The real reason why vegans don't support horse racing

Warning: This article contains distressing and mildly graphic images of abused horses.

Lots of people have different reasons why they think horse racing is wrong. They may disagree with the horses' welfare standards - maybe they want to get rid of whips, or jumps racing, or harnesses. Others may squirm at the thought of a dead horse, like the two horses who were killed last year while racing in the Melbourne Cup. Others want horses to roam freely in soft paddocks at the end of their careers - they don't want horses to be killed and made into pet-food, as many are. These are all valid reasons to oppose horse racing, but they all distract us from the real issue here. The bottom line. The underlying reason why most vegans are so against horse racing.

Exploitation is the key word. In fact, this could be simplified even further: use. Veganism, in its simplest form, is about rejecting animal commodification. We don't use them for food, we don't use them to make clothing or furniture, and, to keep in line with this philosophy, we don't use them for entertainment. That's the basics, and that's the real reason why horse racing isn't vegan.

"Veganism, in its simplest form, is about rejecting animal commodification. We don't use them for food, we don't use them to make clothing or furniture, and, to keep in line with this philosophy, we don't use them for entertainment."

Many proponents of horse racing will talk about how well the animals are treated, how much they are worth, how much their trainers love them, and how they will live out their post-racing lives in peace. In some cases, this may well be true. I am sure there are many racehorses who are cared for. I'm sure there are many jockeys who feel love for the horses they race. But, even if the horses are treated like royalty, they are still being used for human entertainment. They are made to race, and have no choice in the matter. Humans use and exploit these animals for their own enjoyment, a concept that completely goes against the vegan philosophy. Horses do not exist for humans to ride.

One horrifying consequence of using animals as commodities (image from www.horseracingkills.com)

This information is especially relevant now, on the day of the Melbourne Cup. It's a day of celebration and gambling, as many Australians take a day off from work to dress up, spend money, and hope to win something back. Many see Melbourne Cup day as an important aspect of Australian culture. But it's time to shift our thinking. Most of us don't think about why we use horses. We just accept it as 'normal'. Some of us may worry if a horse falls and hurts themselves, or if a horse dies in the race. We may start to think about race safety standards. Of course, issues like this are important. But, the way I see it, we desperately need to focus on the underlying problem. Why do we think we should have the right to use animals in this way? Why do we think we should have the right to own and use animals, to ride them, and to profit from the whole affair?

"Why do we think we should have the right to own and use animals, to ride them, and to profit from the whole affair?"

We would never use humans in this way. Of course, humans race, and many enjoy it - but it would be considered abuse to force a human to race against their will. It is sickening to think of an event in which 'lesser' humans are forced to race while the more privileged humans bet on the outcome. This kind of behaviour would never be accepted in today's world. So why do we impose this fate upon non-human animals? Why is it any different?

Horses cannot express their desire to race. They cannot tell us if they feel tired, or if they don't feel like running, or if they never want to race again. They are voiceless. This is why animal activists must speak out for the animals, encouraging all horse-racers, gamblers and fans to think about whether or not the party is really worth it.

If we treated horses with the respect they deserve, this tragedy could have been avoided (image from www.horseracingkills.com)

If you'd like to show your support for horses, please donate to the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses or any other horse-protection charity of your choice. Many ex-Melbourne Cup attendees have chosen to donate the money they would have once used to bet on a horse. With our support, we can hope that, one day very soon, horses will live lives free from human exploitation. My point is not to downplay the importance of ensuring that horses don't suffer or die - I want only to highlight the underlying issue, the cause of it all: the idea that animals are commodities. If we care about animals, and want them to live full lives, we must accept that they do not belong to us. We must give them the freedom they deserve.

 

The Dilemma of Raising Vegan Children

Adults following vegan lifestyles is largely accepted nowadays. While there are still people who think vegans are crazy, most vegans can go about their daily lives without being ridiculed. But, as I've noticed, the situation often changes when parents make the decision to raise their children vegan. That's when the judgement and concern begins. Even I find talking about this topic difficult because of its controversial nature. I'll begin by saying that I am not a parent, and don't plan to be a parent for a long time. On top of that, I'm not an expert on this topic and won't ever claim to be, but I have done a lot of research and will present my findings in this article. My goal is to show, with scientific evidence and my own observations, that a vegan diet is adequate for people in all stages of life. Of course, most people reading this blog will already know this, but I'm hoping this post can be used to educate others about how healthy vegan children can be.

Vegan parents may face a dilemma. They can choose to feed their children a standard diet, igniting feelings of moral conflict, or they can choose to raise their children vegan and deal with the resulting judgment. Both options have negatives and positives, but my guess is that most vegan parents will risk judgment and will raise their children vegan - for the animals, for the environment, and often for their kid's health.

"Vegan children eat more varied, colourful and exciting foods than many of non-vegan children I know."

Vegan children are not deprived. They can still eat all the food their friends eat, only veganised. They won't be missing out on anything. I grew up as a vegetarian child, and while I was made fun of every now and then, I felt proud of my choice to not eat meat. It was part of my identity. I didn't feel ashamed or left out. I knew I was doing what, at the time, I thought was best for the animals, and this was comforting for me.

There's a fantastic group on Facebook called What Vegan Children Eat. It's full of posts of wonderful vegan food enjoyed by vegan children, and it shows that they're really not missing out at all. In fact, from what I've seen, vegan children eat more varied, colourful and exciting foods than many of non-vegan children I know.

"According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, and Dietitians of Canada, a vegan diet is suitable and appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle"

Now, let's get to the facts. According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, and Dietitians of Canada, a vegan diet is suitable and appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle - including, of course, infancy. These are some very well-known, reliable organisations with loads of knowledge and decades of research under their belts, and they insist that well-planned vegan diets are suitable for children. Of course, with improper planning, health problems can arise - but the same can be said for any kind of lifestyle.

Milk-feeding is an important topic to address here. It's pretty much general knowledge that the best food for an infant is their mother's milk. That's nature's way. Now, I'm not going to fire up a debate about whether parents should breast feed or bottle feed. I think that choice should be left up to the mother or carer.

The way you choose to raise your child may change the world

And now I will reiterate on that exact point. I said the choice to breast feed or bottle feed a baby should be left up to the baby's mother or carer. A lot of people would agree with me on this. Many people believe that parents know what's best for their own child - so why does this often change when parents choose to raise their children vegan? As far as I see it, parents should be allowed to make choices that are best for their kids, so long as they aren't harming them. Vegan parents often make the healthiest choices for their children, as they are notoriously passionate about food and cooking - so they're likely to make more home cooked meals - and they're also accustomed to checking the ingredients in packaged food, so they always know exactly what's going into their child's mouth.

"Most vegan children will grow up with compassion for all life, respectful of all creatures great and small."

And so, to address the dilemma I mentioned before, I think it's best for vegan parents to raise their children vegan, if doing so is what's best for the child (and, in the majority of cases, it is). Most vegan children will grow up with compassion for all life, respectful of all creatures great and small. In my eyes, this is an admirable trait to instil in a human being. We can never have enough respectful and compassionate humans. Vegan children can also expect to grow up with a better understanding of where their food comes from, which will encourage healthier and more ethical purchases later in life. Although vegan parents will likely face criticism and ridicule, the benefits greatly outweigh these negatives. Raise a child vegan, and you'll have done your part in creating a better future for us all.