Why is it that they have to shoot a race horse that breaks a leg?

Question

I don't understand because why don't they have the technology yet to properly set a horse's broken leg?

Answer 1

because when the brake in the leg is to severe, and nothing can be done to save the horse, the horse is put to sleep to avoid any suffering

Answer 2

the horse will put too much weight on the leg, and it wont heal correctly, truth is it could probably live, but it would never be "normal" and unlike  dogs which we have because we love them, horse owners usually use them for profit, so a horse with a limp  is worthless, can't handle a person and can't race. Its more economical than anything... but the reality is, horses are more likely to get an infection and die.

Answer 3

So the horse won't suffer anymore.  Its a pity because race horses are expensive to maintain esp. if they are sick or suffered broken leg.

Answer 4

probably b/c putting a horse to sleep for surgery would cause more damage than worth it

Answer 5

we need glue for the school children

Answer 6

I have read the replies to this question and the comments that injured racehorses are given a lethal injection and are not shot. I would just like to add that I have witnessed a racehorse being shot on a UK racetrack following a fracture of a leg and I know of others that have also been shot. I know lethal injection is used  but it is usually decided at the time of the incident by the attending vet as to which method is most appropriate.

Answer 7

to put it out of it's misery

Answer 8

i don't understand why your complaining when you can go try develop a technology for a race horse's leg

Answer 9

First, they don't shoot a horse in the condition of the unfortunate George Washington in the Breeder's Cup.  They humanely euthanize it with an overdose of tranquilizers given by injection.  The horse feels no pain from this procedure.  Secondly, the expense of trying to repair the injury and the trauma to the horse (remember Barbaro?) is huge.  If a horse cannot maintain it's weight on all fours, there is very little chance of it recovering.  Most will develop laminitis and have to be destroyed at that point. With a catastrophic injury that GW had (and most when they are injured in this manner suffer catasptropic injury) is just too great.  In American thoroughbred racing, horses are trained much too hard at too young of an age, and they are not fullly developed.  This is why many breakdown.  However, in GW's case I think he had already been tried at stud and was not a standout so I don't know how old he was.  It's a shame when a horse must be destroyed but the trainer made the correct decision in this case. Anyone who says the owners don't give a d**n abot the horse are WRONG in most cases.  Remember Barbaro's owners?  They went to super human lenghts to savehim.  Many owners feel their horses are a part of their family.  Sure, there is always the owner who doesn't care but for the most part, this is NOT the case!  Most people here have NO CLUE what they are babbling on about, as is the case with most of Yahoo Q and A.

Answer 10

Firstly they DON'T shoot racehorses, they give them a lethal injection.

Secondly it all depends on the type of break.  If it is a simple starightforward fracture then yes, a lot of the time the fracture can be pinned and the horse will live.  In the vast majority of fractures that occur on the racecourse, they happen on impact, at speed and result in the bone shattering, thus making it irreperable.

The problem is that most people think a horse's leg can be mended in the same way as a human leg or a dog's leg.  This is not the case.  In the wild a horse relies on it's ability to run to survive, if it cannot run it will be caught and eaten by predators.  This instinct remains in domestic horses.  Therefore a horse that cannot run lives a miserable, half life.  

You cannot tell a horse to stay still and not put weight on a broken limb, they do not understand!

The amount of time and money spent on Barbaro made no difference at all, he still ended up dead.  It would have been kinder to put him to sleep straight after the accident.  However, it did prove to the world that people in racing know what they are doing when they destroy an injured animal, it is not out of cruelty.

As for those that suggest we put horses down to save money: get a grip!  99% of the people that are involved in racing (owners, trainers, work riders, grooms) do it for the love of horses - they sure as h**l don't do it to make loads of money as racing is one of the poorest paid jobs you can get!  If you've ever seen the connections of a horse that has had to be put down immediately afterwards you would understand how much everyone cares for these animals.

The money arguement holds no water in the case of George Washington: the Coolmore groups are one of the richest racing owners in the world, if any amount of money could save a horse they would spend it.  They have lost other good horses in recent years: Horation Nelson and Landseer, and they too were put down because nothing could be done to save them.

Answer 11

no i guess not. they dont want it to suffer becuase then the horse wont be able to exercise and it will become unhealthy and die anyways so they just shoot it so it doesnt have to go through all that. even if they do fix a horses broken leg they will still never be able to race again like they used to.

Answer 12

Because the people that buy and race, and breed horses dont care about the horse, they care about the money. It would make the owners spend more money to fix the leg, so they just get rid of the injured horse, and then get a new one to the place of the old one. Its is really like a haertless bussiness.

Answer 13

First, horses are not shot with a gun. They get a small peaceful injection that shuts them down.

Horses legs are very very fragile. If you look at your arm and then look at a horses leg, you will see that the horses leg is about that size and carrying 1000 pounds!!

A horses needs 4 legs. Not 3,2,or 1. When they go into recovery they tend to put more weight on the other legs which can cause a serious hoof disease called laminitis. There is no cure for laminitis and it is usually fatal for the horse.

Well, if you think about it, horses that are put down are the lucky horses! You are probably thinking that I am the meanst person in the world to think such a thing. But if you euthinize (put down) a horse, it saves that horse monthes and monthes of pain!! But if the injury is minor and can possibly be cured the horse will go and get surgery or rest or whatever he needs!!