Watched the Grand National and cringed when the horses go over those high fences. Then reading today about the 2 horses that died. It’s the same every year and the same calls go out for it to be banned or format changed. Let’s be fair here and these horses are bred for steeplechase racing and probably would not exist otherwise. The Grand National is huge in Liverpool but as a social event if it was a flat race none of that would change one iota. It would still be a major event in the social calendar and one of the UK’s great sporting events or would it? Apparently horses are not evolved to jump and the landing puts great strain on the skeleton so some casualties are an inevitability. I do not have any strong views on this just interested to hear opinions. Unless you are a strict animal’s rights supporter it’s hard to say horse racing should be banned entirely but is it time the format of the Grand National was changed? I have heard reducing the number of horses or fence heights results in more speed and actually increase danger. So is it time for it to be a flat race only or would that diminish the spectacle and the element of danger that makes the event unique?

its long overdue. take away the fences, its that simple. fuucking barbaric.

as a matter of interest, when a horse breaks it leg, is it shot because it cant be fixed or because they wont bother footing the bill?

It can't be fixed I think. All animals like that are the same Deer have to be put down. I have watched many episodes of Rolf's animal hospital so I am an expert.

do you get a cert after a certain amount of episodes?

fair enough, but i still think its monsterous. i cant even look at the sport for fear of watching some poor horse meet its grassy end. plus it doesnt make financial sense to jeopardise animals who are worth so much.

A women who was horse savvy on the radio said they feed race horses with a special feed that speeds up their growth but the bones arent as strong as they would be if allowed to grow normally, also she said it depends where the break in the leg is but some could be fixed, however it cant be raced again so the choice is easy , no race, no money... no horse!

They have to be put down because it takes 12 to 16 weeks for the leg to heal and.......

a horse cannot stand on three legs, nor can it lie down for 12-16 weeks. I needs to be able to stand immediately after surgery. If it has to continue to lie down, it will become stressed and thrash around and maybe damage the leg more.



Broken legs can’t be easily fixed

October 25 2002
By Glenn Robertson-Smith

ok thanks armi.

I can't see why it can't be flat racing. Whats the deal with horse racing.

1 - You wear a new dress if a woman.
2 - If a bloke you drink
3 - you put bets on

Nowhere in 1 to 3 do you need a fence. Horses to race yes fence no. It seems a no brainer to me