In your opinion, dont presume to know what others feel.


There are many aspects of animal life I dont like, but to come out with such a statement is preposterous. and shows a bigoted mind.

Unless we agree with your view , we are not animal lovers... please get real!!

I agree wholeheartedly.

Couldn't have put it better myself! Absolutely agree, Pidge

I LOVE it always have always will, couldnt care less what people think they know, or what they actually do know, some Horses die, thats the game. Horses die all the time, like my friends who died the other day, went through the stable door, cut his neck and bled to death, (overnight) but hey he probably suffered a long and drawn out painful death, but he wasnt a race Horse so it must be ok, right?

Un-preventable death, tragic but a fact of life. Deaths in the GN are avoidable but people chose not to look at safety measures because it makes it less exciting of an event.

Thats rubbish! What a sweeping statement, safety is paramount, otherwise Horses would be killed in every single race, try looking at the fences and rails years ago!!

I watched the race, but didnt put any money on it (i always pick the first faller lol). I do feel that there are too many fatalities involved in racing (not just the national) but i believe that is down to the training practices rather than the fences/courses.

If you start a horse in training at 2 or younger, which is common practice, the bones and joints are not fully mature and they put the horses through very rigourous training. It stands to reason that horses which are continually pushed and pushed will sooner or later break down..

So i dont disagree with the sport of racing itself, just the unscrupulous trainers who push babies too far.

Incidentally, my own horse broke his leg in the field. The same field he had lived in for the previous ten years with no problems. We think he just had a mad five minutes and fell/twisted a back leg and broke his hock. The vet was all set to put him to sleep but i refused and within 3 months he was sound and being ridden. We also had a nasty fall at an eventing competition where he broke his stifle, pelvis and spine (hence our early retirement from competitive eventing - never again!!!) and our vets told us to get him off the showground right away as the course vets would just put him to sleep. He made a complete recovery after about a year, and an awful lot of money.

Sadly the vets at competitions will most often put down a horse that could make a good recovery. They'd have put my horse down without a second thought and he has not had a day lame in all the years since that accident. So sometimes the injuries may not warrant being shot..

That is just awful, that horses are being shot, when there is a chance of recovery!!! You would think the horses owners would not allow it to happen like that. That the horse only be shot if there is absolutely no hope for it.

Its a bit different trying to REST a RACE Horse thats trained to the minute, than a hack or pet Horse, totally different. Look at "Barbaro" the American Horse a couple years ago, they tried for almost a year to heal that Horse and they couldnt, just because he is a Horse!

Forgive my ignorance, as I own up to not knowing that much about horses. Only know that for most of my childhood, saw the Grand National and saw horses falling..............and so on. Was enough to put me of the GN for life. Couldn't watch it now.

What I was saying though, can a horse that has been hurt badly, not be kind of "retired", as in unable to run around by whatever means until mended and then be retired. Sorry if I'm talking poop. Am happy to listen and learn, tho