It’s 2026 and yet we live in such an outdated world… I’m sure that’s already an obvious statement to make but let me add some context.
I was wondering how to start writing this blog - I think I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I struggle most with creating enticing opening paragraphs, but once I get into the flow of writing, I can write endlessly. Anyway, I wanted to begin by acknowledging the time of year, which made me question why the UK’s biggest horse racing festivals, such as Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, are held around this time of year. The answer may be obvious to some, and though I’ve done extensive research on so many animal rights topics, this isn’t something I’ve really thought about and researched until now.
Well, both horse racing events mentioned above are part of the “National Hunt” racing calendar, and are held during the spring months, with Cheltenham Festival usually happening at the beginning of spring, and the Grand National typically being held in April. The latter of which being a “celebration” of the end of the “National Hunt” season, which I suppose is part of the reason why it attracts so many spectators.
And yes, as you might have inferred from the name, National Hunt racing has links to the hunting industry… because of course it does - of course these two completely outdated “sports” which both exploit animals (horses in particular) are linked. I’m not surprised in the slightest. If anything, I’m just more enraged by both industries and the fact so many people are complicit with both animal racing and hunting.
In fact, many point-to-point racing events (a form of horse racing which acts as a “proving ground” for the next generation of National Hunt horses) have been exposed by animal rights organisations for fundraising hunts… so spectators who’ve supported these racing events have been unknowingly (or knowingly, for that matter) directly giving their money to fund and support the killing of wildlife!! It’s disgusting.
So while these events are decorated and depicted as being extravagant, social events which make for exciting family days out, they’re actually disguising their complicit and positive attitudes towards the barbaric nature of hunting.
Now, I assumed there would be a link between the two before I even did the digging to understand why - after all, both “industries” use horses as nothing more than tools, and then dispose of them when they acquire an injury, get too old, or don’t show enough skill or obedience to be deemed useful. But knowing these historic roots in more depth now makes me despise both industries even more… and I already loathed them to what I believed was the maximum amount!
However, this blog post isn’t about hunting - I’ve already spoken a fair amount about that in my two previous blog posts… so if you’re interested to learn more, please feel free to check them out. This month, I want to focus on horse racing specifically, and by doing so, I intend to debunk many of the pro-racing myths surrounding it… because there’s a lot to disprove!
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Today I’ll be discussing and discrediting the main pro-racing rhetoric I’ve seen, those same old phrases which are continuously repeated by pro-racers because they’re apparently incapable of producing any unique arguments… if you’re a passionate anti-racing advocate, like me, I’m sure you’ll be familiar with the majority, if not all of them.
And unsurprisingly, those repeatedly spouted arguments are pretty easy to dispute! So let’s begin…
Note: A lot of these points can also be used to debunk the pro-racing justifications for greyhound racing too, but I’ll only be mentioning horses this time (there’ll be many future blog posts about how much I hate greyhound racing to come so don’t worry about that).
- ”The horses are born to race” : Nope, thoroughbreds have been selectively bred by humans for racing, because that’s the “purpose” which was chosen for them. Selective breeding and extensive training is what makes them “designed” for racing, but they do not have a natural or instinctual desire to race, nor do they even understand what a race is. A more accurate statement would be to say they’re “born to run”, because like all horses, they inarguably enjoy running. However, there is a huge difference between a horse running in a field for fun, compared to a horse being pushed to their limits to run at unnaturally high speeds over long distances. The only times where a horse may naturally run at such speeds is when they’re scared or in danger.
- “Racehorses are treated like royalty” : Oh, that old chestnut… I’m sure you’ve never heard that one before, right? Isn’t it a strange argument to make when there’s literally no record of anyone royal ever being forced to race around a track at dangerous speeds or jump over life-threateningly risky hurdles, where there’s a serious risk of collapsing or snapping a neck. I’ve personally never witnessed anyone royal with a jockey on their back, whipping and pushing them to beyond their limits, urging them to run at dangerously exerting speeds, often leading to cardiac problems and even death. Have any members of the royal family, present or historic, ever been killed after sustaining an injury, such as a broken leg? Do any members of the royal family face the risk of slaughter upon retirement? Are they often forced to flat race from the age of two, and jump from the age of three, despite their bones not being fully developed until they’re at least six years old, thereby increasing the risk of injury and illness? Made to wear invasive and painful equipment so they can be easily controlled and dominated? Forced to live on an intensely specialised diet to increase their performance, also increasing the risk of gastric ulcers and colic? Are they confined to their stables for up to twenty-two/three hours a day, often resulting in stereotypic behaviour due to boredom, stress and a lack of social interaction? Used as breeding machines to produce the next generation of “athletes”? Disposed of if they’re deemed “not good enough” when born, or during the early stages of their training? Knowing this is the reality for the vast majority of racehorses is heartbreaking. Tell me, would you consider this being treated like royalty?
