Horse racing has always been a conflicting sport for me.
I live and breathe my horse. I rely on her for my own happiness, my own mental health. Her silly quirks and her therapeutic qualities put an end to some of the most stressful days and the longest weeks.
I know more than most how incredible horses are. How intelligent and sensitive they are. How loyal, and trusting they are, no matter where you ask them to go and what you ask them to do.
I drive hours to make sure mine is warm on the coldest days, and that her eyes are covered from the buzzing flies on some of the hottest. I buy all of the creams, sprays and lotions to make sure she’s clean and comfortable, I will spend my last dollar to make sure she never goes without.
As long as I’m there with her she feels safe. I calm her when she’s scared, and praise her when she’s good. I’ve never prayed, but my first would be that she never receives a serious injury. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her too early.
But I’ve never been able to absolutely say ‘Nup to the Cup’. I’m a rider, and like them, I do it for my own benefit and enjoyment.
I put a heavy saddle on my horse and pull the girth as tight as I can. I stick my finger in the side of her mouth so she opens it, and quickly place a piece of metal behind her teeth. Then, I ask her to stand perfectly still to allow me to throw my weight on her, just before I nudge me feet into her in the ribs.
I ask her to walk into a metal box, and stand still for hours on end while the highway air blows aggressively around her head, and trucks roar past her. Hours later she will get straight back in. She will put herself through stress and discomfort to make me happy, and she does it all without question.
Because I ask this of an animal, which I love more than most of the real people in my life, I can’t criticise another for asking something similar. And it is similar. We are both asking for an animal to set aside their own instincts and put what we want first.
I gladly say a big ‘nup’ to overbreeding, and ‘nup’ to a lack of oversight in rehoming. A ‘nup’ to excessive whipping, and a ‘nup’ to dying.
I say an enthusiastic ‘yup’ to a more regulated industry, and tighter checks of breeders and trainers. A ‘yup’ to greater transparency around injuries and the actions that lead to death. A capital ‘YUP’ to further valuing the life of the animal by the owners and the industry more broadly, and realising the contribution that one animal can make beyond racing.
But, I would be a hypocrite to call for the end of an industry that’s based on actions I take, while I remain unprepared to accept my own complicity.
I can’t say ‘Nup to the Cup’ while holding my own reins.
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