As temperatures rise so do race horse deaths

Posted on the 27th July 2018

Animal Aid believes that racing horses during this hot weather period has resulted in a possible eight horse deaths. These are horses who have collapsed and died either during a race or shortly after the finish. Other deaths, out of a total of 15 this July, could be attributed to tired falls from exhausted horses.

The death figure is more than double that of July 2017 in which Animal Aid recorded seven deaths with one horse collapsing and dying. In 2016 five horses died during the month, none of whom collapsed and died.

July 2018: 15 deaths / 8 Collapsed and Died
July 2017: 7 deaths / 1 Collapsed and Died
July 2016: 5 deaths / 0 Collapsed and Died

See all deaths here.

Says Animal Aid’s Horse Racing Consultant, Dene Stansall:

‘The evidence speaks for itself. Racing has caused unnecessary suffering to horses and not only to those who have died either through collapsing from heat exhaustion or through tired falls, but to those who are having to be rapidly cooled down after their races because the risk to their health is dangerously high. Racing should implement an upper limit on temperatures and stop racing when that is reached. Clearly, the British Horseracing Authority is failing to act on this.’

Please sign Animal Aid’s petition to secure meaningful action to end the deaths.