Horse deaths

[archipenko]

I had my little Saturday gander at the headlines, as I often do during regular periods of disinterest in the jump season, and I saw it was all about Kalif Du Berlais. Another promising young horse killed, and apparently not the only one at the meeting. It got me thinking about the game in general, how I rationalise it, and how racing has changed its coverage and response to these incidents over the last 20 years.

I immediately went back to my first experience, Granit Jack in 2007, funnily enough for the same connections. At the time I was only going by what my dad was saying about him being thrown in but looking back at the profile and Nicholls domination of that era, he was probably going to be top class. 2nd in the Supreme and was about to make a mockery of his 133 mark in the Paddy Power when he fell and died at the 2nd last.

As time goes on you hear about Valiramix, Gloria Victus and even Golden Cygnet and you just accept that its part of the game. Now on social media everyone makes a big deal of virtue signalling - RIP, its a tragedy, I might quit the game, nobody is more distraught than me, days like this etc. I saw a few people getting slaughtered for making some lighthearted unseat remarks without knowing it was a fatality.

These people are hypocrites, if it really does hurt you that badly, why are you still here threatening to chuck it? Nobody wants to see horses being hurt, especially the good ones, but you have to decide whether the game is worth the price. The fact that im talking about Granit Jack almost 20 years later is why I believe it is. Nobody will be talking about me 20 days after im gone, be lucky to get 20 minutes.

The fact that we give these animals the platform and the opportunity to go down in history, to be a hero or a villain, or a tragedy, its the highest honour we have to give. People will be talking about Frankel in 100 years, thats worth something imo and thats how I justify it and why I dont make a song and dance when a horse dies. Theres no glory without risk.

And another thing that feels off to me is how racing now treats it like a dirty little secret to be quickly covered up. The screens are up and theyll crop and cut the falls out of replays when a horse dies, presumably so the footage cant be used by deranged activists. And looking back 20 years to Granit Jack, there were no cuts in the replay and Angus didnt think he was worth mentioning other than to say he was the 3/1 favourite, so theres a middle ground to be found.

Racing has to own the fact that these things happen and have always happened, but that the game is for the greater good. If it doesnt have that conviction I dont know how it lasts in the new world.

 

[Ian_Davies]

I had my little Saturday gander at the headlines, as I often do during regular periods of disinterest in the jump season, and I saw it was all about Kalif Du Berlais. Another promising young horse killed, and apparently not the only one at the meeting. It got me thinking about the game in general, how I rationalise it, and how racing has changed its coverage and response to these incidents over the last 20 years.

I immediately went back to my first experience, Granit Jack in 2007, funnily enough for the same connections. At the time I was only going by what my dad was saying about him being thrown in but looking back at the profile and Nicholls domination of that era, he was probably going to be top class. 2nd in the Supreme and was about to make a mockery of his 133 mark in the Paddy Power when he fell and died at the 2nd last.

As time goes on you hear about Gloria Victus and even Golden Cygnet and you just accept that its part of the game. Now on social media everyone makes a big deal of virtue signalling - RIP, its a tragedy, I might quit the game, nobody is more distraught than me, days like this etc. I saw a few people getting slaughtered for making some lighthearted unseat remarks without knowing it was a fatality.

These people are hypocrites, if it really does hurt you that badly, why are you still here threatening to chuck it? Nobody wants to see horses being hurt, especially the good ones, but you have to decide whether the game is worth the price. The fact that im talking about Granit Jack almost 20 years later is why I believe it is. Nobody will be talking about me 20 days after im gone, be lucky to get 20 minutes.

The fact that we give these animals the platform and the opportunity to go down in history, to be a hero or a villain, or a tragedy, its the highest honour we have to give. People will be talking about Frankel in 100 years, thats worth something imo and thats how I justify it and why I dont make a song and dance when a horse dies. Theres no glory without risk.

And another thing that feels off to me is how racing now treats it like a dirty little secret to be quickly covered up. The screens are up and theyll crop and cut the falls out of replays when a horse dies, presumably so the footage cant be used by deranged activists. And looking back 20 years to Granit Jack, there were no cuts in the replay and Angus didnt think he was worth mentioning other than to say he was the 3/1 favourite, so theres a middle ground to be found.

Racing has to own the fact that these things happen and have always happened, but that the game is for the greater good. If it doesnt have that conviction I dont know how it lasts in the new world.

With me, a like isn't necessarily an endorsement, it denotes a post I found interesting whether I agree or not.

