10 horses died in 2019 on German racetracks
At least ten horses were euthanized in 2019 due to injuries sustained on German racetracks.
At least ten horses were euthanized in 2019 due to injuries sustained on German racetracks.
50 deaths since 2015
PETA has published on their website a list of all 50 deaths since 2015 and sharply criticizes the industry for events that violate animal welfare standards.
The accusation: racing stables, racing clubs, and associations have established a system in which horses are mistreated and driven to performances beyond their physical capabilities through whipping. Serious falls, fractures, and aortic ruptures are the result. PETA sees horse racing as a violation of Section 3, Paragraph 1 of the Animal Welfare Act and is calling on the federal government, through a new online petition, to ban commercial high-performance racing.
«The deaths on German horse racing tracks are not accidents. For the sake of prestige and profit, the animals are systematically pushed beyond their limits. Studies show that the skin of horses is thinner than human skin in many areas of the body. The whip strikes are therefore particularly painful, and the animals are literally running for their lives», says Jana Hoger, specialist adviser at PETA. «Politicians must finally stop turning a blind eye. They must put a stop to this unscrupulous industry and ban animal cruelty on German racetracks.»
Pulmonary hemorrhages, heart injuries, and stomach ulcers
In 2019, Hyper Hyper and Radmaan died in Mannheim, Astone Man in Cologne, Peppone in Hanover, A Train in Mülheim, Four on Eight in Karlsruhe, Captain von Trappe and Gepard in Hamburg, Shahram in Dresden, and Turfrubin in Krefeld. However, the actual number of horses that died in 2019 for the entertainment of racetrack visitors is even higher: several animals were euthanized after events because they became lame or were no longer fit for racing for other reasons. For the sake of “racing,” horses are forced to take risks they would never voluntarily accept. The excessive strain frequently leads to falls with fractures or aortic ruptures, in which the heart's main artery tears and the animal dies within a short time. According to experts, 90 percent of horses used in racing also suffer from gastric ulcers due to the extreme psychological stress. According to race records, many animals have bloody nostrils shortly after a race. Contrary to what industry representatives claim, this is not nosebleeds — according to Dr. Maximilian Pick, an expert assessor and former specialist veterinarian for horses, it is typically bleeding from the lungs.
A million-dollar industry at the horses' expense
In this multi-million-dollar industry, two- or three-year-old horses are frequently entered into races even though they are still growing. Since the musculoskeletal system of these young animals is not yet fully developed, tendon injuries and bone fractures are common. The horses are overworked not only during races but also during training. In flat racing, for example, around 80 percent of training absences are due to lameness. “The fact that whipping and equipment that causes suffering are part of the everyday reality of so-called racehorses only goes to show once again that the welfare of the animals is generally of no concern”, says Hoger.
