Comments on: This Is So Sad!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:53:11 +0000

i understand what you mean… but thoroughbred trainers, owners, only think of money and how much money the horse will bring. That and the way she broke them, was unfixable…….

By: Ana

Ana — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:38:52 +0000

they have to do it though cause his legs will not heal properly.
it’s sad but it’s that or suffering his whole life

By: Anastasia

Anastasia — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:39:54 +0000

Poor thing:( It’s sad the she had to be put down, but it really was the most merciful thing to do. When a horse breaks a leg, ankle etc. it’s excruciatingly painful, and rarely fully heals. They have to be put in a sling for months. And, you can’t tell a horse to lie down or stop moving.
I live about 20-25 minutes away from the track:(

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:49:17 +0000

I too have been around horses my whole life. I have seen many put down and it is not a decision that is made lightly, nor it is a pretty sight to see. And it can be quite dangerous because they will thrash out. We had a horse that broke his leg in the field and it was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. The amount of pain he was in was incredible. There is really no real way to fix a broken ankle on a horse. Yes, there can be a series of operations and attempts to rehabilitate through aqua therapy and such. But almost 90% of the time, the horse will be put down even after the best methods and therapies have been made.

Many people are talking about money. That she was put down because of money. Most likely not. Money and investment is a large motivator to keep a Derby horse alive. So for them to decide to put her down within moments of the break shows that there was no way for her to even begin to recover.

I do agree with Bloggin Mamma. These race horses are babies. I have had experience with track horses and I never had one that would pass a vet check. When x-rayed there are always small splints or breaks in their front leg bones. Also, many are what is called “blistered”. Blistering is when their front legs are wrapped with a chemical which act almost like a cast in order to tighten their legs. Most blistered race horses show signs of scarring and the hair on their legs are often patchy. Again, not a good sign.

We don’t even start to break our horses until after they are 2 because of their bone and muscle developments. Not only the developments of their legs but the development of their backs and hocks (back legs).

I understand the horse business very well. It is not just the racing world (although that world is most public) but the hunters and jumpers also have their issues (that was my world). We haven’t even started to discuss the Western world or the Saddle Breds or the Dressage world.

So I guess the bottom line is, it was most likely in the best interest of the mare to be put down right away. Like I said, business is a very large motivator and as soon as that mare entered the Kentucky Derby, her foaling fee tripled or even quadrupled. The 100â€™s of 1000â€™s that the owners lost that day was increditable. Trust me, for her to be put down without even the slightest attempt to rehabilitate her first, just tell us how bad those breaks were. It was best for her to be put down right there on the spot.

By: bloggin' momma

bloggin' momma — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:35:04 +0000

Horse racing is in itself not cruel, it’s the fact that they race the horses when they are still essentially babies. If they would race them when they were mature adults and not young horses with bones that are not completely set then there would be far fewer injuries. The sport needs to create new rules for the ages when horses can be raced. Horses can live to 30 years old, there’s no reason to rush them and race them when they are 2.

By: ATTENTION!!!

ATTENTION!!! — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:00:57 +0000

any event that includes an animal being manipulated by a human being for entertainment, is not a competition(sport), it is an abuse of life…

By: ATTENTION!!!

ATTENTION!!! — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:39:03 +0000

IT’S ALL ILLEGAL!

THEY PUT HER DOWN SO THEY COULD BURN AND BURY HER BEFORE ANYONE FOUND HORMONES OR STEROIDS….THE AUTOPSY WILL BE A COVER UP!

Horse Racing is fucking barbaric.

So is riding you control freak fucks.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:47:52 +0000

The level of ignorance regarding horses / animals in some of these comments is breathtaking.

By: susie

susie — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:36:33 +0000

Is there really a need for horseracing? Other than just being entertainment for the wealthy? They are FINALLY tearing down Bay Meadows here in California, so there is one less horseracing track around – and of course, all the rich people are bummed out because now they have to find another way of entertaining themselves.
Rich people suck! Poor horses – I hope that when the people who participate in thoroughbred racing die, they come back as an abused and mistreated animal – then they can see how much life sucks for them.

By: Elizabeth99

Elizabeth99 — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:26:18 +0000

Forget about whether euthenising the horse was humane….. how long did this horse run on these broken ankles and how horrifying and painful must THAT have been? For the horse to have fallen right after the end of the race means they were probable broker mid-race. This is awful. Horse racing as a whole is just not cutting it with modern times. Same with cock fighting and bull fighting…. come on people it’s 2008 not 1250.

By: pattie

pattie — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:41:12 +0000

blame the freakin’ horse races. it’s a sport just so people can gamble and try to make money and feel rich and powerful. and it’s totally sad about how they practically force these animals to hurt themselves for their own gain…or satisfaction. however you wanna look at it. :(

By: Sugarbzzz

Sugarbzzz — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:10:58 +0000

What makes me even angrier is that they force a beautiful, wild animal to race in these stupid things. So the poor thing broke its legs and had to be euthanized doing something against its will. It’s just sad overall. :( I’m against any kind of sport that uses animals–polo, racing, dog racing–no one asked the animal if he/she wanted to participate. It’s just not fair to them.