Put animal welfare at centre of horse racing

Dear Editor,

The deaths of two horses in the Grand National has re-focused attention on the downside of the ancient pursuit of horse racing as practised in Britain and Ireland. It would surely benefit the sport itself, apart from the long suffering equines, if we could effectively tackle the cruelties associated with it.

A day at the races or the odd flutter can be a fun experience, and the bloodstock industry is deemed crucial to our economic wellbeing.

But racehorses fall victim to a wide range of injuries. Driven to their absolute limits, many of them suffer from extreme fatigue and bodily strain and the afflictions they may have to endure include ulcerated stomachs, bleeding lungs, and damage to bone and muscle, all of which can be very painful for the horse. Wrongly administered drugs can also cause distress and immense suffering.

And of course the use of whips in racing is wide open to abuse, resulting in raw flesh wounds and/or internal injuries.

Racing could be made more animal welfare-friendly by easing the pressure on the horses. Fences should be lowered for all races to a height that is not overly demanding for the horses.

The whip should ideally be banned altogether, as in Norway, allowing jockeys to use their heels and hands instead to urge on the horses without hurting them.

Alternatively, a padded whip like the one now used in Australia could replace the medieval-style flogging instrument which so often brings British and Irish horseracing into disrepute.

That would be an eminently reasonable measure, though it might infuriate the die-hard anti-reform elements within the industry.

While horseracing is not remotely as cruel or objectionable from an animal protection standpoint as, for example, live hare coursing or fox hunting, it will continue to project a negative and disturbing image of itself until the welfare of the horse has been prioritised and properly enshrined in law.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald,

Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports

Lower Coyne Street,

Callan,

Co Kilkenny.