8 JUNE 2016 | MEDIA RELEASE

Three NZ horses dead in single day of racing

The deaths of three horses in jumps races at an Auckland meeting on Queen’s Birthday, has animal advocates demanding that jumps racing be banned.

Tu Meta Peta was euthanised after jumping the first fence awkwardly, falling and fracturing his right shoulder at the Ellerslie racecourse. Musashi was killed after falling and fracturing his left foreleg, while Bahhton fractured his right shoulder on falling, and was then euthanised.

Animal rights organisation SAFE condemns jumps racing because of the inherent danger to the horses who are pushed to jump fences at speed, resulting in injury and death.

SAFE Head of Campaigns Mandy Cater says that it was only matter of time before the first horses were killed in this year’s jumps race season.

“Jumps racing is impossible to make safe, as by its very nature, there is a constant risk to the horse. Horses are dying on race tracks every year and the casualties will continue to mount unless action is taken.” says Ms Carter. "People are betting, while owners and trainers are making money, and it is costing the horses their lives. The only solution is to ban jumps racing."

When an injury, particularly a fracture, is sustained by a racehorse they are almost always euthanised. Jumps racing has a high rate of injury and death because horses are pushed to jump high fences at speed, surrounded by many other horses. Famous jumps racing events like the Grand National in the UK have become highly controversial overseas.

Concerned New Zealanders are being urged to sign a pledge not to bet on jumps racing.

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