- [email protected]
- National Animal Rights Association, Suite 10684, 26/27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, D02 X361.
Horse Racing
15,000 horses are bred every year, between Ireland and the U.K., for the racing industry.
Of the thousands bred every year for this cruel industry, only a third of these horses make it on to become racers.
Most are killed if they are of no use to the industry, and hundreds of horses that do actually become racers die, or are killed, during the course of a race.
Even successful race horses are slaughtered, when they are no longer profitable to their “owners”.
Most horses start ‘flat’ racing, which is sprinting along a course without fences, at the age of 2. Horses don’t reach full physical maturity until they are about 5 years of age. Which means that racing 2 year olds places enormous pressure on their underdeveloped limbs.
The Irish government continues to give the horse racing industry 67 million of tax-payers money every year.
The extent of stress suffered by modern performance horses can be gauged by the incidence of a condition called ‘exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage’
(EIPH) which results in bleeding from the lungs during strenuous exercise. Some horses bleed severely and regularly, with blood leaking from their nostrils. Fifty-five per cent of flat race horses suffer the condition, increasing to 82% in horses aged 4 years and older.
Horses that make it to the age of 6 are ‘progressed’ to chasing, first in ‘novice races’. These can cause an intolerably high percentage of falls, injuries and fatalities.
Those who survive serious injury can be expected to run at least a dozen races a year until they reach the age of 13. Around 5,000 racehorses end their careers every year. Many are owned by businesses or individuals who do not wish to provide for animals who can no longer provide a day’s fun or the possibility of financial recompense. Concern for their welfare is non-existent.
Jockeys use a whip to make horses run faster or to keep them running when they tire.
Frequently, jockeys receive a ban from riding for a day or two when they have used the whip excessively. Yet even when a ban is imposed, the race positions are not changed when a whipped horse has run.
What happens to “retired” race horses? Or the many who just “aren’t good enough” to race? Most are sent to Horse Abattoirs, where they are slaughtered for the meat trade.
Others are exported to other countries to be killed – a trade which has been operating on an on-going basis for years. It operates with no controls and involves the systematic export of live horses from Ireland in a way that is cruel and ignores EU Legislation.
Some even end up in laboratories, where they are used in live experiments.
BAN HORSE RACING NOW!
So, what are we doing about it?
Protests
Over the years we have protested dozens of restaurants serving foie gras - and had huge success in getting them to eliminate it from their menus. If you find any restaurant serving foie gras, please let us know so we can get in touch with them immediately.
Awarness
Seen as a "luxury" item, foie gras isn't that widespread in Ireland, and therefore some people are unaware of what it is. If you see it for sale anywhere, please make a complaint - the more objections businesses get, the less inclined they are to sell it!
Lobbying
Foie gras is illegal to produce in Ireland, on grounds of animal cruelty, so why do we import it? It's time to campaign for an import ban - please lobby your local TD!
NARA is a legal, grassroots level organisation that only operates within the law. Information on this website is for the purpose of legal protest and information only. It should not be used to commit any criminal acts or harassment. NARA is not affiliated to any other animal rights group. NARA has no links or involvement with the Animal Liberation Front or the Animal Rights Militia. Any articles published on this web site relating to illegal activities are posted for the sole reason of publishing news related to animal rights, and are not intended to incite or encourage similar acts.
We have various campaigns running at any one time. Please click to learn about more issues!
CONTACT
- [email protected]
- National Animal Rights Association, Suite 10684, 26/27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, D02 X361.
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