"Come On and Place Your Bets"
Song about Horse Racing, Betting and Dangers Involved to Horses.
We wish people realised the cruelty of jumps racing and the built-in cruelty of the flat racing industry, but the majority of people just see entertainment.
Why is the cruelty so hard to to recognise?
The whips are an obvious clue; what about the solitary confinement in a cage for 23 hours every day? What about the restricted feeding that causes ulcers to develop in the vast majority of racehorses? What about the severe tact used to 'control' a horse - tying down its tongue, super tight girths to prevent the saddle from slipping, excessive strain caused on young, immature bones and tendons, being forced to gallop with metal shoes causing impact shock to the entire body and exhaustion? What about the drugging used on a daily basis to mask injuries and muscular pain? What about the mental stress and psychosis known to be caused by the artificial confinement of race horses? What about the built-in fear in the system? The horse learns that it is helpless to avoid the abuse of the racing system. The horse learns that even if it gives its absolute best effort, it will still be beaten - whipped the last 100 metres till it crosses the finish line. Not to mention the jiggers, the illegal drugs and devices. What about the final trip to the knackery and the wastage that many OTTBs and Standies have to endure?
These are facts that demonstrate animal abuse, yet some racing advocates will argue that 'most trainers love their horses.' If that objection was true, then the horse racing industry that is largely composed of those trainers, would not tolerate animal abuse, but it not only tolerates abuse, it enforces abuse. eg Whipping is unofficially compulsory as a jockey faces heavy fines if the horse owner or the gamblers believe the jockey has not 'ridden the horse to the line.' The racing industry and its large financial/gambling infrastructure have tried to market horse racing as a romantic sport.
The industry has tried to manipulate the public into believing that horse racing is a legitimate sport - it's marketed as 'family entertainment.' In actual fact, horse racing is akin to bull-fighting. It is a blood 'sport' and the suffering of animals is required for the industry to operate.
Horse racing is based on a love of money and profit - not on a love for horses.
Why is the cruelty so hard to to recognise?
The whips are an obvious clue; what about the solitary confinement in a cage for 23 hours every day? What about the restricted feeding that causes ulcers to develop in the vast majority of racehorses? What about the severe tact used to 'control' a horse - tying down its tongue, super tight girths to prevent the saddle from slipping, excessive strain caused on young, immature bones and tendons, being forced to gallop with metal shoes causing impact shock to the entire body and exhaustion? What about the drugging used on a daily basis to mask injuries and muscular pain? What about the mental stress and psychosis known to be caused by the artificial confinement of race horses? What about the built-in fear in the system? The horse learns that it is helpless to avoid the abuse of the racing system. The horse learns that even if it gives its absolute best effort, it will still be beaten - whipped the last 100 metres till it crosses the finish line. Not to mention the jiggers, the illegal drugs and devices. What about the final trip to the knackery and the wastage that many OTTBs and Standies have to endure?
These are facts that demonstrate animal abuse, yet some racing advocates will argue that 'most trainers love their horses.' If that objection was true, then the horse racing industry that is largely composed of those trainers, would not tolerate animal abuse, but it not only tolerates abuse, it enforces abuse. eg Whipping is unofficially compulsory as a jockey faces heavy fines if the horse owner or the gamblers believe the jockey has not 'ridden the horse to the line.' The racing industry and its large financial/gambling infrastructure have tried to market horse racing as a romantic sport.
The industry has tried to manipulate the public into believing that horse racing is a legitimate sport - it's marketed as 'family entertainment.' In actual fact, horse racing is akin to bull-fighting. It is a blood 'sport' and the suffering of animals is required for the industry to operate.
Horse racing is based on a love of money and profit - not on a love for horses.
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