Let science guide horse welfare, not misguided, overemotional protest

HILL SIXTEEN broke his neck falling at the first fence of this year’s Grand National race at Aintree in the UK. Animal rights activists say the 10-year-old Thoroughbred would still be alive today if he hadn’t been forced to race over the jumps. The horse’s trainer blames the death on animal rights activists – the very ones hoping to protect horses as they rushed onto the track just before the race started, triggering a huge police response.

This chaotic scene is emblematic of the greater problem facing horse sports: they are losing the approval of a well-meaning but underinformed public. If…