10 YEAR STUDY IGNORED BY RACING INDUSTRY
Peter V’landys is once again trying to pass himself off as someone who is a defender and protector of horses.
WHO IS PETER V’LANDYS?
REMEMBER V’LANDYS FROM THE FINAL RACE EXPOSE?
ABC’s 730 whistleblowing investigation was titled “The dark side of the horse racing industry – a special investigation into the racing industry reveals what really goes on when racehorses’ lives end in knackeries and abattoirs, The Final Race horse racing industry’s failure to protect retired horses from mass slaughter”. (You can watch ‘The Final Race’ here.)
Following a two-year special investigation into the horse racing industry footage showed horses being beaten, kicked and shocked with electric prods while they lay dying in abattoirs and it raised more than a few questions about the horse racing industry’s so-called rehoming programs for racehorses.
The ABC’s 7.30 program uncovered alleged acts of animal cruelty on a mass scale, with allegations thousands of Australian racehorses being sent to be killed for their meat.
V’landys said he was “unaware” of any NSW racehorses being sent to an abattoir or knackery, including slaughterhouses in NSW and interstate.
(Yes, really! Some call him a bold-faced liar!)
NOW V’LANDYS IS SAYING A WHIP DOESN’T HURT A HORSE?
A 10 year study proves otherwise and we submit that children know whips are wrong based on what another Racing Boss is encountering…
CHILDREN KNOW THE USE OF WHIPS IS CRUEL
I’ve been royally criticised over recent years over the whip debate. And it’s a great example of how, on the one hand, racing wants to engage with a younger generation and a younger demographic, and it’s about perception of the sport, when it’s that demographic – the 12-year-old – who doesn’t understand why a horse has to be whipped in a race…
Just like humans, horses can feel a fly land on their skin, so you can imagine their pain when they’re repeatedly whipped?
Anyone who has watched a horse being whipped to the finish line knows that the whippings endured are NOT light taps, far from it.
Horses used for racing in Australia can be legally whipped 18 times per race…
We think even one strike is one too many.
If horses truly love to race, then why do they have to be whipped?
RSPCA OPPOSES CALLS FOR BAN OF WHIPS
The RSPCA says whips should be banned in Australian racing and has lobbied for years for the trial of races where the whip cannot be used for performance-enhancing purposes.
Read more including a study that compared 126 “whipping-permitted” and “whipping-free” races in the UK and found no difference in movement on course, interference on course, incidents related to jockey behaviour, or race finishing times.
IS V’LANDYS’ JUDGEMENT VALID OR NOT?
Although V’landys states Racing NSW has the best equine welfare in the world, there is no indication of the metrics that would support that assertion.
A racing industry-led inquiry, TAWWG provided 46 recommendations and Racing NSW has not embraced any of them.
Just one example of Mr. V’landys’ claim of “the best equine welfare in the world” being seriously flawed is Racing NSW’s dismissal of research on the use of whips in horse racing by Professor Paul McGreevy.
V’landys dismisses the research about whips by Professor Paul McGreevy even though he is highly respected worldwide as a researcher.
Do horses feel pain when whipped? Racing industry officials have long held that they don’t.
Yet in two studies released around Melbourne Cup week, Professor Paul McGreevy from the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science and his colleagues have found that not only have horses evolved to feel as much pain when whipped as a human would, but that there is no compelling reason to whip these animals at all.
A CLASH OF VALUES BETWEEN SCIENCE & BUSINESS
There are myriad examples where there is an inherent conflict between the business model of racing and equine welfare…
CPR DEATHWATCH REPORT
The Deathwatch report, meticulously compiled each year by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), shines a stark light on the tragedies inherent in horse racing.
While the racing industry often cites statistics to highlight safety improvements, such numbers mean little to the horses who suffer agonizing deaths. These animals, driven by instinct, often continue to run on shattered legs, enduring immense pain before the inevitable green screen is raised, and they are euthanised.
CPR’s dedication to exposing these heartbreaking realities is a vital contribution to the broader conversation about animal welfare in racing. Their work underscores the urgent need for change, whether through stricter safety measures, improved training practices, or a reexamination of the sport’s ethical foundations.
The Deathwatch report is a powerful reminder that the lives and suffering of these animals cannot be reduced to mere statistics. It calls on society to reflect on the true cost of horse racing and to advocate for more humane alternatives.
#MOHM NEEDS YOUR HELP!
We’ve been threatened by those in the horse racing industry and those who benefit from horse slaughter more times than we can count.
But we are not going away.
We are going to persist until horse slaughter no longer exists for any purpose within Australia -- and until the horse racing industry makes drastic changes.
We are going to continue our hands-on work to offer lifelong sanctuary to as many horses as possible. We generally have 20 at just one of our locations - at any given time.
We have the acreage to take on more horses as financial support allows.
FALSIFIED HORSE VENDOR DECLARATIONS
FOOD SAFETY BASED ON THE HONOUR SYSTEMWhistleblowers are invited to contact MOHM regarding violations occurring during horse slaughter or transport to slaughter. Are you an ex-slaughterhouse employee, a transport driver or a feedlot operator with knowledge of animal...
WHISTLEBLOWER
ANONYMITY GUARANTEEDWhistleblowers are invited to contact MOHM regarding violations occurring during horse slaughter or transport to slaughter. Are you an ex-slaughterhouse employee, a transport driver or a feedlot operator with knowledge of animal abuse, or other...
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