* Horses love to race
Horses do love to race within reason but the fact
remains that many of them, particularly in steeple chasing and three day
eventing, are injured or even killed. By domesticating the horse we have
made it largely dependent on us. We therefore have a responsibility to
look after it and that includes not entering it in activities likely to
cause it harm. It's rather like not letting children play with matches.
* Racing doesn't harm the horses
Racehorses are prone to a disease called exercise
induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). It is characterized by the
presence of blood in the lungs and windpipe of the horse following
excessive exercise. An Australian study found 42% of 1,180 horses to be
suffering from EIPH.
A large percentage of racehorses suffer from lameness.
Fractures of the knee are common, so are ligament sprain, joint sprain,
shin soreness and capritis.
Steeple chasing is designed to make the horses fall
which sometimes results in the death of the horse either though a broken
neck or an 'incurable' injury for which the horse is killed by a vet.
Go on to Bunnies
At Easter - A Sad Story
Return to 19 April 2000 Issue
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