Grand National protests and racehorse welfare: Where do we go from here?
- Andrew of Fiosrach
- 19 April 2023
Following events at this year’s Grand National, racing analyst Andrew of Fiosrach offers his personal insight that questions the protesters’ reasoning and examines the consequences of their actions.
As many of you will have seen, the Grand National was delayed by the actions of Animal Rising, an animal rights protest group.
A number of racing pundits have suggested their actions may have led to an increased number of falls in the big race, in which Hill Sixteen sadly passed away.
Sandy Thomson, the trainer of Hill Sixteen, gave an interview in which he blamed the passing of his horse after a fall at the first on the protestors' actions.
'It was totally frenetic and that relays to the horses. Hill Sixteen had never previously made a mistake around Aintree and jumped around the track twice.'
He also said, 'They were only there to get themselves on telly, and they've done that. Animal Rising are not actually about animal welfare.'
To expand on Thomson's comments about Hill Sixteen having never made a mistake around Aintree before, it's worth noting that he had run over fences twenty times before and never fell, so you can have sympathy with Sandy's comments.
I personally wonder if the protestors would have a different view were they to spend time at a stable and see the amount of time, money and care that goes into animal welfare, and the exceptionally warm and caring environment they're provided with.
I myself have visited the yards of Paul Nicholls, Willie Mullins and Micky Hammond. The conditions are incredible. There are people all around the UK who don't experience living conditions like theirs.
The average cost to train, house, feed and look after a racehorse is usually in excess of £15,000 and will cover:
On top of that:
When all is said and done, it will cost in excess of £20,000 per year just to train and care for a single horse.
According to the British Horseracing Authority, there are approximately 14,000 racehorses in training in the United Kingdom. Roughly, that equates to £210,000,000 spent on training fees, and £70,000,000 on additional costs.
That makes horse racing as an industry directly responsible for thousands of jobs, benefitting people from a number of sectors. Drivers, veterinarians, cleaners.
You also have the vast number of people who contribute to people being able to attend horse racing meets, eat and drink, to be able to place bets and buy memorabilia.
The impact that horse racing has on employment and the economy can't be understated.
But, above all, this is about the horses. Any loss of life is tragic, whether it's a human, a horse, or any other animal. A racehorse is a happy animal.
If a horse didn't want to race, there's no cajoling the jockey can do to make them go forward, so they do have a say in the matter.
When a horse falls or unseats its rider, in most instances it will happily continue to run after its fellow horses and jump the fences.
Why? Because that is what a thoroughbred horse is genetically built to do. A thoroughbred is known for its speed, agility and spirit.
Let's go back to the hypothetical idea that all horse racing is scrapped. It's no longer a thing.
What do we do with the 14,000 horses around the country that are built for this job and this lifestyle?
Will Animal Rising be able to fund enough land, feed and suitable living conditions for 14,000 horses? Can they cover the vets' bills required to cater for those horses that will injure themselves when playing?
It runs the risk of creating a complex scenario in which the horses could be put at a much greater risk than if things were left just as they are.
So, perhaps horse racing can continue with all the elements that are currently in place to safeguard the well-being of horses.
Whilst I can't emphasise enough how sad the loss of any horse is, perhaps we all accept that a relatively small number of fatalities will occur, but these are well-looked-after animals living a happier, healthier life than the alternative options.
