Media release – Animals Tasmania, 11 February 2024
Horse Racing is Horse Abuse
Passionate people will gather at the Hobart Cup today to remind passers-by that horse racing equals horse suffering. Animals Tasmania are joining with the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, the Animal Justice Party, Brightside Farm Sanctuary and Animal Liberation Tasmania to highlight the plight of racehorses.
“Horses are being exploited every time they are made to race,” said Animals Tasmania spokesperson Chris Simcox, “Sure they like to run, if and when it suits them, and they have the space to do so. But not with a human on their back, and to be pushed to go as fast as they can.”
This happens every time an event like the Hobart Cup is run. Horses are pushed beyond normal levels of endurance, time and again. In training, and during races.
“The result is that injuries often occur,” said Mr Simcox.
“The way the industry operates, an injury leads to an early death for a racehorse. A serious injury likely means an immediate death. Minor injuries may lead to long-term problems for a horse. They may be ‘discarded’, like the many racehorses ‘not up to standard’, and will probably end up at a knackery.”
