I guess I'm a cold-hearted SOB, but I don't understand the drama in this story. Horses are far less smart than pigs, who we routinely fry and sprinkle on our salads or serve with eggs.
I hope Barbaro recovers, but I consider the horse an investment (which has already paid off handsomely) and not a cherished pet. What am I missing here?
Full brother born in March
But pigs are useless. At least horses have (or used to have) a practical use. Horses are generally cleaner, and darn it, they're just cuter.:)
Your heart.
>I hope Barbaro recovers, but I consider the horse an investment (which has already paid off handsomely) and not a cherished pet. What am I missing here?<
Quite a lot. I won't even try to explain it. Please, don't bug the blazes out of the people who do care, and to whom this does matter.
Surely there is something in your life important to you that nobody else much cares for? Don't we all have the right to personal concerns?
Point taken. When Deeeetroits Mayor 'Kwame' disbanded the mounted section in the PD, he had them headed to a dog food company in Canada. Local people arranged to buy them instead for their riding.
That to his people maybe Barbaro's both? :)
Think NASA. What the vets learn from this case can benefit all mankind that have horses:')
Horse sense.
And perhaps an aesthetic sense. The sheer beauty of horses touches many people's hearts. Not to mention their spirits. Barbaro has both beauty and spirit to a magnificent degree.
Barbaro is a magnificent, splendid animal. His best chance of survival is to gain some use of the leg - which may be so limited that he might never be able to stud. His owner's and caregiver's only wish is that he has a pain-free life. A thoroughbred's life is motion. They can not survive on three legs - the unequal weight distribution leads to a fatal infection of the hoof. Prosthetic limbs have been tried with very poor success. The best chance for this magnificent animal is to heal.
It's not about the horse. It's about what it is worth. Someone is taking a financial bath here.
There are stud fees to be collected - this particular investment [at least in theory] was only starting paying out.
Stud fees?
They work for us, they trust us, and we in turn trust them with our lives. That carries with it the responsibility to do right by them when they injure themselves doing our bidding. Particularly when they injure themselves pitifully in front of a large audience.
In my case, I could not afford the treatment Barbaro is receiving, but my horses are very much cherished pets, I'd do as right by them as I can, they've given me a lifetime of service.