I guess we all have our own take on this and mine might seem weird and contradictory to others.

Whenever this happens, I keep reading about how gutted various people are "for the connections."

Err, it wasn't the connections that died.

If I'm going to feel sorry for anyone, it's the horse.

The connections chose to be connections of a racehorse - the horse didn't get the luxury of choice.

And it's dead. Gone. Forever.

The connections can get another horse - the horse can't get another life.

Sound like an "anti," don't I?

But obviously I'm not.

Racehorses are commercially bred - they wouldn't have been born but for being commercially bred to race.

And the very best of them (like Frankel) lead a better quality of life than many human beings on this planet.

I'd agree racing doesn't handle equine death particularly well, lots of virtue signalling and hypocrisy.

It's a tough game, but we obviously accept the risk (which as stated falls mostly on the horses - far more horses perish than humans in the sport every year) or we wouldn't have anything to do with the game.

So maybe everyone should stop virtue signalling and face up to the fact that, deep down, it's an acceptable risk (not least because that risk lies mainly with a four-legged beast who didn't sign up for it) to us.

 

[Desert Orchid]

Both posts I found measured, considered and well presented and I find myself agreeing somewhat with both.

I'm also in the Ruby Walsh camp, if I can word it like that, that a horse is not a human being. It's an animal.

In some cases, it's an animal that is more loved than many humans, just as how in many households dogs and cats are more loved than children.

It's also a cultural issue. In some cultures the death of a horse will be an opportunity to eat.

Horse racing is a sport. All sports carry risks. People argue that humans involved in sport have a choice, horses (and dogs) don't. That's true but it's also true that many horses (and dogs) love to race and compete and others love to race and be part of the pack. If they don't want to they're more likely to refuse.

I do wish, though, that ITV racing dealt better with the death of horses on TV. They border on anthropomorphism of horses and, purely for me, come across as cloyingly sentimental.

There is a balance out there between reporting a death and expressing emotion about it. I don't have the answer myself but I feel the TV people haven't found it yet either.

 

[Slim]

Summer In Milan was in trouble in the last at Fontwell.

 

[Gullible]

Both posts I found measured, considered and well presented and I find myself agreeing somewhat with both.

I'm also in the Ruby Walsh camp, if I can word it like that, that a horse is not a human being. It's an animal.

In some cases, it's an animal that is more loved than many humans, just as how in many households dogs and cats are more loved than children.

It's also a cultural issue. In some cultures the death of a horse will be an opportunity to eat.

Horse racing is a sport. All sports carry risks. People argue that humans involved in sport have a choice, horses (and dogs) don't. That's true but it's also true that many horses (and dogs) love to race and compete and others love to race and be part of the pack. If they don't want to they're more likely to refuse.

I do wish, though, that ITV racing dealt better with the death of horses on TV. They border on anthropomorphism of horses and, purely for me, come across as cloyingly sentimental.

There is a balance out there between reporting a death and expressing emotion about it. I don't have the answer myself but I feel the TV people haven't found it yet either.

I think that unless you you been involved in a horse (however small the ownership) anyone can understand how emotionally attached you become with them and they change from being just an animal to become your pride and joy how ever low the grade is but Rigger won us 3 races. I know that when he had an accident in the stable and had to be put down after I was no longer connected to him financially being a big softee I did not have dry eyes after I was told.

 

[Desert Orchid]

Yes, it must be very difficult for people close to the stricken horses.

I had my first ever dog when I was about 45 and when I had to take him to the vet 16 years later to have him pts it was a sad and challenging day.

I have to be honest, though, it was nowhere near as tough as watching my mother finally succumb to a cancer that was clearly causing her immense pain. I sometimes feel guilty that, having reached 70, I have outlived someone who seemed not to deserve to die so young or in such agony.

I reckon many on here will have lost an animal that was very close to their hearts but I imagine losing a close family member also - for me anyway - puts that loss into some kind of perspective.

