News

Countless horses to be homeless if jumps racing banned

11th May 2009

Herald Sun - Matt Stewart and Tim Habel - Monday, 11 May 2009

TRAINER David Hayes has implored Racing Victoria to continue jumps racing, declaring the knockers don't understand the issues.

"It should be decided by people in the industry, not people who don't understand the industry.

"Too many people with not enough knowledge have got too much to say. It shouldn't be in hands of politicians," he said. Hayes' father, the great trainer Colin Hayes, began his training career with the jumper Surefoot, so the family has a long tradition in jumps racing.

While Hayes usually has a handful of jumpers, it is a minute part of the Hall of Fame trainer's vast operation.

"It's no skin off my nose if it stops, but it will severely affect a lot of other people," he said.

Hayes watched the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase live for the first time on Thursday.

"It should be part of racing. It's a great race," Hayes said.

He said if jumps racing was banned hundreds of horses would be homeless.

"Someone's got to look after them. They have to be cared for properly," he said.

"They are used to being hand fed their whole life and to turn them out back to nature, that's what they'll want to do, and that's cruelty. Their feet will founder . . . there is a lot more to it than just saying 'no more'."

Hayes said the anti-jumps faction did not understand the ramifications of their actions, and how much damage they were going to do to the animals.

"If the RSPCA guy (Victorian branch president Dr Hugh Wirth) wants to come along (to the abattoirs) he'll see what happens to these horses. Come along, have a look, mate," Hayes said.

"Who is going to pay up for these horses? Will all these do-gooders get a farm and take one back home?"

Hayes said jumps racing was a vital component of the industry.

"My father started with jumpers and I always try to have a jumper, it's part of the family history," he said.

"It amuses me that these people (anti-jumps) don't understand how much love and care and work go into the horse.

"The people really hurting when they die are the participants. No one likes to see horses die."

But Hayes said deaths in the horse community were a fact of life.

"Horses are very accident prone. Whether it's a racing environment, pony club environment, horses are dying and no-one hears about it."