Horse Racing in Diary

I’ve been trying to bite my tongue but so many people are going on about it on Facebook and the rage is rising so I need to let rip somewhere.

In the UK there’s a famous horse race called the Grand National. I don’t know why it’s so famous, or why people who don’t normally gamble or have an interest in horse racing always put a bet on it. But they do. At my workplace, they have a sweepstake. Loads of people on my Facebook friends list has had a “bit of a flutter.”

But this is a very dangerous race for horses, second only to the Cheltenham Festival, and horses die during the meeting every single year. Not just through injuries sustained during the race, but some go on to have a heart attack after the racing has finished because of the strain put on their hearts.

Sure, they’re treated like kings while they’re being trained, sure the owners and trainers probably love them very much. But that doesn’t change the fact that the races are dangerous. Fences are made higher and higher, they have fences which are lower on the landing side, fences which are met at an angle, all of which are dangerous but it happens anyway because it makes for a more thrilling race.

One of my friends said on Facebook she was thrilled she picked the winning horse and hoped all the horses are ok. When I pointed out that four have died over the course of the weekend and use of the whip is a disgrace, she told me not to start arguments and deleted it. Why say something like that if you don’t want a truthful answer? If you bury your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening, then it’s ok that you’re advocating animal cruelty?

Her other comment was that no horses died in the race she bet on, so that was ok. Never mind that the races that the four horses died in were part of the same meeting so it’s all part of the same thing. Don’t pretend that you’re not contributing to the deaths of these animals or the cruelty of the unnecessary whip.

It astounds me that people claim to be against animal cruelty, and yet they bet on the Grand National. In my last workplace, everyone had a go, even the vegetarians who are always posting animal cruelty posts on Facebook. Some people are the first to go mad when a puppy is kicked, but are ok with horses being whipped and falling and breaking their necks. Oh wait, it’s “traditional”, that’s ok then. Keep on killing the animals, keep on whipping them, because it’s “traditional.” Gathering on the village green on a Saturday to watch people being hanged used to be traditional, but we don’t do that anymore. Why is that? Is it because it’s cruel and inhumane? Why does this rule not apply to horses?

I didn’t want to post this on Facebook because I know it would cause an argument, so thanks for letting me vent here. I never have, or ever will, bet on horse racing.

Last updated April 09, 2016