Ever wondered what happens to all the nags at Newmarket after they have got too old?
Shocking stuff really, I am so glad I don’t bet…
I’ve got nothing whatsoever against normal equestrianism (other than it being a hard word to spell) but horse-racing seems like exploitation at every corner; living creatures being ragged into horsemeat to make fat rich people fatter and richer; whilst idealistic youths are also exploited and paid a pittance to look after the horses or ride them (I did wonder once about becoming a jockey when I was younger – I’m the right height for it (i.e short…) )
The slaughtered horses that shame our racing
An undercover Observer investigation has revealed the shocking fate of thousands of British racehorses. Now campaigners want new laws to govern the sport
Antony Barnett
Sunday October 1, 2006
The Observer
It is known as ‘the sport of kings’, full of glamour, effort and thrilling competition. But few of the thoroughbred racehorses that gallop their elegant way around the racecourses of Britain every week are left to see out their days grazing in golden pastures.
For thousands of British thoroughbreds that are too old, too slow or not good enough jumpers, the end is brutal: a bullet through the temple or a metal bolt into the side of the brain. Then their carcasses are loaded on to freezer lorries and driven to France, where their flesh is sold as gourmet meat.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1884945,00.html
