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EXPOSING THE CRUEL REALITIES OF HORSE RACINGKICK UP FOR RACING
GLITZ & GLAMOUR | DOPING & DISHONESTY
QUEENSLAND RACING INTEGRITY COMMISSION REPORTS:
A Toowoomba trained racehorse has tested positive to cocaine (a banned illicit drug), following its win in a $200,000 feature race at Eagle Farm in December last year.
A talented Toowoomba-trained racehorse could be stripped of its win after returning a bombshell drug result. – 9 News Queensland
Unbeaten racehorse tests positive to cocaine putting its recent $200,000 prize in jeopardy. – Mail Online
FACT CHECKED | PEER REVIEWED
Watch the video here.
Peter V’landys, Chief Executive of Racing Australia, knows that something is dreadfully wrong with horse racing in Australia and needs to change. He recently stated, “You will not be relevant unless you address these welfare issues… unless you are willing to change with society you will perish.”
…high profile racing figures are questioning how the sport is being policed. “How did this [doping scandal] happen for so long, what processes were in place that failed the racing industry, failed punters, failed the horses?” – Four Corners
The damage done by the Aquanita doping conspiracy isn’t the only problem facing the industry. The loss of high profile sponsors, the difficulty in attracting racegoers and concerns about animal cruelty have the racing fraternity on edge. – Four Corners
For a small sampling of the MANY cases of horse doping and illegal drugging of racehorses in Australia click here. (We can’t keep up with them all!)
THE RACING INDUSTRY REFERS TO UNWANTED HORSES AS “WASTAGE”
WHEN YOU BET — HORSES DIE
With over 8,500 racehorses going into retirement each year, it’s likely that many of them will end up in one of the 30 knackeries throughout Australia that process horse meat for dog food.
May 2023: Until just recently many were slaughtered at the Merramist Abattoir and the meat was exported for human consumption. As of May 15, 2023, the Merramist Abattoir is not currently processing horses for meat for human consumption. That may or may not change. We’ll keep this page updated with any news.
Although the thoroughbred racing industry in New South Wales announced a ban on sending horses to a knackery to be slaughtered for any purpose in 2017, this only applies to horses in NSW and to horses that are going straight from racing to knackeries.
Often, horses are first moved into the breeding or sporting sectors (which are unregulated) and will then be sold to knackeries. Loopholes are easy to come by.
ABC NEWS 7:30 HORSE RACING EXPOSE
The report (video above) showed footage from hidden cameras of former racehorses being prodded with electric shocks and kicked and states up to 300 thoroughbreds were slaughtered in just 22 days at the Meramist abattoir.
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THE VIDEO ABOVE
This is the sort of material that will shake the [Australian horse racing] industry to the core.
One unidentified horse reportedly required five bolts, and many others can be seen kicking and ‘galloping’ on the grate, creating serious animal welfare issues and dangerous conditions for the workers.
We’re talking about destroying [slaughtering] horses on an industrial level.
I think they [the Australian racing industry] are purposely hiding this from the general public because if they were to know I don’t think we would be getting 100,000 people going to the Melbourne Cup.
SPEAKING OF THE MELBOURNE CUP
7 HORSES DEAD IN 9 MELBOURNE CUPS
‘NATIONAL SENSELESSNESS’: TRAGIC MELBOURNE CUP ‘DISGRACE’ LAID BARE
For all the fanfare and fancy outfits that are synonymous with the Melbourne Cup, there’s a dark side to the race that stops the nation.
Last year Anthony Van Dyck was euthanised after breaking down in the Melbourne Cup, becoming the seventh horse since 2013 to die on Cup Day. There was strong opposition to the 2020 event, with the hashtag #NupToTheCup trending on social media.
In 2019, there were fears for Rostropovich after the gelding pulled up lame on the home straight and limped to the line in last place. The horse suffered a stress fracture to his pelvis but thankfully, made a full recovery. [Read the article here.]
In 2018 Cliffsofmoher had to be euthanised after suffering a fractured shoulder during the Melbourne Cup, sparking a similar outcry.
In 2016, Regal Monarch died after a dramatic mid-race fall.
In 2015, Red Cadeaux broke his left foreleg, was rushed to the vet for surgery and was euthanised some days later.
In 2014, 2 horses died. Admire Rakti collapsed and died in his stall after a race and Araldo broke a leg and was euthanised.
In 2013, Verema was euthanised after snapping a bone in her leg.
Keep in mind that the above statistics do NOT take into account horses who die on the track during other races..
HORSES AREN’T THE ONLY ONES WHO DIE…
More than 870 jockeys have died in race falls in Australia over the last 180 years, according to the Australian Jockeys Association.
April 24, 2023 – Australian jockey Dean Holland has died as a result of injuries sustained after falling during a race at the Donald Racecourse in Victoria on Monday, Racing Victoria said. – Reuters
April 7, 2023 – The mother of Marina Morel, an apprentice jockey crushed to death in a horrific fall at a country NSW racecourse, has called for a public inquest to determine whether more could have been done to prevent the fatal accident. – The Sydney Morning Herald
March 29th, 2023 it was announced that Melbourne Racecourse was fined $250,000 over the death of jockey Mikaela Claridge — so we thought it was important to remind people that within 2 days of Mikaela’s death, yet another young jockey was killed. – The Guardian
APPARENTLY THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT INJURIES & DEATHS ARE…
“WEAK & PRISSY”
Horse trainer Gai Waterhouse is respected and celebrated in the horse racing community.
