Simon Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 It was a broken leg right? They don't euthanize dogs or cats when they break a leg. Hell I've seen plenty of 3-legged critters getting around just fine. If I break or lose a leg I don't want to be euthanized out of a distorted sense of mercy. Why can't they just let him limp around the rest of his life. Or take the bad leg off above the fracture and and call him Eileen? Somebody educate me here........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 If I break or lose a leg I don't want to be euthanized out of a distorted sense of mercy. I hope you don't plan on leaving the decision up to certain posters here..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Dark side to beautiful sport One mans opinion particularly the notion horses these days are to fragile to be racing at three years old evidencing the many who participate in triple crown to be not heard of again. He feels horses should be four years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 29, 2007 Author Share Posted January 29, 2007 I hope you don't plan on leaving the decision up to certain posters here..... They're welcome to try and I'd have no intention of running away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Real Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminitis Laminitis is a disease of the sensitive laminae of the foot in a horse. The front hooves are most commonly affected, although the hind feet are sometimes affected. Its name means inflammation of the laminae, although inflammation is no longer considered as the key mechanism of the disease process. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=2747087 Read the ESPN article, it will help The Real Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 It was a broken leg right?They don't euthanize dogs or cats when they break a leg. Hell I've seen plenty of 3-legged critters getting around just fine. If I break or lose a leg I don't want to be euthanized out of a distorted sense of mercy. Why can't they just let him limp around the rest of his life. Or take the bad leg off above the fracture and and call him Eileen? Somebody educate me here........ They ran out of peppermints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agilen Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Dogs or cats or people can lay down and stand up quite a bit easier than a horse can. I don't know that horses can even eat laying down. They are big animals, and can't really stand on 3 legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Somebody educate me here........ They needed the glue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 29, 2007 Author Share Posted January 29, 2007 None of these articles have really answered my question. Why couldn't htey have just removed the leg if it was a real problem? Surfing around a bit I've seen a couple pictures of 3-legged horses and even found an article about a horse that was fitted with a prosthetic leg. What was different about this horse that it couldn't have survived? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 I cant believe it! I thought we needed one more thread, about a horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 I heard the Enquirer has pictures of him alive, being ridden by Jim Morrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 when i first read the posts about Barbaro being euthanized, I thought someone killed John Travolta up your nose with a rubber hose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albany,n.y. Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 None of these articles have really answered my question.Why couldn't htey have just removed the leg if it was a real problem? Surfing around a bit I've seen a couple pictures of 3-legged horses and even found an article about a horse that was fitted with a prosthetic leg. What was different about this horse that it couldn't have survived? I didn't read the attachments in the other answers, which may include the answer you seek, but here goes without any attachment. They thought they could save the fractured leg. However, within the process, his other legs, specifically his feet, went bad due to laminitis (described above). Maybe if they had cut the leg off to begin with, he might have had a shot, but I doubt it. Chances are the horses you saw were a different breed that were much more docile than a thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds are wound really tight & do not have the demeanor that some more docile breeds have. Chances are almost 100% that it would be impossible to keep a thoroughbred happy & healthy with an artificial leg. Edit: I opened your attachment & noticed the horse with the artificial leg was a filly. Barbaro is a male with a full set. Male thoroughbreds are often so out of control that they have to be gelded just to calm them down enough to race them. Generally, if an owner thinks that a horse has little to no future stud value, they geld him to calm him down. A complete male thoroughbred is one of the toughest horses to keep calm. Putting an artificial leg on one would probably require a prior gelding-defeating the purpose they tried so hard to keep Barbaro alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Simon, it doesn't make sense that so many are put down, but at least people can see how fragile they are after all the attention and time was given to Barbaro. The owners could have put him down and collected the insurance check the day it happened, but out of compassion they tried everything they could. The rate to just be in the stall was $600 a day in the ICU, so they had to be pushing $500K in trying to save him. I don't know what he was insured for, but he was worth $40-60 million and it is possible that is what they will collect. The horse with the artificial leg is interesting. He most likely had a clean break under easier circumstances than a horserace. With all the dirt and crap out there, if the bone punctures the skin on the track, there is infection that would hit. The big thing with a horse is that their internal organs are not attached to their muscular and skeletal system like humans. They all sort of mishmash around in a general area and have a tendency to twist and cause major problems if a horse lays down too much. Also, a horse is +/- 1100 lbs so if they lay down a buildup of fluid can take place and fill up their lungs...congestive heart failure basically. Now....those facts set