 

[maureen]

A lot has changed over the past twenty years. I can only say that by looking back to when I was still working. As a receptionist at our local village surgery I used to chat to patients ( and also the girls in the main office) about racing. But during that time something changed in people’s perception of the sport. By the time I retired I didn’t dare mention racing at all. No one from the main office was then asking me who I thought might win the National, although I think they might still have chatted about the fashion at Royal Ascot. There was no longer a sweepstake on National day. Going back to my childhood, racing was part of everyone’s life; horses like Arkle and Mill House were known to everybody ( as were greyhounds like Mick the Miller). Over the years it became more and more of a niche sport. Re Granit Jack ( was it really twenty years ago; blimey) they did, I believe change the position of that fence after his death; it was downhill ( or near a bend?) I think and caught horses out. ITV Racing is trying very hard to get more people interested in racing and are trying to encourage new people to the sport whilst not downplaying the danger to the horses and jockeys. Not easy. I think they got yesterday badly wrong ( and I’m one of their biggest fans). As someone who has followed racing for most of my 74 years I can only say that I found yesterday very difficult and still feel pretty down about it today.

 

[barjon]

Aye, it’s always sad even though we’re remote from them, what it must be like for those that care for them every day I shudder to think.

As for horse racing, I blame the BBC. No longer covered anymore and to watch the sports news, let alone the main news, you’d be hard pressed to think it even existed. This is supposed to be a public service and to ignore the second most attended sport is shameful in the extreme.

 

[Len Madeiros]

Strangely enough, it’s probably more distressing seeing it all unfold on a tv screen, than it is when you’re actually at the course. The very sad news is delivered in hushed and dramatic tones on the tv, adding a whole new layer of grief.

I hate it, when it happens. And I hate myself more at times, for persisting with the sport. A whole industry, using beautiful animals so that we might profit and take some enjoyment of the sport we invented for our benefit. And we’re content enough to accept the risk that they might perish for OUR enjoyment?

But I’ll still shake myself down and have a bet this week.

 

[maureen]

Strangely enough, it’s probably more distressing seeing it all unfold on a tv screen, than it is when you’re actually at the course. The very sad news is delivered in hushed and dramatic tones on the tv, adding a whole new layer of grief.

I hate it, when it happens. And I hate myself more at times, for persisting with the sport. A whole industry, using beautiful animals so that we might profit and take some enjoyment of the sport we invented for our benefit. And we’re content enough to accept the risk that they might perish for OUR enjoyment?

But I’ll still shake myself down and have a bet this week.

I agree. I’m much better at a racecourse. When you think about it, there aren’t many sports ( or events of any kind) where you actually see something die in front of you. I can still picture Strong Promise coming down at Aintree all those years ago; it’s something that you can’t get out of your head. It’s no wonder that most of my friends can’t understand me following racing and think that it should be banned. However I’ve always argued that horses, once they were no longer needed for war, agriculture or transport, reinvented themselves for sport and leisure and, if it wasn’t for that they wouldn’t exist and I’d hate living in a world without them. And our racehorses are still better off than the wild mustangs in America that are rounded up by helicopter and sent to kill pens.

 

[an capall]

I agree. I’m much better at a racecourse. When you think about it, there aren’t many sports ( or events of any kind) where you actually see something die in front of you.

Avert your eyes from Minneapolis.

 

[chaumi]

I doubt if any of us will heavily disagree with anything said so far. But I'd like to pick up on a couple of points made.

Most of us will have (at the least) deep respect, and (at most) some/a significant amount of love, for the horses that - in most cases - are a deep and intrinsic part of our lives. For many of us, I'd say that's lives following horse racing over 50 years minimum (though 'how long' isn't the important point).

For us punters, our respect or love is likely born from a punting perspective. But it's still respect and/or love.

Connections will (likely, but obviously not all cases) love their horses. But, remember that 'connections' also encompasses several parties - the trainers, owners, stable staff, possibly even vets, breeders, etc.

Now, it's fair to say that most human beings wouldn't wish harm or distress on any others. It's also fair to say they wouldn't wish harm or distress on any animals.

And what happens when we saw what occurred the other day? All parties experience pain and distress.

So, when (as a punter) you're watching and your heart sinks when a horse lands head first, or takes off a little too early or takes a misstep and is then seen running on with one leg dangling, yes the first thoughts are for the horse. If tears come, it's likely for the horse. When it's quick, at least there's the mercy of thinking the horse didn't know much about it, when it's drawn out it's much, much more painful to watch.

The point is, it's natural to think about both horse and connections. Not so much the trainers, I'd say, but more the stable staff (ie, the person who might spend a large part of their life around that horse) who won't see their horse again, and perhaps the owners etc.

We can choose to express those sentiments (because we have a vehicle to express them), perhaps because that gives us an outlet to verbally express the distress and concern we feel. Or we can quietly assimilate that ' oh no, not again' feeling and file it away (because that's all we can logically do).

As punters, does that make any of us hypocrites because we'll carry on punting?

