One Horse Dies

The New York Times ^ | 30 Jan 2007 | Editorial staff

[Kitten Festival]

Why should we feel so much grief at the loss of one horse? After all, this is a world in which horses are sacrificed again and again for the sport of humans. Barbaro was euthanized yesterday, eight months after he shattered his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness Stakes. After an injury like that, most racehorses would have been put down minutes later. But every race is a complex equation — a balance of economics, athleticism, equine grace and conscience. Conscience often comes in last, but not in this case. Barbaro’s owners gave that horse exactly what he had given them, which is everything. It was the very least they could do, and yet it seemed truly exceptional in a sport that is as often barbarous as it is beautiful.

Barbaro was exceptional because he won the Kentucky Derby and looked as if he might have a chance at the Triple Crown. But nearly everyone who met him also talked of the life he displayed, a vivid presence that was so much more visible to us because it happened to belong to a winner.

Humans are not especially good at noticing horses, but Barbaro was easy to notice. And if his life caused us to pay attention to the possibilities of all horses, his death should cause us to pay attention to the tragedy inherent in the end of so many horses. Barbaro’s death was tragic not because it was measured against the races he might have won or even against the effort to save his life. It was tragic because of what every horse is.

[Russ]

It isn't ugliness. I'm just bewildered that the NYT and others in the MSM seem to be mourning the horse's passing more deeply than they did Terry Schiavo.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Thanks for the link! A beautiful tribute to a beautiful horse.

[wtc911]

Just a horse is right. It is absurd to spend any money (let alone these big bucks) on any animal while there are children living in poverty or who need medical treatment that they can't afford. The lowest born child is worth more than all the world's horses combined, even those that can run faster than the others.

[Apple Blossom]

My understanding of the breeding of horses (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that while "the act" may be supervised by humans it must happen the good old fashioned way in order for the colt to be eligilbe to race.

There shouldn't be any Barbaro offspring since he won't be around to sire them.

[No Blue States]

I like horses, but the excessive whining over this animals death is getting completely rediculous.

[Thywillnotmine]

Ah, I'm gonna show my tainted side and say that my horses may knock me down from time to time, but unlike people, they never step on me.

[ExtremeUnction]

IT'S A HORSE!!!! Grieve aborted babies. PLEASE!!!

I do grieve aborted babies. But this is a story about a horse. I liked the story. I like horses.

[Columbine]

I won't assume everyone who criticized or mocked the article is a conservative,

Maybe not but then this forum is overdue for a good old fashioned troll purge.

I swear some days it could be DU.

[SueRae]

For once, the NYT wrote something worthwhile. New Bolton is about 10 miles from us. My daughter and I were there with other fans and well-wishers, leaving tributes at the gate back in May. Gretchen Jackson loved this animal as much as any of us who have lost a pet. Dr. Richardson and his staff did wonders with this horse and I'm sure that lessons learned from caring for Barbaro will help veterinarians all over. My heart goes out to them for their caring and trying to save him. And my heart breaks at his loss.

[Sally'sConcerns]

We have two posters who've brought Terri Schiavo to this thread and another who has interjected aborted babies.

This thread was about neither! It was about a horse many of us admired.

In the future I'll feel free, based upon your shining examples, to post to the threads you're discussing, something completely off topic as you three have done here.

This is not an abortio thread and it is not a Terri Schiavo thread. It is a Barbaro thread.

[Help!]

Actually you are quite wrong. The Jockey Club which is the organization that registers Thoroughbreds, does not allow artificial insemination; all offspring must be the result of live cover. Since the horse must be registered to participate in Thoroughbred racing, any offspring of must be the result of live cover.

Based on the way a horse's semen is collected in which it must stand on hits hind legs, there is no way they would have gotten any from Barbaro during his long recouperation period.

So the hundreds of thousands, perhaps even a million or more in vet bills they spent on Barbaro is down the tubes as far as the owners making any kind of profit is concerned.

[najida]

Well,
Fair is fair.

Next Anti-abortion or TS thread, I'm posting horse pictures! Lots of them! ;)

[ExtremeUnction]

If this horse was so great, have him stuffed like Trigger, The Greatest Horse of All Time.

Does that make Bullet the greatest dog?

[Cicero]

I'm sorry for the horse. I suspect the reason why some Freepers came in with slant remarks is because the grieving here is from the Editors of the New York Times.

I have memories of dogs who have died. I used to ride when I was younger, but I haven't ever had direct experience of putting down a horse.

Anyway, my sympathies run both ways. It's sad when a great horse suffers like that. And it's also sad that the Times cares more about animals than human beings.

[Sally'sConcerns]

Sounds like a wonderful deal to me.

I really am getting tired of having every darned thread hi-jacked because it doesn't fit the hijacker's pet peeve.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ping!

I think the Barbaro story was touching because it was a horse story, as well as a human story. It was about the horse, and also his 'connections' to his people. These pictures grabbed my heart when it happened. The rest of the race didn't matter any more.

It made heros out of jockeys and veterinarians. It would be up to the people in Barbaro's life to fix this, and we really rooted for them. In the movie, they would have won. We wanted them to win, it wasn't that any of them lacked heart. They all had it: The horse, the jockey, the owner, and the veterinarian. And that's why I cared.

[Texas Federalist]

Actually you are quite wrong. The Jockey Club which is the organization that registers Thoroughbreds, does not allow artificial insemination; all offspring must be the result of live cover.

So is it allowable if it's artificially insemenated offspring has offspring under live cover? If so, his line can just skip a generation of racing, but will still make some money.

[Thywillnotmine]

That someone else's choice... his owners. There is enough money in this country to pour into rehab for the many Teri Schiavos, if we wanted to. It is the heart of this dumb animal we celebrate and mourn -- would that more of us could show 1/10th the heart he showed.

[Thywillnotmine]

It SO made me cry.

[ridesthemiles]

They kept it around as long as they could in order to extract as much semen as possible from it. In death it will still be making its owners MONEY."

You couldn't be more wrong:

The Jockey Club, which controls Thorobred Racing allows only live cover- done in the old fashilned way. There is NO AI allowed. There would be no use for his semen if they offspring couldn't be registered, because non-registered horses cannot race, either, and THEIR get cannot be registered, etc, etc, etc.

The owners kept him alive as long as they did because up until the end when his front feet foundered and the coffin bones started to rotate, he was basically comfortable. Being a quadriped, a horse needs to have feet that are holding him up. He can operate on 3 for awhile, but not for a lifetime.
I don't think for one second that the owners and vet didn't do the right thing every minute of the entire time he was alive after breaking his leg.
I hope one of 2 things: Either you have the chance to be closer to a horse in your lifetime and find out the magnificent joy they can bring into your life or God makes sure you NEVER get close to one. Nothing in between.