So Mr Baird needs to explain why it is ok to cull unwanted race horses but its no ok to cull unwanted greyhounds.

Unwanted horses end up as pet food and the likes, so why cant unwanted dogs go to the likes of blood and bone fertilizer as an example. Is it any less humane to kill a dog as it is a horse?

At the end of the day, if you are going to use animal cruelty as your angle to shut down an industry, why does one get targeted, while the other sets its self to reap the benefits from increased interest.

To me, as a business man for most of my life, I watch on as politicians make knee jerk decisions like this, potentially costing thousands of jobs, at a time when just one lost jobs is one too many. Surely we have to come to the realization that just feeling all warm and fuzzy is not necessarily a strong enough motive to decimate an industry. Just look at the live cattle export, as this industry is still suffering from the Gillard brain fart.

It would appear there is no middle ground on this decision as Mr Baird appears to have made up his mind and that's it.

So what about the thousands you are about to put out of work Mr Baird, breeders, trainers, strappers, carers, cleaners, officials, track staff, vets, per food suppliers, the list goes on. To simply say we will work with those who loose this jobs are just words, because there are no jobs.

I would urge Mr Baird to look at alternatives.

Dear Rehctub,

Both are wrong, both should be frowned upon and cause other people not to befriend the perpetrators, but neither should be legislated against.

And once I shed my body off, once it is no longer needed for organ-transplants and scientific research, having the rest of it being used as blood and bone fertilizer seems a better option to what is available today.

You make a good point. Many horses end up in crayfishermems' pots. However, the culling of any animals merely for lack of performance is not right. Baird has the opportunity to have breeding strictly policed, and put a stop to culling. However, as a politician he is lazy and not very bright. If we were able to cull useless politicians, we might get some better solutions to every problem, and eventually get more capable people to do the job they are well paid to do.

They're livestock, get over it.
The other question is why isn't horse meat available for human consumption?
We're allowed eat just about everything else that swims, gallops or flies.
If eating kangaroo, goat and venison is acceptable,they are even considered delicacies by some, then horse should be on the menu too.

As a horse & dog lover, & breeder in a very small way, I can see nothing much wrong with culling.

From my human perspective, I would rather live for a few years, than never have existed at all. Without racing few greyhounds & a lot less horses would be breed.

Both Greyhounds & race horses are potentially very valuable animals. Both are at the top of their prospective tree in value. To have any chance of reaching their potential value they must be given the very best of everything from birth to completing initial training. It is only then that their ability can be judged.

We have had a couple of slow young racehorses, & a couple of old past it, race horses we used for various equestrian activities. Some have the wrong temperament for slower sports, & are dangerous if given to kids. Often the best competitors are difficult horses to master, not at all suitable for kids at pony club. However a large number of slow & old race horses find a successful life at pony club.

Yep, I'd rather have the chance, than never be born.

//So Mr Baird needs to explain why it is ok to cull unwanted race horses but its no ok to cull unwanted greyhounds.//

The guy who headed up the Special Commission of Inquiry into greyhound racing - Michael McHugh - is intimately involved with the horse racing industry.

I smell a rat.

//Surely we have to come to the realization that just feeling all warm and fuzzy is not necessarily a strong enough motive to decimate an industry.//

The Liberal government have. It's all about the money. It's always about the money.

It's well known that the trots are fixed; I suspect the same is true of a lot of horse racing. It's a lot harder to fix a dog race when there are no jockeys controlling the dogs. A 'legitimate businessman' can make a fair packet from dodgy betting, and if he should happen to share some of his largesse with his political chums in return for them shutting down a competing industry then so much the better for everyone.

Everyone, that is, not involved in dog racing.

I smell a big, dirty rat.

//It would appear there is no middle ground on this decision as Mr Baird appears to have made up his mind and that's it.//

That's how it goes in NSW at the moment. Maybe if we got a Kickstarter campaign going to come up with a bigger bribe than the 'legitimate businessmen' used to buy them off we could save the dogs. Otherwise, I reckon we've got buckley's.