A second horse has died at Santa Anita Park since the beginning of the year

[demmiblue]

Source: CNN

(CNN)A 6-year-old horse was euthanized at Santa Anita Park on Friday, the second horse to die at the famed California racetrack this year.

The horse named Harliss suffered a "fractured right front ankle," Santa Anita Park officials posted on the track's website. The horse was euthanized "per recommendation" of a veterinarian.

"Santa Anita remains committed to transparency," Santa Anita Park told CNN in a statement. "Horses raced or trained at Santa Anita Park more than 420,000 times over the last year with a 99.991% safety rate."

The incident comes weeks after another horse, 4-year-old Golden Birthday, was injured during a race, becoming the first horse to die at the racetrack in 2020.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/us/santa-anita-second-horse-dies-trnd/index.html

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[CountAllVotes]

1. Beyond horrible!!

>>Since its reopening, Santa Anita has made a number of changes in the name of horse safety, including restricting steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs and race-day medications.

Restricting is not the same as stopping!

Drugging up an inbred horse has consequences!

[in2herbs]

6. The US racing industry must stop racing young horses. Five years of age is the earliest a horse

should start race training.

[CountAllVotes]

8. I don't think they should be racing them when as old as 12 years

GREED!

[Perseus]

2. I am going to demonstrate my ignorance about horses but...

How do we humans know that a horse might rather end his days fine with a broken ankle, just walking around the stable, eating grass and an occasional carrot or apple that the owners give them, with today's technology I have to assume the leg can be fixed enough to allow the horse to retire comfortably without any need to gallop in a race, or gallop at all?

I never understood why they have to be put to sleep, it kind of sounds to me that humans don't want the expense of keeping the horse any longer...I could be wrong, as I said, my ignorance about horses goes beyond normal.

[CountAllVotes]

3. This sums it up

While humans have some large muscles and a bit of tissue below the knee that helps stabilize a broken bone, along with a cast, a horse has no muscle or any other tissue besides tendons and ligaments below the knee. The lack of muscle and other tissue means, even with a cast, the broken bone has little to support it.

[jcgoldie]

14. Well im no veterinarian but ive casted a goat

Maybe horses are different due to size but i have one of my milk goats who broke her leg completely between her hoof and knee... i went and got the fiberglass put a stick in there set it and wrapped it... kept her in a small pen 2 months and she fully recovered jumps right up on the stand its been 2 years.

Heres Mindy with her cast:

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. Read the story of Barbaro

It will break your heart.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/08/barbaro200708

[Withywindle]

17. This stood out in the article

"The rate of deaths per 1,000 starts in the U.S. is about 1.5, more than double the rate in England and nearly triple the rate in Hong Kong."

[littlemissmartypants]

18. I barely made it to the end.

[in2herbs]

5. The risk of laminitis or founder is great when a leg is broken because the horse has to be

"contained" i.e., not allowed to run, trot, play during the weeks-long recuperation period. A quick understanding: A horse with an active navicular, laminitis, or founder condition (with or without a broken leg) will rarely move. Because it will rarely move it is likely that swelling in the legs, especially the hind legs, will occur due to a build-up of toxins and poor circulation (from not moving.) This build up of toxins due to poor circulation causes fever and adversely affects the immune system. The horse reaches a point of not eating or drinking due to extreme pain. Likely, in addition to the issues involving the broken leg the horse will colic. The horse cannot lay down because it can't get up with a broken leg (or navicular, etc.)

Surgery may be able to repair a simple break but post-op is very risky for the reasons above-listed. Taking care of a horse with a broken leg is very labor-intensive for many months. Most owners do not have the knowledge, time or $$ to do what is required.

Despite the best vet care and latest technology the Derby horse Barboro died from issues related to his broken leg.

Making a decision to put your horse down if it suffers a broken leg is one of the most painful decisions an owner can make but it is one of the most loving because it keeps the horse from suffering a slow painful death.

Before I have any sympathy for the owner of a race horse whose horse has broken its leg I want to determine if the horse was being shod properly. Were the toes on this horse too long? Many in horse racing circles still believe that long toes on race horses help it to "grab the ground" and therefore increase its stride, speed and ability to win. However, you will NEVER encounter a horse with long toes that doesn't also have crushed or underrun heels, making every stride painful.

