Society/Culture Horse racing is cruel

[FIGJAM]

Is horse racing any less cruel or sad?

Yes and it's a chalk and cheese comparison.

I'd happily see greyhound racing banned in Australia, but think horse racing is well-regulated and the animals, are on the whole, well-looked after.

There of course will be some bad eggs out there looking after the horses, but then there are arseholes out there looking after human athletes too (eg. systematic doping to various Olympic teams and the Essendon FC). It's a perennial fight, but not worth banning sport over.

 

[Gough]

Racing is just like the church and sexual abuse when it comes to cruelty. Every time a case is exposed we hear all about bad eggs and how it's all in the past and won't happen again, until it does.

 

[Cuzz09]

Ban nurses coz a couple of randoms bash elderly patients



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[FIGJAM]

Life has bad shit happen in it within every field of human endeavour, often as a result of horrible decisions by humans and that ain't gonna change anytime soon.

Racing Australia have an excellent program of traceability, vetting, drug testing and prosecution of perpetrators. You can't attain perfection, but you can strive for it and I believe they are doing their best.

 

[iBeng]

Its weird to me that its still considered not animal abuse to quite literally abuse the life of animals for the sake of gambling.

 

[Cuzz09]

I think they could definitely just do a quick fix and ban the whip at least.

Or only use it to direct the horse not get it going.

If you can't get the horse going with hands n heels maybe it's a slow horse/not great jockey

Also the jumps can probably go too.



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[tandino]

Just out of interest, what does this matter? Seems you’re looking to generalise.

Christ alive it was 7 1/2 years ago. Who knows.

The point sort of speaks for itself, doesn't it?

 

[Lockyer24]

Its weird to me that its still considered not animal abuse to quite literally abuse the life of animals for the sake of gambling.

They wouldn’t have a life without it

They aren’t collected in the forest

 

[iBeng]

They wouldn’t have a life without it

They aren’t collected in the forest

So if we bred humans specifically for racing until they die from exhaustion and expire, thats justified, since they wouldnt have a life without it.

Your argument justifies the cruelty because...they wouldnt exist if not to be born into a money making machine.

 

[MrBarry]

They wouldn’t have a life without it

They aren’t collected in the forest

This is an absurd viewpoint.

It suggests that merely existing, possibly in a life of cruelty, is preferable to not existing at all.

 

[rank and file]

Racing is just like the church and sexual abuse when it comes to cruelty. Every time a case is exposed we hear all about bad eggs and how it's all in the past and won't happen again, until it does.

Pull up on the breakfast spliffs.
Comes across as weak minded trolling.
Sounds like you've never invested in a bet or a horse.
'Racing is just like the church and sexual abuse.'
Lol could be the dumbest shit I've seen on BF.
Well done.

 

[Chadwiko]

Horse racing is undeniably cruel, by the very definition of it's existence as a concept.

Through regulations and laws, the various Racing bodies across the States and Territories have endeavored to make it as clean and humane as possible. This is true.

But there's a natural limit on how 'humane' you can make it when the entire product revolves around subjugating an animal to perform to the absolute limits of it's physical capabilities until it can no longer do so profitably, at which point a majority of the animals are euthanised soon after.

 

[Gough]

Horse racing is undeniably cruel, by the very definition of it's existence as a concept.

Through regulations and laws, the various Racing bodies across the States and Territories have endeavored to make it as clean and humane as possible. This is true.

But there's a natural limit on how 'humane' you can make it when the entire product revolves around subjugating an animal to perform to the absolute limits of it's physical capabilities until it can no longer do so profitably, at which point a majority of the animals are euthanised soon after.

Or f***ed to death like Black Caviar.

 

[the_interloper]

Horse racing can be cruel yes, when you miss the last leg of a quaddie and it's a favourite you left out for some bloody reason

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Horse racing is undeniably cruel, by the very definition of it's existence as a concept.

Through regulations and laws, the various Racing bodies across the States and Territories have endeavored to make it as clean and humane as possible. This is true.

But there's a natural limit on how 'humane' you can make it when the entire product revolves around subjugating an animal to perform to the absolute limits of it's physical capabilities until it can no longer do so profitably, at which point a majority of the animals are euthanised soon after.

