I saw that article earlier and that pic is the one I found the most shocking. Isnt that Dooneys Gate in the fall which killed him? What pic did you find the worst?

A service dog is a hell of a lot better use of an animal's life than a horse bred for entertainment and money. The two cannot be compared!

Guide dogs have a re-homing policy for all their dogs that don't make the grade, I forget the name of the initiative. They go to homes as companion, buddy dogs.

I don't watch it or bet on it. I love horses, but am not interested in horse racing.

I would be happy for changes to be made to the race to improve the safety of riders and horses and reduce risks. However, I do think that the huge pull of the GN for many is the risk factor.

Very true.

There is also the argument that if horse racing were abolished there would be no need for the athlete that is the racehorse. What would happen to all the living racehorses? Dog meat probably

wow dogsey never fails to surprise me in a not nice way

cant be bothered to go back and multiquote, I think most of what I am quoting is Dawn

First saying if you dont like it you dont have to watch
- If someone finds something cruel then just not watching IMO is the worst thing you can do, turn a blind eye - out of sight out of mind
If people strongly feel against something then good on them for trying to stand up to it

Interesting that not that many weeks ago you were totaly against the dog agility at crufts because a few dogs looked like they slipped - although there were no injuries and no deaths that I am aware of
However 2 deaths - and the winners jockey getting a ban for excessive use of the whip - and you can just shrug that off as an acceptable risk??

Accidents happen, I am sure that dogs have died at all sorts of dog shows, horses die when exercising
But
The vast NUMBERS of horses dying here is not acceptable, a death should be RARE, if it is regular then things are too dangerous
Would you go to work if 2 in every 40 people died every year or would you think that was a little too high?

and I think they should take the whips/crops off the riders

Back to my point, a Horse is not a house pet!

How does that de-value it's life?

Of course, but then they would be moaning about that!

Care for the animals you have charge of, whatever they may be, in whatever sphere. I get incredibly annoyed at these folk that cannot abide all this cruelty just for humans, but the cruelty is ignored when it may benefit them!

Its a Horse not a house pet. Whats all this "devaluing?" If a Horse is injured its treated, if its injury is too severe its PTS, oh hang on isnt that the same for dogs??