Why Do They Shoot Horses?

logonmar

How come that when a racing horse falls and breaks a leg it is 'put down' .
Can understand why a horse might not prove capable of recovering from a broken leg to the point where it would be capable of running again. What I can't understand is why these horses are killed rather than put into stud.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Victor

Apparently a horse with a broken leg won't heal. Hence the put it out of it's misery.

logonmar

Can leg not even be put in a splint.

Can accept it might not heal fully but would have thought it was possible to do enough to ensure horse isn't in pain and then it could be used for stud purposes

Rabies

We have horses at home and I have seen a few horses getting put down over the years, none of ours yet thankfully.
When a dog breaks its leg it is easy to put it in cast for a few weeks and let it heal. A dog will hop along with no problem until it heals. Horses are a different matter. I have been told that they could not handle only using three legs if it was put in a split.
Have any of you city slickers ever tried to clean out a horses hoof or lift its leg up for a min or two ? When a person is cleaning out a horses hoof, the horse will lean its body against yours. You can feel the horses weight on top of you. A horse cannot keep itself on three legs for too long. If a leg was put i plaster and made motionless it would be very stressful for the horse.
A broken bone in a horse would take slightly longer to heal than a dog or human bone due to its size.

Gillie

Depends on the Person really.
I know of a woman who has loads of horses.
She has a prise horse which she uses to cover (mate with) mares and he's only got three legs.

She has another mare who had a bad fall a while back. The horse is deformed and a wee bit crazy but this womans attitude is why shouldn't the horse be allowed to live!
Once the animal isn't in pain I don't see any justification in puttin it down!

Paddy20

Damn good question. The way they simply announce a horse fell and "had to be" put down ?... Has always sickened me to my stomach, and I think the "had to" is a lot of rot.

I feel sure they could be saved if the owners had the will. Maybe they should consider shooting the damned owners instead , especially the ones who pocket the insurance money ?....

P. :mad:

Falkorre

Gillie,
I agree with your friend. A lot of horses are Killed each year purely because they are no longer able to make money for their owners, to me, its sickening.

B

Doper Than U

Horses carry 60 % of their weight on their forelegs.. so a broken foreleg causes serious issues... the horse simply can't bear that 60% on only one leg, it's not really physically possible, and the good leg would break down pretty quickly. A hind leg is a different issue, it can be mended DEPENDING on where the break is, indeed there is a horse in Greece (or somewhere ) that has a prosthetic hindleg that works quite well, and the horse is happy, living a retired life, able to go out in the fields etc.
Also, mending a horses leg is a seriously expensive and time consuming business, most people just can't afford the treatment. The horse will almost definitely have to be retired, so is effectively a drain on the resources (an issue if the horse is in a commercial yard, sad but true).
It's actually quite unfair on a horse to try to mend a broken leg, especially when the chances off it healing well are slim. The horse will have to stand in a stable for months on end (really not suitable for a horse, they need to move, especially to get blood pumping to the feet), it will have to be cross-tied, so it can't even walk around the stable. It will have to suffer pretty extreme discomfort and pain during healing, and it may end up damaging the other leg because of the heavy load.
For the majority of horses that break legs, time and money are the main issues, but they probably wouldn't heal anyway. Some horses are lucky, if they are worth enough as breeding animals, or have rich devoted owners, they can make a good recovery.

Kalina

Originally posted by Paddy20
I feel sure they could be saved if the owners had the will. Maybe they should consider shooting the damned owners instead , especially the ones who pocket the insurance money ?....

P. :mad:

I don't know about that Paddy, maybe in some cases this is true but most people who have horses love them so much that it would break their hearts to have anything happen to them. If it came to it that they couldn't live an normal healthy life anymore and were in pain then the only thing to do is have them humanely put down. It's the saddest thing ever!

Paddy20

Kalina,

Why then do the owners place horses in situations where they are likely to be injured and consequently 'Put down' i.e. Horse racing ?...

Rabies

Originally posted by Paddy20
Why then do the owners place horses in situations where they are likely to be injured and consequently 'Put down' i.e. Horse racing ?...

Its a sport. Accidents happen. Its a risk.

Not all accidents happen on a race track. I have seen a horse get knocked down by a car before and only have a few bruises. Saw a different one hit by a truck, watched it lie on the side of the road. Its lower leg was broken. The horse was stretched out on the ground moving its legs around in pain and shock. Its front leg was swinging around because the bone was not connected any more, part of the bone had even ruptured the skin. The vet was called to have the horse put down. It would not be fair to allow an animal to let it live after an accident like that.