Please

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I think they could definitely just do a quick fix and ban the whip at least.

Or only use it to direct the horse not get it going.

If you can't get the horse going with hands n heels maybe it's a slow horse/not great jockey

Also the jumps can probably go too.



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It already is this.

Part of racing’s problem with the “whip” is it’s ridiculous inability to communicate the reality.

First off, it’s not a whip. A whip is designed to inflict pain via (usually leather) lashes.

It’s a riding crop. And they’re highly padded. I could hit you with one and it wouldn’t hurt you.

It’s a tool for communicating with the horse. Pretty much the only one that will work in the speed and noise of a race, other than a kick in the guts… which probably would hurt more than the crop.

 

[Cuzz09]

It already is this.

Part of racing’s problem with the “whip” is it’s ridiculous inability to communicate the reality.

First off, it’s not a whip. A whip is designed to inflict pain via (usually leather) lashes.

It’s a riding crop. And they’re highly padded. I could hit you with one and it wouldn’t hurt you.

It’s a tool for communicating with the horse. Pretty much the only one that will work in the speed and noise of a race, other than a kick in the guts… which probably would hurt more than the crop.

ok. assumed it was a whip lol

Well I personally like horse racing and don't wanna see it banned so as long as the horses and jockeys are looked after as best as possible then it's all good

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[Chadwiko]

It’s a riding crop. And they’re highly padded. I could hit you with one and it wouldn’t hurt you.

Are they padded?

I was under the impression riding crops were literally just a strip of leather looped around at the end of a stick;

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Are they padded?

I was under the impression riding crops were literally just a strip of leather looped around at the end of a stick;

View attachment 2201020

Yes they are padded

Zilco International Pty Ltd | Padded Race Whip - Standard Grip

www.zilco.com.au

 

[Chadwiko]

Yes they are padded

Weird, all the photos of Australian races I can find seem to use crops/whips like I linked;

 

[Bunk Moreland]

ok. assumed it was a whip lol

Well I personally like horse racing and don't wanna see it banned so as long as the horses and jockeys are looked after as best as possible then it's all good

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The biggest issue I have with people who hate racing is they’re very often just indulging in moral judgment that they do not apply consistently.

Cases of neglect or abuse are discovered - and they certainly exist - and the screeching is “shut down racing!!”

You’ll never hear them turn that logic on the pet industry, where horrific things happen.

Perhaps I think the entire domestic pet industry should be shut down in that case. There’s no reason whatsoever for humans for keep animals captive for their own entertainment. And the dregs of the industry are horrible. Excess animals are killed.

Reckon they’d support that? No.

There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with judging others on the morality of something, when it’s easy to do so because you don’t participate in it yourself. You can happily say “shut it down!” because it won’t affect you at all. Doesn’t mean your argument stacks up.

You often see the same thing with alcohol and gambling advertising. People decry it and you often hear people judging others on gambling. But they don’t turn the blowtorch on alcohol, which causes untold damage. Because they and everybody else has a drink. Not everybody has a punt.

(Just as an aside I’d happily see gambling advertising banned, but people who campaign for that so often quickly digress into judgment on the gambling itself rather than than the advertising…. “What kind of loser needs to bet on something to be entertained???”)

 

[Chadwiko]

The biggest issue I have with people who hate racing is they’re very often just indulging in moral judgment that they do not apply consistently.

I'm guessing it's fair to say you're a fan of the racing industry, or horse racing in general?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I'm guessing it's fair to say you're a fan of the racing industry, or horse racing in general?

I’d call myself a fairly casual racing fan. I used to be bigger fan but have drifted away from it somewhat, due mainly to the ridiculous taxing of punters that means the returns are far worse than they used to be.

It used to be easier to break even or have a small win than it is now. It’s now bloody hard not to lose, and lose lose more (and lose quicker).

The Australian racing industry is largely a cesspit of rabid, fragmented self-interest where everybody is just out for themselves. There are good people involved of course, it’s those that run the industry and those that leech off it (corporate betting companies) that are the worst.

Animal welfare is actually one of the rare areas where they’ve made some decent strides in recent years and decades - because everybody knows they had to. This has to be ongoing of course, I have my own ideas but ideas are like arseholes.