Why do race horses have to be put down if they break an ankle??

Question

You'd think with all the technology we have today a dislocated ankle wouldn't be a big deal. These horses make their owners millions in some cases...why can't they be cured by a vet???

Answer 1

In many cases when a horse breaks a bone in its leg it causes a major problem with blood circulation. No circulation = no healing.

Since horses spend almost all of their time standing it is very difficult to let the wound heal. Most of the time with a major injury the horse will re-injure it continuously by kicking or stomping. The horse ends up going through more and more pain and dies anyway.

Barbaro is a perfect example of this. He suffered for 1 whole year before they gave up because he had huge breeding potential $$. As much as people loved the horse and all he would have suffered a lot less if they didn't try to save him.

Answer 2

Because of their great size, horses cannot lie down for an extended period of time. Bed rest would be a death sentence, as their internal organs would be crushed. This is why many horses are euthanized for broken legs, an injury which seems relatively trivial to humans. They can't manage on three legs.  

There is some technology for treatment/repair of leg injuries, but for many owners, unless the horse is a money-maker who will bring in huge stud fees, the cost of medical treatment (sometimes up to $50,000) is not worth it.

Answer 3

Once you break a bone you will never be the same. Especially with the hard racing those race horses do, it will only break again.

Answer 4

horses are different than a person, or heck, even a dog. their legs evolved in an unpractical way. they barely support their weight-one false step could cost them their life. they're not able to live with three legs, even in the time it takes them to heal. Not having their weight distributed evenly can result in a HORRIBLE disease called laminitis. it is extremely painful, and often results in death-thats why they had to put barbaro down...i hope this answers your question...

Answer 5

The ankle is a very complex structure of very small bones and a set of blood vessels to match that complexity.  When a horse fractures or dislocates the ankle what usually happens is catastrophic damage to that network of blood vessels.  The bones can usually be screwed back into place.  However, that usually (as in the case with Barbaro) results in a different set of problems which are very hard to reverse and heal.  A horse without one of its legs is bound to do more damage to either the previously damaged leg/ankle or another leg/ankle.  It's best to euthanize the animal in a humane way and end it's inevitable suffering.

Answer 6

Painful, slow way of dying from an infection from no blood flowing through the break.  It is because horses are useless without 1 leg, they aren't like dogs and able to go with 3 legs.  Probably because in evolution a horse with a broken leg only couldn't keep up with the pack and was likely going to starve or be killed by some other animal anyway.