The race that stops the nation also stops thousands of horses from living.
With Melbourne Cup only a few days away, Wollongong is celebrating like an unsupervised kid at a birthday party. Towradgi Beach Hotel, The Novotel, The Lagoon, Sea-cliff Restaurant, City Beach and Win Stadium are just a few of the establishments cashing in on the cruelty.
Horse racing has the most glamorous image of all so-called animal 'sports', we even celebrate major race-meets like Melbourne Cup with public holidays. In 2014, Australians spent more than $300 million betting on the Melbourne Cup.
Horse racing is not the standard vision of animal cruelty that many of us have been trained to recognise through 'RSPCA' advertisements. There are no squalid kennels, or abused puppies. The horses seem cared for. Their coats are glossy, their eyes are clear, their muscles ripple as they thunder down the track. They look like the epitome of perfect animal health.
But once the race is over – once the horse no longer has a purpose – there is a darker side to the industry that the cameras aren’t around to film.
Many horses are killed and are counted as ‘wastage’, after injuring themselves during a race. When they break a leg at such speeds, the bone can fracture into many pieces making it almost impossible for a vet to adequately fix. If the vet cannot fix the break, it means the horse cannot race again; this makes the horse too expensive to keep around.
However, the cruelty doesn't stop there. These horses get gastric ulcers from strict racing diets, little stimulation causing erratic behaviour, dislocated joints, torn ligaments and tendons. Exertion during races means that almost half of racehorses have suffered bleeding in their windpipe. A University of Melbourne study found that 90 per cent bleed deeper in the lungs... All of this without even mentioning the whipping.
So instead of spending money on a new outfit, expensive champagne and losing the next two weeks rent, have a big one at a mates house, without contributing to the suffering of these beautiful beings and handing your money to multi-billion dollar corporations, so they can add another Ferrari to their collection.
WARNING: Distressing images "The racing industry's secret 'retirement plan' for horses may shock you... As exposed on ABC's 7.30, few horses born into this industry will be lucky enough to see out their old age. For many, they will be killed if they are too slow, injured, or not profitable enough. Industry calls this 'wastage'. This tragedy has continued because it has been well hidden from the public."
