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Does this sound familiar......
John Kelleher (Verified User) Posts 225 Dogs 1 / Races 0 16 Aug 2019 17:18
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Theres nowt quite as stubborn and stuffy as horse-racing folk when it comes to change, or even discussing the necessity or urgency of same. Two compelling topics now loom for what is in many countries an industry that directly employs many, in addition to a disparate but dependent eco-system of small-time breeders and myriad suppliers. On this side of the Atlantic, the pressing issue stems from use of the whip behind the saddle (i.e. on the horses hindquarters), which has all the makings of a controversy just waiting to be fanned into flames by animal-rights groups. In the USA, its the very high levels of fatal accidents to animals on racetracks especially in California where groups like Peta are fundamentally and ideologically anti-racing. In a world where millenials and legion snowflakes (henceforth, milleflakes) will undoubtedly inherit the demographic future, racing folk are like a set of ostriches, heads buried in a variety of all-weather track surfaces. Brief and limited experiments in restricting the use of whips in European racing already indicate that much present use of the stick is excessive and unnecessary. An accidental case in point was the brilliant finish to the King George at Ascot recently in which neither Frankie Dettori nor James Doyle had even the slightest recourse to the whip despite both jockeys needing to extract every last ounce of effort from their mounts: hands n heels urging sufficed. Now, there is no arguing against one indubitable fact of horse-control life: riders do need to carry whips to help steer or direct the animal in terms of its direction and for safety purposes or correction as can be seen on any early-morning gallops when virtually every last member of stable staff will carry a stick, but will virtually never apply the whip to the rear-quarters during such exercising. Across the pond, where its estimated that a half-million people depend on horseracing for a living, the alarm bells are clanging. The problem is three-fold: too many horses are dying on the racetracks; far too many are sent on to be slaughtered, and too many drugs are administered with inadequate regulatory enforcement or oversight. In California, where nearly 20,000 jobs are supported by horseracing, some 30 horses died during the Santa Anita tracks last season, and the animal-rights lobby is in full cry. One of them, April Montgomery, said in May that the state would end the sport at the ballot box, nor would it stop at the west coast: Were going to end it, and its going to start with California. Down Kentucky way, there have been similarly disastrous injury rates in recent years at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. A fatuous fatalism, or perhaps an inability to think beyond the traditional, has left the industry Stateside very vulnerable to changes that will become forced upon it unless it moves and quickly. Three years ago, the Del Mar track north of San Diego instituted reforms that quickly cut swathes through the fatal injuries stats; Santa Anita carried blithely on as before. In Britain, the authorities are foxier at times (albeit not on the whip, thus far). As fatalities mounted at Aintree, they gradually took some of the sting out of the severity of the Grand National fences, and the attrition rate declined pretty much ahead of public opprobrium. This springs Cheltenham national hunt chase, admittedly run on unseasonably soft ground, produced an ugly end when only four of the 18 starters finished, and three jockeys were fined for whip abuse. The 6km race has now been reduced by 400m, two fences have been dropped and entry requirements have been stiffened. Smart. In England, the Telegraphs Charlie Brooks remains in no doubt that the milleflakes will soon inherit the worlds purse-strings and voting levers. Hes also clear that striking a horses hindquarters with the whip during flat races especially on tv! must simply be outlawed forthwith. He cites, disapprovingly, trainer Mark Johnston who has become something of poster boy for use of the whip to impel a horse to run faster. Brooks summarised such antediluvian views, which are typical of traditionalists: If they had all been on the Titanic, they would have been arguing about their bar bills after they had struck the iceberg
Author : Niall Kiely { Social Commentator}
Bruce Teague Australia (Verified User) Posts 2092 Dogs 0 / Races 0 16 Aug 2019 22:39
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I am not quite sure why this is on a greyhound site and I am certainly no expert on horses. Still, the quoted message and the figures are appalling even though jumps and steeplechases are much less common in Australia. It suggests that racing traditions are running well behind community standards.
That lesson was plain after the attempted ban on greyhound racing in NSW (and a successful ban in the ACT). They were both right and wrong. Right because the Premier correctly saw a majority of voters with a neutral or negative view of greyhounds. Wrong because he did it unfairly and often with incorrect evidence.
The real problem is that we live in a world where minority groups effectively rule. 45% of people vote one way and 45% another, leaving the remaining 10% to decide the fate of the nation. In Canberra, Labor did not care much one way or another about greyhounds but the minority Greens did and insisted on a ban if Labor wanted their votes in a coalition. They got their wish.
Premier Baird had a personal problem with greyhounds, but so do a great many voters albeit mostly because they have not touched one and do not understand their nature, history and unique capabilities.
Unless we correct that situation, the sport will continue to struggle, irrespective of cash from mugs in pubs. Arguably, it is why we have long since run out of dogs.
Its a PR challenge. You have to whip them into shape.
John Kelleher (Verified User) Posts 225 Dogs 1 / Races 0 17 Aug 2019 05:09
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Let me tell you Bruce why its on a Greyhound site from an Irish perspective .
Because our industry is holding at bay an all out attack on horse racing . We are even funded from the same pot.
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