Grand National

[changilass]

If the horses don't want to run, surely they won't? Look at the start of the race today. was it King John's Castle that wouldn't start? The jockey was urging like mad, but I laughed to see it just standing there as if to say 'Sod off, I might get hurt!'

What about all the horses that managed to get the weight off their backs and carried on, does that not disprove the point you are trying to make.

Only one failed to start, where as quite a few, minus jockeys carried on regardless.

[J C Denton]

Nobody is asking for all horse racing to be banned, just that the Grand National course is changed so that it is more horse friendly.

Fence heights at Aintree were reduced some years ago, and almost all fences on the National course are the standard 4ft 6in of chase fences throughout the UK.

[Sage]

Horses will NOT race if they dont want to.

Those that lose their riders still carry on long after a herd instict would have dropped off. It's what they know and love, being bred to win is one thing but anyone who's ridden will know that they can be stubborn and you cant make them do what they dont want to do.

Loved the race this year

[Amy-Winehouse]

Did anybody apart from Wickscorrie manage to get a winner ? I had beat or beating the boys Is it still running ?

[brandy]

i was gutted! i was screaming at the tv... if pure will alone could have done it my horse would have flown to the 1st!

[brandy]

i think he was pulled up , but he was running

[Ajax]

my one fell at the fifth fence my daughter got the winner 5.00 each way

[Anfield]

No horses were killed in today's race. In a race over only half of the same fences yesterday two horses were, sadly, killed. That proves that deaths are caused by misfortune and not wanton cruelty.

Oh, thats OK then.

[Ricanna]

The Aintree fences are the softest there are which is why a horse can brush through them and why they need an army of chaps to rebuild the fences before they come round again. It is the distance that is the test just as with a marathon. If a horse is trained for the race, it will not present a problem for it. Horses are flight, herd animals and that is why racing is natural to them.

[mike.mckenzie]

I got the winner! Well I'm pleased. 3rd year on the trot.

[scorrie]

Oh, thats OK then.

It sure is good news that all today's runners made it round safely. That must have come as a great disappointment to those perverse minded animal rights extremists, as it did not provide them with the soapbox to deliver their ill-informed rants from. Many of the people who talk about the Grand National being cruel know as much about horse racing as a Coo kens aboot taking a half holiday!!

[scorrie]

Fence heights at Aintree were reduced some years ago, and almost all fences on the National course are the standard 4ft 6in of chase fences throughout the UK.

The landing side on Becher's Brook was also flattened out to make it a better landing site for the horses and the brook itself has been filled in. Plenty of people are willing to waffle on about the cruelty without the depth of knowledge regarding the matter. Knee-jerk armchair pundits!!

[scorrie]

Five horses were killed at the Grand National meeting in 2009 and in the last 10 years, 30 horses have been killed at Aintree

Since March 2007 over 500 horses have died on British race courses.

That extremely radical organisation, the RSPCA have made two suggestions to the organisers for this years race

(1) To stop jockeys "overusing" whip
(2) For jockeys to pull up "tired" horses.

At time of posting their requests have fallen on deaf ears and the race will continue tomorrow as normal.

Now forgive me as I have never been a jockey, and my experience of riding is limited to a few goes down country lanes on a friends horse, but why do jockeys need to use whips in the first place?.

Surely if a horse is enjoying running in the national, or any other horse race for that matter, they would not need to be viciously whipped as we see time and time again on TV.

As for riding a horse that can not complete course, that is animal cruelty and organisers should face charges for it. The jockeys volunteer/get picked for race, the horse does not and is forced to undertake a long and hazardous race.
Why can't the race be shorter and the fences lower? you only have to look at the fences after the horses have jumped them to see that the horses can not clear them.

You clearly know little about the Grand National fences or the art of horse riding.

On the subject of statistics, you state that 500 horses were killed on British racecourses since 2007. Here is another statistic for you:-

From 2005 to 2007 some 431 CHILDREN were killed on British roads. Now that IS cruelty!!

[3of8]

What about all the horses that managed to get the weight off their backs and carried on, does that not disprove the point you are trying to make.

Only one failed to start, where as quite a few, minus jockeys carried on regardless.

My point is, if they didn't want to run, they wouldn't. The horses that carried on, ran because they wanted to, not because they had to.

