Horse Star Safari Killed After Racing at Royal Ascot
Racing horses often leads to injuries and death, and the Royal Ascot has only demonstrated that once again this week. Star Safari was killed after sustaining serious fetlock injuries during the first day of the racing event.
Over the past decade, 28 horses have been pushed to the 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.
Read more here to learn six things they don’t tell you about Royal Ascot.
Abuse on and off the Track
Horses should be roaming free in fields and given food, shelter, water, and love. Instead, jockeys whip them to push them to their physical and psychological limits. Almost every single year at Royal Ascot, riders breach the rules regarding whips and the horses endure severe beatings.
Making horses risk their lives on the racetrack is wrong, regardless of their age. But it’s especially heart-breaking 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.
©Liss Ralston
‘Retired’ to the Abattoir
When horses used for racing become too old or stop performing well enough to be profitable, they’re often sent to slaughter. 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.
What You Can Do
Never bet on horses. Royal Ascot rewards its winners – including horse owners, jockeys, and trainers – with mammoth sums of money. Motivated by increasing their wealth, they often totally 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.
Head to our action page and help horses in six quick steps:
