We Dont Support The Spring Carnival and Never Will.
In my 20 years as a florist I have finally made the commitment to stand against Horse Racing. Lilac and the Cat will not be supporting Spring Carnival this year or any other year for that matter. Which means we wont be supplying flowers that has anything related to the horse racing industry. Up until recently I had no idea of what really happens behind the glamour of The Melbourne Cup.
(All Information taken from Animal Australia's website.)
Did you know?
Whilst in training, horses may be individually stabled for most of every day, apart from when they're on the training track. Stabling is the most 'practical' way to provide the horses with their high-performance training and racing diet, and housing them right next to the training track reduces time consuming daily transport. However, without social and environmental stimulation, horses can develop stereotypic behaviours, such as crib-biting (biting on fences and other fixed objects and then pulling back, making a characteristic grunting noise, called wind-sucking) and self-mutilation may occur. These stereotypic behaviours are a strong indicator of welfare problems for horses.
Around 31,000 thoroughbreds and a similar number of Standardbreds will be 'in training' or racing at any one time in Australia.
During training and in competition, horses of all ages can suffer painful muscular-skeletal injuries, such as torn ligaments and tendons, dislocated joints and even fractured bones.
The exertion of the races leads a large proportion of horses to bleed into their lungs and windpipe — called Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage. This has only been fully realized in recent years when endoscopes have been used to carry out internal examinations via the throat. A study carried out by the University of Melbourne found that 50% of race horses had blood in the windpipe, and 90% had blood deeper in the lungs.
Why are injured horses almost always killed?
This is a question often asked as race-day audiences watch a traumatic fall and then are temporarily upset as a screen is rushed to the track to shield them from the brutal reality of the racing game.
When a horse breaks a leg or shoulder the bones may 'explode' into many pieces, making it impossible for a vet to repair the bone, and even when recovery is possible, it is unlikely the horse will be able to race again. Even where a mare or stallion has potential at stud (breeding), the cost of restoring a racehorse to full fitness is expensive, and not a guarantee. Injured racehorses are prone to infections, particularly pneumonia, and are usually deemed uneconomic.
You can count on one or two hands the Melbourne Cup winners who now graze on beautiful paddocks in their retirement. Most ex-racing horses are not so lucky. The vast majority of thoroughbreds (flat and jumps racers) and standardbred (harness racers) horses fail to run fast enough or become injured and are just 'discarded' by the racing industry.
Many failed or older racehorses will be destined for slaughter, and may go to local knackeries — to be used for pet meat, for example — or be purchased for slaughter at the two horse abattoirs in Australia (Peterborough in SA and Caboolture in QLD). Approximately 2,000 tonnes of horse meat is exported from Australia for human consumption in Japan and Europe annually (ABS figures). Over 25,000 horses per year are killed in this way in Australia.
Not to mention what comes with Gambling.
All information was gathered from
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/issues/horse_racing.php