[Anfield]

It sure is good news that all today's runners made it round safely. That must have come as a great disappointment to those perverse minded animal rights extremists, as it did not provide them with the soapbox to deliver their ill-informed rants from. Many of the people who talk about the Grand National being cruel know as much about horse racing as a Coo kens aboot taking a half holiday!!

What an idiot you are.

No horses were killed in today's race. In a race over only half of the same fences yesterday two horses were, sadly, killed. That proves that deaths are caused by misfortune and not wanton cruelty.

If you are going to quote figures, then check them first.
4 Horses died at Aintree this year:

Plaisir d'Estruval
Prudent Honour
Schindlers Hunt
Pagan Starprincess

[Amy-Winehouse]

It sure is good news that all today's runners made it round safely. That must have come as a great disappointment to those perverse minded animal rights extremists, as it did not provide them with the soapbox to deliver their ill-informed rants from. Many of the people who talk about the Grand National being cruel know as much about horse racing as a Coo kens aboot taking a half holiday!!

Hahahahahahahahahaha that is the funniest post ive seen on here in a while.

[scorrie]

What an idiot you are.



If you are going to quote figures, then check them first.
4 Horses died at Aintree this year:

Plaisir d'Estruval
Prudent Honour
Schindlers Hunt
Pagan Starprincess

You are entitled to your opinion but the only one looking idiotic here is yourself. I don't know what planet you are on because I did not quote the number of horses killed at Aintree this year. I compared one race run on Friday with one race run on Saturday (over the same fences) but a greater distance. The figures for those races are 2 and 0 respectively. That is totally, indisputably correct and you expose yourself as someone with very poor debating skills by trying to suggest anything other.

I have been watching The Grand National since 1973 and have a good, thorough knowledge of the race's history. You, however, clearly know little other than Googling stats and quoting sensational headlines.

[Shabbychic]

It sure is good news that all today's runners made it round safely. That must have come as a great disappointment to those perverse minded animal rights extremists, as it did not provide them with the soapbox to deliver their ill-informed rants from. Many of the people who talk about the Grand National being cruel know as much about horse racing as a Coo kens aboot taking a half holiday!!

I take offence at this. I am not disappointed that all horses made it round safely, on the contrary, I am delighted. I care about animals and their rights, but I am neither perverse nor an extremist. Neither do I deliver ill-informed rants. I do however, on occassion, point out hard facts.

You are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine, but I at least do not revert to childish name calling. If you are an expert on horse racing, that's great. One does not have to be an expert however to see what is going on. Just because the media seldom report on racehorse casualties, does not mean they don't exist.

[scorrie]

I take offence at this. I am not disappointed that all horses made it round safely, on the contrary, I am delighted. I care about animals and their rights, but I am neither perverse nor an extremist. Neither do I deliver ill-informed rants. I do however, on occassion, point out hard facts.

You are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine, but I at least do not revert to childish name calling. If you are an expert on horse racing, that's great. One does not have to be an expert however to see what is going on. Just because the media seldom report on racehorse casualties, does not mean they don't exist.

Some people seem to take offence at the wind changing direction. I don't recall mentioning your name anywhere nor labelling you as one of the extremists I mention. It is a simple fact that some animal rights extremists have no problem with the idea of injuring people in their quest for "Justice" for animals. Some of them even dug up some old wifie's body from her grave in recent times!!

One of my former (female) work colleagues received a threat by telephone from some animal rights protester (also a woman) about 10 years ago for the "crime" of working in a betting office. I defend my right to label that as both perverse and cowardly and the person involved must have been a few fences short of a Grand National in the great Brain steeplechase of life.

[Anfield]

You are entitled to your opinion but the only one looking idiotic here is yourself. I don't know what planet you are on because I did not quote the number of horses killed at Aintree this year. I compared one race run on Friday with one race run on Saturday (over the same fences) but a greater distance. The figures for those races are 2 and 0 respectively. That is totally, indisputably correct and you expose yourself as someone with very poor debating skills by trying to suggest anything other.

I have been watching The Grand National since 1973 and have a good, thorough knowledge of the race's history. You, however, clearly know little other than Googling stats and quoting sensational headlines.

OK. I am entitled to my opinion.
In my opinion, you are an idiot.

Were you too embarrassed to advise people on here that 4 horses were killed at Aintree this year?

As for Googling stats, wasn't it you that compared the number of horses killed in races, to the number of children killed in road accidents.
I am still trying to work that connection out.