Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby....?

Question

Is anyone else's heart broken from seeing Eight Belles laying on the track and put down? I am sooo sad and upset that she had to be put down. People should not race horses for fun because something like that could happen again. Barbaro broke his back right ankle/leg in 2006. In 2008, a horse was put down on the track.......I'll never watch the Kentucky Derby ever again

Answer 1

Yes, I felt extremely sad and I was in complete shock when I heard that happened. She meant a lot to her owner and trainer though so please understand that if something could have been done it would have been done. The injury was a freak accident and she was in a great deal of pain. I feel so terrible for her though and I still can't shake off this sad feeling. RIP Eight Belles.

Answer 2

She could have had the same fracture just galloping in her lush green pasture on her farm. It happens to horses that aren't race horses all the time. This just happened to be on TV for everyone to see.

Tragic? YES!

Uncommon? NO.

Barbaro died because he had an infection and had to be put down. His fracture had actually healed and had a pretty good life after his racing days were over. btw: He got injured in the Preakness. Not the Derby.

Answer 3

They're bred to "love" racing.  How would one know if they loved to race?  Do they just break out in a race when not whipped to do so?  

On the flip side, if a horse talked to a person and told that person they loved racing, why do horses continue to be bred larger and larger, with the knowledge that their legs are becoming too thin to support their weight in the process?  I sure as h**l love running, but if I was 600 lbs with chicken legs, I'm sure my doctor would advise against it.  

FYI - Over the course of the last month, 4 horses were injured either running in the Derby or Oaks, or training for the Derby or Oaks.  2 injuries were career ending, one was life ending, one was not life threatening.

Answer 4

I am so sad! I have decided to never watch Horse Racing again

First Barbaro now Eight Belles

In loving memory Eight Belles!!!

Answer 5

People just sit with their money and their stupid fluffy hats with bouncing sh*t coming out of the top and dont realize what the horses are being put through! I didnt make it to the television in time but when i found out this morning i was heartbroken. Its so sad how people put young horses in like that for MONEY. Its really depressing. I would be so mordified if my favorite horse on this planet was put into a big shindig like that and had to be put down for breaking to ankles.

I'll pray for Eight Bells.

Answer 6

I don't think that they should stop racing horses but anytime that happens it is sad.  I don't think anyone feels worse than the owners who decided to race her in the derby instead of the oaks where she was supposed to race originally.

Answer 7

I wa sin turn 2 today at the derby and personally witnessed and unfortunately videoed Eight Belles breakdown (no I will not share the video so please no one ask) Anyway no she could not have been saved. She shattered BOTH front ankles. A horse bears about 70% of it's weight on their front legs. Eight Belles had compound fractures to both front sesamoids meaning the boens splintered through the skin. As soon as she hit the ground an outrider and the jock held her and someone ran for the screen. As soon as i saw that screen come out I knew she would not bw loading into that ambulance herself. It was just too traumatic of an injury and a complete accident. She ran a great race and even placed second, she apparently just took a wrong step after she had galloped out and was coming back down the stretch to head for the barn and be unsaddled.  I for one was relived to see the screen come ou b/c having witnessed the breakdown I knew it would mean a quick end to her suffering. It's sad when soemthing liek this happens but as I said in another thread we just have to realize horses are fragile creatures dispite their size. Knowing the complications Barbaro faced during his 8-9 month attempt at recovery I think it would have been 100x harder for eight belles. Once bone breaks skin it introduces all kinds of dirt and germs into the system. The horse is immediately at risk for sever infection and turning septic. Euthanasia is best option on compound fractures if you ask me so yes they did the right thing, no she could not have been saved. What happened to her was a freak accident. She was galloping out after the race and had turned back down the stretch to come to the barn. Accident's happen in EVERY sport. Are you going to quit watching baseball when a pitcher gets beamed in the head by a line drve and dies? Are you going to quit watching football b/c a player gets hit just right and breaks his neck? NO you won't b/c it's a freak accident.  They aren't raced just for fun they are raced b/c 1>) it i a sport and a way for equine athletes to show what they've got ( much like sprinters in human racing) 2.) The horses are loved more than you'll ever know. Click the link I provided and listen to the trainer and his take, yeah that was just oh so fun for him. Don't let one freak accident sway you from racing. It's a beautiful sport that just has a few minor flaws ( horses being raced a little too early)

just found this hopefully it will help others realize how much these horses do meand to the trianers and their owners

http://www.kansascity.com/449/story/6040...

Well the thumbs down affirms in my mind how mature you are RIP EIGHT BELLES you obviously know nothign about horse racing and just wnat people to agree with you over a freak accident. Red dot

Answer 8

Whatever you'll be watching the kentucky derby again next year.  1 horse in 134  runnings of the kentucky derby dies and now its we need to ban horse racing?  Get over it.  These horses are only doing what they love to do run.  Maybe we should prevent horses from running around at all that way they can never hurt themselves.  Horses are meant to run and accidents happen.  From the looks of it, Eight belle didnt even break her ankles until after the race was done, so it wasnt even the racing that did it.

Answer 9

You need to stop and look at the breed. Look at what they love to do. They live to race.  They are called "hotbloods" for a reason. Did you know that a Thoughobred will burn calories at a much higher rate than say a Quarter horse? I'm not talking about during a workout. I'm talking about standing in a stall doing nothing, there bodies matabolisim is HIGH! Their bodies need to move, they need to be on the "go".  I once had a Thoughbred/Saddlebred mix, and I almost never got a nice quiet ride out of her! She would try to throw me a lot of the time b/c I wouldnt let her run.   Yes it is a HUGE tragity that Eight Bells was injured and then and even bigger one that she had to be put down. But think about this: she ran the race of her life! She died doing what made her the happiest in this world. She ran!

Answer 10

I'm touched to see that you love horses so much. It's too bad that people exploit animals as they do. Thanks for your kindness!

Answer 11

Racing is not in horses blood u fool

Answer 12

She would have been in too much pain. The best thing to do is put her down immediately. The less pain the better. I am very sad too. All athletes take chances in getting injured. Its part of being a great athlete.

Answer 13

it is so sad. i think that horses should not be raced until they are at least 5 years old. that is when their bones have matured. when they are three, their bones are still developing and fragile. my heart was very broken for her and barbaro. they were both incredible horses.

EDIT: i agree with biscut in the fact that the owners and trainers do care about the horses, i just think that they are raced at the wrong age. : (

Answer 14

Yes, it was very sad but you have to understand that the horses love to race.  Its in their blood lines.  To not let a horse do this is way too cruel.  

I am 70 years old and have been in the horse racing business all my life.  

Wrote a book called Racing.