Why do they have to kill race horses after they break something?

Question

Like that horse they killed today at the derby. Couldn't they rehabilitate it then send it to try and race and if it can't put it on a farm to stud and breed baby race horses.

Answer 1

It never ceases to amaze  me how little some people know about horses. You'd think that the owners just wiped Eight Belles out cause they didn't want to fool around with her. Remember Barbaro from 2 years ago? Only broke 1 leg, however it was in a few places. They were worrying about his other back leg ,which was ok, having a problem because of the way he had to distribute his weight. It affected his hoof on the good leg and it was quite painful and neither would heal properly so they had to put him down.

Read up guys don't just make statements about how mean people are to animals. They aren't. They're just doing what has to be done, sad as it is.

Answer 2

too much money... :(

Answer 3

if it was something that would be painful and take a long time  and was really difficult to heal, then they will save the horse the misery and suffering and put it down.

Answer 4

A horse has to live standing up. And it has very thin bones in

it's legs. When it is supported by the other legs. It is to much

weight, and then. Them legs break also. Which would a great

deal more of suffering. Sorry. <}:-{(

Answer 5

No.  A horse can't re-cooperate on two broken legs.  It's just not possible, especially it's two front ones.  The horse would have nothing to support itself.  They did the right thing.

Answer 6

They can't mend horse's broken legs. A horse can't be immobilised for weeks while it mends. Sometimes young foal's legs can be mended as they don't yet have the enormous weight on them.

Answer 7

Because things like that don't heal.  Not even enough for it to walk and stand like a regular horse, much less a race horse.

Answer 8

I think if they can do that they would . after all their should be a good market for the sperm...I hope some day they can fix a horses leg,,,I had the lousey experience of being involved in putting a horse down and it really sucks

Answer 9

They don't always kill race horses if they break a leg. If the leg has a chance to heal that's usually what's done. But horses stand most of the time and it's hard to keep them immobile so it's bad when a horse gets a leg injury because few heal properly. A few years ago Barbaro had a bad leg injury and the owners tried for months to get his leg to heal. Sadly that didn't happen and they put him down....but they did try. I remember watching the owners on tv and they were very sad about the outcome. If a horse can't walk (or run) or have normal mobiblity, I'd imagine that would be a sad life for that animal. Horses are born to run.

Answer 10

When a horse suffers a broken leg, the treatment regimen is often complicated and expensive. Only the youngest and healthiest horses are considered for the most aggressive therapies, such as cold laser treatments, therapeutic ultrasound or active magnetic field therapy. Even if a horse can be tranquilized while a broken leg heals, it cannot survive the weeks or months of relative immobility. A horse feeling trapped in a cramped stall tends to tap dance, which can easily aggravate the original broken leg.

Even using a sling to reduce stress on the horse's broken leg has a number of drawbacks. Slings are generally used to load a sick horse into a waiting ambulance or for other short-term transportation needs. A horse recovering from a broken leg cannot remain in a sling for weeks at a time. Constant skin chafing often causes dangerous sores to develop.

A horse's muscular structure requires the legs to bear a significant amount of weight. If the horse is suspended from a sling for an extended period, the leg muscles soon begin to atrophy and weaken. A horse suffering from multiple fractures, such as Barbaro, must use a brace to allow the broken leg to continue to bear weight.

There is also a strong possibility of opportunistic infections developing around a horse's broken leg. If surgical plates or braces are implanted around the affected bones, there is always the risk that the skin may not heal properly. Horses are also prone to a infection of the nail called laminitis. Treatment for other health problems may be especially difficult when the horse already suffers from a broken leg.

The idea of euthanizing a horse because of a broken leg may seem disturbing to some, but the decision is usually reached only after an extensive examination and conference with a qualified veterinarian. Horse owners must balance the potential success of treatment and the horse's potential quality of life. It's never an easy decision to put down a suffering animal, but certain injuries cannot always be treated without causing even more stress for the animal. A broken leg is not the automatic death sentence it once was, but owners need to understand all of the ramifications of an aggressive treatment program.

Answer 11

Well usually when a horse breaks a leg or something they are most likely to die anyway because a horse breaking something is ALOT worse then if we were to break something so they put it out of its pain by putting it to sleep :] its the best way

Answer 12

becuase on a horse those things don't heal right. killing it puts it out of its misery

Answer 13

A fractured leg bone in a race horse is bad news, and two of them is horrible: horses must be able to stand, and with two feet out of commission, there really wasn't much choice.

Answer 14

Sometimes it is to eliminate the suffering.  For example if the abrasion or clear break on the horses leg is above what resembles our knee it is very difficult to heal.  Animals that utilize all four legs on a constant basis even in sleep and rest,  are put down because if they are suspend in the air or forced to lay they struggle and hurt themselves more because it is not natural for them to be in that position.  

    Usually race horses have a burial site on the property of their owners.

Answer 15

WOAH!!! i never heard of this before...i thought that they would be raised in farms...

Answer 16

because after they break something the cannot perform ut to racinng standarda so they kill them.

Answer 17

because its really expensive and painful for the horse, so its probably for the better.

Answer 18

Honestly it sounds horrible I know but it is the right thing to put the horse down if it breaks a leg. Horses WILL NOT just lay down and stay down long enough for a leg to heal. They stand all day and will continue to do so with a broken leg or not. The horse will be in a lot of pain if they are kept alive and will eventually die anyways from results of the injury.

Answer 19

Horses aren't like humans the only way they can heal is no standing but it's hard to stop it from standing.  Or using the leg and horses just don't do that.

Answer 20

Im not sure but i think they do it because it is impossible to run again with 2 broken ankles and they just dont want to put the horse through misery

Answer 21

thay are Koral and sick people.i think that's mean

Answer 22

it depends what state it is....

Answer 23

Like I could maybe understand it if the h**e was like ripped up and was about to die, but if it was just because it couldn't race any more, I would like to go up to that person and slap them across their face. I ssooo don't get why some people do this!

Answer 24

W.

O.

W.

Krazy,you know NOTHING about horses.  Eight Belles wasn't put down because she couldn't race again, poor thing would be lucky to ever WALK again.

Answer 25

It's a $hitty thing to do but it has to be done. A race horse is good for one thing, racing. When they are no longer capable of racing there is no point in spending the EXORBITANT amounts of money it takes for their upkeep.

Answer 26

OMFG!!!! they do?!?!?!?!  wahhhhhhhhhh   i didn't even kno...now im really sad...............

Answer 27

Whan they break a bone, it won't heal properly and they won't be able to live nicely on 3 legs.  Also, it can be very painful for them to stand on it.  try walking on a broken leg with no cast or anything.

Answer 28

There isn't much they can do for a horse that breaks bones. The horse must remain off of the break completely and even then it likely won't heal so that the horse can walk again. Even when it does heal, it is weak enough that it can easily break again. Two broken legs is even more major. I trust the vets that were there when they said that her injury was fatal. It makes us all sad, but there are enough people who care that if anything could have been done, they would have done it.

Answer 29

To put them out of their misery

Answer 30

Sometimes, killing animals in pain is the way to go.