Grand National

[Adam]

Horses continue to run without their jockey because they are trained to do so. Any horse that is trained, will do the only thing it knows how to and thats to keep on running no matter what happens.

Dogs are trained not to piss on the carpet.

[beth]

horses have free will as much as any other living creature does, that is why horses refuse to jump sometimes. do the jockeys FORCE them over the jumps? no. if a horse refuses then they're out of the race, they don't get shot for that. THAT would be cruel. if a horse really hated racing/jumping/whatever it would refuse to start.

they are shot/destroyed (not sure how it happens any more) for their own good.

[Glen Coco]

oh btw, whoever here is preaching about how cruel horse racing is, i hope that you're vegetarians because the way which animals are kept and their lifestlye (and they way in which they're killed) is a LOT worse than a race horse.
race horses probably have a far better life style then a normal, domestic horse. so whoever said 'he was pushed until he was staring death in the face'; erm no, he most likely had a great life. it just happened that he fell and must have broken something so the kindest thing to do was kill him before he began to feel the pain.
Jockeys are only allowed to hit the horses something like 5 times throughout the race, most of the flapping is to create the sound of the whip to encourage the horses to go forward. if you look, it's usually used before a jump or towards the end of the race to try to keep the horses going.
it is sad that two of them died, and how horses die all the time in races and other events but at the end of the day every sport comes with a risk.
although i don't think it's the course that's the problem; it's the number of horses which race. if you notice, at the start when it's almost like a stampede a lot more of the horses fall.

[Jordy]

Another year has passed where people jump on the bandwagon and get overly excited over a cruel, disgusting, inhumane sport. I didn't used to mind it, but after seeing the horses die, and after seeing them being whipped year on year, I just don't think it's justified when people get so hyped up over it. Yes, people think it's amazing because money is involved, but you're doing it at the expense of lives and that's just wrong. Shameful.

I hope you're a vegetarian then. The horses were bred to race and then die. How's that any different to chickens, cows, pigs?

Infact I bet that horse was treated better than any animal you've ever eaten.

I won £3 on Seabass

Edit: You also need to grow up massively. I -repped you for not adding constructively to the thread, I mean was there any need to bring up your complaints about the Grand National in this post? It's incredibly juvenile to -rep me with the same message within 2 minutes yet not even have the courtesy to reply to the thread. Not encountered such patheticness on this forum for years, probably because above all you're a cowardly hypocrite.

[David]

horses have free will as much as any other living creature does, that is why horses refuse to jump sometimes. do the jockeys FORCE them over the jumps? no. if a horse refuses then they're out of the race, they don't get shot for that. THAT would be cruel. if a horse really hated racing/jumping/whatever it would refuse to start.

they are shot/destroyed (not sure how it happens any more) for their own good.

I believe they get euthanised

[beth]

is it ironic that i've been a vegetarian since birth and i am completely fine with horse racing? infact i think the horses involved in horse racing have far happier lives than other horses.

[Jordy]

is it ironic that i've been a vegetarian since birth and i am completely fine with horse racing? infact i think the horses involved in horse racing have far happier lives than other horses.

I have been a vegetarian for 9 years and also have no problem with it, I'm happy to bet on it.

Still can't believe Mathew has the audacity to go through this thread -repping in revenge but refuses to reply.

[Mathew]

I have been a vegetarian for 9 years and also have no problem with it, I'm happy to bet on it.

Still can't believe Mathew has the audacity to go through this thread -repping in revenge but refuses to reply.

Only you, dear.

After reading a few replies, I can see the other point of view: I'm not that narrow-minded to go down one route. If they're bred specifically to race then indeed, it's no different to eating chicken. What pains me is the animal-like attitude that people take to it - egging the horses on and simply not batting an eye-lid if one dies. It's the greedy nature of it which makes me sit back and take an alternative stance. I think it's more of a personal, moral opinion than something against the whole sport, but I still don't support it either way.

[Jordy]

Only you, dear.

After reading a few replies, I can see the other point of view: I'm not that narrow-minded to go down one route. If they're bred specifically to race then indeed, it's no different to eating chicken. What pains me is the animal-like attitude that people take to it - egging the horses on and simply not batting an eye-lid if one dies. It's the greedy nature of it which makes me sit back and take an alternative stance. I think it's more of a personal, moral opinion than something against the whole sport, but I still don't support it either way.

Nice attempt to belittle me once again by referring to me as "dear" and putting kisses on a -rep comment, it doesn't strengthen your argument by trying to be condescending, it just goes to show what a poor argument you really have.

I'm glad to see you have climbed off your high horse however (Although I'd rather have you seen you fall off). If you really had a "personal, moral opinion" about it you'd be against much more than just a whole sport, you would be a vegan (And seeing as you've avoided the vegetarian and vegan comments, I think its fair to say you are neither, merely a once a year pest trolling a thread). I don't think there's anyone who hasn't batted an eye lid if one dies and "egging the horses on" is inevitable in horse racing. I'm sure anyone who placed money on a horse in any race would egg on their horse. You said you didn't agree with the Grand National at all previously.

[Mathew]

Nice attempt to belittle me once again by referring to me as "dear" and putting kisses on a -rep comment, it doesn't strengthen your argument by trying to be condescending, it just goes to show what a poor argument you really have.

I'm glad to see you have climbed off your high horse however (Although I'd rather have you seen you fall off). If you really had a "personal, moral opinion" about it you'd be against much more than just a whole sport, you would be a vegan (And seeing as you've avoided the vegetarian and vegan comments, I think its fair to say you are neither, merely a once a year pest trolling a thread). I don't think there's anyone who hasn't batted an eye lid if one dies and "egging the horses on" is inevitably in horse racing. I'm sure anyone who placed money on a horse in any race would egg on their horse. You said you didn't agree with the Grand National at all previously.

Poor argument? It's called an opinion. You have yours and I've respected that, although you've always had a bee in your bonnet with my posts so it's a lost cause attempting to debate with you. I don't agree with horse racing because I don't gamble and I don't wish to support something which is overrated and cruel. What you do is your problem, not mine, although I don't come in here and accuse you of being a troll just because it's a different stance.