- ”You can’t force horses to race” : So, who’s the fella with the whip sitting on the horse’s back and what’s their purpose? Now, I can see where this argument could be used to support greyhound racing (but even then it can still be debunked since reinforcing a dog’s natural instinct to chase, and training them to do it automatically in certain environments is an indirect way of forcing them to race) but how this is even an argument in support of horse racing is beyond me. Not only do racehorses carry jockeys, who are responsible for motivating and controlling the horses, they’ve been put through extensive training and conditioned to automatically run in certain situations - automatism. They’re not racing because they want to, but because they’ve learnt it’s what they’re supposed to be doing. Horses are also incredibly intelligent animals and will respond to negative reinforcement - thereby learning to obey because it’s easier to do that than suffer the painful consequences. They’re made to wear invasive and painful equipment to facilitate in controlling them, and for races which use starting gates/stalls, racehorses often panic due to their natural fear of being trapped and confined in tight spaces, often resulting in the horses “fighting” to avoid the stall and several handlers forcing them in against their will instead. How is this not forcing a horse to race?
- “Horses can just as easily sustain injuries/get sick/die in a paddock or stable” : You absolutely cannot compare this to horse racing whatsoever. Firstly, there’s an incredibly clear difference between a horse sustaining an accidental injury or getting an illness in a paddock or stable, to a horse being purposely entered into a high risk situation, where everyone but the horse knows of the dangers, the likelihood of injury, and the possibility of death. Secondly, there’s a big difference in the way in which pet horses are treated compared to racehorses; if a pet horse acquires an injury or becomes ill, they‘ll be looked after, cared for, and treated by those who love them, alongside trusted veterinarians. To put it simply, they would try everything to help the horse recover, and euthanasia would be a last resort if nothing else can be done. On the other hand, if a racehorse acquires an injury (which often happens directly on the track), they won’t be treated. More often than not, they’ll be euthanised or sent to slaughter. The best case scenario is being sent to “retirement”, but an easy life after racing isn’t a guarantee - and imagine losing the only life you’ve ever known, whether it was good or bad, all because you’re supposedly not good enough to keep anymore. Welfare and wellbeing are top priority for pet horses, but for racehorses this is absolutely not the case… instead replaced by greed and gambling.
- ”The whip doesn’t hurt” : Do you know how sensitive a horse’s skin is? The surface layer of their skin is densely packed with nerves which allow them to feel the lightest of touches and pressures to incredibly acute levels. Horses are even capable of feeling a tiny fly landing anywhere on their body! Additionally, thoroughbreds in particular usually have thinner skin, making them even more sensitive to touch. The rules and regulations for using whips in racing have changed in recent years, with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) introducing stricter limits on its use and disqualifications, penalties, and suspensions for jockeys who exceed the limit of strikes. They also changed the whips themselves, making them cushioned, padded and of a specific weight, in addition to altering how the whips are held and thereby used, supposedly making them more of a motivational tool than one of punishment. Yet, I must question why there’s so many rules about the use of whips if they apparently don’t hurt the horses? If a horse’s skin is sensitive enough to feel a tiny fly anywhere on the body, they can definitely feel the whip - and even if it doesn’t hurt, it surely feels uncomfortable at the very least. No animal likes being hit with something. And regardless of whether the human intention of whipping is to motivate or to punish, an animal raised with negative reinforcement as a training method is more than likely going to perceive being hit with something as a punishment for incorrect or disobedient behaviour, explaining why they will run faster when whipped. I think it’s a fair statement to say the rules are just for show - to convince those who may be concerned about the horses’ welfare that they needn’t be… to ask no more questions and continue being complicit in the mistreatment and exploitation of horses.
