Cheltenham races

[stewart38]

I see now 7 horses have died at the above event

I know people die in running events etc and these things happen

Im not for banding horse racing that would be silly but it does seem odd 3 horses can die in one race

It says 375 horses are raced to death in a given year ?

what else could be done ?

[Barry Shnikov]

I see now 7 horses have died at the above event

I know people die in running events etc and these things happen

Im not for banding horse racing that would be silly but it does seem odd 3 horses can die in one race

It says 375 horses are raced to death in a given year ?

what else could be done ?

What's the death rate amongst horses which don't race? For example, if that's out of a million horses, 375 deaths is paltry: 0.0375%. Even if it's out of 10,000 horses, it's only 3.75%.

[under par]

What's the death rate amongst horses which don't race? For example, if that's out of a million horses, 375 deaths is paltry: 0.0375%. Even if it's out of 10,000 horses, it's only 3.75%.

Whatever the percentages it should lead to cheaper pet food! (sorry horse lovers!!!)

[stewart38]

What's the death rate amongst horses which don't race? For example, if that's out of a million horses, 375 deaths is paltry: 0.0375%. Even if it's out of 10,000 horses, it's only 3.75%.

Yes even the background to it doesnt give any percentages altough I guess you could make a educated guess -

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Race horse deaths in British racing
The horse racing industry has always concealed from the public, and even from racing correspondents, the number of horses raced to death every year. Information on mortality is becoming more, rather than less, difficult to obtain.
Animal Aid has conducted a study of available evidence - including 15,000 pages of race results - to produce the most comprehensive survey of Thoroughbred racing fatalities ever to have been made public.
Previous estimates - even by animal protection groups such as Animal Aid - have suggested a maximum figure of 300 annual equine deaths. Our new investigation shows that around 375 horses who are entered into races each season die from their injuries; or they are killed because they are considered of no further commercial value, even though they are young enough to continue racing. However, this total is almost certainly short of the true figure. This is because our data is drawn from the Official Form Book, which does not list all deaths.
Reasons for horses being destroyed include broken legs, back, neck and pelvis; fatal spinal injuries, exhaustion, heart attack, and burst blood vessels in the lungs.

To the 375 racing casualties must be added the far larger, but unrecorded, number of 'inferior specimens' who are disposed of annually before they ever get to race - and the animals who are killed at the end of their racing careers, instead of receiving a properly-funded retirement. These victims probably total several thousand annually.
This report concentrates on the racing casualties. About 30% of the 375 annual victims die on the racecourse itself. This is an extraordinarily high figure given that the 59 British courses each stage, on average, a mere 12 racing days every year.
While some 30% of annual fatalities occur during, or immediately after a race, the remainder are killed because of injuries received in training, or after being assessed by their owners as no-hopers.
The four most hazardous of all the country's courses are run by racing's own governing body, the Jockey Club. These are Cheltenham, Aintree, Warwick and Carlisle. From just 54 days racing at Cheltenham, there were no fewer than 21 on-course deaths.
Every year, many more Thoroughbred foals are produced than the racing calendar can accommodate. But such is the number of animals rated in the bottom third of the ability range that their owners often enter them into poorly-organised, under-funded events, where the going might be dangerously firm. This is in a desperate attempt to recoup their costs. Equine deaths come frequently on such occasions.

It is not unusual for two horses to die in a single race. Three fatalities at a single meeting is also common. 16 horses died on-course during just 16 days (from March 9 to March 24, 2004) - yet no formal action was taken. Nor was there any official response to10 on-course dead in just 8 days - from March 30 to April 6, 2002.
The majority of fatalities occur in jump racing. Horses used to be selectively bred for this sector. They were heavier-boned and more robust than the faster animals racing on the flat. Because of the increasing emphasis on speed in all racing sectors, horses entered into jump races are now more often 'cast-offs' from the flat. Deaths, as a consequence, are more common.
Downhill fences are especially dangerous because of the difficulty in resisting the immense gravitational pressures.
Another acute hazard are fences positioned too close to the start.
Subjecting novice horses to the same testing jumping conditions as experienced animals, will inevitably result in high rates of injury and death.
Aintree's Grand National course remains uniquely challenging and horses continue routinely to die on it.


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[ducasi]

It's difficult to moralise from outside the sport about what they should be doing inside it... For all I know there could be many systems in place to protect horses and avoid their deaths.

But I don't believe that animals should be used by humans for sport.

[under par]

It's difficult to moralise ......<<snip>>

But I don't believe that animals should be used by humans for sport.

Surely you are moralising.

Animals have been domesticated for the use of humans,.............. they always have been and probaably always will be................... sometimes they die.............. sometimes they get hurt............ they always end up getting eaten somewhere along the line..... life and death goes on.... moralising won't stop it

[JonD]

But I don't believe that animals should be used by humans for sport.

If they weren't used for sport there would be far fewer horses in the UK. Most are used for some kind of sport. These include things like dressage and showing where there is a very low risk of injury to the horse, and all sorts of other things from Pony Club obstacle courses to 3 day eventing. If you define hacking out as a sport rather than as a passtime then the vast majority of horses in the UK are used by humans for sport.

Quite a lot of dogs are used for sport as well - obedience tests, sheep trials, showing. (Sadly, I can't think of a single sport that involves domestic cats but I'm sure someone will suggest a couple.

While I respect your right to your belief, I can't share or even understand it.

[ToeTrampler]

(Sadly, I can't think of a single sport that involves domestic cats but I'm sure someone will suggest a couple.)

Yeah, can't we get the greyhounds to chase after them instead of the poor wittle bunny wabbit.