To many Australians the big Melbourne Cup horse race gathering is a time to have a flutter and plenty of grog. At various venues around the nation the human fillies will wear crazy hats, dresses and accessories and stage fashion shows and competitions. They are even thinking of making it an official holiday
Champagne flows like a river, masses of food is gluttonised, millions of dollars are spent.
Some will actually look at the horses and admire their beauty but nearly everyone will socialise and not have a clue about the cruelty that lies behind the sport.
Firstly there is the cruelty involved in the training of horses - mental stress caused by overlong stabling and very high pressure techniques.
Some 60, 000 horses are in training or racing at one time in Australia.
High concentrate diets instead of grazing naturally frequently creates painful ulcers in the horses.
The stress of racing causes serious bleeding in the lungs and windpipe.
There are the many injuries caused to horses, especially in jumps racing. Injured horses are usually destroyed because of the medical expenses involved for treatment and because they may not be able to race again - and make money.
Horses that get injured or do not run fast enough are "discarded" in often disgusting fashion.
Many failed or old race horses go to slaughter houses and become pet food or horse meat exported to Japan and Europe. They will experience much other cruelty before their death. Some 25,000 horses a year are murdered like this.
The horses racing industry values horses on their financial return. There is no love for the animals - only greed for money. It is a shameful business.
You can view fuller details of the horses racing racket at http://www.animalsaustralia.org/issues/horse_racing.php
But next time you see a big horse racing event and the ladies with their fancy hats and the champagne flowing and everybody getting thoroughly sozzled - give a thought to the poor animals and their suffering.
And if you see some animal welfare protesters outside the track look for me. I'll probably be there waving the flag of Animal Welfare cos we are animals too.
