IN response to Eric Schofield (HAS, Apr 10), there were no fatalities in this year’s Grand National but in a typical week at least three horses die on British racecourses and others die in training.

Some are deliberately killed just because their owners think they’re not good enough, and, in total more than 1,000 horses from the racing industry are sent to the slaughterhouse every year.

Horse racing is actually a ruthless business that treats horses as expendable, profitmaking commodities. The industry continues to exploit horses from start to finish with overbreeding, deaths in training and pitifully inadequate retirement provision.

There have so far been 1,098 horses killed on British racecourses since 2007. I don’t think there is much more to say.

Alison Jermy, Darlington.