There are some owners that will spend any amount of money on their horse. A guy I know took his horse out on a cross country course. The horse fell and damaged its knee. It turned out that a large thorn had peirced the knee and did a nice bit of damage. There is a chance that the horse will never compete again. he spent a few thousand on two different operations on the horse to fix his knee. If it doesn't heal right the horse will always limp and will only be good to keep other horses company. Its competition days could be over.

L5

I had a horse that had to be put down because of damage to her front leg. She was in terrible pain and it was horrible watchin her in pain. She would have suffered so much if I had been selfish enough not to put her down. Its not easy putting a horse down, the worst feelin in the world actually. Most times its the best thing to do when theres a break involved. So sad but true.

Victor

Oh, I suspect shooting horses is rare enough these days (unless urgent, no need to have the animal suffer hours until a vet gets there). I imagine they use an overdose of sedative / tranquiliser.

Rabies

Originally posted by Victor
I imagine they use an overdose of sedative / tranquiliser.

Nope.
They use a device like a gun. It is held against the horses head, between the eyes. A narrow bar is forced through at high speed, similar to a bullet, and thats it. It is the same as shooting the horse only it saves on bullets.

Guns are used also, but that is often if the owner does it himself in his own yard.

eth0_

Many horses can be saved if they break their legs, it just depends what sort of fracture it is.
Unfortunately, the people who own and train racehorses don't give a sh1t about horses, they're only interested in status and money. If a horse breaks its leg, even if it can be fixed it'll almost never get back to full fitness and even if it could, it'll take a long time, a lot of money, and it won't be earning its keep from racing in the meantime.

There are so many race horses left abandoned and neglected after their racing careers are over, it's horrible. The Irish Horse Welface organisation save as many as they can but race horses can never be re-trained properly as pleasure horses, only the most experienced riders can handle them due to their breeding and highly strung nature.

But shooting horses because they've broken a leg is probably not the worst thing that goes on in the racing industry.

Rabies

Originally posted by eth0_
Many horses can be saved if they break their legs, it just depends what sort of fracture it is.
Unfortunately, the people who own and train racehorses don't give a sh1t about horses, they're only interested in status and money. If a horse breaks its leg, even if it can be fixed it'll almost never get back to full fitness and even if it could, it'll take a long time, a lot of money, and it won't be earning its keep from racing in the meantime.
.
.
.
But shooting horses because they've broken a leg is probably not the worst thing that goes on in the racing industry.

If any of the top name horses broke a leg they would be put down. Istabraq or whoever. Those horses would be worth more alive than dead to the owners. If they break their leg it is only fair to put them down.
None of our horses are race horses but if any of them broke a leg competing we would put them down. They are not insured so its not as if we would do it for the money.

eth0_

Actually yeah that's true. Even a horse that's just used for hacking out is probably worth more when it's dead and you get the insurance payout.

As I said already it does depend on the fracture, i've read about lots of horses that have fractured their legs and were rehabilitated to the point where they could do light work

Paddy20

Good on ya eth0_ ,

I really do hope you are correct, and that some of those heartless greedy 'horsy set' pay attention for once in their self centred elitist spoiled childish lives.

I refuse to accept that a horse with a leg injury can not be saved. That is why I never bet on horse races. Imo those magnificent animals are treated as little more than playthings, that are put down if broken.

It's a damn scandal

Rabies

Originally posted by Paddy20
I really do hope you are correct, and that some of those heartless greedy 'horsy set' pay attention for once in their self centred elitist spoiled childish lives.

Have you your banners ready for next October/November when hunting season starts. We "self centred elitist spoiled childish" people love when our events get distrupted.

If you haven't worked with animals or ever owned horses before then you do not know what it is like. Horses are like pets to most people, if they get seriously injured it is often best to put them down.

It happens. Go talk to vet. They will advise it if its the best option for the situation.

edit:

Actually yeah that's true. Even a horse that's just used for hacking out is probably worth more when it's dead and you get the insurance payout.

If a race horse breaks its leg and if it isn't bad enough that the horse needs to be put down there are very few options left for it. It can be left to graze in a field for the rest of its life, it will probably live until its 30yrs or so. Have you ever watched a horse with a reset leg try to catch up with other horses galloping around a field. If the leg didn't reset correctly the horse will struggle to do more than trot. Its a sorrowful sight.