- ”The horses often continue racing even if the jockey falls off” : Horses are herd animals by nature; if one horse runs, they all run… it’s literally their instinctual behaviour and desire to stay with other horses for safety. Another explanation is that racehorses undergo extensive training which conditions them into running automatically, especially when they’re already doing so - again, automatism. A further reason is that even when the jockeys fall off, the horses are still in the momentum and rhythm of running at high speeds; it would be difficult for them to immediately stop running. To put it simply, they don’t continue running because they’re merely enjoying the thrill of the race, as so many pro-racers seem to narrow-mindedly believe.
- “Without racing, the horses would never have been born and if racing is banned, the breed will go extinct” : This is a completely ridiculous statement in all honestly. Firstly, if the horses had never been born in the first place, they wouldn’t know any different. Secondly, I’d argue that in a world where you’re born to undergo intensive training at such a young age (an age where you’re not even physically developed/mature enough to safely perform said training), forced to endure a life of confinement for the majority of your days, made to eat a diet that increases your risk of stomach illnesses, have no choice but to wear uncomfortable equipment to prevent your own autonomy and to make you easier to control, forced to push yourself to dangerous limits, being used and exploited so other people can earn/win money, and all of that just to be euthanised for acquiring an injury or illness, or sent to slaughter for no longer being useful enough, or even given away to someone else, leaving the only life and people you’ve ever known, simply because you’re too old or not good enough anymore… in a world like that, I’d rather have never been born. What kind of life is that? It’s definitely not one I’d want. The end of racing would be good for horses, not bad, preventing them from enduring the life I’ve just described. The massive overbreeding of thoroughbreds would end. The unnecessary and avoidable deaths/injuries would end. Yeah, there might be less thoroughbreds in the world than there were before - and I highly doubt they’d go “extinct” as the pro-racers like to proclaim - but if you actually cared about horses, you’d be glad for at least no more would be being subjected to the misery of racing.
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So there you have it - several pro-racing arguments I’ve come across a countless number of times… and all of them discredited because there’s simply no excuse for animal exploitation.
Unfortunately, despite how much I’ve rambled on about the cruelty of horse racing, it’s merely just the surface of it… there’s so much more I could go into detail about, but doing so would easily double the length of this blog post and I fear it’s long enough already.
Instead, I’ll finish by mentioning the fact that last month, four horses died at Cheltenham Festival - two of which died on the last day of the event. For one horse, Envoi Allen, this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup was supposed to be his last race before the promise of a well deserved “retirement”. He collapsed after the race, and it’s been said that he “almost certainly” had a “very acute cardiovascular collapse”. According to an interview after Envoi Allen’s collapse, Richard Thompson, the director of thoroughbred stud farm, Cheveley Park Stud, referred to Envoi Allen as being “an incredible servant” - which just tells you everything you need to know about how anyone involved in the racing industry thinks of the animals they exploit. These wonderful animals are not “servants” and they shouldn’t be used for our own benefit and then disposed of due to the consequences of our own actions and the unnecessary suffering we inflict upon them. There is nothing you can say to justify it. Nothing. Envoi Allen didn’t even get to enjoy the “retirement” he was promised.
The four deaths at this year’s event bring the total number of deaths at Cheltenham Festival to 82 horses since the year 2000.
This year’s Grand National is set to go ahead on Saturday 11th April at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool… unfortunately I live close enough to the area that so many people around and within my home village disappointingly support it… I can only hope that no horses are harmed or killed this year, though the nature of this racecourse is incredibly challenging, being regarded as one of the most dangerous horse races in the world… so the chances of that are slim.
If you care about horses and animals in general, I advise you to not attend any horse racing events, any events linked to horse racing, nor to place any bets - do not give your money to this industry, which not only reinforces the demand to continue breeding, mistreating and exploiting horses, but also funds other cruel industries, such as hunting groups (which I briefly mentioned at the start of this post).
Hopefully, one day at some point in the future, this cruelty will be put out of its misery.
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Thank you for reading this month’s blog post and I hope I’ve encouraged you to join the movement (if you’re not involved already) in protecting animals, such as horses, from the barbaric racing industry. I’m so grateful to anyone who spared a few minutes of their time to read and hopefully learn about it - all the support is hugely appreciated!!
Farewell for now!
Do you want to show your support for horses and your anti-racing views? Why not purchase one of my anti-horse racing badges? They make bold and fun animal-rights orientated accessories to showcase your loathing for the racing industry and your love for these sensitive and intelligent animals!
