Animal Aid (UK) reports that over 1,000 racehorses have died on British tracks since 2007. This total, however, is significantly understated (by up to 30%) as horses receiving “elective euthanasia” at the racetrack are not included in the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) official figures. It appears that the jump-race horse is the most vulnerable, with, according to Animal Aid, a 1 in 42 chance of dying over the course of a year. Animal Aid’s Dene Stansall says (The Guardian, 8/3/13), “…punters should be aware of a basic truth. And this is that betting on horses means horses will suffer and die.” A BHA spokesman counters, “Racing is a sport that carries risk, and British racing is honest and open about the risks involved.” So once again, here we are in the year 2013 still talking about “sport” and death. Public, awake.
Wait!…did I understand this correctly?!?…the BHA does NOT INCLUDE the DEAD HORSES that were euthanized because of a dangling, broken leg (that occurred during a race) in their “official” statistics?? Those horses are not JUST AS DEAD?? That doesn’t seem too “honest and open” to me! Once again, they (racing industry) will spin it however they can to minimize suffering and death.
I think it should be abolished. This is terrible. What’s wrong with the Brits? Talk about animal cruelty .