Caveat: I wouldn't be surprised that some owners in the racing circuit do choose to euthanize their horse for $$$ reasons if they are severely injured and at those times I am relieved that the horse no longer will suffer under the owner's neglect.

[CountAllVotes]

7. and then there was Ruffian

Ruffian (April 17, 1972 – July 7, 1975) was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse who won 10 consecutive races, usually by wide margins. In July 1975, she entered a highly anticipated match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure, in which she broke down. Surgery was attempted but Ruffian reacted poorly and exacerbated the injuries while coming out of anesthesia. As a result, she was euthanized. Ruffian was ranked among the top U.S. racehorses of the 20th century by The Blood-Horse magazine. Her story was told in the 2007 film Ruffian and numerous books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_(horse)

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. They undoubtedly have the horse insured

So having the horse euthanized because of a broken leg gives them money to go buy a new horse! Racehorses aren't pets. They're investments.

Racetracks could reduce horse fatalities by 40% switching from dirt to synthetic tracks but suggest that to horse racing fans and you'd think you suggested the eat their first born. Horses run slower on grass and synthetic. More speed means more excitement, even if it means hundreds more racehorses die every year.

"Synthetic tracks have shown a lower fatality rate than dirt tracks every year since the Equine Injury Database, or EID, was launched in July of 2008, and they have lost horses at a lower rate than turf courses in eight of those 10 years. Overall, synthetic tracks have averaged 1.2 fatalities per 1,000 starts; turf has averaged 1.47 and dirt 1.97."

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/horse-racing/2019/07/01/horse-racing-deaths-could-lessened-with-artificial-racetracks/1579341001/

[ToxMarz]

12. Why does a broken leg mean the end for a horse?

Senior vets explain why it is often impossible to save an animal after an injury that would hardly ever threaten a human's life

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/sep/23/claims-five-broken-leg-horse

[Karadeniz]

10. Epidemic. Horrible.

[Rebl2]

11. Why does

anybody take their horse to this racetrack knowing what has gone on there the last couple of years.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. Because $$$$$$$$$...n/t

[Coventina]

13. END THIS SO-CALLED "SPORT" NOW!!!

There is NO excuse for this!

NONE!

[SCVDem]

15. Yeah right, end this sport.

That means most Thoroughbreds will be put down since their purpose is to race. Do you control the world?

Is that what you really want?

I am tired of this line of thought!

[Coventina]

19. You seem to be replying to me, even though you didn't attach it to my post.

Yes, this sport needs to end.
No other sport where athletes were dying at the rate of 2 per week would be tolerated (average across the country).

Anyone who owns a racehorse is not hurting financially and could easily care for the horse to the end of its natural life.

Thoroughbreds as a breed need to be stopped. They have been ruined by greedy breeders who have created an animal dangerous to itself. Bigger and bigger lungs on lighter and lighter bones have resulted in locomotive engines on champagne flutes.

Yes, horse racing must be stopped. If the people involved in this cruel business don't take drastic action, the animal rights community will get them shut down.
It happened with dog racing, and will happen to horse racing.

[Withywindle]

16. "Second death this year"

Means second death in LESS THAN THREE WEEKS

Shut. It. Down.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Third. "3 horses euthanized in 3 days at Santa Anita Park"

3 horses euthanized in 3 days at Santa Anita Park
Two horses fractured their front right ankles before they were euthanized.
By
Julia Jacobo
January 19, 2020, 12:14 PM
5 min read

Three horses were euthanized this weekend at Santa Anita Park, the famed Southern California horse racing track that gained notoriety last year for the deaths of dozens of horses.

A 5-year-old gelding named Uncontainable was euthanized after fracturing its front right ankle on Saturday, and a 6-year-old gelding named Harliss was euthanized Friday for the same reason, ABC Los Angeles station KABC reported. Tikkun Olam, a 4-year-old gelding, was euthanized for undisclosed reasons after a training accident Sunday.
....

A fourth horse, a 3-year-old gelding named Truest Reward, died after suffering an injury during training last month.

A spokesman for the racetrack did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
....