up how important standing is for the horse. If a horse breaks a leg, it now has to support over 1000 lbs on 3 legs...and on feet that are 40% as big as yours. Like humans getting bedsores, if a horse can't get weight off a limb then the foot starts getting irritated and circulation becomes poor. A sling really helped Barbaro out, but it takes a cooperative patient to use one. The ironic thing is that the original break didn't directly kill him.....it healed, but his other leg went bad at the same time and it was up to his previously broken one to save him. It just couldn't handle it. The guy with the artificial one had to have a good break, be calm enough to handle slings and surgeries, and get lucky along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 more importantly why was all that money and effort put into trying to save a "lost cause"? But that is another topic probably better suited for the PPP board. from what I understand horses are made differently than other 4 legged critters, and especially horsed bred to run...he was doomed from the start It was a broken leg right?They don't euthanize dogs or cats when they break a leg. Hell I've seen plenty of 3-legged critters getting around just fine. If I break or lose a leg I don't want to be euthanized out of a distorted sense of mercy. Why can't they just let him limp around the rest of his life. Or take the bad leg off above the fracture and and call him Eileen? Somebody educate me here........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 ok to play devils advocate...I sincerely doubt the owners were that altruistic...they wanted to "milk" his DNA for all it was worth , i am a natural born cynic, but the more they could get out of him, the more offspring and stable of champions that could be put together in a petrie dish...flame away folks Simon, it doesn't make sense that so many are put down, but at least people can see how fragile they are after all the attention and time was given to Barbaro. The owners could have put him down and collected the insurance check the day it happened, but out of compassion they tried everything they could. The rate to just be in the stall was $600 a day in the ICU, so they had to be pushing $500K in trying to save him. I don't know what he was insured for, but he was worth $40-60 million and it is possible that is what they will collect. The horse with the artificial leg is interesting. He most likely had a clean break under easier circumstances than a horserace. With all the dirt and crap out there, if the bone punctures the skin on the track, there is infection that would hit. The big thing with a horse is that their internal organs are not attached to their muscular and skeletal system like humans. They all sort of mishmash around in a general area and have a tendency to twist and cause major problems if a horse lays down too much. Also, a horse is +/- 1100 lbs so if they lay down a buildup of fluid can take place and fill up their lungs...congestive heart failure basically. Now....those facts set up how important standing is for the horse. If a horse breaks a leg, it now has to support over 1000 lbs on 3 legs...and on feet that are 40% as big as yours. Like humans getting bedsores, if a horse can't get weight off a limb then the foot starts getting irritated and circulation becomes poor. A sling really helped Barbaro out, but it takes a cooperative patient to use one. The ironic thing is that the original break didn't directly kill him.....it healed, but his other leg went bad at the same time and it was up to his previously broken one to save him. It just couldn't handle it. The guy with the artificial one had to have a good break, be calm enough to handle slings and surgeries, and get lucky along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 ok to play devils advocate...I sincerely doubt the owners were that altruistic...they wanted to "milk" his DNA for all it was worth , i am a natural born cynic, but the more they could get out of him, the more offspring and stable of champions that could be put together in a petrie dish...flame away folks If by 'petri dish' you mean keeping him alive to collect massive amounts of his sperm, that is definitely not the reason. Thoroughbreds who are going to be registered to race have EXTREMELY strict breeding rules, one of which is no artificial insemination. Barbaro would have had to 'personally deliver' his swimmies to the potential mother, which I'm sure was part of the reason for hoping to repair the hind leg. His two hind legs would've been needed to support his full weight while he took care of business. I have no doubt that the potential income from stud fees played a role, but generally, horse owners are truly all about the horse and only want what's best for the animal. I tend to look at the ulterior motives as well, but I really think the owners just loved this horse, and if he could have a relatively normal and pain-free life, they were going to make every attempt to give him that chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Even if he went to stud, it doesn't mean he would have been a success. For 2 or 3 years he would get 100 mares pregnant at $75K a pop. When those horses start popping out and running, they might not be very good or not worth 75 thousand. It is like the stock market with the babies and a stud.....They would definitely get $20-30 million back from him, but they probably had him insured for that. I could probably go buy you a Kentucky Derby winner right now for $100,000 who is still able to breed....he just breeds slow horses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 more importantly why was all that money and effort put into trying to save a "lost cause"? But that is another topic probably better suited for the PPP board. from what I understand horses are made differently than other 4 legged critters, and especially horsed bred to run...he was doomed from the start Their heads said he was a goner, but their hearts said try it. He wasn't expected to make it past a week, then they had a little momentum rolling with the healing process so they had to let it all play out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 how come people are cool with killing cats and dogs and horses to put them out of their misery but when people sincerely want to die because they are in so much pain people get all fired up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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