Okay, so this is straight-up a controversial piece. But it’s
one I feel very strongly about. Millions of self-confessed horse lovers eagerly
await the racing season every year. They collect in their hundreds- or thousands
even- and head off to big races such as the Grand National, betting slips in
hand and dressed all in their finery. It’s nothing more than a fun day out.
But is it? Does anyone consider whether it’s fun for the
horses who actually run the races? The views on this are very much split. I
fall under the ‘against racing’ category, having looked into horse psychology
and the ‘shady’ parts of the industry for several years now, there are some
truly horrific aspects to horse racing that should rightfully put any fanatic
off racing for good.
racehorsedeathwatch.com is a site run by the charity Animal Aid that follows the number of fatalities to racehorses as a result of injury, exhaustion/collapse, being 'destroyed' etc.
Since the 13th of March 2007, 983 deaths have been
recorded by the site in Britain alone. Most recently was Heavenly Prospect, who
was euthanized on Friday the 14th of this month at Chepstow Flat due
to breaking his near-hind leg.
Horrific injuries such as this are all too common in the
races. Sometimes, the damage is very much irreversible, but other times, it is
simply easier for those in authority to put the animal down. After all, ‘time
is money’, and the industry just doesn’t have the patience to nurse an
out-of-work racehorse back to good health. And so a quick trip round a
slaughterhouse will show you how these horses end up in the meat aisle instead…So, the question is, do these horses really love to run so
much that they will tire themselves out to the point of collapse, or a heart
attack?
The answer, quite simply, is no.
Horses do not thrive off the competitive spirit that
race-goers love to talk about. They don’t live for the thrill of trying to beat
the other horses galloping alongside them.
“But why do the horses keep running even without a jockey,
then?!” Is one of the most common arguments that people offer.
This relates to a primitive, built-in instinct that horses
developed for survival, long before they were first domesticated 4000 years
ago. The reason these creatures are able to run so fast is because they are
built to escape from predators. They are dominated by the ‘fight or flight’
mechanism, and unless they absolutely have no other option than to fight, they
will always opt to flee from danger.
This also explains why horses are so flighty, and get
spooked by seemingly totally non-frightening objects. They run first and think
later.
These horses keep on running because they believe that if
they stop, they will die. That is why they appear to try to get past each
other. In the wild, the one that is left at the back of the herd is the one
that gets hunted and killed by the predator. So, this is another reason why the
horses run- herd instinct.
By observing paddock behaviours of all horses- not just
Thoroughbred racers- you can clearly observe that when one gets spooked and
runs, the others baulk too and mimic it, even before they know what the danger
is. And the same applies in a race. A horse isn’t going to want to be left
behind to wait and see what the threat is, but instead will avoid it by ‘following
the leader’.
DON’T SUPPORT MURDER
Add to this psychological influence the combined effects of
a racehorse’s training and diet, and you have a ready-built running ‘machine’,
and so the animals are treated like machines too.
Racehorses are fed a low-forage, high cereal diet. This has
detrimental effects, as it is a very unnatural diet for a horse. In the wild,
forage makes up 100% of a horses food. However, as cereals give a quick burst
of high-energy due to their high starch content, they form a huge part of a
racehorses diet. Without being too scientific, this causes their stomach to
become overly-acidic, killing healthy bacteria in the gut, and so causing fibre
digestibility to be reduced.
‘Vices’ (unwanted behaviours) can develop as a consequence
of lack of fibre. This again relates to instinct, as horses are developed to
eat continuously. When eating cereals, they are fed in relatively large meal
sizes and consume it quickly. This means that the need to chew is not
satisfied, and so horses are left distressed and may, for example, crib bite
and/ or windsuck.
The increased acidity also means that painful gastric ulcers
are very common ailments in racehorses.
Overall, these horses aren’t exactly the picture of health.
You can see this just by watching their behaviour even when away from the
races- they’re highly-strung, nervous and volatile. Not an ideal state of mind
to say the least.
They are also ‘started’ at a very young age, beginning
rigorous training whilst their bones and muscles are still developing. This
interrupts their natural growth, which can have long-term consequences.
Finally, as we all know, racing is all about the money.
Everyone wants a piece of the action, and so the breeding of race horses is
becoming increasingly common. More and more youngsters are introduced to
racing, but don’t make the cut. So what happens to these unwanted colts and
fillies? It’s a sad truth, but something has to keep the abattoirs going. If I’m
still not making my point clear enough, think Tesco’s ‘beef’ burgers. However,
it’s not just the young horses that end up hung up by the meat hook. The ‘over-the-hill’
retired racehorses face exactly the same fate. Basically, as soon as an animal
is no longer an economic asset, this corrupted industry simply gets rid of
them.
Others are just more ignorant. I’m not trying to point the
finger here; it’s a very common belief that horses adore racing and live for
the adrenaline rush just as much as the gamblers who crowd on the sidelines.
These people need to find out the truth.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
However, I truly believe that no real horse lover could actually advocate and
enjoy horse racing after learning these facts.
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It doesn’t always have to end in a violent protest.
Firstly, I would encourage readers to take a look at Animal
Aid’s campaign. They provide an information pack including posters, leaflets
and a petition to ban The Grand National. By obtaining this and spreading the
word to those around you, you will help to raise awareness and force the darker
side of the industry out into the spotlight.
An even easier way to show that you don’t support the
industry is simply to not tune into
the races on TV. Even if you normally just put it on in the background as you
are doing something else, the television companies count each and every tune-in
as an indicator of their financial gain. In other words, you are helping to
boost the popularity of the races. And so they will keep on broadcasting, and
so the races will keep on running, and so more horses will die.
I therefore implore you; “When the races are on, just turn
off.”
If you’ve made it this far, thank you very much for taking
the time to read all of this. The sad truth is that, even in this really long
rambling, I have still only skimmed over the grim realities of the industry. I
didn’t even get started on the whips or the drugs…
Still, I
really hope this has helped to educate more people about horse racing. Thanks
to Animal Aid and The Royal School of Veterinary Studies for inspiring some of
the information in this article.
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