The Cheltenham Festival is facing a backlash from everyone who loves horses
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT THAT MAY UPSET THE READER
A campaign on social media is taking aim at the Cheltenham Festival of horse racing. Its message is a clear one: #YouBetTheyDie. And it’s timely as two horses were killed on day one.
You bet they die. And they do
#YouBetTheyDie originated from a campaign against greyhound racing. It has some stark facts about horse racing:
Yet again @BBCRadio4 discussed #horseracing extensively on the @BBCr4today – will they mention the horses killed at Cheltenham in the morning?#YouBetTheyDie
The pro racing #BBC disgust me pic.twitter.com/lvpTBC8DU5— You Bet They Die (@YouBetTheyDie) March 14, 2018
So amid the Cheltenham Festival, people have been using the hashtag to highlight their concerns over horse racing:
Read on...
Support us and go ad-free
Two horses have already died on day one of the #CheltenhamFestival
Mossback and Report to Base both only 6 years old were put down after falls.
RETWEET if you agree that the cruelty suffered by these horses must stop.#YouBetTheyDiehttps://t.co/vReB6L72Y1 pic.twitter.com/8QHwkbwjgw— Labour Animal Rights (@LabourAnimalRG) March 15, 2018
I know! Panic! Broken leg, He'll have to be put down. Oh, no – it's OK. That's just the horses. Phew. #YouBetTheyDie #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Cwqa9AGJvH
— Madeleine Anderson (@TheAgentMaddi) March 15, 2018
Broken backs, heart attacks, broken legs, bolt gun in the head: just another day at the races?. 2 horses died @CheltenhamRaces day 1 yesterday. Please sign & share petition for new independent body to stop horseracing suffering #YouBetTheyDie https://t.co/Y7MZcFIXu2 pic.twitter.com/Am4AuqfsEE
— HSI United Kingdom (@HSIUKorg) March 14, 2018
As the campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) noted, four horses died during the 2017 Cheltenham Festival. 12 died at the course across the whole year. It says of horse racing:
Horses used in races are subjected to painful whipping in order to force them to run faster and jump higher than they naturally would. The stress on their bodies can lead to debilitating medical conditions, including bleeding lungs and gastric ulcers. Many are first raced when they are too young and haven’t fully developed, increasing the risk of injury and illness.
A short film from the group Animal Aid perhaps sums the situation up best:
Telling of society?
But these kinds of images don’t seem to put people off: attendance at race courses in 2015 stood [pdf, p6] at 6.1 million, up over 5% year-on-year. But as one social media user pointed out:
When you bet on horse racing you’re funding the torture and death of these animals and placing your own temporary entertainment above their lives #youbettheydie https://t.co/AulRmjBP3v
— Katie Pearce (@KatieeePearce) March 16, 2018
It is perhaps of little wonder that we live in a society where homeless people are allowed to die on our streets, and disabled people are subject to “grave” and “systematic” violations of their human rights. Because when we allow animals to be treated in this manner, how can we expect much better for others that the establishment class deem to be below them?
Get Involved!
– Sign the petition to introduce a new, regulatory body for horse racing.
– Support Animal Aid.
Featured image via Anneka Svenska/YouTube
Support us and go ad-freeWe know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
