Horses

**LindenCy** · 05-04-2008, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by BryceC

Really? When our guys pull a hammy we take them out back and shoot them in the head. What good are they to us then?

Nice. And then we turn them into glue.

**chadm** · 05-04-2008, 01:51 PM

The only reason these horses were even born was for racing, if they die early it is still longer than if they were never born.

Maybe we should just abort the colts so they don't have the chance to break a leg.

**CycloneErik** · 05-04-2008, 01:51 PM

Looks like it's time to turn the Atlanta Hawks into glue.

Or does it not count if they didn't start running today?

**Cardinal&Gold11** · 05-04-2008, 01:52 PM

This was really sad to see. Seeing Barboro break his leg and then to see this is just awful, but that's what happens when things are pushed to far.

**HiltonMagic** · 05-05-2008, 12:08 AM

oh goodness... now PETA's getting involved

LINK

**Kyle** · 05-05-2008, 12:30 AM

Here's a few more fun horse facts courtesy of my wife:

1. They are hind gut fermenters similar to how rabbits are. They go through a lot of work digesting stuff that they just crap out without absorbing additional nutrients from it. That is why rabbits often eat their own poo. As horses don't do this, it is just wasted energy.

2. They breath very poorly through their mouths.

3. Race horses are aged as though they are born on January 1st of the year in which they are born. Therefore, a horse born on December 31st will be considered to be one year old the next day. A horse said to be two or three years old could actually be many months younger.

**cmoneyr** · 05-05-2008, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by chadm

Maybe should end the 40 yard dash for humans. It is pushing the limits and does cause injuries at times.

Ok, difference being the people running the 40 yard dash are choosing too. I'm guessing if it weren't for the 50 pound latino on their back with a riding crop the horses wouldn't be busting hump for the finish line.

**cmoneyr** · 05-05-2008, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by chadm

The only reason these horses were even born was for racing, if they die early it is still longer than if they were never born.

Maybe we should just abort the colts so they don't have the chance to break a leg.

So because they're bred for racing it's ok if we force them to run and risk shattering their bones?

I don't care one way or the other really, horse racing is a joke, but you're arguments are lacking here.

**Phaedrus** · 05-05-2008, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by cmoneyr

Ok, difference being the people running the 40 yard dash are choosing too. I'm guessing if it weren't for the 50 pound latino on their back with a riding crop the horses wouldn't be busting hump for the finish line.

I think you'd be surprised. Horses like to race by instinct. My family used to pole and barrel race, and we had horses that would run poles and barrels on their own, apparently because they liked it.

Of course, horses raised in barns liked to stand around, because that's what they are used to. Our horses that were heavily pastured, just loved to run....

**podo67** · 05-05-2008, 06:42 AM

When I was younger I used to visit ranchers in Colorado. One explained to me that horses used in the mountains were heavier boned than the ones used back at the ranch for roping and cutting. The lighter boned horses were faster. Therefore when horses are bred for racing, the faster ones tend to have lighter bone structure. It appears it is difficult to have the fastest horses with more adequate bone stucture. That's what makes these injuries sad and distressing for the breeders and owners.

**isufbcurt** · 05-05-2008, 08:16 AM

It's a horse!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's fly flags at half staff.

**jbhtexas** · 05-05-2008, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by hansen55

Watching a horse named Pushmybuttons break its leg at Aksarben with my grandparents left a lasting impression on me when I was younger, but it is important to remember that these animals are bred for this purpose.

Are the horses being bred in such a way that their bone and joint strength is being sacrificed for speed?

**isugcs** · 05-05-2008, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by chadm

The only reason these horses were even born was for racing, if they die early it is still longer than if they were never born.

Maybe we should just abort the colts so they don't have the chance to break a leg.

Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it, there you go making sense again!

**cyismydog** · 05-05-2008, 11:06 AM

Here's another thing...more and more horses are dying terrible deaths due to the fact that you can no longer slaughter horses. That has driven the cost of horses down to almost nothing, and led to several cases of starving old horses. It also has led to a large number of horses being shot. If peta hadn't passed that bill, which the American Veterinary Medical Association opposed, a lot less horses would be suffering, and there price would be enough to sustain someone who makes a career in horses.
rant over

**hansen55** · 05-06-2008, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

Are the horses being bred in such a way that their bone and joint strength is being sacrificed for speed?

Speed, number of races won, total earnings/winnings, and bloodlines are the driving forces behind the breeding of Thoroughbreds. I wouldn't say that their bone and joint strength is being sacrificed for speed. It is more that their structure cannot always endure the pressures of the speed that we have selected for over the years. Their bone and joint strength hasn't decreased, but the pressures placed upon them have considerably increased.

If I remember correctly, Thoroughbreds can trace their ancestory back to three main Arabian stallions that were imported to England, but I can't remember their names anymore. The industry uses "line breeding" which is a polite way to say inbreeding to greatly increase speed/performance. The racing industry has tried to decrease the amount of inbreeding by making artificial insemination and embryo transfer illegal in Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds must be bred by a live cover, so the industry doesn't have 1000's of Seattle Slew's and Secretariat's which would compound the inbreeding problem among other things such as decrease the value of foals of elite horses.

We have had horses of ours breakdown on the track, but they have never sustained an injury that has required euthanasia. If it is a mare that has performed well, injured or not, she will most likely return to our farm for breeding. We try to sell the geldings for hunters or jumpers if they return to health or give them to a good home if nobody wants to buy them which is often the case with the current horse market. If we have a gelding that has done well on the track that is not injured, we will retire it on our farm or find a home for it.

Cyismydog, you are spot on with your assessment of the horse slaughter ban. Their is NO reason that any horse (especially old, sick, injured, unwanted) should be neglected in such ways when it could be humanely destroyed and serve a purpose. Horses from the United States are still being slaughtered. It is occuring outside the country in Mexico where there is much less regulation and control over slaughter methods. Grain, hay, and veterinary care for the animal adds up quickly. Their pasture/alfalfa fields could easily be planted to > $6.00 corn. Horsemen should at very least be able to obtain slaughter price for any animal to support themselves. Some people's horses are pets, but the ones on our farm are livestock.