Horse racing

[Tiassa]

I'm not much for horse racing, I admit. It has a certain appeal, and it is intended that I join friends later this season for a day at the track; with enough bourbon in me, I'll probably enjoy myself.

But I have this thing about animals and competition. When I see rodeo on television, I cheer for the animals. The best thing to come from dog racing is that many of the greyhounds rescued from the circuit make excellent companions. Horse racing is a curious thing; most days it seems civilized enough, and advocates remind that the "horses love to run". But still, I just can't get into it.

Eight Belles, who placed second today in the storied Kentucky Derby—scoring the best finish for a filly since Winning Colors took the race twenty years ago—suffered condylar fractures in both front legs at the end of the race, and was euthanized on the track.

Eight Belles: Won the Fantasy Stakes on April 6, 2008.​

But, you know, horses love to run. So she was having a good time up until then. And, hey, it was a good run otherwise.

From what I could tell, she was a good horse with a good record, winning five of nine in her career. So I hope her owners, at least, got their money's worth, because that is, after all, what it's all about.

Eight Belles crossed the finish line second in the Kentucky Derby today and then jockey Gabriel Saez heard the worst sound possible – a pop.

Saez said the filly did not take a bad step, but he heard the pop and tried to pull her up.

"I tried to get her to stop," he said. "I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn’t stop" ....

.... Eight Belles was euthanized on the turn heading into the backstretch about seven minutes after the race.

(Courier-Journal)

____________________

Notes:

"Second Place Eight Belles euthanized after breaking both front legs". The Courier-Journal. May 3, 2008. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/SPORTS08/80503027/1002/SPORTS

Liebman, Dan. "Saez to Ride Eight Belles if in Derby". BloodHorse.com. April 25, 2008. http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/article/44803.htm

 

[cosmictraveler]

"Second Place Eight Belles euthanized after breaking both front legs".

This says it all. This "sport" isn't much better than dog racing and the dogs are killed after they reach 3 years old as well if they can't be adopted out. A truely sick "sport" to be involved with. But hey that's just my opinion. :wallbang:

 

[milkweed]

It is a tough one to decide. It breaks my heart to see one go down. Yet the horses that end up in races only get there because they do love to run. They break their legs running in their own pastures (its a risk for all horses, not just thoroughbreds). And there is no way to describe the feeling when your riding a horse that is running because it wants to. Wow. The pounding hooves, the rippling neck muscles, leaning over the neck of the animal feeing its wind whipped mane and if you get lucky enough to ride a jumper, your life will be changed. The feeling of flight for those micro-seconds as your airborne. And if you ever want to feel absolutely powerless over an animal, climb aboard a barrel racer who loves his job. Hang on. That all your gonna be able to do.

I think more could be done to reduce the amount of injury. They run these guys too young. They are not even done growing yet and have already had 1-2 years of Hard stress on their bones in training. Their training is way different from working/pleasure horses.

The people who own these horses do not want the race to end this way. The real money comes in from Stud/foals after their done racing. The race is advertising your stock. We have veterinary science attempting things (trying to keep these animals alive) that was impossible 20 years ago. And a mare has a gestation of 9 months to produce one foal (seldom two) and a minimum of 3 months before she can be bred again. Its not comparable to dogs and their 2 litters of pups, twice a year.

I watched the race on TV when Ruffian broke her leg:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_(horse)

Barbaro, who didnt survive. Charismatic did survive his broken leg. And there have been others including the rarity (maybe only one), Brass Hat who survived twice breaking the same leg.

http://www.whas11.com/derbyrace/stories/WHAS11_TOP_Barbaro.1b046c71.html

Given a choice, I would not pick a thoroughbred as a horse for me. I like working horses. But I do know what its like to appreciate the power, and skills these animals have, so I picked other.

 

[spidergoat]

So why do they kill it if it breaks it's legs? I've seen dogs with casts on them.

 

[Mickmeister]

This says it all. This "sport" isn't much better than dog racing and the dogs are killed after they reach 3 years old as well if they can't be adopted out. A truely sick "sport" to be involved with. But hey that's just my opinion. :wallbang:

Dog racing yes, horse racing no. Most humans would wish they have the lifestyle these horses have. PETA was protesting one of the triple crown winners because he was being bred twice a day at $500,000 a pop. As the owner came back and said, this horse wasn't protesting getting some twice a day, what male would???? That was televised on HBO many years ago.

