I 'm sorry it just seems wrong to me to make these animals do something it seems to me they really don't want to do. Two broken ankles and euthanized on the track? How lovely. Even the winner seemed pissed off. Threw the winning jockey right on to the track . I don't know it's seems just inhumane.
no offense to those who enjoy it I can see why it's a magnificent sight seeing these horses run. I just think they shouldn't be running under those conditions. JMHO.
I grew up on horses, Bob. Not race horses, but I started riding by myself when I was 2 years old! I showed horses as a kid, then later trained them and taught horseback riding.
You have no idea what horses (and many animals) go through, for the entertainment of humans. They are totally at the mercy of the people who own and train them, no matter what area of the horse world you are talking about.
The Thoroughbred is known for its speed, grace and beauty. Part of the beauty is their thin legs which give them a look of elegence. When you add to the thin legs, the fact that they start racing when they are just two year olds before their bodies are fully developed, and the racing surface that they run on, you now have a recipe for break downs.
Many people do not agree with the extremes the owners of Barbaro went through, however, while that valient colt survived the breaks but did not survive lamintitis, he could have. The owners had enough money to make it happen, as it is a very expensive recovery, if it will happen at all. What the veterinary world learned from his treatment and seeming recovery, will help all horses.
Even more prevalent then the broken bones of race horses, is bleeding from the nostrils of many of them. Such bleeding is a sign that the animal is bleeding internally, in the lungs. This condition is usually the result of the much higher blood pressue when the horse is under exertion. A healthy horse at rest has a pulse of 40 to 50 beats per minute, but rising to over 250 beats at maximum effort, accounting for the horse's speed and acceleration.
One consequence of bleeding is the formation of scar tissue. Over time, the oxygen exchange function of the lung may become reduced. Sometimes necropsy's have shown signs of leakage from the lung capillaries. This is how the blood gets into the airway. The condition can become more severe if it continues for some years.
I would frequently buy horses off the track. While they may have washed out as race horses (lucky for them), they could excel as 'normal' horses and show horses.
When Barbaro broke down at the Preakness, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) took a long, hard look at itself and the industry. I'd thought this was a step in the right direction. I guess introspection is no substitute for change.
