When Red died, Mrs. Penny Chenery, his owner during his racing days, set up a laminitis research program in assoication with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. The foundation does wonderful research work into equine diseases and injuries.
Even all these years later, I (along with thousands of others) still love Red in a way I could never express. I still cry when I think of him suffering even for a minute, let alone for the month that the vets and Claiborne Farm people worked to try to save his life.
The only thing we who love horses like Secretariat and Barbaro (and Ruffian, Go For Wand, and too many others to name here) can do for them now, is maybe to contribute a few dollars to research facilities like New Bolton and the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation.
Royalties from the sale of Secretariat and Ruffian products go to support the Grayson foundation. So a good way to contribute would be to buy any of those products. Secretariat's official website.
Lastly, although people who say breakdowns are part of racing are correct, I always hear a shrug in that comment. Maybe the new racing surface being installed this year at some of the major tracks around the country will help reduce the number of catastrophic breakdowns like that which happened to Barbaro. I hope so. Because for every Barbaro, there are countless cheap, unloved claiming horses who suffer the same and worse fates. They are cycled from one barn to the next in an ever downward spiral that might last as long as 8-10 years. A few are rescued, but most eventually wind up at the slaughterhouse crippled and worn out.
This next link is to the graphic Sports Illustrated photos of Go For Wand's catastrophic breakdown. Look at them to see one part of the unromanticized truth.
"Maybe the new racing surface being installed this year at some of the major tracks around the country will help reduce the number of catastrophic breakdowns like that which happened to Barbaro"
Don't count on that NOT having "unintended consequences", such as the RESPIRATORY ISSUES we hear about - both for horses and the jockeys.
Living with foreign objects in your lungs wouldn't be very nice. And unlike many break-downs, it wouldn't be quick and instantaneous.
Excellent, thoughtful post. Thanks for the ping.
I'm just a romantic guy n......... I know I (will) get a lot of folks crazed when I say this, but I don't think having horses race with a human on his back is worth it. I wish horse racing would end. It's needless. (jmo)
I am so sad for this horse. This is a bad time in the world in so many ways. It's all spiraling out of control.