Preakness

[The Monkey]

Did you guys see it? So sad. Horse injuries are devastating to see. It doesn't look good for Barbaro. What a beautiful animal.

 

[rockin_amigo14]

i agree. i knew he didnt have it after he burst out of the gate too. its too bad bernadini got overshadowed by Barbaro's fall as well. quite an interesting race, i must say

 

[plainsong]

The gate and the leg have nothing to do with the other. Those gates open easily for a reason. It's not difficult to understand or figure out.

I'm of the opinion that a lot of fractures and breaks that happen to race horses can be mended, it's just that these horses are nothing more than investments to the kind of people who generally own racehorses, and not worth the money to fix. I hope that's not the case for Barbaro.

However, that's not to say that a lot of things have to go right for a break to be fixed. A lot. And it's true that your average race horse, knowing that today's a race day, knowing that there's a race going on that he/she isn't a part of... well, that horse is in high octaine mode, and as likely to ground its broken bone into shreds than anything else. And there's the problems of operating on a horse.... of keeping even a normal horse calm and sedate, yet alone a highly annoyed race horse...

If the veins are in good condition, depending on how clean the breaks are, depending on how good he is (I suppose) staying still in his sling... and depending on the amount of money they're prepared to pony up, perhaps, maybe, this will just be a looked back on as a bad week in his past.

His racing days are over, but who cares about that anyway?

I've seen such situations (not race horses though) go both ways.

 

[felixkrull6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong The gate and the leg have nothing to do with the other. Those gates open easily for a reason. It's not difficult to understand or figure out. I'm of the opinion that a lot of fractures and breaks that happen to race horses can be mended, it's just that these horses are nothing more than investments to the kind of people who generally own racehorses, and not worth the money to fix. I hope that's not the case for Barbaro. However, that's not to say that a lot of things have to go right for a break to be fixed. A lot. And it's true that your average race horse, knowing that today's a race day, knowing that there's a race going on that he/she isn't a part of... well, that horse is in high octaine mode, and as likely to ground its broken bone into shreds than anything else. And there's the problems of operating on a horse.... of keeping even a normal horse calm and sedate, yet alone a highly annoyed race horse... If the veins are in good condition, depending on how clean the breaks are, depending on how good he is (I suppose) staying still in his sling... and depending on the amount of money they're prepared to pony up, perhaps, maybe, this will just be a looked back on as a bad week in his past. His racing days are over, but who cares about that anyway? I've seen such situations (not race horses though) go both ways.

In the first part of your statement you claim that you think most horses could be saved if it wasn't for their cold hearted investment oriented owners but then you list a litany of conditions that have to go right for the horses to survive. Which is it? The economics of horse racing just aren't that great, especially over the last decade or so in America. I don't own a horse and rarely go to the racetrack but your assertion in the first part of your post is probably extremely offensive to any people that I've ever been around or owned horses. I don't know if you meant it to be that offensive but I just thought it was an extreme cheap shot at people who own race horses.

I always get a little choked up when I see any horse pull up lame but a great or possibly great horse just makes a little worse imo. It's probably the most heart wrenching thing that a person can witness in any sporting event imo...I'm not sure why but a horse pulling up lame gets me even more than seeing a horrific accident in auto racing.

Barbaro might have been the superhorse everyone has been waiting for. Now we'll never know, hopefully he won't join the ranks of Ruffian and Go for Wand. I wish the best of luck to him in his recovery.

p.s. I don't think the magnetic gates open that easily. It takes a pretty good wallop for them to open. I'm not saying that they gate had anything to do with the later injury but I don't think they open as easily as you make them seem.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixkrull6 I always get a little choked up when I see any horse pull up lame but a great or possibly great horse just makes a little worse imo.

I agree, it is a profound event and I don't know why either. I saw a police horse get badly injured once in NYC. It was clear that the horse's life was in the balance (bad leg injury). The officer (rider) was despondent as were several bystanders. I guess any wounded animal tends to elicit a similar reaction, but horses are so big and fragile at the same time that the response seems magnified.

