A senior Macau Jockey Club veterinary surgeon who shoots healthy horses says giving them a quick death is better than 'washing my hands' by sending them somewhere with a poor standard of care.
Dr Martin Wainscott said he felt bad about killing horses but had no choice. He and the club's five other vets are on rotation to carry out the weekly killings.
'Certainly it is not a pleasurable job to do. We don't like doing it, but it is a job that has to be done, unfortunately. Shooting is more unpleasant for humans, it is more a human problem than a horse problem,' he said.
Dr Wainscott, from New Zealand, said his team used bullets to destroy horses because they killed instantly and painlessly. Horses were heavily sedated before being shot, he said.
Dr Wainscott conceded the majority of retired racehorses in Macau would be put down even though they were 'generally healthy'. And even though some had injured joints and bones, they could have enjoyed an extended life with suitable management, he said.
A horse can live for more than 20 years. But animals as young as four are being put down in Macau once they are abandoned by owners.