It's that time again...
I will be watching, heart in mouth ...
Who will win? Who cares. If they all get round safely, I will be happy.
I look forward to the day when the race is banned. Too many horses have died.
It's that time of year again. I think we discuss the Grand National every year and I am with you. I worry about the loss of life. Any event that regularly has deaths as part of its routine running, that event needs to be reviewed and some changes made.
Is it the route they follow or is it the drive to win that causes problems?
Catherine, the danger is mostly that the horses have to jump hedges and in past years it was commonplace for several to have to be euthanised because of injuries resulting from falls. Sometimes, the falls were not fatal, but the owners just didn't want to pay expensive vet bills for treatment, knowing that the horse could not race any more and would therefore be (in their view) a financial liability.
The course was revised a year or so ago and this has resulted in fewer horses being euthanised, but I still don't like the Grand National.
(04-06-2014, 03:11 AM)LPC Wrote: [ -> ]Catherine, the danger is mostly that the horses have to jump hedges and in past years it was commonplace for several to have to be euthanised because of injuries resulting from falls. Sometimes, the falls were not fatal, but the owners just didn't want to pay expensive vet bills for treatment, knowing that the horse could not race any more and would therefore be (in their view) a financial liability.
The course was revised a year or so ago and this has resulted in fewer horses being euthanised, but I still don't like the Grand National.
No I don't like it either. I had forgotten it was Grand National as I don't have a TV.
To my view, it is just an example of the human tendency to use animals without true concern for them, in order to make money, or for a commercial venture. Animal Rights pressure has forced the organisers to consider the safety of the horses more than they used to. But without that pressure, I truly doubt there would have been much change, sadly.
"Oh we have to do it. It's a Tradition." We hear again and again, when animals get the dirty end of the stick, and are subjected to humans' will. Usually, we find, this has to do with either money, or inability/refusal to empathise, and a shutting down of feelings. Or often, both. In my opinion, owners/trainers/organisers shedding tears over broken horses is not good enough
Quite a lot of fallers (22) though - thank God - no horses died in the race this year...
I am glad no horses died, but that is way too many fallers.
I suppose part of the thrill is the fact that death could happen. And of course it is "traditional" to have the race. I think we need to outgrow some traditions that come from a less caring age. Bull fights and shark finning (for shark fin soup) are old traditions, but that doesn't mean it is okay to keep doing it. Slavery and child labour are old "traditions" as well.
We live in the twenty first century. It is time we had some twenty first century traditions!
Thank goodness there were no deaths. I've never really understood why it has to be so dangerous.
I am sure they could run the same race, but just a little safer. It is not worth dying over, not for a rider and certainly not for a horse.
The reason why so many horses have died over the years is twofold - the size of the fences (quite a few been lowered now) and the size of the field (which they have reduced in recent times). If you ride wide you have further to go and are considerably disadvantaged, so jockeys ride close to the rails, which creates a bottleneck when they arrive at a fence, and especially when some fences have been built up - so the landing level is lower than the take off level on the other side, horses can break legs and sometimes necks if they fall.
It sounds like they planned to make it dangerous. Who thought this race up anyhow? They know when they set it up that there will be injury and even loss of life. How is this entertaining?