Posted on 01/30/2007 9:40:32 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
No.
You are right. Jockey Club does not allow artificial insemination.
As far as litle Barbaros, I believe the Jacksons have a full brother to Barbaro, and his broodmare, La Ville Rouge, is in foal to Dynaformer again.
No, no -- the world needs symbols, of courage and perseverence in the face of the odds stacked against us. Horses do very nicely for this.
TMI: It is true that for Thoroughbred horses to race, they must be the result of live cover (i.e., no artificial insemination allowed). However, A Thoroughbred stallion may be collected and used to artificially inseminate Quarter Horse or Paint or Appaloussa mares, and then the offspring may be raced in their individual breed races. But a horse must be a registered Thoroughbred (and thus conceived via live cover) to race in Thoroughbred races.
As stated before, though, given Barbaro's condition, it would not have been possible to collect his semen.
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Or any child who died for any reason.
What made him so "precious and wonderful" compared to other horses? Did anyone here spend time with him and get to know him? Maybe he was a jerk! ;^)
Thank you for words well said and for the tribute. You've expressed exactly why many of us who aren't horse fancier's rooted for Barbaro.
(I was 14 the last time I was on a horse and it was a rental in Houston so I'm no equestrian.)
No. All breeding of Thoroughbreds must be by live cover. No artificial insemination allowed anywhere in the pedigree to get a registered TB.
Since you are of Irish descent, perhaps you could investigate how many of your ancestors made their living around the world of horses. Some of the very best bloodstock in the entire world comes from Ireland, and caring intelligent people spent alot of time and money over a number of centuries to produce today's fine race horses.
I agree there are many people who are in poverty, but I invite you to look at some of the "churches" of the world which continue to encourage multiple children in a country or region which cannot support the parents.
Nonsense, the world is full of heroic people of all ages...just check any VA Hospital or Children's Hospital or Ronald McDonald House. We do not need animals to inspire us.
Rush today called it a "Parasocial Disorder" to feel such great identity with celebs, horses, dogs, cats etc. people with the disorder are compelled to send tear-streaked cards when they die. One wonders if Barbaro (meaning cruel, barbaric, mean in Spanish, by the way), will be converted to sausages or will there be a huge funeral a la Diana?
The ignorance displayed on this forum daily is surpassed only by the certitude with which it is stated. No sperm was taken from Barbaro because artificial insemination is not allowed in Thoroughbred breeding. Furthermore, Barbaro was not an "it." He was an ungelded male of his species. As far as I know, the only living males who deserve to be objectified as "it" are the human ones who are born male but want to act like and/or become female.
The people I've known with racehorses (all... two families), didn't turn their horses into sausage when they died, they buried them on their farms. I would expect the Jacksons would do the same.
Semen from Barbaro would be worth nothing in the Thorobred world. I do not know about other breeds using him for cross breeding. But trying to create a racing Thorobred offspring from Barbaro would not be registered by the Jockey Club nor allowed to race.
In his condition, Barbaro would most likely not been able to mount the dummy mare for collection, anyway. There is a method which involves a person holding the collection sleeve, but in his delicate condition with his balance, etc, I would not think they would e3ven have tried it.
Barf.........
It isn't just on this thread, nor is it confined to discussions of the Dems/Left. Seems to be ingrained.
A horse snob if I ever heard/saw one.
BWHAAAAAAAAAA! I'm so insensitive.
BWHAAAAAAAAAAAA!
(You sound ridiculous -- you know. And wishing your strange "god" would wreak damnation on me is just plain primitive and evil. Are you evil?)
We'll have to keep our eye out for him/her at a future race.
So would it be a disorder if people felt something if Rush dies? How about Reagan? The victims in the WTC? The space shuttle tragedies? Our soldiers overseas? Most of us don't know any of them personally either, but we grieved what we did know of them when it was lost. This country is full of terrific people, animals, ideas, traditions... We can't know all of them, but some we feel some connection to. Maybe it's just an image, maybe it's that they represent something to us that is beautiful, or worthy of respect, or humble like ourselves. When we are shown great stories, or great tragedies, I admire those who feel something, but that's just me.
One wonders if Barbaro ... will be converted to sausages or will there be a huge funeral a la Diana?
Closer to the latter than the former, I imagine. I don't even think you'd want to eat a horse that died of an overdose of drugs, even to make a point about how little you cared.
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