 

[Sladeophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixkrull6 In the first part of your statement you claim that you think most horses could be saved if it wasn't for their cold hearted investment oriented owners but then you list a litany of conditions that have to go right for the horses to survive. Which is it? The economics of horse racing just aren't that great, especially over the last decade or so in America. I don't own a horse and rarely go to the racetrack but your assertion in the first part of your post is probably extremely offensive to any people that I've ever been around or owned horses. I don't know if you meant it to be that offensive but I just thought it was an extreme cheap shot at people who own race horses. I always get a little choked up when I see any horse pull up lame but a great or possibly great horse just makes a little worse imo. It's probably the most heart wrenching thing that a person can witness in any sporting event imo...I'm not sure why but a horse pulling up lame gets me even more than seeing a horrific accident in auto racing. Barbaro might have been the superhorse everyone has been waiting for. Now we'll never know, hopefully he won't join the ranks of Ruffian and Go for Wand. I wish the best of luck to him in his recovery. p.s. I don't think the magnetic gates open that easily. It takes a pretty good wallop for them to open. I'm not saying that they gate had anything to do with the later injury but I don't think they open as easily as you make them seem.

I've gotta agree with felix. My dad owns lots of horses and has had racing and jumping horses over the years. He never had a preekness level horse, but he had a few semi successful ones over the years. To say that all he cares about is the money is pretty off, not quite sure that he would be offended though, he would probably just laugh at such a statement. There may be some owners like that out there, but it's not like a lucrative business where a lot of people can score big in, at least not like it used to be. Just consider the money that goes into caring for, raising, and training a horse to compete at such a high level. They don't just feed them hay, if you know what I mean. It's a major investment that a lot of times doesn't pay off. I believe that owners and especially trainers get attached to their horses. You would have to be pretty cold hearted to raise an animal just to make millions off it, and then leave it.

BTW, a racing injury is typically worse than a normal one due to the amount of stress put on the animal. Horses aren't easy animals to nurse back to health either, they won't just lay on their butts all day like we do, so a lot of them get sent to the glue factory. Sad but true.

 

[plainsong]

Sorry dude, it's both. The world isn't black and white. Most race horse owner's at that level couldn't give a rat's @ss about the horse. They have no connection to the horse, you don't see em out there grooming their horse, or cleaning their horses's stall, or working with the horse in any way shape or form. They just throw money at it and hope to see a return.

A lot of things have to go right, and most race horse owners would sooner "end the suffering" then get any second or third opinions.

The next point, about the gate, it's relative. If you try to push it open, of course it's not easy. Ask the horse and it's a different matter. If the gate is functioning properly it should open before the horse has a chance to hurt itself. Remember, they have thicker skin than we do. For instance, I know plenty of horses that enjoy a good scratching against a cactus.

Funny on trail rides when newbies assume the horse will magically steer itself around the cactus....

I'm sorry the contradiction angered you, but it doesn't make it less true. A lot has to go right, and most race horse owners aren't prepared to go there. The most I know, he's still alive, which is a good sign for the kind of owner he has.

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixkrull6 In the first part of your statement you claim that you think most horses could be saved if it wasn't for their cold hearted investment oriented owners but then you list a litany of conditions that have to go right for the horses to survive. Which is it? The economics of horse racing just aren't that great, especially over the last decade or so in America. I don't own a horse and rarely go to the racetrack but your assertion in the first part of your post is probably extremely offensive to any people that I've ever been around or owned horses. I don't know if you meant it to be that offensive but I just thought it was an extreme cheap shot at people who own race horses. I always get a little choked up when I see any horse pull up lame but a great or possibly great horse just makes a little worse imo. It's probably the most heart wrenching thing that a person can witness in any sporting event imo...I'm not sure why but a horse pulling up lame gets me even more than seeing a horrific accident in auto racing. Barbaro might have been the superhorse everyone has been waiting for. Now we'll never know, hopefully he won't join the ranks of Ruffian and Go for Wand. I wish the best of luck to him in his recovery. p.s. I don't think the magnetic gates open that easily. It takes a pretty good wallop for them to open. I'm not saying that they gate had anything to do with the later injury but I don't think they open as easily as you make them seem.

 

[plainsong]

A lot of things have to go right, a lot of things did go right. Although I'd be telling his butt to walk instead of trot....

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...sUy9E&refer=us

Either he has one of the handful of decent race horse owners, or they responded to public pressure. Either way, with any luck this will just be a bad week.

So, anyone need a thoroughbred pleasure horse? He's just a baby still.

I don't agree with how studs are coddled and babied and made to get bored. I think a horse that has a full routine to look forward to is a much happier horse. Just ask Seabiscuit or Seattle Slew.