Racing Australia boss hits back at animal welfare claims

Thoroughbred racing boss Peter McGauran has hit back at suggestions the industry loses track of horses in great numbers as a protest calls for an into the sport.

The chief executive of the thoroughbred body, Racing Australia, McGauran says a new rule to be introduced shortly will track horses from birth and another rule already in place compels owners to declare what happens to racehorses when they are retired.

The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses says state governments must look into the sport and claims about 10,000 racehorses were retired each year with no way to track them. CPR drew comparisons with the greyhound industry which was last week banned in NSW.

“Take away the live-baiting and horseracing has exactly the same issues greyhound racing has,” CPR campaign director Elio Celotto said in a statement on Monday. McGauran said that was untrue.

“The claim that racing authorities are inactive on welfare issues is not supported by the facts,” McGauran said.

“We are acutely aware of our responsibility to meet community animal welfare expectations and purposely enforce the of racing to this end.

“Traceability is the cornerstone of and animal welfare.”

A new rule to released this week brings all thoroughbreds and their owners under the Australian Rules of Racing.

Foals will need to be registered within 30 days of birth unlike previously when they were not registered as racehorses until they reached the racing age of two.

Racing Australia also introduced a rule two years ago compelling owners and trainers to declare the fate of their retired racehorses. The result is that 90 per cent of horses are retired to breeding, equestrian or recreational sectors, 5.5 per cent die naturally, 3.5 per cent are humanely euthanised, 0.5 per cent are sent to an abattoir and 1 per cent are not accounted for.

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Peter Bell
Peter Bell
7 years ago

How Funny

Peter McGauran is a typical public servant spin doctor. An Abboitor must be counted in his 90% of horses that are retired to recreation sectors. Do you seriously think 15000 horses are used in pony clubs or equestrian industries ?

I must say I wasn’t a great fan of Bruce Teague but boy wouldnt he be getting stuck into these public servants as we speak. 

Q: Why dont public servants do anything in the morning ??

A: Because they wouldnt have anything to do in the afternoon