Very sad.

[digdilem]

I think there's a lot of people missing the point here - it's getting coverage not because it's rare that a racehorse dies (we own one ourselves), it's because they died in a very rare and unexplained fashion - in a way that also put the lives of the handlers and punters at risk too. Of course the news covered it, it's news!

What is even more news is that there hasn't been much news about it /since/. Anyone seen any substantiated information on what actually happened or are we all waiting for an investigation to conclude? Are the HSE involved?

 

[ricicle]

I posted this initially because of the alleged nature of the deaths. Yes horses do die in races and everyone (except the horses) accepts that it might be the case but this was a rare event and coupled with the fact that it involves electricity is why I posted it because it is of interest to the majority of us.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is of interest, and I never suggested that it wasn't or that it wasn't newsworthy because of the unusual nature of the event.

I'm just gobsmacked at the way people are going on about how sad it was. If it really made them actually feel sad, and they aren't just mouthing platitudes then they should be campaigning to put an end to horse racing, because that causes the death of a great deal more horses than these two, every year.

But apparently that sort of message gets some people unbelievably riled up and abusive.

 

[digdilem]

Not really surprising, BAS - people have been protesting horse racing for decades and more, so if you're involved you're automatically used to adopting a defensive position. Everyone who races, watches it or just bets on it once in a blue moon already knows horses die doing it, so they're suspicious of the motives of those who announce that like it's something new. Why would they bring it up unless they disagree with your hobby and probably want it stopped?


@ricycle - yes, absolutely. I was shocked (too soon? ) at what happened from both the horse welfare and the human welfare aspects. I'd have been interested if it had happened anywhere. Interesting to hear all the other points of view too.