Raced to Death: A demand that horse racing be banned in the ACT
The Issue
What we want:
It is time for us to take action and DEMAND that this cruel industry no longer be given taxpayer money to prop them up, and for the industry to be banned. As with greyhound racing, animal exploitation has no place here. Please sign this petition to help us end this vile industry.
What happens to horses?
In a year, 13,000 thoroughbred foals will be bred for the Australian horse racing industry. From an early age they will be broken in to comply with the gruelling training ahead of them. Many will not be fast enough or will suffer injuries that prevent them from being profitable, and will be discarded without a second thought. Those who manage to survive this training will be raced so hard they develop cardiopulmonary bleeding and scarring, torn ligaments and tendons, dislocated joints and even fractured bones. They are raced so young that their skeletal systems are not fully developed, leaving them at risk of catastrophic injuries. We have all seen the footage of horses falling during the Melbourne cup and killed where they lay. This happens across Australia with 137 recorded deaths on racetracks in 2016-17, and who only knows how many unrecorded deaths during training. 40% of horses leave the industry every year, with a third of these horses leaving due to injury or illnesses. The industry wipes their hands clean of any duty of care for these horses once they leave racing. Many end up at slaughter houses, or are shipped around the world to be further exploited for entertainment.
Horses are social creatures, who ordinarily would form close family units and cover over 20 kms a day, but are instead being exploited and discarded for profit.
Why do we allow this to happen?
The industry in Canberra
The industry in Canberra receives taxpayer funding (over 6 million dollars in 2017 or over 50% of their listed revenue!) and the government backed CBR group is listed as a sponsor in the most recent Thoroughbred park annual report. This money is used to continue the exploitation of horses for profit. Thoroughbred park, the home of Canberra horse racing, also does not pay income tax.
To take further action:
- Share this petition
- Write to the chief minister Andrew Barr: barr@act.gov.au and the city services minister Chris Steel steel@act.gov.au to demand no further funding or support be given to this industry. You can also contact them through https://www.contactmyminister.act.gov.au/
- Refuse to attend or bet on any horse racing event
- Write to the Canberra Times editor expressing your disgust at this industry being allowed to operate in the ACT at letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au
- email corporate sponsors of the ACT racing industry, or contact them through their social media accounts, and demand they withdraw any and all support. They are:
-Capital Hotel Group
-Seears Workwear
-Coco Canberra
-NCG services
-Plaut
-The Duxton in O’Connor
-Elvin Group
-The Canberra Centre
To keep up to date with this campaign and other action for animals please go to our website or our facebook page
6,147
The Issue
What we want:
It is time for us to take action and DEMAND that this cruel industry no longer be given taxpayer money to prop them up, and for the industry to be banned. As with greyhound racing, animal exploitation has no place here. Please sign this petition to help us end this vile industry.
What happens to horses?
In a year, 13,000 thoroughbred foals will be bred for the Australian horse racing industry. From an early age they will be broken in to comply with the gruelling training ahead of them. Many will not be fast enough or will suffer injuries that prevent them from being profitable, and will be discarded without a second thought. Those who manage to survive this training will be raced so hard they develop cardiopulmonary bleeding and scarring, torn ligaments and tendons, dislocated joints and even fractured bones. They are raced so young that their skeletal systems are not fully developed, leaving them at risk of catastrophic injuries. We have all seen the footage of horses falling during the Melbourne cup and killed where they lay. This happens across Australia with 137 recorded deaths on racetracks in 2016-17, and who only knows how many unrecorded deaths during training. 40% of horses leave the industry every year, with a third of these horses leaving due to injury or illnesses. The industry wipes their hands clean of any duty of care for these horses once they leave racing. Many end up at slaughter houses, or are shipped around the world to be further exploited for entertainment.
Horses are social creatures, who ordinarily would form close family units and cover over 20 kms a day, but are instead being exploited and discarded for profit.
Why do we allow this to happen?
The industry in Canberra
The industry in Canberra receives taxpayer funding (over 6 million dollars in 2017 or over 50% of their listed revenue!) and the government backed CBR group is listed as a sponsor in the most recent Thoroughbred park annual report. This money is used to continue the exploitation of horses for profit. Thoroughbred park, the home of Canberra horse racing, also does not pay income tax.
To take further action:
- Share this petition
- Write to the chief minister Andrew Barr: barr@act.gov.au and the city services minister Chris Steel steel@act.gov.au to demand no further funding or support be given to this industry. You can also contact them through https://www.contactmyminister.act.gov.au/
- Refuse to attend or bet on any horse racing event
- Write to the Canberra Times editor expressing your disgust at this industry being allowed to operate in the ACT at letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au
- email corporate sponsors of the ACT racing industry, or contact them through their social media accounts, and demand they withdraw any and all support. They are:
-Capital Hotel Group
-Seears Workwear
-Coco Canberra
-NCG services
-Plaut
-The Duxton in O’Connor
-Elvin Group
-The Canberra Centre
To keep up to date with this campaign and other action for animals please go to our website or our facebook page
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
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Petition created on 31 August 2018