Not a good look from a very experienced driver, surely the stewards must have said something, the horse was gone a long way from home.
Watch this, in particular from just before they enter the straight all the way through to the line. http://www.trotstv.com.au/?id=5631 The horse that ends up finishing last in the Trial copped somewhere between 30 & 35 whip shots (tried counting them) from around about the entrance to the stretch & the shadows of the post. The stretch is 350m long. Inside the final furlong, unless my eyes deceive me, it wore some well & truly heavy ones and it wore them in rapid succession. Interested to hear what this Forum's resident animal welfare advocates think of that effort.
I'm guessing I'll not hear much because someone opening up on a horse like that in a Trial doesn't have quite the same air of intrigue & skullduggery that their chosen subject of drug cheats and anti-therapeutics does. Yesterday was just a damned Trial. That was shameful, absolutely bloody shameful.
Last edited by Triple V; 08-08-2012 at 07:33 PM. Reason: spelling
Not a good look from a very experienced driver, surely the stewards must have said something, the horse was gone a long way from home.
Yesterday's stewards report has the driver copping a $200 fine for his trouble...
A $200 fine? For a blatant beat down of a horse? Manifestly inadequate.
Absolute bloody disgrace should have been double the fine and a holiday.
Have whoever you want on but don't ever have yourself on
A guy in Newcastle got 6 mths for flogging his horse like that in a trial, quite some time ago but the same should apply here.
I have sent all the information possible on to the RSPCA & awaiting their reply.
Thanks Jaimie for making us aware of this disgusting event, how would the driver like the same treatment.......
Trish
G'day Trish,
In a sense that's unfortunate because it could so easily lead to a real mess and another black eye for the Industry. That being said I think it's also reasonable to suggest Mr. Cable had every opportunity to get on the front foot, deal with this on the spot, in house and strongly by of handing out more than that which effectively amounted to a mere slap on the wrist. Not good enough. Not by a long shot.
If nothing else, the public mood/view to which Dot & others have often referred was completely misjudged as far as this sort of thing is concerned. Nobody's going to cop seeing a horse beaten, racehorse or otherwise.
To hark back to part of an earlier topic, the use of registered equine therapeutics and so on will not get the animal welfare lobby marching on State Parliament but this kind of crap however...it will.
If we as an Industry don't look after our own business then we will most certainly have our business looked after for us. It's that simple. We either self regulate or we will be regulated.
Good on ya lads...I HATE THIS SORT OF SHIT !!!..Cruelty & blatant lack of respect for animals that try their best are 2 of the main reasons why Im seriously thinking of hanging up the hopples & dusting off the riding gear
I can do as I please Geoff & I have. The RSPCA are the only ones capable of doing something about this sort of abuse & the stewards had their chance & pray tell what did they do ... A $200 fine does not cut it.
The World Horse Welfare Association were present at all olympic equestrian events Geoff, Im sure the horses were treated more humanaly that the thousands that go through the doggers yards every year from the racing industry.
Don't you dare put the morals of the equestrian trainers & riders in the same cateragory as the racing industry. The racing industry does not compare with their standard.
Trish