A race horse wouldn't be much good for hacking around on. Most of the regular horse riders out here wouldn't be able to handle a horse which is usually so flightly and high spirited. Some would not be suitable for trails and hacks. There would be much use for them.

eth0_

Originally posted by Rabies
Have you your banners ready for next October/November when hunting season starts. We "self centred elitist spoiled childish" people love when our events get distrupted.

If you haven't worked with animals or ever owned horses before then you do not know what it is like. Horses are like pets to most people, if they get seriously injured it is often best to put them down.

Oh god, don't get them started on hunting :-)
Paddy20, unless you work/own horses you can't really understand the reasoning behind it. The mechanics/physics of a horse mean it's EXTREMELY difficult to heal a lot of fractures and even simple ones which have a good prognosis can be difficult because (as someone has already said) horses have trouble balancing on three legs.

And another thing, keeping horses is an expensive business. If your horse is injured so badly it can never be ridden and doesn't have full mobility, you'd be out a fortune in physio and vets bills on top of the normal costs of keeping the animal. There are horse charities here that will take horses whose owners can't care for them, but even they can't take every horse and it's inevitable that some will be euthanised 'just because they broke their leg'.

There are much, much worse injustices done to horses! Check out the campaigns to stop horses being transported to France for slaughter to be used as food for humans, for instance.

Thorbar

What's wrong with eating horses?

Paddy20

Rabies,

How dare you assume that I have any connection with anti-hunting campaigners. I most certainly do not. Although, now that you mention the subject I do deplore fox hunting etc.

As I am by nature an animal lover, just the sight of those red jacketed idiots with their hounds makes me want too vomit.

I think eth0_ is correct and I should take a much closer look at what I consider to be the un-warranted cruelty that horses are apparently being allowed to suffer in this country.

Rabies

I have hunted a few times, but not in a few years. It is a great day out for those that have never taken part in the sport. I have taken part in a hunt where a fox is used and where a scent is used. No real difference, the dogs still thinks there is a fox
But that is another topic

Paddy20, I was just baiting you to see if you would react. My bad.

eth0_

Foxes are vermin, but I do think it's cruel how they are killed (on the very rare occasion they ARE caught).

And those 'red jacketed idiots with their hounds' are usually on a drag hunt these days, not a fox hunt. Check your facts before you go berating an entire community.

I'll ask you again...do you own a horse?

Paddy20

I personally do not own a horse. However, eth0_ my Grandfather was the Smithy in my home town over 50 years ago, and I grew up in the house next door too his Blacksmiths forge.

The smell of burning from the horses hooves as he shod them, is one of my earliest and most enjoyable memories. For the first 10 years of my life I was surrounded by horses. They were tied up outside my front door, my back garden had a very large heap of their steaming manure, and I was allowed to play in the forge every day after school.

I even helped to make and shape the shoes. I was totally fascinated and loved every minute and never had a bad experience. Unfortunately, the local horse owners were not very good at paying their accounts and my Grandfather became the local County Donegal Railway, maintenance Smithy which was another great playground for me, playing with real small steamtrains, but thats another story.

Perhaps that information might help to explain my over - sensitivity about horses. They just seem to be in my blood, and my spirit lifts every time I meet one locally.

You are of course right and I should not go: "berating a whole community" as I did, and I hereby retract that statement as ott.

I am now having a closer look at the well being of horses in general in Ireland, and will be interested in uncovering the reality.

eth0_

Originally posted by Paddy20

I am now having a closer look at the well being of horses in general in Ireland, and will be interested in uncovering the reality.

Cool. You might find this site of interest: http://www.irishhorsewelfaretrust.org

Paddy20

Thanks for the link. Will of course follow up.

Be lucky.

kahlua

It depends as well on the breeding of the horses, a lot of the race horses are very delicate so that a broken bone is more serious and causes more damage.

sceptre

Originally posted by eth0_
Oh god, don't get them started on hunting :-)

/me warms up keyboard:)

Rabies

/gets hounds ready

Aimee_gleeson

I wouldnt agree with hunting or the "putting down" of a horse but if the animal is in too much pain could you honestly say you'd watch the animal suffer just for your benefit?? Even if the poor thing was better off dead?