The sport has a moral duty to elevate racehorses above the level of livestock

Where there is livestock there is dead stock. The statement is patently true. It is also particularly unfortunate when used in relation to racehorses.

European Union law – subsumed into UK domestic legislation at the end of last year – states horses, ponies and donkeys are regarded as food-producing species. In effect, therefore, racehorses are livestock. The BBC's recent Panorama programme was an uncomfortable reminder of that fact. It also hammered home the reality that society often takes a noticeably different view to the law.

Last week the Racing Post published a special report on racehorse euthanasia and slaughter, two terms that are not indistinguishable. If a racehorse has been euthanised, the animal will generally have been put down at home or, where that was not possible, on a racecourse or in a veterinary clinic. Slaughter takes place in abattoirs, with the body normally expected to be used for food. A horse owner can expect to pay for euthanasia but be paid for slaughter.