The reality of horseracing deaths
It's always heartbreaking to see horse deaths on racetracks, and even more heartbreaking to see jockey deaths.
The groups have all started again.
Protesting racing as a cruel and inhumane sport.
Let's get some perspective on this.
Horses are bred to race, they are mostly treated with the very best of care by trainers and strappers.
Jockeys have been in tears over the death of horses.
According to one group, 125 horses died in the last twelve months on racetracks.
With an average field size of 10, racing events every day, in almost every state, it totals over 100,000 horses racing in a year.
The percentage of deaths is less than 0.12%.
Freak accidents, heart attacks, strokes and breakdowns occur.
But not as often as in rodeos, pony clubs, show jumping, float accidents, paddock accidents, cross country events, colic, laminitis, etc. etc.
These groups were protesting outside the gates of Flemington, and in fact got their facts totally wrong when interviewed.
The jockey put the whip away at the 600m mark when he knew something was wrong with Admire Rakti and eased the horse down. The horse was taken to be swabbed and was not well, he collapsed and died in his stall. A heart attack is very unlikely, more like an internal rupture, but we'll know more after the autopsy.
Araldo was a freak accident, when a child waved a white flag in front of the horse's nose and the horse freaked, jumping a steel fence shattering his cannon bone. What parents allow their child to scare a horse?
This is very sad and heartbreaking for owners, strappers, trainers, jockeys, but the reality is that less deaths occur in horseracing, than any other equestrian sport or even paddock horses.
It left me with a sad feeling, but perspective is needed.
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