For those who are familiar with horses and racing..(Eight Belles)?

Question

im seriously so broken hearted by Eight Belles death. i just want to know if these horses racing really love to do it and it is in their blood, or if they are forced to run. i read that if a horse doesnt want to run/race they wont no matter what. basically im looking so some comfort knowing she died doing what she loved. is this true? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I would ignore the compassion-less b*****d who answered before me. Its people like him who do not understand why the rest of us people who actually have hearts, can weep over a tragdey like this involving a animal.

In short, to anser your question: yes and no. It is true that most race horses get better treatment then some people, but they are not meant to race over and over again, especially at such a young age. (Most horses race from age 2/3 and up). They usually end up competing before their bone structures have had time to fully develop.   That all said, I can imagine that a horse, if well looked after, not abused, and not raced too hard would enjoy the chance to run. I actually have horses of my own, although I ride western, and they do get bored if not given the chance to have a little "fun" now and again.

It really is a hard question to answer. On one hand, you have the debate over whether or not horses should be put through so much stress, both mentally and physically, at such a young age. On the other, horses do run. Mine rush off every morning into the grass field; although this is under different circumstacnes...i.e. no one on their back whipping them to go. It's a debate, and most likely will always be one.

The only real comfort I can offer is that they did the best thing for the poor filly that they could. Eight Belles would not have been able to be saved, unless confined to lousy sling for the rest of her life...and even then, she may not have survived the surgery to have her ankles fixed, if such a surgery was even possible...she may have suffered for days before a vet could come to the conclusion that she would not be a canidate for surgery.  So, really....I think they did the  right thing...it's heartbreaking, I know, to see such a beautiful and strong creature euthnized, but considering her condition.

Perhaps her death will cause people to re-think horse racing, and the age for horses competing will rise, or different tracks, or what have you will be devised.

At least people with hearts like yours are compassionate...not like some others....

EDIT: I just wanna address the person who answered after me. You may have seen coats/fillys running about their paddock, but there is a difference between play and forced sport. Have you ever seen a rodeo? Those horses don't want to go...when have you ever seen a race horse throw a fit? Not very often. That's because from a very young age they are trained to run...certain commands, the ring of the bell, the feel of the jockey shifting weight on their back, the whip....all of this, and other subtle things make the horse move. Why do you think we can tame them and ride them? Even the most stubborn and green horse can eventually be trained, if given the time and technique.  Now, whether they like to race or not..well, until we figure out a way to communicate with them, we'll never really know.

....sorry to take up so much space answering a question...I've been asked this a lot over the last few days, and I have a lot to say on the matter :)

Answer 2

For anyone that's galloped racehorses in the morning exercises and has gotten run off with, there is no question these horses LOVE to run. The problem is usually holding them back, not making them go. I've been run off with and let me tell you, its scary **** but the horse is happy running around the track with me holding on, trying to get it to slow, LOL. It happens to everyone who rides racehorses- but it lays to rest the question on if they want to run (and I never carry a whip with me, I'm just waiting for someone to say they are running away from a whip...)

if they didn't want to run, they wouldn't try so hard to be able to when your trying to get them to just jog!!

Answer 3

Yes, you're correct, if a horse didn't want to run/race it wouldn't.  They're very powerful 1000+ lbs animals and if they don't want a person on their back, then the person won't be there.

It's always horrible to see an animal injured like that, so I know how bad you feel.  But she didn't suffer thanks to the quick actions by the vet at the track.

Answer 4

you are right...born to run...love it they do...

Answer 5

This is a tricky question to answer. On the one hand, I want to say yes, race horses love to run- but on the other, I am only too familiar with the dark side of racing to ever believe that this is really true. If a horse doesn't want to run, he or she won't- that much is clear, at least most of the time. Eight Belles' death was a tragedy, yes, but it was not the fault of any particular person- it was the fault of the ENTIRE SYSTEM which produced the filly and demanded that she run such a race, over an unfamiliar surface, against colts for the first time in her life. As to whether or not she loved what she was doing- I am not sure we will ever really know the answer to that. Perhaps, is all I can say.

Answer 6

A Thoroughbred race horse  is bred 2 race and  it is born with a natural instinct 2 run. i quess 2 answer your question yes they love 2 run.

Answer 7

A horse is a dumb animal that has no feelings.

No, they don't naturally 'race' but they do run in the wild to escape predators.

Instead of feeling sorry for an animal, why not direct your sensitivities toward humans, who do actually have feelings and souls. I am sure there are a lot of suffering people in your own community who could use your pity.

Answer 8

Have you ever been on a horse that does not want to go anywhere?  If they don't want to move, they aren't going anywhere.  Sure, people use the crop, but it is not used to beat the horse until it moves.  It is just there to remind the horse what it is supposed to do.

After working on a thoroughbred farm for three years, I have seen these guys at all ages.  When they are born, all the do is race around the paddock.  I have even seen the yearlings running around their paddock racing each other.  They absolutely love it!  As for the horses that don't, they may be raced a few times, but a good owner would eventually pull them out and give them a new home.

Answer 9

we all witness a true champion Saturday, she could have ran

in the oaks, and won for fun...but she ran against the best males horses in the country, and beat 18 of them, i think if

the track was a poly-track she would have been o.k. i think

she was hurt coming towards the wire, but her big HEART

pulled her across the line, after the race she had nothing

left to give us....she ranks with the best of them!!!!!

Answer 10

Thoroughbreds are bred to race.. it is in their blood. If they didn't want to run, a 100-lb jockey on their back wouldn't be able to do much about it, haha. What happened to Eight Belles is a horrible tragedy, but I like to think that she died doing what she loved. I know that she was treated like a princess and everyone involved with her was heartbroken at her death. Just take comfort in knowing that she and Barbaro are probably racing each other, pain-free, wherever they are.

Answer 11

If a horse does not want to run, they will NOT run.   If your concerned go to a horse farm and watch the race horses in feilds.   you will see the young horses racing each other as they play.

its kinda like having a labrador retriever and throwing a tennis ball, the dog will for fun pick up the ball and bring it back, a race horse will in a similer fashon want to race.

Answer 12

YIKES:

DJ!!!!! What a horrible answer!!!! I think you are the dumb animal with no feelings!!!!

Answer 13

Yes, Bella, I can assure you that Eight Belles absolutely loved running.

First, I am of the opinion that if a horse doesn't want to do something, a 110 pound jockey is not going to be able to force it.  I've been on horses who didn't want to move... there's one lesson horse who simply won't canter no matter what you do to it... you can get it to trot, but that's it.  And there's tons of horses that are bred each year that never start in a race because they're simply not interested in running... so they're sold as show horses and make wonderful pets.  Eight Belles was an amazing horse... she had a lot of talent at the races... I don't think you can get a horse to show that kind of talent if she didn't want to.

Second, a lot of horses really love racing.  There was a horse named Gander who dropped his jockey at the start of a race... Gander continued running the race without his jockey... he weaved through the pack of horses to make the lead on the backstretch... he led the race to the finishline and crossed the wire first, 2 lengths in front of the other horses... he then galloped out another eighth of a mile before walking over to the outrider and trying to lead him to the winners circle.  That horse absolutely loved racing.  He understood the game.  He thought he won that race.  

Also, Cigar and Da Hoss were both great stakes horses in the 1990s.  They live side by side now at Kentucky Horse Park.  Their paddocks are separated just by a fence.  There are times when they still race each other.  One of them will start running and the other goes tearing after him... then they run back and forth up and down their fence line racing each other.  They're smart animals.  They know it's a game.  They want to win just as much as we do.

Third, this is Eight Belles morning gallop on Thursday before the Derby... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQqNcuSTI...  You'll see that Larry Jones, her trainer, is riding her.  He's about 200 pounds.  And you might not be able to tell if you're not an experienced horse person, but I can tell from my experience and I know from the espn video of this workout that they featured before the Derby on Saturday... for the last 15 seconds of that video, the trainer is trying to get her to slow down.  In the ESPN video, they had a microphone on him and he had to ask her about 3 times to pull up before she would slow down at all.  And I heard an interview with Larry Jones where he said that Hard Spun last year after galloping 12 furlongs would be very tired out and relieved that they were stopping, but Eight Belles will try to keep going even after running a mile and a half.

Eight Belles was a brilliant filly and it really was a shame to lose her.  It's a sad thing whenever we lose a horse, no matter if it's a top notch stakes horse or a cheap claimer.  In all the sadness, there is some good coming out of her death... the racing industry has paused to take a good look at ourselves.  After Barbaro there was a big push for synthetic surfaces.  We're currently assessing all of our issues and I guarantee that we see at least one major change in the industry within the year because of her death.  It's a shame that it takes that kind of reminder though before we realize that we need to make some changes.

RIP Eight Belles... I love you girl.  Go now to run with Ruffian and Barbaro on the great polytrack in the sky.

Answer 14

Thoroughbreds are bred for racing for many generations. It comes naturally to them. If you were to go to the backstretch and watch, many of that days racers know it and they prick their ears, excited to be racing.

   Remember the eight belles incident was a freakish thing, the track vet said he had never seen anything like it,nor had he ever heard of anything like it.

   She ran her heart out but, that's what she was bred to do.

Answer 15

Some people say horses are dumb animals that they don't know any better.  I have worked with horse most of my life I have shown Quarter Horses and riden a few Race Horses for work out, I have taken care some of the best Race horse out there Breeder's Cup Winner, there babies.  Running and racing is part of there nature.  You watch the young foals in the fields and you will see at a very young age that they love to run against each other.  I remember 2 such colts the best they were about  5 or 6 months old they were so cute, they would walk together and all of a sudden away they go as fast as they could up the hill and down right in front of me and stop , then there they go walking together and in a instance they take off again, they did this repeatly, it was a pleasure to watch.

I do n't approve of Race Horses being pushed to the absolute limit, but Eight Belles was doing what she enjoyed the most running, and she did everyone proud, but also left a lot of saddness and broken hearts, including mine.

At least her pain was not long, and she was able to drift off to sleep very quickly.  Having to put horses down whether its on the track or on your farm, is not a pleasure trip, I have seen it done and it cuts your heart to pieces, me personally it haunts me for years and I never forget it.

Eight Belles who was my Derby pick as War Pass was out can now run on the Race Tracks of Heaven with all the fallen Champions before her, and boy will she run proud and strong the same way she was on earth.

I have a ex-race horse from Ireland that basiclly no body wanted cause his racing days were in the past, he has been with me for 2 yrs now and he does not have to worry about anything, he receives better care, all the food he wants within reason of course, good hay  and green pastures, carrots, and apples and all he has to do is enjoy, where me as owner have to work my behinf off just to put food on my table, but because I love horses so much, he deserves the best.

And does he love to run in the field head high tail arched and prances around like he is something special which he is, and Eight Belles right now has her head high prancing in the fields of heaven, I have to believe this cause her death breaks my heart too.

Answer 16

I am from Louisville and my uncle works at churchhill downs so i have spent alot of time there with the horses. They do love what they do and i truly believe that. Off the track they are treated like queens and kings and cared for very well. Its what they are breed and born to do and i can assure you they are not abused or forced to run.