Horse racing - should it be banned?

[Fambo Number Mive]

It just seems wrong to me - horses being forced to run and jump for the amusement of humans. According to Animal Aid, 83 horses were killed due to racing in the first half of 2018 alone:

https://www.animalaid.org.uk/shocking-half-year-race-horse-death-figures-highlight-serious-welfare-problems-british-racing/ (link contains photo of dead horse at top)

Horse racing seems to me an outdated sport which harms animals, promotes gambling and has no real benefit. Let's send racing horses to sanctuaries and turn racecourses into public running tracks and parks.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

PC KILLJOYS ON MENTALLY ILL GEEK FORUM FOR VIRGINS BAN GRAND NATIONAL

[touchingcloth]

I think it's acceptable if every race ends with the losing jockeys being publicly flogged, and the winner having to fellate their horse while wearing one of those gurning collars.

[touchingcloth]

PC KILLJOYS ON MENTALLY ILL GEEK FORUM FOR VIRGINS BAN GRAND NATIONAL

Watch as this bald man calmly DEMOLISHES his foreskin.

[biggytitbo]

I say we have a pause on it for a while to give horses ample opportunity to see if they can (or indeed want to) organise themselves to start riding around on the backs of men for fun and profit.


About 500,000 years should be enough. If after that they just don't give a shit, I say we start it up again.

[Beagle 2]

Ban jump racing for sure, although I'm surprised how many were killed out on the flat as well. I'm not sure it's as cruel as all that when you think what kind of lives horses owned by fat public schoolgirls called Tamara have.

[imitationleather]

The thing is if you ban horse racing they're going to have no use for the horses anymore and have to beat them to death with planks.

You want that on your conscience, buddy?

Also what will ITV4 show all day?

[PlanktonSideburns]

Boston dynamic's robodog racing would be a great last days of Rome style substitute

[ToneLa]

We shouldn't ban the racing element altogether. I'd like to see the horses' involvement suspended. Run everything else as normal.

Send the jockeys (jockies?) out there and have at it. Punters can gamble as per usual. Just don't break a leg...

[Fambo Number Mive]

Jockeys riding pogo sticks.

[ToneLa]

Jockeys riding pogo sticks.

No. No riding on anything. Now look here jockies. See that course, lads? Big jumps, fences, the lot. Oot. Do it. First to the finish wins, loser and fraidy cats get turned into glue.

[popcorn]

It should be banned on account of being well boring.

[Sebastian Cobb]

When the jockies fall off, the horses often continue to run anyway, so what is the point of the jockeys?

[imitationleather]

When the jockies fall off, the horses often continue to run anyway, so what is the point of the jockeys?

Typical heartless capitalist. Never thinking of the little people.

[Blue Jam]

The thing is if you ban horse racing they're going to have no use for the horses anymore and have to beat them to death with planks.

You want that on your conscience, buddy?

Also what will ITV4 show all day?

...and what will dogs eat?

[biggytitbo]

Those little horses you get (the ones they use as guide dogs) riding around on the backs of midgets would be good.

[DrGreggles]

I love a day at the races.
Great fun - even when I lose all my money.

[Blue Jam]

Those little horses you get (the ones they use as guide dogs) riding around on the backs of midgets would be good.

What about Shire horse racing, but all the jockeys are Shetland ponies?



These two seem happy.

[biggytitbo]

I saw a horse riding another horse in a field once, they both looked like they were enjoying it.

[Jockice]

When the jockies fall off, the horses often continue to run anyway, so what is the point of the jockeys?

i used to think it was really unfair that if the jockey fell off the horse was disqualified from the race.

[MidnightShambler]

I wouldn't mind banning it on a totally selfish financial level because of the money it's cost me. Other than that I haven't got a problem with it, though I can see why people do. I'd say as long as we still kill animals to eat by the billion, you're gonna have a hard time gathering enough support for a ban on sitting on them while they run round a field.

[biggytitbo]

i used to think it was really unfair that if the jockey fell off the horse was disqualified from the race.

That goes to the wider issue with it where the horses don't get the prize money, even though they do all the work.

[holyzombiejesus]

My friend is a professional gambler and he would have to get a proper job if we banned horse racing. As I am very jealous of his moneyed lifestyle, yes, ban it now.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's another one of those legalised bits of cruelty that people try and justify with the argument 'it's tradition!', like fox hunting, bullfighting and chucking donkeys out of towers, it probably shouldn't happen any more, and if you proposed it as a new thing people would be horrified.

[Blue Jam]

When the jockies fall off, the horses often continue to run anyway, so what is the point of the jockeys?

Greyhounds don't need jockeys, do they? They're just trained to follow a pretend rabbit and they manage it with no problems. Why can't we do away with jockeys and their cruel whips and just train the horses to follow a pretend bag of oats? Maybe it's because they're too stupid, the dumb lumbering beasts. Maybe that's why the horses end up being eaten by the greyhounds.

[biggytitbo]

I've seen greyhounds racing with tiny monkeys on their backs. I don't know if this was an organised thing or just something they hatched between themselves.

[Blue Jam]

Fucking hell Biggy, which racecourses do you frequent? Is that where you recruit your agents?

[ToneLa]

He's seen races you people wouldn't believe.

[king_tubby]

I've seen greyhounds racing with tiny monkeys on their backs. I don't know if this was an organised thing or just something they hatched between themselves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiplash_the_Cowboy_Monkey

[biggytitbo]

They are nailed on though, in fairness.