Horse Canute Killed After Racing at Royal Ascot
Horse racing is a shameful and deadly spectacle, as Royal Ascot has demonstrated once again this week.
Canute was killed after sustaining fatal injuries during the last day of the racing event.
Since 2013, 30 horses have been pushed beyond breaking point and died in jumps and flat races at Ascot. The causes of death include fractured pasterns, fetlocks, cannon bones, pelvises, and legs.
Instead of acknowledging the immense suffering that horses are forced to endure at Ascot, race managers view fatalities as side effects of training and competition.
The racing industry is dangerous and deadly for horses. Over 2,500 horses have died in UK horse racing events since 2007 – from heart attacks, shattered bones, and other injuries.
Just how many more horses have to die before horse racing is put out to pasture once and for all? Horses are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent animals who shouldn’t be made to suffer and die for entertainment.
Abuse on and off the Track
Jockeys whip horses to push them to their physical and psychological limits. Imagine being pushed beyond the point of exhaustion: the bones in your legs straining to hold up the weight of your body, your bleeding lungs incapable of taking in enough air, and you’re forced to keep running despite it all. This is what life is like for these horses.
Making horses risk their lives on the racetrack is wrong, regardless of their age. But it’s especially heartbreaking to learn that these animals are commonly forced to begin racing when they’re barely more than babies and their bodies are especially prone to damage. It’s hardly surprising, then, that injuries, lameness, and exhaustion are common.
‘Retired’ to the Abattoir
When horses used for racing become too old or stop performing well enough to be profitable, they’re are often discarded like used betting slips. Approximately 1,000 horses from the industry are killed in abattoirs in the UK every year and turned into dog food or cheap meat, while others face horrific live-export journeys to Europe.
Never Bet on Horses
Royal Ascot is enormously profitable for horse owners, jockeys, and trainers – and motivated by increasing their wealth, they often disregard horses’ health and well-being.
You can help protect horses: urge all your friends and colleagues to boycott Royal Ascot and all other horse races.
If they want to bet, they can put their money on a football match, Formula 1, or any other sport where the participants are consenting athletes, not exploited animals.
Take Action
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