I am genuinely confused by the absence of a coherent counter argument on the current thoroughbred mistreatment story.
I reckon Im pretty well placed to have an objective opinion on the this one; I've been a thoroughbred punter for 40 years, I was a vegetarian for 15 years for ethical reasons (these days I stick to wild caught fish, grass-fed beef and free range chicken) and now Im a beef producer.
In the 7.30 story, I didn't really see any acts of cruelty, unless you consider quick clinical slaughter cruel. There was footage of a slaughter man disrespecting the carcass of an animal with a kick, which I dont condone, but its hardly paradigm shifting. Slaughtermen are not gentle souls as a rule.
I can entirely understand the argument from animal liberationists, vegetarians, vegans. They dont eat meat and generally wouldn't feed their dogs meat, so all slaughter is bad. Consistent and reasonable argument from that perspective. I respect their viewpoint and would not seek to marginalise them because I like a punt.
But the rest of society? I honestly can't see a logical reason why a racehorse should die of old age in a paddock, but a laying hen, a dairy cow, a beef cow, a lamb, a pig are fair game for the BBQ.
Like I said, Im not arguing that horses love to race and are pampered and its all rosy. Not at all. I'm simply confounded by the unchallenged differentiation between horse meat and other meat.
Its cultural right? same as we frown at the Vietnamese for eating dogs (tried some when I was there, along with horse tripe. The dog meat was possibly the most disgusting tasting thing ever to pass my lips but that probably cultural too)
Is it a carefully calculated, emotive and well-timed ambit claim? I suspect so. Fair enough. I'd just like to see someone marketable, say Francesca Cumani, eating a chicken burger in the parade ring. Maybe a lovely looking flame grilled Rhode Island Red thigh of a hen who could run faster than all the other hens with a graceful gait and a proud conformation.
I am philosophically of the view that, if the animal is in abundance (i.e not a whale or a pangolin), meat is meat.
and yes, the meat should be unequivocally well treated en route to the plate and this is often not the case in the racing industry.
what do you bloke reckon?
