Cheltenham 2022 Death Toll Rises to Four
Shallwehaveonemore, Born Patriot, Mindsmadeup, and Ginto have all died at the Cheltenham Festival this year.
BREAKING:
Shallwehaveonemore is the first horse to die at the #CheltenhamFestival2022 this year, following a fatal injury 💔 #youbettheydie pic.twitter.com/lgqhpMSL9B— PETA UK (@PETAUK) March 15, 2022
More deaths are likely to follow, as horses used for racing commonly die of fatal injuries such as broken backs or are killed after sustaining broken legs.
At last year’s despicable event, one horse lost his life on the deliberately hazardous racecourse. Another died in the 2020 event.
Spectators must realise that fatal injuries are inherent in horseracing and that their bets fund these deaths.
How Horses Suffer in Racing
Horses bred for greed and speed are pushed beyond their natural abilities and forced to run at breakneck pace. Those who don’t sustain horrific injuries on the track may suffer heart attacks, bleed from their lungs, or develop painful ulcers and other health problems that come from being pushed past their breaking point for human entertainment.
©Liss Ralston
In some cases, drugs – both legal and illegal – have been administered by trainers and even veterinarians to mask pain so that horses who should be recuperating can be forced to run with injuries, making them worse.
A Survivor’s ‘Life’ After Racing
Even those who make it off the track alive are unlikely to live happily ever after. Every year, thousands of horses – including spent Thoroughbreds and those who don’t “make the grade” – are discarded like used betting slips.
They’re abandoned, neglected, or sold for slaughter, their flesh sold as dog or cat food or as “prime cuts” for human consumption in Europe and Asia.
What You Can Do
Cheltenham isn’t alone when it comes to exploiting horses – 220 horses died across the UK as a result of racing in 2021. Spread the word about this deadly spectacle:
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Please also help spare the lives of horses by urging companies to stop sponsoring the other big and deadly race – the Grand National:
