The champion falls, death likely, career over

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special needs

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http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33655

Not that anyone cares, but Barbaro, the best horse in horseracing has suffered a career ending, and life-threatening injury. He did substantial damage to three bones. Foul play looks quite likely here, and will probably be looked into.

So, in case anyone actually cares, the greatest horse in the world is no more.
 

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God, that's awful. I know how much you love racehorses, SN, I know you're terribly sad. Take care.
 

special needs

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I think the shock has settled in. He's not the horse you expect to break down. He wasn't raced much, and it's usually the ones that are raced constantly who are injury prone. What kills me is that I know this was done on purpose. It's comforting to know that an investigation will be done, and those involved in foul play will likely be banned from the sport. At this point, the starter and the connections of Diabolical look a teensy bit suspicious..but I'm not pointing fingers at anyone until they figure out who did and what they did.

I was screaming and crying when it actually happened but now I'm calm. When the article comes that they euthanized him, I probably won't have a real reaction... he's pretty much dead to me as of right now. To put things in perspective, two of three bones that he injured would prove fatal even if they were the only break. I think everyone knows his chances are about...none.. but he gets a bit of a chance just because he's the horse, rather than a horse.

Condolences go out to Edgar Prado, especially. He's got to be feeling really guilty right now, and the death of the best horse he's ever ridden isn't something that will help him get over the death of his mother.

:cry: Sad, sad day.
 

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Anytime a horse is put to sleep from an injury like that makes me sad. No, actually I get depressed whenever I see a horse suffer -- period! I owned and love horses. I miss my Diego, quarter-arab. Errr...
 

special needs

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Sheryl Nantus said:
how do you think it was fixed?

The gate malfunction is definately the most fishy thing, here. Gates work together, so if it had been a genuine gate malfunction, all of the gates would have malfunctioned together. Barbaro did not force himself through the gate, but rather, he tapped it and it flew open...then, thinking the race had started, he exploded out of it. If by some wild chance, the gate had malfunctioned (I've seen 1 gate malfunction in 14 years of watching races... (and I didn't actually see it, I heard about it) a friend of mine, who has 40 years experiance, has seen none) and if by some chance, it had been the only one...Barbaro would have had to force himself through it. He shouldn't have just been able to tap it and it shouldn't have flown open like it did. Then, say it was a genuine malfunction. Say today was just a freaky kind of day, a type of day when a single gate malfunction is possible. Why was it HIS gate that did it? What are the chances that of all the gates that could have malfunctioned throughout the day, only his did?

The other fishy thing about the gate is that the starter let the horse go. Barbaro wasn't exactly on a murder rampage. Had the starter held onto his bit, he would have gone just a few steps. So why did the starter just let him go? Even if he didn't do it on purpose, I think the starter deserves to spend the rest of his life in an internment camp.

The last thing is the severity of his injuries. Nothing really happened to him. His bones just broke. So why? Horses bones don't just break...no bones do. It takes a stumble or some kind of trauma to accomplish three bone breaks as severe as they are.

Think about it. Have you ever shattered the bones in your arm for no reason at all?

Edited to say: Forgive my typos, for I consider the fact that I'm no longer throwing things and screaming a vast improvement...and coherant typing is too much to expect of me right now.
 
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special needs

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billythrilly7th said:
I happen to care.

Good. This is a writing forum, so I didn't expect a real reaction from anyone... just thought that anyone here who didn't follow horseracing, but knew who he was, should probably know that chances of him living another 48 hours aren't very big. Pulling through this, even with the best team of doctors the world can offer him, will be a miracle.
 

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I'm quite put out.
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I've never heard of a gate not working properly, on it's own, like that either. I simply assumed he forced his way through it, which would have been pretty weird, but the other thing sounds even weirder.

So, yes, there's something not right here.
 
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special needs

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For the record, opening closed gates isn't an easy thing to do. It is, indeed, possible, but not from a tap. A few of the guys at work can wrench them open if they really try, and a horse can, too. (I, however, even when applying all 100 pounds of me, cannot). BUT gates do not open with a tap. I saw it, and Edgar clarified. He just kinda tapped it and it flew open. Unless tampering is in place, you just can't do that.
 

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This sucks!

When Barbaro went down, I clicked off the TV. It wasn't until Sportscenter later that I even found out who won.

