Sir, - I would like to thank everyone who read my article Up for Discussion - End of Life (The Irish Field, July 13th, pages 70-71), and who has responded to it in any way, even if was simply to have a conversation about it.

We have all seen the RTÉ documentary, the slaughterhouse is shut, and there have been many Oireachtas hearings on the subject. But where are we now?

Neither the equine industry nor the general public are hearing anything from the Department of Agriculture [DAFM] or the various equine authorities about what should, or will, happen next.

We need assurance that something, such as a subsidised euthanasia scheme, is going to be put in place sooner rather than later. We can not simply hope that those horses that would normally have found their way to the slaughterhouse are not suffering a worse fate as a consequence.

We need to know that those whose failures allowed this to happen are going to be held accountable.

We need to have our trust in DAFM restored and that will only happen if there is an independent public inquiry.

We need to hear that a fit-for-purpose equine identity and lifetime traceability scheme is going to be implemented sooner rather than later. This is vital to protect the food chain, and to protect equine welfare, Ireland’s reputation and to retain social licence for all equine activities.

We need to decide upon the acceptable end-of-life options for equines and it is hard to believe that slaughter can remain one of them. It does not appear to be an economically viable business and is likely to continue to harm our reputation and risk social licence. So where is the lead from the DAFM and our equine administrators on where we go next?

I would appeal to anyone who feels that the equine community deserves answers to the above questions to write to DAFM and all other appropriate authorities.

The Olympics have begun and once again equestrianism is rocked by another welfare scandal. That should be enough to remind all of us that unless we are proactive on these matters, equestrian sports will suffer a death by a thousand cuts.

We all need to do everything we can now to prevent this happening. - Yours etc.,

Debby Ewing,

New Ross,

Co Wexford.

Sir, - Since the new way of collating starting prices on racing was introduced a couple of years ago I think that if you are backing a horse in a betting shop you are being ripped off.

If you go to any race meeting and check the prices in the ring against the prices being offered by the on-course betting shop (and all betting shops) you will see a big discrepancy, especially on horses priced at 6/1 or greater.

Over the weekend I attended the Curragh and could not believe the difference in the prices being offered in the ring and those being quoted in the on-course betting shop. I noted a lot of horses available in the ring at prices three or four times greater than the prices being offered on the screens just yards away.

Admittedly most betting shops offer a ‘best odds guaranteed’ concession, meaning you will be given the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took in the shop.

On Sunday I watched the final race from the Curragh in my local betting shop, not far from the track. A horse named Pacini was quoted at 15/2 but he was 16/1 on-course and indeed that was the returned starting price.

As that horse had no recent good form of note a punter might be forgiven for thinking there may have been a gamble taking place - and they might have been tempted to back it themselves - based on the betting shop price.

To me, this is misinformation and the bookmakers are taking the punters for a ride!

You would think that the racing media would have a look into this but nobody seems to care. The days of John McCririck and John Martin fighting the punters’ corner seem to be long gone! - Yours etc.,

Declan O’Connell.

Newbridge,

Co Kildare.

Sir, - I am writing as a concerned owner of ponies and cobs within the Horse and Pony Racing Association [HPRA].

My major concern is regarding the measurement of ponies and cobs within different regions of the HPRA.

I believe there is a significant risk that ponies and cobs will be running in Dingle next month with the wrong measurements.

I have contacted the Dingle Races organisers to suggest that all ponies and cobs be measured before racing, as was the norm in the past, but the organisers have told me this would not be practical and they are accepting the registered measurements on file.

Dingle Races is an independent entity, run independently of the other regions, so I don’t understand why they don’t have measuring of their own, like all the other regions.

I would like to conclude by saying I am writing this letter for the common good of pony racing in Ireland, which is a starting point for so many of our top jockeys. - Yours etc.,

John Long,

Co Limerick.