HRI ‘deeply shocked and dismayed’ by distressing scenes from horse racing industry on RTE amid €16m ‘zero tolerance’ vow

HORSE Racing Ireland has said it is “deeply shocked and appalled” following the revelations of an RTE investigation into the horse racing industry.

The documentary details the dark secrets of the horse industry, particularly racehorses after they are retired.

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Wednesday night’s RTE Investigates documentary was titled ‘RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing’.

Speaking about the documentary, RTE said: “RTE digs deep into the equine industry to show what happens to horses once they leave the spotlight. »

In harrowing scenes, the documentary details how some owners took advantage of their horses’ changing identities, by whipping them to international traders or attempting to introduce horses unfit for consumption into the human food chain.

There are also shocking scenes of animal abuse filmed.

Releasing a statement on the documentary, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) slammed the “disgusting” “criminal behavior”.

They said: “The board, management and staff of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) are deeply shocked and appalled by the content of the RTÉ Investigates documentary broadcast on RTÉ 1 this evening.

“The criminal behavior depicted in the RTÉ documentary is disgusting and does not reflect the experience of the vast majority of the 30,000 people who earn their living in the horse racing and breeding industry in Ireland.

“HRI has zero tolerance for mistreatment of horses in all circumstances and criminal and regulatory sanctions must be imposed on anyone engaging in illegal behavior towards horses.

The HRI has announced plans to invest €16.1 million in social protection and integrity services.

The amount provided in their budget is set to ensure a continued focus on standards, traceability, safety nets and education.

Outlining the funding in its statement, HRI said: “The safety and care of equines is HRI’s top priority, and this year HRI will invest €16.1 million in welfare and welfare services. ‘integrity.

“The Thoroughbred horse is enshrined in Irish and European law. Significant legal and regulatory checks and balances are in place for Thoroughbred horses from birth through their racing career and life cycle.”

The HRI said it would look into the issues raised in the RTE documentary which shocked viewers.

They also said they would assist any investigation by the Department of Agriculture or the Garda and urged people to report any mistreatment of horses to the Gardai.

The documentary shows how the number of horses abandoned in Ireland each year indicates that correct licensing laws are not being followed.

By law, a horse must have an equine (horse) passport, valid for the horse’s entire life, a microchip implant that links the animal to the passport and a unique equine life number.

There is also a problem with around 20,000 horses ‘disappearing’ each year due to suspected criminal activity, including attempts to introduce them into the human food chain.

Investigation launched

Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, and his department said they were taking the issue “very seriously”.

The minister confirmed that the department had launched an investigation in previous weeks into the supply of equines for slaughter.

In a statement responding to last night’s documentary, he said: “I watched the RTE Investigates program this evening, which included some distressing footage.

“I take this matter extremely seriously. My Department has already in recent weeks opened an investigation into the supply of equines for slaughter, with aspects of the ongoing investigation linked to certain dissemination activities.

“Any new allegations or evidence of poor practice or illegal activity in the equine industry that this program has brought to light will be fully investigated by my department.”

Calls for Oireachtas inquiry

The Animal Welfare Party welcomed the broadcast of this horrific documentary.

They are calling for an Oireachtas investigation into the issues raised in the hour-long feature film.

A party spokesperson said: “The Animal Welfare Party does not support any form of cruelty or abuse.

“We welcome RTE’s disclosure of the cruel and distressing scenes in the horse racing industry, which is why we are calling for an Oireachtas investigation.”

“The Animal Welfare Party is the only political party dedicated to ending such disturbing and inhumane practices.”

Animal abuse is a criminal offense and can result in court appearances and prison sentences.

The welfare of horses in Ireland is protected by legislation.

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