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Originally Posted by Mister Horse
Have a look at what's going on in jumps racing. It's cruel and an exploitation of horses that we don't have the right to do. If the horses knew they could be killed by making a bad jump I bet they wouldn't jump.
In fact I'll go one step further. The number of racehorses being killed each year by being sent to the knackeries is a blight on humanity. We do not have the right to exploit animals for our own selfish ends and then kill them as if they are discardable pieces of trash.
Any racehorse purchased should be purchased for life. That means the owner has a legal responsibility to take good care of the horse after its racing days are finished and by taking good care I DO NOT mean sending it to the knackery. The owner has a responsibility to look after the horse after its racing days are over or alternatively to find a good home for it.
Exploiting animals then prematurely ending their lives is a disgrace.
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Mister Horse,
I see and respect your point of view.
However, where do you draw the line?
How many jumps horses will be and would otherwise be sent to the knackery.
Horses are killed in flat racing.
Horses are even killed in pony club and dressage, olympic jumping etc.
Then there is the matter of unemployment if jumps racing is banned.
The onus is on all racing authorities to make jumps racing as safe as possible. Unfortunately they were pressured by the extremists and it ended up becoming less safe.
That is what happens when extremists are allowed to run rampant, they cause more damage than the initial situation.
What has actually happened is that the authorities have done the exact reverse of what should have been done.
An analogy is thus, train a mouse to run through a small hole in a cage to collect food.
Now run that same mouse on a wheel until it's starting to dramatically tire.
Place mouse in front of hole, and watch him headbutt the sides and miss the hole.
The mouse knows there is an easy way through, but misjudges.
Jumps with collapsible bases and false tops promote falls.
They just don't understand the science of why.
Because they don't understand horses.
The fact is most horses far prefer to jump than to flat race.
Efficient would probably not have won a Melbourne Cup without a jumps hitout.
Many trainers jump their horses to keep them sharp and interested.
I agree with all the latter half of your posting entirely.
No horse should be sent to the knackery, even if it's a rogue, it deserves to be looked after.