It's terrible when any athlete isn't allowed to defend his championship on the field of play, but is instead taken out by a freak occurence.


Very sad...
 

Blackheart

A shame. I saw a horse put down on the track once at Exhibition Park in Vancouver. It turned my stomach
 

special needs

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I'm currently wondering whether or not I want him to survive. The best case scenario is that he survives and gets to breed to a few mares a year. But it would be kinda like a half life for a racehorse. He'll never be able to run again, like other studs can. He'd spend the rest of his life in a stall, and a substantial amount of time in a brace...I don't know if he'll stand for it. Watching him play out in the paddock, I don't know if he wants to go another 20 years without the possibility of running. Its kind of like sentencing someone to prison without the possibility of parol. :Huh:

It's a super difficult situation. I can only hope that they do what's best for the horse.
 

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I certainly care. I read about it earlier. It absolutely breaks my heart.
 

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i read about this too..what a shame!
 

Anya Smith

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special needs said:
I'm currently wondering whether or not I want him to survive. The best case scenario is that he survives and gets to breed to a few mares a year. But it would be kinda like a half life for a racehorse. He'll never be able to run again, like other studs can. He'd spend the rest of his life in a stall, and a substantial amount of time in a brace...I don't know if he'll stand for it. Watching him play out in the paddock, I don't know if he wants to go another 20 years without the possibility of running. Its kind of like sentencing someone to prison without the possibility of parol. :Huh:

It's a super difficult situation. I can only hope that they do what's best for the horse.

I appreciate how you feel. Still, such a beauty to die.... It breaks my heart. My grandfather had horses, and when I saw one of them die, well, I never forget that.
 

clintl

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I turned on the TV just in time to see the race. Very sad. I hope he recovers.
Shadow_Ferret said:
I never understood why a horse has to be put down when it breaks a leg. Can't they heal like 99.999999% of the rest of the animal world?
Apparently because horses can't lie down for extended periods of time. They need to be on their feet moving around, which doesn't work very well with a serious leg injury.
 

Writer2011

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I happen to love horses too and hate to see any horse for that matter be put down. I don't know exactly what happened except what i've read here and saw briefly on the news. It breaks my heart though to know that (just possible) this was meant to happen to end a horse's career, even life. I hope whoever was involved will get theirs in the end.
 

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I love horses too and work with a Throughbred rescue at our local track. Unfortunately, these things do happen without warning. All it takes is a wrong step or a weak bone. I just don't see the foul play angle.

A couple years ago a horse broke his femur bone during a race. One wrong step, a soft spot in the track and, boom, horse was down, jockey was injured. They had to euthenize the horse where he fell. It was horrible.

Today was a sad day in racing...you hate to see a horse go down in the prime of his career. I cried watching the race.
 

special needs

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clintl said:
I turned on the TV just in time to see the race. Very sad. I hope he recovers. Apparently because horses can't lie down for extended periods of time. They need to be on their feet moving around, which doesn't work very well with a serious leg injury.

If he broke one of the bones, given the excellent treatment he'll be recieving, no one would be talking about him dying. But he broke 3, two of which have proved fatal on their own.

I don't want to think of this, but what makes it so hard is the extremely high percentage of reinjury. Then they founder and die. Foundering is so painful...we try to keep our horses from it, by euthanizing them before they get the chance.

Barbaro's life depends on whether or not he'll stand for being laid up for an extended amount of time. If he makes it through the surgery, and everything goes well, his fate is in his own hands.

Truth be told, I don't think that if it comes down to that, he'll live. He's a champion, the best horse in the world...like Ruffian. Considering his antics when the injury occured, I think the chances of him sitting tight without reaggravating the injury are extremely slim.

In fact, it was in Ruffian:Burning From The Start, that I read that only good horses get hurt. The bad ones don't run fast enough to do themselves any harm. Barbaro is a fighter. It was a plus in his racing career...but not now. Now, we want a calm Barbaro, a Barbaro who ISNT ready to go and who is content just to sit there for days after days after days. I don't think he exists. I think Barbaro is wayyy too good to live.
 
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I didn't see it, but as soon as I heard, I was afraid for him. I really hope they don't have to put him down, but, like you SN, I don't hold out much hope.

If he was anything but a racehorse, it would have been done by now.
 
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