A letter from Nina Copleston-Hawkens, Animal Aid campaigner

Dear Editor,

Beginning soon is National Racehorse Week (7th-15th September): an event run by the racing industry to peddle the fairytale that race horses live wonderful lives. This is a falsehood: race horses face exploitation from cradle to grave.

Thousands of foals are born into the racing industry each year, but many of these will never see a racecourse. If horses aren’t winning big prizes or of use to the industry for breeding purposes, they are left vulnerable.

It may be shocking for readers to learn that according to information from the Food Standards Agency (obtained by Animal Aid through a Freedom of Information request), between January-June 2024, 107 horses with racing industry passports (Weatherbys) were slaughtered. Almost half of these were just five years old or younger.

These figures are indicative of an industry which places human amusement above the wellbeing of innocent animals. Animals are thinking, feeling beings; they have no place in sport. Whilst they are not given a choice whether to partake or not; you are.

Please don’t ever bet money on a race horse, and find out more at animalaid.org.uk

Yours,

Nina Copleston-Hawkens,

Campaigner, Animal Aid, Tonbridge