God Bless Eight Bells

[devinej]

huh. just plain crappy? i think its OK as long as you don't work them too hard. but i don't have all that much experience in horses under 3. i've got 2 fillies going now that are just 2.5 years old. just breaking though to w/t/c. i sure wouldn't want to do it younger though. i can only imagine the long yearling just falling over. but they seem to survive somehow in the other industries.

 

[Cowgirl]

huh. just plain crappy? i think its OK as long as you don't work them too hard. but i don't have all that much experience in horses under 3. i've got 2 fillies going now that are just 2.5 years old. just breaking though to w/t/c. i sure wouldn't want to do it younger though. i can only imagine the long yearling just falling over. but they seem to survive somehow in the other industries.

SHe's talking about riding yearlings. She mentions the racing industry as well as the AQHA peeps. Riding yearlings is just stupid, IMO.

 

[devinej]

well i read it now, and i like what she has to say and i totally agree with her. a horse that has grown from what - 11 or 12 hands to 17 hands in 3 years is certainly not ready to do what this little filly did. obviously. apparently. as evidenced by the breakdown. i hope the racing industry does what fugly horse was talking about. wouldn't that be a freakin miracle.
i was reading somewhere else that racing is natural. yes its natural, but a "natural" racer certainly wouldn't go the speeds or distances they make these horses do.

 

[remaxrealtor]

I wish more people would get an understanding of this.

Every time I look at the pin fire marks on Lou's leg, it breaks my heart.

 

[tallyhoe]

it is a shame. horses shouldnt be ridden until there knees are closed in my opinion. these horses are pushed to there limits so early.

 

[remaxrealtor]

it is a shame. horses shouldnt be ridden until there knees are closed in my opinion. these horses are pushed to there limits so early.

R and were discussing it last year during the whole Barbaro ordeal and I said I'd put my money on there never being another triple crown winner. There just isn't the love and passion of the horse in racing anymore. Like everything else, it's about the bank and the prestige over the welfare of these sweet animals.

 

[tallyhoe]

R and were discussing it last year during the whole Barbaro ordeal and I said I'd put my money on there never being another triple crown winner. There just isn't the love and passion of the horse in racing anymore. Like everything else, it's about the bank and the prestige over the welfare of these sweet animals.

i agree. sad but true.

 

[sockgirl77]

I found it extremly disturbing that they did this on the track and carried her dead body out via forklift. All in front of thousands of people including children. I saw pics of the childrens' mortified faces.

 

[Cowgirl]

I found it extremly disturbing that they did this on the track and carried her dead body out via forklift. All in front of thousands of people including children. I saw pics of the childrens' mortified faces.

What were they supposed to do? It's not like they could make her walk back to the barns. :shrug:

 

[sockgirl77]

What were they supposed to do? It's not like they could make her walk back to the barns. :shrug:

They could have sedated her and waited for people to clear out before they took her away. I'm not into horseracing much. I've just seen the video clips and photos of this.

 

[Cowgirl]

They could have sedated her and waited for people to clear out before they took her away. I'm not into horseracing much. I've just seen the video clips and photos of this.

Sedated her? Both of her legs were broken. Why should the animal have to suffer just so some people won't have to see the reality of racing? These are animals, not machines. Parent's could have covered their childrens' eyes if they thought they'd be upset by what they saw.

 

[clevalley]

Tears again at yet another triple crown race as I watched Eight Bells run her heart out for a second place win at the the Kentucky Derby only to break both front ankles and be put down on the track immediately after. So sad...I was hoping she would give the boys a run for the money...and she did. When will they finally let go of the dirt and get synthetic. Screw the record books we need to save their lives.

I read the title and thought the horse sneezed...

Seriously - it is awfully sad and it is tragic. It sounds like that this happens all the time with these types of horses going from race to race and not being conditioned properly. I heard a statistic today that on average, two horses a day are put down at racetracks... very sad.

But God bless a horse?

 

[sockgirl77]

Sedated her? Both of her legs were broken. Why should the animal have to suffer just so some people won't have to see the reality of racing? These are animals, not machines. Parent's could have covered their childrens' eyes if they thought they'd be upset by what they saw.

Nevermind. It really does not matter what I post. You will come behind me and disagree.

 

[kwillia]

Nevermind. It really does not matter what I post. You will come behind me and disagree.

I disagree with you too. If your children are old enough to be brought to a race track than your children are old enough to understand the concept of injury and the resulting forced death in order to spare the horse prolonged agony and torment.

 

[clevalley]

Nevermind. It really does not matter what I post. You will come behind me and disagree.

Your wrong again... I disagree she would disagree...

The horse just needed to be put down ASAP - part of life...

 

[sockgirl77]

I disagree with you too. If your children are old enough to be brought to a race track than your children are old enough to understand the concept of injury and the resulting forced death in order to spare the horse prolonged agony and torment.

Then I guess that my children will never be old enough to go to a horse track.

 

[kwillia]

Then I guess that my children will never be old enough to go to a horse track.

Okay.

 

[Cowgirl]

Okay.

 

[Cowgirl]

Nevermind. It really does not matter what I post. You will come behind me and disagree.

No, I really don't disagree with everything you say. But do you really think it would be a good idea to make a suffering horse wait until tens of thousands of people (nosy people who want to know what's wrong with the horse) exit the stadium? Animals die. People die. Kids need to learn that. A parent has the option of turning their child's head or covering his/her eyes if the child can't handle the sight of them removing the horse.

 

[Baja28]

Then I guess that my children will never be old enough to go to a horse track.

Hey, on Route 5 north, there's a lil town called Hughesville. If you pass through it and keep driving, you'll be out of St. Marys and will see there's a whole big world out here.... Try it sometime.