It's fair to say there could be some debate on the answer to that. But it seems far too harsh a label to me. And that, I believe, is why we carry on even if that 'hypocrite' thought does strike us for a few seconds occasionally. Many of us will already have debated that internally and come to a conclusion that sits OK with us. The love we have for the sport in general outweighs any pain we might feel when one of the horses doesn't make it home.

****

As regards how it's dealt with on TV, personally I don't know how the commentators could deal with it any differently. They surely have to show reverence, they have to report on it. Because most watchers will want to know, just the same as we want to know 'did the horse make it' or 'was it as bad as it looked' every time it happens. Why do we want to know? Because there's the hope, however faint, that it wasn't as bad as it looked.

No doubt there are ways they could handle it 'better' on TV, I just don't know what they are.

 

[jinnyj]

Very well put Chaumi.

I have thought a lot about Saturday's events and I was upset by both. Even if we haven't ever met the animals in question it can still affect us. I had actually met Kalif when I visited the yard and he really was a sweet boy. I was in two minds as to switching the TV off completely and going out to hug my horse but due to King of the Lake also running I didn't - he also fell (he's fine fortunately) but it was a hard day all round. I'm not going to trot out, "That's Racing" and like you, Chaumi, I don't know how better they could handle it. I suspect we don't find out straight away in case the owners are being consulted as to what to do.

I have of course lost horses over the years too. My hardest loss was an Anshan filly called Maitreya who I bought as a yearling before I actually took out a licence. We kept her at a local yard and my ex and I broke her in (well I did most of it as he was being a twat at the time) and she was an absolute joy. I used to ride her all over the place, down bridleways, often getting stuck if she saw something so I'd hop off and lead her past before hopelessly trying to get back on. She was so damn patient with me. We then put her into training (but did all the work ourselves) and she finished 4th on her first start before only just getting beaten on her third when the winner barged over over. We should have objected but we were ecstatic at such a good run. But she was quite hot to ride (ran off with Jason Weaver on Racecourse side in a gallop which prompted him to say to me "How the hell can you hold her?!") But we had an incredible bond. Sadly the hot-headedness was her downfall and she was difficult to train as she'd fret and not eat. Almost certainly she had severe ulcers and one day developed the most severe colic I have ever seen. The vets operated - twice. She should not have been even operated on once as she had a perforated stomach by then but they insisted. She still died. And even now nearly twenty years later, I am sitting in tears writing this. It was far and away the worst thing that ever happened in my racing career. She didn't deserve that. I have had a lot of horses over the years but never have I ever has such a bond with a horse. She was one in a million.



Two of her as a yearling and one out on Newmarket heath.

 

[Len Madeiros]

I must admit that the hypocrite cry hangs heavily. I content myself that I’m sure that is the only area of my life, where I display any hypocrisy.

And horse racing is still I sport I love. Frankel’s Juddmonte and Kauto’s last Betfair win are very happy memories, that will never leave me.

 

[chaumi]

I think we can all feel that, JJ.

 

[Gullible]

If anybody can watch a horse injure its self in a race and feel absolutely nothing it is time to go and look in the mirror !! because if you feel nothing other than oh well you probably feel the same way about all things in life which imo is very sad.

 

[maureen]

I don’t think that anything that happens to racehorses can be as cruel as the way dairy cows and their calves are treated. After watching a film called COW which followed the life of a cow and her calves over several years I shouldn’t drink milk or eat cheese. But cheese is my favourite food and I can’t drink my tea without milk so I still continue to do so even though the film/documentary totally traumatised me, and still haunts me.

 

[pawras]

Barry O'Neil on twttr is big on tracking horse racing fatalities

https://x.com/racehorsesrace1?lang=en

 

[jinnyj]

He looks like he's big on a lot of things.

Actually every single fall on a racecourse is looked at by the Welfare dept at the BHA which is headed by former trainer James Given. Had a long chat with him a few years ago about old horses running after we had a 17yo drop dead after one circuit in a point despite my best efforts to try and get it stopped from running. There was nothing in the rules at that time. Thanks to that conversation we now insist on every horse 15+ having a FULL vets certificate before they can start that season so the vet has to be very confident in it's health to sign it off. I (and James Given) would like the age dropped to 13 and he explained that it seems to be a "magic" age when horses start having serious issues like heart problems.

 

[pawras]

I dunno what he's into now but at the back end of 2022 I helped him pull together info about those brought down, fallers and fatalities by course, dunno what he did with it in the end.