
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?This sums up my view entirely. I understand that horses are occasionally going to die during a horse race but when it gets to the point where you look in the news to see which horses died today, it's gone too far. I enjoy horse racing and have little against it in general because I believe horses enjoy it most of the time, but I think the GN as it is today has to stop.(Original post by zara55)
I own a horse and love horses. I'm not against hurdles and don't object to the fact that sometimes a horse has to be put down.
That said... I think the fact that they've just killed this year's Gold Cup winner, a wonderful horse with huge potential and great fame - strongly suggests that the Grand National has a corrupting influence, causing owners, trainers and vets to lose judgement and to not be as caring of their horses as they should be. There's a world of difference between standard jump racing and the madness of the National. To have the favorite and a Gold Cup winner put down and for the poor animal to have obviously been in a bit of a state pre-race and yet still pushed in, frankly, smacks of cruelty.
I think the time has come to end this particular race, popular though it is. It's rather shameful to enjoy a spectacle that has such things happening reliably in it - a bit like going to the Colosseum in Ancient Rome for a good time. -
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Re: Should the Grand National go on?So only the one horse will be treated tonight and the 30 odd others will be banished to the stables to reflect on a bad day?(Original post by Rascacielos)
Only if they win.
