OPINION LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS ON 6 JUNE, 2026
By Sandra Kyle, Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses New Zealand
It was hard to watch. As the field galloped towards the 600 metres mark at Ellerslie racecourse on May 6, live video caught the moment Little Red Rocket snapped her right hind tibia.
We saw her pull up on three legs, the fourth leg dangling mid-air as she valiantly tried to continue despite the pain. The footage of her breaking down was quickly removed by the TAB and didn’t appear in the playback, and Little Red Rocket was “humanely euthanised” shortly after.
She was only 2 years old. At two, a horse’s bones are still developing. The intense training they undergo at a young age increases stress on their bodies, and can cause long-term musculoskeletal damage, including a susceptibility to fractures, chronic pain and early onset arthritis.
Little Red Rocket was one of 18 racehorses to lose their lives on New Zealand racetracks so far this season. Idyllic, Barbie Doll and Little Red Rocket were all killed in the same week. Heartofaces was killed at Awapuni on Sunday.
There have also been around 300 injuries, some of them serious. Horses pushed too far can die of cardiac arrest, while exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), or lung bleeding, is common among racehorses. We do not know the number of horses who are injured or euthanised as a result of training, as these figures are not publicly documented.
The racing of 2-year-olds is one of the many ethical problems associated with horse racing; another patently obvious one is the use of the whip.
According to the industry the standard padded whip used by jockeys doesn’t hurt horses, and it is primarily used for steering and safety. To claim that the whip, applied repeatedly and with force, especially in the last 200m, doesn’t hurt the horse, goes against common sense.
At New Plymouth raceway a few years ago, I borrowed a whip from a jockey and asked a friend to strike me lightly with it to see if it hurt. Surprise surprise – it did! Studies have shown that whipping also causes fear in horses and can be the cause of increased risk of falls and injuries.
In a groundbreaking decision on May 27, 2025, a Tasmanian court ruled that padded whips cause unjustifiable pain and suffering and constitutes animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act.
A recent leaked report by the TAB advisory committee revealed that the industry is asking for tax breaks and other measures, without which it will be “unsustainable”. To allow this to happen would be throwing good money after bad.
Back in 2020 at the outset of Covid, Racing Minister Winston Peters announced a support package for the industry worth around $73 million, and over the years has supported other tax policy proposals to boost racing’s competitiveness. Meanwhile, it has been reported, since the beginning of this year, $300,000 of NZ First’s $475,000 donations received to date came from the industry.
The truth of the matter is that horse racing is losing its social licence and has been struggling to remain relevant for many years now. I can remember going to a race meeting at Ellerslie in the mid-1960s and being jostled by the crowds. Back then up to 20,000 people could attend. Nowadays, grandstands in racing venues up and down the country are all but empty.
Growing awareness and concern about animal welfare is playing a part in horse racing’s inevitable demise, and the recent ban on greyhound racing has put it under scrutiny.
Placing beautiful animals in harm’s way for gambling profits is no longer acceptable. Horse racing should go the way of greyhound racing, and for the same reasons.
Leave a Reply