Blog written by Claire Hamlett, a freelance journalist and contributor

The Cheltenham and Royal Ascot horse racing days are already behind us this year, but there are plenty of racing events still on the calendar. Each one carries grave risks for the horses made to race; a veneer of sophistication hiding the exploitation and abuse that horse racing is built on.

Horse racing deaths

Horses that fall on race tracks sometimes die there and then from their injuries, while some are later killed because they are no longer fit for racing. Some just collapse and die during races. Animal Aid has been tracking horse deaths and their causes on British racecourses since 2007, in which time 2648 horses have lost their lives, with 220 of those happening in 2021 alone. But the real number may be higher, as the racing authorities aren’t always upfront about fatalities.

Many other horses are killed before they even set foot on a racecourse, or when they reach the end of their racing careers. Unregulated breeding of horses results in many more than the racing industry has use for, while only a fraction of those who ‘retire’ from racing will have an actual retirement, meaning that horses cast out by the industry can end up in the slaughterhouse. In 2019, there were 347 horses slaughtered in the UK whose origins in racing could be verified. Most people are probably unaware that horses are even slaughtered in the UK, let alone for their meat, which is exported to other countries.

Racecourses are dangerous

Some racecourses carry greater risks for the horses than others, with their layouts and the types of jumps used making them quite variable in terms of safety. Animal Aid has accused Worcester racecourse as being one of the worst due to its use of fixed brush hurdles, a type of jump, which have caused 48 fatalities since 2007. According to PETA, Aintree racecourse where the Grand National is held has one of the most deadly jumps, which they say is what attracts people to the race, making officials unwilling to get rid of it.

Racing whips and tack

The ‘bit’ and whips used on race horses are far from the benign aids that supporters of racing make them out to be. The bit, which is a common device in horse riding of all kinds, is a metal bar that goes in the horse’s mouth and is attached to the reins. It’s supposed to give the rider a way to communicate with the horse, but can cause pain and discomfort. A professor of veterinary medicine who invented a bitless bridle described the bit as restricting a horse’s breathing, putting pressure on their lungs, and causing them pain in their sensitive mouths.

As for whips, they are “an essential aid to horsemanship and safety” according to the British Horseracing Authority. There is a standard padded design which is used in horse racing. It can be used a maximum of six times in a flat race or seven in a jump race. But despite these regulations, whipping will still cause pain to the horse, the same as it would to a human. A review of the evidence found no difference in the thickness or sensitivity of human skin and horse skin, nor any benefit in terms of speed or safety. Whip-free races already exist, with no discernible difference in outcomes, casting the BHA’s claim that whips are “essential” into rather strong doubt. 

Welfare before and between races

Horses are typically two to three years old when they start their racing careers, as they hit their ‘peak’ around 4.5 years old, meaning that their training begins well before this. Three is the age they usually are in other forms of horse riding when they start to be ‘broken in’. Industry people argue that it’s better for the horse to condition their bodies to race from a young age than to wait until they are six, at which point their skeletons and bodies are fully developed, but of course it serves the industry to start horses young so that they can race during their ‘peak’. 

The fact that yearlings (horses who are two years of age) outperform older horses doesn’t mean racing is actually good for them. While some levels of exercise are good for young horses, pushing them to their limit at any age is what puts them at such high risk of fatal injuries. A survey of people working with horses in various contexts raised the young age of racehorses as a welfare concern. There is also the ethical question of whether the equivalent of a 13 year old human child should be put to work to make money for someone else.

Racehorses also tend to be kept alone in their stables for most of the time when they are not racing. This causes stress and frustration to horses and can lead to abnormal behaviours like ‘crib-biting’ (chewing the bars of the stable) as well as compromising their immune systems.

Lack of respect for horses in racing

In recent years, several shocking images of racing industry figures disrespecting dead horses have surfaced. In 2021, a photo emerged of Irish trained Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse while talking on the phone and giving the peace sign. Shortly after, another image appeared of a jockey also sitting on a dead horse. While both were condemned for their actions by horse racing authorities, the images indicate that horses who have made thousands of pounds for their riders and trainers may not only die for their efforts but not even be granted dignity in their deaths.

Why racing should horse racing be banned?

When it comes down to it, racing is just entertainment and a gambling event. It isn’t justifiable to risk the lives and wellbeing of horses for these purposes. If humans died in one sport as often as horses die in racing, it would be considered unacceptably dangerous. Anything which the industry considers “essential”, whether the whips used by jockeys or the tender age horses are started on their racing careers, is only perceived as such because the aim is to push the horses to their absolute limits to make as much money as possible. They deserve much better than that and this barbaric ‘sport’ should be banned.

As always,

For the animals.