Home > Campaigns > Horse racing > Special report: March 2005

This Unsporting Life

Race horse deaths in British racing

The horse racing industry has always concealed from the public, and even from racing correspondents, the number of horses raced to death every year. In This Unsporting Life, Animal Aid has produced the most comprehensive survey of Thoroughbred race fatalities ever to have been made public.

Pictures from This Unsporting Life

	Summary We say to the Jockey Club: it's time to come clean and let the public decide.
	Part 1: Introduction Among the best kept secrets in British sport is the scandalously high number of racing-age horses who die every year.
	Part 2: Welfare It is not uncommon to see two or three deaths in one day at courses around the country.
	Part 3: National Hunt Racing There is a formidable range of obstacles confronting animals racing over jumps.
	Video: Don't Back the Cruelty Our shocking mini movie shows a series of real on-course equine deaths. Please watch it, then sign the online petition.
	PDF version

Researched, compiled and written by Dene Stansall. Edited by Andrew Tyler.
Published by Animal Aid, March 2005. ISBN: 0-9545115-8-1

Top ^