Why The Grand National Needs to Be Banned

Posted on the 31st March 2025

From the 3rd-5th April, The Grand National meeting will take place: a brutal event which has claimed the lives of 65 horses since 2000.

Animal Aid has been campaigning against the Grand National for two decades. It is one of the most dangerous events in the racing calendar, with races designed to push horses beyond their limits to create more of a ‘spectacle’ for paying crowds. In the pursuit of dramatic ‘entertainment’ and profits for humans, horses are paying with their lives.   

The Grand National race itself is perilous and has killed 16 horses since 2000. Despite recent changes to improve the ‘safety’ of this race including reducing the number of horses running from 40 to 34, and moving the position of the first jump, the race remains a killer.  

Key problems 

  • Horses are force to jump too many demanding fences at speed – 30 in all 
  • Unusual and awkward fences catch horses out 
  • There are concerns about the horses’ abilities and experience, and the demands made upon them  
  • The crowded field of 34 runners causes death and injury  
  • The extreme distance – four-and-a-quarter miles – makes it the longest race in Thoroughbred National Hunt (jump) racing. The event has seen horses who have collapsed and died.  

Find out more on our in-depth briefing sheet

Away from the horrors of the Grand National, horses face a lifetime of exploitation. From being used as a breeding machine, to being pushed through gruelling training regimes to win races, horses within the racing industry are valued for what their bodies can provide for humans – not for their intrinsic worth.   

We campaign for an end to all horse racing, with jump (National Hunt) racing and the cruel Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals being the first to go.  

How to help horses 

Read more posts...

View all posts