The controversy of horseracing: should animals be used for entertainment?
For some the glamour of the races may be enjoyable but I think I can say from experience that whilst the atmosphere is lively, the actual race can be quite eye-opening.
During my second year of university, I attended the Cheltenham Races during the October Showcase. On the day, people were milling about, drinks were constantly being refilled in people’s hands, there were rivers of tweed outfits and feather hats. As soon as the races began, betting stalls were being overrun by people brandishing their credit cards. And honestly, the atmosphere was addictive as the event started. I could see why people were consistent visitors of the races, and I may have joined them (if I had the funds) and if I hadn’t seen a horse crumple and trip over a hurdle, unable to get back up straight away with the weight of the jockey upon it’s back. It was at that moment that my ignorance faded away, along with the glamour of the event. Although, it felt as if people weren’t watching the same race as me, as the excitement continued to buzz, with people pushing past to rush to the finishing line looking at their betting tickets to see if their horse had won, whilst I was still rooted in the same spot looking at the horse as it slowly made its way back to its feet.
Despite the races bringing in a great revenue and tourism to racecourse areas, the actual event itself is a controversial issue. It’s not just the drunk people infiltrating the towns that is the issue. The split on the topic being as simple as marmite – you either support horseracing, or you don’t. Whilst a lot of the information online is contradictory, with PETA saying that ‘The Thoroughbred-racing industry sends an estimated 10,000 horses to slaughter annually’ and then The British Horseracing Authority stating that the number of horse deaths at racecourses has actually decreased. It is increasingly hard to decipher the truth about the annual events. As in any sport where there is always a risk of injury to yourself – the question animal charities like to ask is, should we be putting animals at risk for entertainment?
Some may argue that the sport isn’t cruel, as blood isn’t drawn by setting the animals against each other, like in previous sports that are now banned such as dog fighting, cockfighting and fox hunting. Similarly, greyhound racing is still a thing in the UK and also has equal debates for and against. According to the League Against Cruel Sports, ‘The State of Greyhound Racing in Great Britain: A Mandate for Change' shows that the life of a racing greyhound consists of abuse, neglect and early death.
However, as much as animal charities are against horseracing, it is still yet to be banned and there isn’t a lot of proof that suggests the life expectancy of a racehorse to be shorter than a domesticated horse. The British Horse Racing Authority actually insists that over the last 20 years, the number of horses that have died on the racecourse has decreased by a third and that the organisations involved are continuously working towards making racing safer for horses. The BHA insists that, since the year 2000, around £35m has been invested by the sport into veterinary science. Current investments are going into projects, including the investigation and review of fallen horses to determine whether there should be a ‘stand down’ period to race again after a fall.
And, since the 2022 report into the use of the whip during racing, new rules have been brought out to add protection to the horse and hopefully prevent less injuries being inflicted upon horses by their jockeys. The BHA says, ‘The current design of the whip was developed with input from the RSPCA. The whip is foam-padded and energy absorbing.’ This design is said to have the safety of the horse in mind and is only produced by one retailer, and it must be checked at every race that the rider has the correct whip. The website says that the main regulation of the report is that ‘the whip can be used a maximum of six times in a Flat race or seven times in a Jump race.’ Any more than this and stewards will review the ride. If used four times or more above the permitted level, the horse and rider will be disqualified from the race. Alongside this, the whip review committee also looks into the force of the whip that is used and whether the horse has been given enough time to respond before it is used again. Further precautions are being taken, so that any riders that are found to have avoided the guidance will face a period of suspension and after a third offence within six months can be referred to the Judicial Panel.
The life expectancy of a racehorse matches that of a domesticated horse, unlike what statistics say about greyhound racing. The lifespan lies between 25-30 years, with most racehorses only having a career of 2-3 years during which they are at peak performance rate. The Horse Trainer Directory also suggests that trainers have the ability to make more informed decisions about which of their horses to enter into races based on how computers are now used to track the performance of horses.
Yet, animal activists have concerns over what happens to the horses after they retire because if you ask me, organisations that reassure the public of ‘retired horses living a lifetime of grass’ sounds very similar to when your parents tell you that your pet has ‘gone to a special farm.’ It is a known fact that many horses lose their value as soon as they get injured and can’t bring in money off of winning races and bets. PETA has also reported that with too many thoroughbreds bred per year and only a small percentage qualifying to race, many are sent to slaughter.
With horses weighing at least 1,000 pounds and running around dirt tracks at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their backs, it’s no wonder people are questioning animal cruelty during such races. A New York Daily News reporter said, “The thoroughbred racehorse is a genetic mistake. It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks.”
Like many, I have tried to research into such events to form an opinion that I confidently stand by, but with both horseracing agencies and charities against animal cruelty telling the public they have used science to come to their conclusions, it’s hard to know who to believe. One telling you that races are becoming more regulated to prevent injuries and fatalities, and then the other telling you that such horses are being slaughtered. Which is why the decision is down to you and the research you make around the subject. The tradition itself only becomes outdated when people begin to refuse to attend. With more than five million people visiting racecourses for the events every year, it definitely doesn’t seem like the tradition will be dying out just yet.
 | A guest post by
|