WATCH THE 1-MINUTE VIDEO AND DECIDE IF YOU THINK THAT RESPECT IS DESERVED.
I can’t stand when I hear that crap about horses being killed… it’s just not what happens. – Gai Waterhhouse
Really Gai, it’s crap that horses die?
It’s just not what happens?
7 horses died in 9 Melbourne Cups and that’s not counting all the other horses who die on and off race tracks in Australia every year.
For example, the DAY BEFORE Gai’s speech on March 30, 2023, Temple of Artemis died on a racetrack, and on March 18, 2023, Florescent Star died on a racetrack.
AND what about the thousands of race horses slaughtered for dog food each and every year?
Sorry, we believe anyone who truly loves horses would not consider them to be “disposable” and would be compassionate about the fact that horses (and jockeys) die.
She is right about one thing, horses are athletes but what she is forgetting is that human athletes get to choose if they compete or not.
Horses are forced to compete, they don’t have a choice.
Accidents happen in any sport…
injuries to legs if you are a footballer… – Gai Waterhouse
Gai conveniently forgets to mention that many injuries to horses’ legs mean their racing career is over and even worse — a broken leg is a death sentence.
OR SHOULD WE SAY HE PLEADS GUILTY YET AGAIN…
Let’s start with a little history about horse trainer Darren Weir — from RACENET.
It includes everything from using banned and abusive “jiggers” on horses, to falsely identifying horses, to having horses test positive for illegal substances, and using abusive language towards a trackwork supervisor.
A more comprehensive list of violations and guilty pleas dating back to 2010 may be found here.
On Wednesday (December 14, 2022), Weir, former assistant trainer Jarrod McLean and stablehand Tyson Kermond fronted the Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court where they pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.
These charges related to the use of a jigger — a small, taser-like device — on three racehorses during the 2018 Spring Racing Carnival.
The possession and use of jiggers is banned in horseracing. – ABC NEWS
CHILDREN KNOW WHIPPING A HORSE IS WRONG
PARENTS ARE CATCHING ON TOO…
CONGRATULATIONS ANTI HORSE RACING ADVOCATES YOUR EFFORTS ARE WORKING
It only takes one parent to object to the headmaster or headmistress that you’re encouraging kids to gamble, and that will shut it down,” he [Giles Thompson] said.
When we could deliver [education programs], it was wildly successful. But you couldn’t get into the schools. Ninety-five per cent of schools would say, ‘we’re not interested,’ and you’d say, ‘why not?’ and they’d say, ‘the parents won’t put up with it’. – Giles Thompson
Parents are afraid of the addictive nature of gambling and understand the widespread social and economic implications – and rightfully so.
I’ve been royally criticised over recent years over the whip debate. And it’s a great example of how, on the one hand, racing wants to engage with a younger generation and a younger demographic, and it’s about perception of the sport, when it’s that demographic – the 12-year-old – who doesn’t understand why a horse has to be whipped in a race,.. – Giles Thompson
Just like humans, horses can feel a fly land on their skin, so you can imagine their pain when they’re repeatedly whipped.
Anyone who has watched a horse being whipped to the finish line knows that the whippings endured are NOT light taps. Far from it.
Horses used for racing in Australia can be legally whipped 18 times per race…
We think even one strike is one too many. If horses truly love to race – why do they have to be whipped?
The RSPCA says whips should be banned in Australian racing and has lobbied for years for the trial of races where the whip cannot be used for performance-enhancing purposes. Read more including a study that compared 126 “whipping-permitted” and “whipping-free” races in the UK and found no difference in movement on course, interference on course, incidents related to jockey behaviour, or race finishing times.
Whips don’t make races faster, fairer or safer.
IT’S TIME FOR THE AUSTRALIAN RACING INDUSTRY TO BAN TONGUE TIES
Many Australians don’t know about the use of ‘tongue-ties’ – a tight strap that ties a horse’s tongue to their jaw in an attempt to prevent them ‘choking’ or avoiding the bit when it causes discomfort. Tongue ties are uncomfortable and distressing to the horse, are used without any requirement for veterinary diagnosis, and there’s little or no evidence that their use is effective or of any benefit. – RSPCA
EVEN RACING FANS ARE APPALLED BY TONGUE TIE USE
Recently we were shocked to see the picture of a trainer with a horse with a tongue tie published in a wide variety of publications in Australia INCLUDING but not limited to… NEWS.com.au | Herald Sun and on a racing industry website Punters.
Apparently we weren’t the only ones who were shocked – as you can see by the comments from racing fans who were shocked and appalled.
Many people find this practice barbaric and untenable because it is akin to a tourniquet and can cause lasting damage to the tongue.
In one case, a tongue tie was left on My Cousin James by trainer Steve Phelps, resulting in…
HIS TONGUE BECOMING NECROTIC AND REQUIRING PARTIAL AMPUTATION. – Racing NSW
As reported by HORSETALK.co.nz a pilot study on the use of tongue ties in racing shows there can be complications from the use of tongue-ties and…
That concerns about the effect of tongue-ties on equine welfare have led to their use being banned in equestrian disciplines under the umbrella of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) (including in show jumping and dressage) since 2004 and, for racing in Germany since 2018.
More recently, Racing Australia banned the use of nylon stocking tongue-ties in Thoroughbred racing, although other materials are still allowed.
Are you using social media to advocate for improvements to -- or the banning of horse racing in Australia?
We encourage you to use the hashtags listed and more - including for example #racingtips #horseracing #banhorseracing and #melbournecup
By the way, we love keyboard warriors - your efforts are extremely valuable and greatly appreciated.