grand national

[alan/maleiya]

first time ive bet in the national for ten years here's my bets .... i bet west end rocker my wife bet big fella thanks and my wife picked quinz for our son ... ive gt a feeling iam going 2 be rich lol ... nah i wont its only 2 pound bets lol

[Rayjen]

Usually we all pick a horse each, but this year due to oscar time ( my sons name ) we've put it all on to win. Shame wifes not here to see it, still waiting for spouce visa, hopefully sometime soon.

[stevie c]

Me & the Mrs had no luck on the grand national today i picked big fella thanks & florsel picked what a friend oh well always nexy year

[Walaytawo]

Two horses killed this year I believe. Why do people still support this barbaric sport Ah yeh, because there's money in it

[KeithD]

Two horses killed this year I believe. Why do people still support this barbaric sport Ah yeh, because there's money in it

How many dogs, cats, birds, etc die in homes due to abuse? Far more than the horses that are killed on the track doing what they enjoy and when not racing 99.9% of their lives live like Royalty. Plus less than 0.1% of the horse pool die on the track, the majority die in accidents when they are just left in a field, so maybe we should keep them locked up like zoo animals

[Walaytawo]

Like royalty I wouldn't lock any animal up tbh. I'd rather visit a prison than a zoo, at least you get to see animals which deserve to be locked up. Nice to see you call them horses though and not obstacles

[KeithD]

..... Nice to see you call them horses though and not obstacles

That was an error on the reviewers part on the news.... 'obstacles' in racing are the fences/hurdles. Nor did the horses 'die' on their own, they were put down as they are a very difficult animal to treat. 10,000's of dogs and cats are put down each year. On average 370 horses die on the track each year, with around 25 of them actually being flat horses.

[Rayjen]

Those horses are doing what they enjoy,it's allways a shame when a horse loses it's life but if horse racing was banned then it wouldn't even have a life.

[Walaytawo]

No life? How about roaming free without worrying about a midget jumping on its back and giving him a good whipping?

[KeithD]

No life? How about roaming free without worrying about a midget jumping on its back and giving him a good whipping?

They aren't given good whipping They are air whips, so can smack your hand with them at full force and it doesn't hurt..... and I suppose when a horse is roaming free and breaks a leg it's best that the pack leave it behind.... it collapses of infection and hunger after a few days and then takes a further 2 days to die .... more wild horses die of injuries that those kept in horse racing circles.

[Walaytawo]

You want to bet on that?

[Rayjen]

Hi walay & btw welcome to the forum. The point I was trying to make was that if it wasn't for horse racing these horses wouldn't have been breed in the first place. As for the 'midget on the back' he's probably been around horses from the age of 6, mucking out, grooming & caring for horses. I think he cares more for horses than all of us.

[KeithD]

10,000's of dog/cats die each year due to neglect/accidents. Perspective ... not media hype.

[Walaytawo]

That is a sad effect. Unfortunately, a lot of pet owners can't even look after themselves properly, so the animal has little chance.

[grahamw48]

That is a sad effect. Unfortunately, a lot of pet owners can't even look after themselves properly, so the animal has little chance.

So true, and usually can't look after their children either (a toss up as to which creatures are more important members of the household anyway...the Pit Bull, or the infant crawling about in its fleas and excrement ).

Exams and tests need to be passed to get work and a driving licence, but not to bring living beings into the world.

In 'my world' you'd need to prove that the relationship between prospective parents was genuine and stable, that there was evidence of employment, suitable accommodation and financial soundness before being allowed to breed.

Hmm what do those pre-requisites remind me of ?

Back to topic:

I watched the race. The Horse is one of my favourite animals, and yes I was genuinely upset that some of the runners suffered pain, suffering and even death.

Other than that I think it is too complex a subject to come up with a meaningful opinion at this moment.
I just wish we weren't so damned selfish in our dealings with other animals with which we share this wonderful world .

[KeithD]

I wonder why the media is covering this so much, and yet poor Peter Toole is in hospital in a coma with severe head injuries and a bleed on the brain after falling in the national.