The myths behind horse racing

5:38pm Wednesday 18th June 2008

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BEHIND the acceptable facade of horse racing, is a highly profit motivated industry, capable of delivering enormous financial rewards of leading owners, jockey and trainers.

The losers are the horses. Often victims of suffering and death.

Animal Aid campaigns peacefully against animal cruelty and has produced the startling estimate of over 440 horses associated with the racing industry dieing each year.

Heart attack, broken bones and spinal injury account for about 38 per cent of fatalities occurring during or after a race.

Since 1997, 38 horses have died in the Grand National three day annual meeting. During 2006, 11 horses died at the Cheltenham festival.

Apologists maintain horses enjoy the thrill of a race, as they naturally run in herds. It's far from natural for the horse to carry a jockey, be beaten by a whip and raced to exhaustion.

Animal Aid have produced a 90 second video called Don't back the cruelty'. Please view it on the website (animalaid.org.uk/racing) and see why there should be a major overhaul to the racing industry.

Edward Davies Wollaston