This week has seen 5 horses killed at one race course, Cheltenham. Of course the media portray the event as a fun affair, when in actual fact it is a cold blooded money making machine. Millions of pounds of cash passes through hands in bets, prize money, sponsorship and of course breeding and training fees for the winning stables. The horses are not treated as animals but as cash producers and if they don't produce the cash they are disposed of rapidly. The poor beasts are worked literally to death and the number that die in training is always swept under the carpet and referred to as an unfortunate accident. It isn't, it is the direct result of pushing the beast to their limit, in the hope of that cash flow coming to that particular stable. Deaths of race horses is far from the odd unfortunate accident it is part and parcel of a very cruel and brutal cash making industry. The number that die or are "put-down" during a race is a crime, these deaths are for no other reason other than to make some very rich people richer, the horse is just a disposable tool.
In a society where money governs everything you do, and controls your quality of life, everything is expendable, life and death are just events that alter the accountants balance sheet. In this society horse racing is not a sport, it is a lucrative industry controlled by big money, to make bigger money and so what if some horses die cruelly and painfully, to the bosses, it is no more than an inconvenience, there is always another poor beast ready to be thrown onto the conveyor belt.
This is just March and the number of race horses killed on the race course this year alone is horrifying. The list below is from HorseDeath Watch.
Abergavenny 2012-03-14 Cheltenham
Featherbed Lane (IRE) 2012-03-14 Cheltenham
Palawi (IRE) 2012-03-14 Southwell AW
Scotsirish (IRE) 2012-03-13 Cheltenham
Garde Champetre (FR) 2012-03-13 Cheltenham
Educated Evans (IRE) 2012-03-13 Cheltenham
Harry Handsome 2012-03-13 Sedgefield
Mottley Crewe 2012-03-08 Southwell AW
Drybrook Bedouin 2012-03-06 Exeter
Will Scarlet (IRE) 2012-03-06 Exeter
Rougham 2012-03-05 Hereford
Deferto Delphi 2012-03-02 Wolverhampton
Moving Wings (IRE) 2012-03-01 Taunton
Bygones In Brid (IRE) 2012-03-01 Taunton
Marigolds Way 2012-03-01 Taunton
Pendoun 2012-02-29 Bangor-On-Dee
King Of Keys (IRE) 2012-02-29 Bangor-On-Dee
Blue Ronnie (IRE) 2012-02-22 Ludlow
Danehill Willy (IRE) 2012-02-22 Ludlow
Hopeful Start (IRE) 2012-02-21 Wetherby
Simonsberg (IRE) 2012-02-16 Musselburgh NH
Tourist 2012-02-15 Lingfield AW
Uncle Bryn 2012-02-11 Musselburgh NH
Haafhd Handsome 2012-02-11 Kempton AW
Mr Chow (IRE) 2012-01-28 Cheltenham
Montegonian (USA) 2012-01-14 Kempton Park NH
Salberto (FR) 2012-01-06 Bangor-On-Dee
Hi. I just discovered your blog and like what I've read so far.
ReplyDeleteThis particular issue is one I was discussing last week with my partner after the recent horse deaths were in the news. But I never realised so many horses were dying! Thanks for highlighting this issue. It's disgusting that this is allowed to continue.
It is the type of society that we have created, death is masked if there is the possibility that it will interfere with making money. There is nothing admirable in pushing animals to their limit to create wealth for a handful of people and this is made even worse by dressing it up as fun and pleasure for masses of people.
ReplyDeleteI agree. And for a society that considers itself to be 'animal friendly' and so against the likes of dog fighting and fox hunting (generally) it seems very hypocritical that riding dozens of horses to their deaths in the name of entertainment is acceptable. I'll be sharing your post later this week amongst my readers to try to highlight the issue - not that it'll make any difference to most people. I find that apathy is endemic amongst most people I come into contact with. It's much easier to close their eyes and pretend they haven't seen, rather than be outraged and try to make a difference.
DeleteAs a rule I believe that most people are animal friendly, but when big money conceals the evidence and the media play along with the illusion, then the public don't have the full picture. Explain the facts and I'm sure the public will respond. There is millions of pounds involved in horse racing and it circulates around a small cabal, the general public fund it and for their money they get the chance to watch a spectacle that has been dressed up as fun, with the odd chance that they might make a bob or two.
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