 

[Asguard]

There is a HUGE difference between a rodo and a horse race. Rodo's ARE animal creulty but i dont think horse racing is any more than any of the equestrian events. Horse's break there legs in show jumping to and humans die or break there beaks in both. However the difference is that the aim ISNT to kill or injure the horse. When a horse is injured it gets the best vet care aviable and to be perfectly honest most people dont treat there pets as well as those horses are treated. Not that i mean people are crewl to there pets but most people would put an animal down rather than pay 1000's for treatment.

As for horses being put down because they are to old, thats just stupid. Most of the money a horse makes is in breeding AFTER its racing life is over

 

[wsionynw]

So why do they kill it if it breaks it's legs? I've seen dogs with casts on them.

I'm no vet but I've heard that horses find it very difficult to recover from broken legs because they keep trying to stand on them, which damages the limb even more.
I'm certainly no fan of horse racing.

 

[cosmictraveler]

Dog racing yes, horse racing no. Most humans would wish they have the lifestyle these horses have. PETA was protesting one of the triple crown winners because he was being bred twice a day at $500,000 a pop. As the owner came back and said, this horse wasn't protesting getting some twice a day, what male would???? That was televised on HBO many years ago.

Actually there's many horses that don't win and they are also adopted out or killed if they can't be. I also know that after the horse is about 4 years old they aren't racing any longer for the most part and they are either sold or killed. These types of horses, thoroughbreds, are high strung and temperamental animals which many people don't want to have because they need high maintenance and can't be ridden easily. To bad they don't do a documentary on what really happens to these horses that don't win and reach the age where they can't race.

 

[Asguard]

dogs can live with 3 legs, horses however stave to death if they lose the ability to use a leg. Thats why in general horses are put down if they break there leg. I have seen vets try to heal horses by keeping them suspended but it rarly works because in the time it takes the horse to heal they lose there ability to surport themselves. So they stave if they arnt put down

 

[cosmictraveler]

dogs can live with 3 legs, horses however stave to death if they lose the ability to use a leg. Thats why in general horses are put down if they break there leg. I have seen vets try to heal horses by keeping them suspended but it rarly works because in the time it takes the horse to heal they lose there ability to surport themselves. So they stave if they arnt put down

Strange isn't it that many other animals can live with broken stuff that vets can fix but horses can't. I wonder what makes them so resistant to having their leg set in a cast for a period of time to let it heal. I undersytand you say they starve but if you forced fed them they wouldn't die at least during the time of setting their broken leg. Just wondering why no one has come up with a way to help them.:shrug:

 

[greenberg]

To bad they don't do a documentary on what really happens to these horses that don't win and reach the age where they can't race.

I know of a ranch where they keep old race horses. It's a big ranch with meadows and small patches of forest. They just let the horses be, to run around freely all day. The horses are still properly fed and groomed, but generally they are not ridden or otherwise trained. Almost like horse heaven.

Occasionally, they will retrain a race horse though. At that ranch, they had a mare who was in terrible shape after racing; they let her free for a couple of years, and then retrained her and she went back to the race track and even scored better results than before.

 

[cosmictraveler]

I know of a ranch where they keep old race horses. It's a big ranch with meadows and small patches of forest. They just let the horses be, to run around freely all day. The horses are still properly fed and groomed, but generally they are not ridden or otherwise trained. Almost like horse heaven.

Occasionally, they will retrain a race horse though. At that ranch, they had a mare who was in terrible shape after racing; they let her free for a couple of years, and then retrained her and she went back to the race track and even scored better results than before.

But how many horses get this type of treatment? Who is paying for them to be kept at this farm?

 

[greenberg]

But how many horses get this type of treatment?

Not many. At that farm, they have about twenty horses.

Who is paying for them to be kept at this farm?

It's private. I don't know the owner but it seems to be one of those people who made a lot of money in the corporate world and then returned to the "simple life".

 

[Challenger78]

Deal with killing humans humanely first. Then deal with horses and other animals.

 

[Enmos]

Deal with killing humans humanely first. Then deal with horses and other animals.

Why ?