Could the pandemic end horse racing for good?
Around 200 horses die during races every year. Closer talks to welfare experts who say the controversial sport must end – and looks at a ‘virtual’ solution
When footage emerged earlier this month of jockey Rob James and trainer Gordon Elliot sitting astride dead horses, the racing industry rushed to condemn their actions. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) – which both regulates the industry and is tasked with the welfare of the animals – branded James’ behaviour as “totally unacceptable”. Meanwhile, James apologised for his actions, which he said were “wholly inappropriate and disrespectful”, and Elliot said, “It breaks my heart to see the hurt I’ve caused.”
HORROR
The upsetting footage of James and Elliot comes just before the Cheltenham Festival – one of the biggest fixtures of the horse racing calendar. Due to Covid19 restrictions, the event will be held behind closed doors, but bookmakers estimate that £500 million was placed in bets last year – with few people realising the possible pain behind their harmless flutter. Animal Aid – which keeps an up-to-date list of horse deaths during races – say that there are around 200 horse fatalities during races every year.
In 2020, seven-year-old Copper Gone West suffered a fatal injury during a Cheltenham race and was later put down. The year before, a further three horses died during the festival.
FATALITIES
And at the Grand National in 2019 (the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic), a horse named Up For Review fell and broke his neck and died during the famous steeplechase. Earlier races during the three-day event saw two more fatalities.
Concern over equine welfare has led to input from the RSCPA, who work closely with the BHA to strive for improved welfare. Dr Mark Kennedy, Horse Welfare Specialist at the RSPCA, said, “We are really proud of the changes that we have helped bring about over the past 30 years. This has included the modification of fences, removal of deep drops and tighter rules for race entry, all of which come about through challenging, robust discussions, as well as research and reviews.”
The BHA also specify that the whips used in racing were developed with input from the RSCPA. They say the foampadded design is not used for coercion, but for “safety, correction and encouragement – an aid to activate and focus the horse.” A horse can only be whipped eight times during a jump race and seven times during a flat race, but in 2018, there were 548 breaches.
Last year, the Grand National was held virtually. It was computer-simulated via mathematical algorithms, with no real horses or jockeys taking part. Now, Dene Stansall, Horse Racing Consultant at Animal Aid, believes virtual events should be the future of the sport. He says, “It was a welcome relief when events were cancelled last year – and going forward, computersimulated races would obviously be preferred. Why put horses in pain, when we could have virtual races every year? That said, it still promotes the use of animals.”
MISERABLE LIFE
Dene claims that every stage of horse racing – from breeding to racing to retirement – can be cruel. He explains, “The horses used for breeding live a miserable life. Mares are kept in a constant cycle of pregnancy, while stallions live a life of isolation – kept away from other horses to reduce injury.
“In Britain and Ireland, around 13,000 foals are born every year to supply the industry, with many never making it into racing. There are no published figures, so we don’t know what happens to the ‘failures’. Horses risk their lives every time they set foot on a racecourse. Racing-related illnesses are worryingly common – up to 75 per cent of racehorses suffer from bleeding lungs, and gastric ulcers are present in around 93 per cent of horses in training.”
When horses are retired, the BHA says it offers help through a charity,
Retraining of Racehorses, but Animal Aid say it isn’t enough. Dene explains, “When a horse stops racing, we don’t know what happens to them. Some end up in sanctuaries – but it’s the luck of the draw.”
RESPONSIBLE
While the BHA highlighted that horse fatalities have been reduced in the last 20 years and maintain they do their utmost to ensure racehorse health, Animal Aid argues that there should be an independent body to regulate welfare.
Dene says, “We believe there needs to be more visibility about what goes on behind the scenes.”
The BHA told Closer, “Respect for our racehorses is at the heart of everything that we do in the sport… we have very high standards that all licensed people must rigorously uphold.” They acknowledged that “horseracing does sadly carry some risk”, but say that “by prioritising welfare and putting in enormous effort in recent decades to reduce the risk posed to horses, and indeed humans, the sport keeps that risk minimal.”
The BHA explained that, since 2000, “the number of horses that have suffered fatal injuries on racecourses has decreased by over a third, while the fatal injury rate over the last five years was 0.19% of runners... we are committed to ensuring racehorses, or horses bred for racing, are looked after at all stages of their life and career.”
The BHA added, “British racing has established the independently-chaired
Horse Welfare Board, which has as one of its key outcomes, a collective lifetime responsibility for racehorses.
❛ HORSES RISK THEIR LIVES EVERY TIME THEY STEP ON TO THE RACECOURSE ❜
● For more information, visit Animalaid.org.uk