Kentucky Derby

[Trapper7]

Another Kentucky Derby, another horse dies After what happened today with Eight Belles, and what happened to Barboro, I'm thinking I don't want to watch it anymore. My horse did win though (Big Brown), but all my happiness turned to tears when I heard what happened to Eight Belles, who btw came in second and was the only filly in the race.

R.I.P Eight Belles

 

[moonflower]

I know, I was heartbroken.... as an animal lover, I love to watch the race; also as an animal lover, it kills me when it goes badly. There has to be a way to make these races safer...

 

[Trapper7]

And it's weird, because she finished the race! It happened right after. She did so well. I am truly heartbroken. I can't imagine how her trainer,owners and jockey feel right now. I know the jockey walked away as soon as it happened. I'm sure he knew it was bad.

 

[JMurphy97]

What happened?

 

[polywer2345]

by: JMurphy97 What happened?

ya what happened ; animal lovers rejoice!!!! i am going to cry when i find out! sad!!!

 

[theyellowdart]

ya what happened ; animal lovers rejoice!!!! i am going to cry when i find out! sad!!!

They euthanized her after she broke her two front ankles. She was galloping off the track.
Pretty sad...

 

[Trapper7]

Yes, they euthanized her right away, so she didn't suffer long. There was nothing they could do for her.

 

[herenorthere]

The evolution of the race car has led to increased safety, while the evolution of the thoroughbred has led to increased risk. Cars have the benefit of new materials and designs for protecting drivers, while racehorses are bred for increased speed with no concern for the life of the horse. Breeders haven't left much of a safety margin in those legs.

Things would be different if owners' legs shattered anytime it happens to one of their horses. If that were the case, thoroughbreds would have legs stout enough for the forces they sometimes have to bear. They'd be a little slower, but a race is a race and the horses would survive to run another day.

 

[glider14]

i saw the replay and the way she was running was very odd coming down the strech.... instead of a gallop it was more like a vertical stomp....really weird. but really sad too. big brown was going to be my choice. but we had random drawings. my bro got 100$ ha.

Alex

 

[Ozzy]

I really feel for the horse. To most of the owners these horses are nothing more than a big investment anyway.

I can't stand to watch the Kentucky Derby because I just can't stand to see all them stupid hats.

 

[herenorthere]

I can't watch any horse race. Not only do I feel a sense of dread waiting for a horse to go down, I don't want to see a bunch of useless rich people prissing around. The stupid hats definitely make the Kentucky Derby the worst of the bunch and mint juleps suck.

 

[Av8tor1]

Not any kind of comment about the Derby or horse racing, just a FYI... A few years ago it became known that the once proud derby winner Ferdinand had been sent to a Japanese slaughter house. After that, some of the most expensive horse farm land in Kentucky was set aside as a retirement home for these great champions.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/07/eveningnews/main2899242.shtml

Av

 

[swords]

If people are animal lovers why do they watch & support this stuff?

I like dogs but I don't go to dog fights.

I've never agreed with animal based entertainment - how many bears do you see in alaska riding a unicycle?

 

[polywer2345]

supper sad i am tearing up!!

 

[HPLH]

i agree with swords on this one

 

[moonflower]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with horse racing... horses have been raced informally more or less since they were domesticated. Horse shows, dog shows, dog sports, cat shows, any domestic animal show or sport is all based on entertainment and breeders' pride in the animals they've created and trained. As long as the animals are taken care of, I don't personally see a problem with this, and any accidents that occur are generally just that, accidents. Dog fighting is in a totally different category, as there the animals are *guaranteed* to be hurt, most often very severely/fatally, and that is unconscionable.

Horse racing could be fine if a few things improved.... I do think that the sport can be made a WHOLE lot safer, that breeding can be improved, and that they should race the horses a lot older than they currently do- most non-racing trainers don't put horses under saddle AT ALL until AT LEAST 4 years old, when their bones are more settled. I don't really see that happening, unfortunately (too much greed) and that's why I'm off horse racing for good.

 

[Trapper7]

Now peta is going after the jockey.

 

[MrFlyTrap2]

The horses used for races are genetically selected to have light weight bones so that they are faster. (you don't see many Clydesdale's in races) That's the problem with them getting injured.

But minus that fact, racing them is what they like to do, they like to run. It's not any more dangerous than them being at the farm in a fence, wild ending up in a hole, or tripping over anything else that might get in their way.

Everything gets hurt, it's how life likes it.
Nate

 

[JMurphy97]

So it really is all about the money to these owners and breeders.

 

[moonflower]

So it really is all about the money to these owners and breeders.

To some, yes. But if it was true of everybody, Barbaro would have been euthanized on the spot and wouldn't have gotten the best veterinary care in the world for over a year, where even if he DID survive he would be of no further financial use to his owners (with damage to his hind legs, it's really unlikely that he could have ever been a stud horse, and AI is prohibited in racing.... thank god, or the horses would be even more screwed up than they are).

Also, I do agree with MrFlyTrap... horses are possibly the most accident-prone creatures on God's green earth. There's an equine expression that goes "Horses are born with a pre-determined place to die, and they spend their entire lives looking for it." For all their size and power, every last one of them is shockingly fragile and easily scared.... a poor combination. I've personally known three horses that were fine and dandy when we went to bed, and by the time we woke up had varying degrees of broken legs (all in empty paddocks with solid shelters, and nothing else around). I heard a case study from a vet friend of mine of a horse that spooked while it was being walked, ran head-on into a Dumpster and ripped its chest to shreds. All of these horses were eventually euthanized, over freak accidents. Let's not forget the whole food thing too.... if a horse eats too much grain at once, or too much spring grass, or any number of dietary shifts occurs, they'll wind up lame with laminitis which can range from mild (lame for a little while, problems for life) to fatal (this is what eventually killed Barbaro). Just food for thought.