Grand National - Sport or Death Race?

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Grand National - Sport or Death Race?

prospect · Advanced

It is very sad yes. However when do horses have a choice to participate? Horses die at Events, horses die at regular races, horses die in the dressage ring - I have seen a horse drop dead in the dressage ring.

They are bred for this - it is their job - some jobs have more risks than others. Just like cows are bred for meat and they don't have a choice.

What about all the medical intervention we do to keep olympic horses competing. We try to bubble wrap them so much. Horses die in the wild too.

Yes it is sad - some people have a problem with it - yes you have a right to not like it. Then don't watch or participate.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Hi Prospect,

They never have a choice to participate, which is why we who use them for our own enjoyment -or sport - must be vigilant about safeguarding their well-being.

In Victoria, Australia, jump racing was banned after 20 horses died in two years. I'm not going so far as to say it should be banned, but with horses likely to die on course, the sport needs a serious safety overhaul.

By the way, I'm totally with you on the bubble wrapping of competition horses. Different discussion, but the whole no-turn-out thing is really abusive.

Whew, I'm opinionated today!!

prospect · Advanced

This is kind of a discussion that has so many variables - I don't think you can really just single out steeplechasing. Horses died at the calgary stampede too. Horses die of neglect. There is usually a huge outcry when a horse dies on the event course too. Yeah its a pretty wild sport for sure, but I have also seen some crazy stuff on the hunt field too.

Nothing is 100% safe - that is not living - especially when it comes to horses.

Still it is sad that the horses had to be put down and condolences to the owners and rip to the horses. However, I feel that they do take a better route of euthanizing the horse quickly - as opposed to the induced torture that Barbaro went through.

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

I have to agree with Prospect, although I feel that the race could use a face lift, the Grand National is an extreme race, in all senses.

I feel sad for the horses that were lost or were injured in yesterdays race, condolances to owners, jockeys, family and friends.

Kathleen K · Well Schooled

Horses get injured. Horses die. Sometimes they break their leg in the pasture, sometimes they keel over at the calgary stampede, sometimes they have a bad fall at an event. But when the majority of horses are unable to finish (I heard only 19 out of 40 finished) one has to take a step back and say 'what can we do to make this safer for both horses and humans?'

The horses, as has been said, do not have a choice. Because they do not have a choice we must take the steps needed to keep them as safe as possible. I'm not saying the horses should be bubble wrapped but they shouldn't be put into overly dangerous situations either.

IMO, changes need to be made to this race to improve the safety.

prospect · Advanced

Kathleen K wrote:
Horses get injured. Horses die. Sometimes they break their leg in the pasture, sometimes they keel over at the calgary stampede, sometimes they have a bad fall at an event. But when the majority of horses are unable to finish (I heard only 19 out of 40 finished) one has to take a step back and say 'what can we do to make this safer for both horses and humans?'
I am not necessarily defending here - just clarifying that many riders fell of their horses and thus those horses did not finish the race. It is not that 21 horses were necessarily injured.

Kathleen K · Well Schooled

Thanks for saying that Prospect - I should have been clearer in my original post. Yes, not all 21 horses had to be pulled up due to injuries.

Still, it is an outrageous number. Could you image if 50% of dressage horses couldn't finish a test? Or 50% of show jumpers couldn't complete the course? I would guess that even in eventing, which is pretty extreme, more than 50% of participants are able to finish.