Comments | equestrian: Raise your hands if you saw this coming

ihrayne in equestrian

Raise your hands if you saw this coming

Oct 13, 2008 10:18

Big Brown Retired After Workout Injury

Updated: Monday, October 13, 2008 11:19 AM
Posted: Monday, October 13, 2008 10:34 AM
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By Karen Johnson and
Steve Haskin

Dual classic winner Big Brown has been retired after sustaining an injury ( Read more... )

retirement, horse racing

Comments 41

beybladesabre October 13 2008, 17:34:13 UTC

Poor guy... We don't really need more horses with shit feet, but now we don't have to worry about seeing him break down in some race somewhere:P

beybladesabre October 13 2008, 18:25:51 UTC

And I LOLed when I just told my bf what happened, and he asked "So he did tear half of his FAKE hoof off??"

merefish October 13 2008, 19:23:09 UTC

I must say, the whole "it's just business, a horse has to be making money somehow or they're out" (like if he's a dud at stud, he will just disappear) just makes me so sad and angry. It used to be the sport of kings because they didn't care about the money, they just cared about winning.

bluelinegoddess October 13 2008, 20:59:19 UTC

*raises hand*

Oh wow, tore off half his hoof after a lifetime of hoof issues... shocking. Except, you know, not.

Too bad they're going to breed him and pass on those horrible hooves to hundreds of foals.

maggies_lens October 13 2008, 21:14:02 UTC

like this was a surprise, hey? As long as it brings in the money I don't think they would give half a flying foxtrot what happens to any of his foals once they stop winning. It's darned hard enough trying to retrain and rehome ex racers, TB or Standardbred, sure why not pump out a few hundred more a year that have soundness issues hanging over their poor doomed heads? It's not like the racing industry actually cares about the welfare of the horses at any point. There's always a kill buyer there to clean up their mess. Or suckers like the hard working rescuers. Perhaps if the breeder was fined a certain amount for every horse with their brand that ends up at slaughter they would maaaybe think twice. Unlikely, but maybe...

emraldfire October 14 2008, 00:14:04 UTC

yes this. it's just not fair... :(

Recovering Racehorses! joan_detlefsen October 14 2008, 14:23:55 UTC

Thank you thank you, yes it is the breeders, how to hold them accountable? I have dreamed about writing a book of fiction with a mythology overlay that obliquely veils the fact of how the breeders bear responsibility how they behave towards the mares and the way the industry is duped by them and end up dopes just to cope. Alas, I am not a writer.

heaterz0r October 13 2008, 21:14:31 UTC

Damn that is sad for so many reasons.

I think the sport needed to see Big Brown and Curlin. Even if Curlin could beat him easily, the sport still needed it because people wanted to see it. That's what makes me angriest about this. It will still be exciting to see Curlin & Casino Drive, but the average Joe won't think much of it. :/