Note to readers: I have so many guests coming to read the answer that I’ve updated the info in here. Best wishes to everyone.
When I saw the picture of Eight Belles on the ground, of course I immediately thought of Barbaro. Like so many, I cried when they finally put him down, after real efforts to save him. That’s the first horse with a broken leg I’ve ever read about that anyone tried to save. If only the LA Times had gone a big step further in their Special Report to answer…
Why do they kill a horse with a broken leg?
Black Beauty on Beach, from the Animal Liberation Front
Wow, is this beautiful! I am delighted to link to the Animal Liberation Front, who has this photo and many more, and from Hedweb. Click for larger.
When I’ve looked online before, I found answers like, oh, horses just have to be free, they have very delicate bones, they need all 4 legs, etc. These are pretty stupid answers. I read dozens of other answers, including one that said horses are more sensitive to pain than other animals…Oh, really? That makes Mother Nature sound very cruel to our grassland friends. What purpose would that serve them in evolution?
But I think I found an answer that I can accept. Here’s the best medical answer, what I believe is the definitive answer from a commenter at Ron Mexico’s blog. And I also need to link to the wonderful commenter himself, who wrote this:
A horse has to stand or they start getting fluid build up in thier lungs (among other complications like kidney failure). They are also dependent on movement to assist in moving food through thier digestive tract. A horse has ove 120 feet of gut so intestinal blockage (severe constipation) is a major – often terminal – thing. So bedrest is out.
They can (and have) cast the leg to prevent it from bending. But the long pastern bone (which is actually analagous to the bone of your middle finger that is nearest your palm) is in over 20 pieces. An average horse weighs in the vicinity of 1000 lbs, Barbaro is probably closer to 1200 lbs. Even with the cast for lateral support, the broken (or shattered) bone still has to have the columnar strength to support 300 or more pounds. Sometimes the solution is to actually build an exoskeleton of steel starting at the shoe and screw it into the upper bones.
Just as you would not likely bleed to death from a severed finger, a horse has somewhat restricted blood supply in the lower part of its legs. With a traumatic ingury the flow is further restricted. One problem this creates is a susceptability to infection or necrosis of the damaged tissues. It is fairly well impossible to keep a horses leg completely sterile, so they are subject to some doosies of antibiotic resistant infections.
Finally she mentioned laminitis. A horse’s hoof is esentially a massive finger nail. They stand on the end of the middle finger with thier weight on the edge of the nail. The nail (called the hoof wall) is attached to the last finger bone (called the coffin bone) by a tissue layer called the lamina. If this layer becomes badly inflamed – and this can be from infection, trauma, systemic toxins, or several other issues not so much related to this case – the hoof wall begins to separate from the coffin bone and the weight of the animal drives the wedge shaped coffin bone through the sole of the foot.
Horses are really quite well designed for thier natuaral state, just as a car is well designed for road travel. Usually when a horse has an injury it is in the nature of a flat tire or even a bad bearing – with proper management they can be treated and fixed (sometimes, like our Miss Blue, they can’t be treated and the horse dies).
Equisearch talks about how horses can sleep standing up, which indicates again that horses do need to be on all four feet most of the time.
Not every horse falls asleep waiting around at a show, but all horses can sleep standing up. Your horse has a sort of internal hammock-a system of tendons and ligaments called the stay apparatus. This system lets him lock his legs in position so (unlike you) he can relax his muscles and doze off without keeling over. Even when he’s not sleeping, he uses the stay apparatus to rest muscles and reduce fatigue. Being able to sleep standing up is a great advantage for a prey animal.
(Birds have the same kind of lock-in, which is why they sleep on one leg, resting the other one.)
I am disgusted by this vet from South Africa, Dr Rob Gatley, who sounds like a happy hangman. He decides within seconds whether a horse should live or die. He shoots it immediately. He doesn’t believe in anesthesia.
And here’s an unfortunate example of why Slate thinks it’s such a great investigative journal, but really isn’t: the author interviewed 2 vets, and yet doesn’t give any explanation at all! One, a vet at Cornell explains: “a horse is not Humpty Dumpty.” There’s some great journalism for you.
Here’s a great photo of the worst kind of foolishness. These animals are natural enemies. The horse looks too small to be carrying anything that size, and the bear is terrified. From Bestweekever.tv, whatever that is.
Glenn Robertson-Smith, a vet from Australia, has an exceptionally clear explanation, and is much more positive than some of the race track vets.
…more recently metal plates, pins and screws have been used.
These implants can restore strength to the broken bone and allow horses to move about and, to some degree, use a broken limb during the healing process.
In most circumstances, a broken bone will heal and regain its strength in 12-16 weeks, but other variables such as infection or movement can slow or delay healing.
…in practical terms, the surgery or operating time should not exceed three to four hours and immediately after surgery, the horse must wake up from the anaesthetic and be able to use the repaired broken leg to stand and walk.
This requirement puts extraordinary demands on the repair and the implants and all equine surgeons have experienced the frustration and disappointment when, after hours of intricate surgery, the horse smashes its broken leg again and bends the metal implants when struggling to stand after the anaesthetic.
To try to prevent this, strong fibreglass casts are often used to help horses waking up from an anaesthetic. Nonetheless, everyone breathes a sigh of relief when it stands, as one hurdle has been passed.
Wiki is not at all helpful, but adds:
The huge costs involved to surgically repair a fracture and then rehabilitate the horse mean that it is financial suicide to attempt to save a horse with a fracture if you are not extremely wealthy.
That’s the saddest answer of all.
In another article, the Times interviews Dr. Larry Bramlage, who treated all of these (dead) thoroughbreds:
“I think we are approaching crisis on two levels,” he said. “One, a crisis in public confidence in racing. And two, I do believe we’ve disregarded durability long enough that it has become a crisis.” (I love the way he refers to the sport first, and then the horse as a commodity. Would you trust him with your horse?)
“Saving horses to be put in the field is not practical. With horse abuse and . . . human slaughter, there comes a place where you have to say the best alternative is euthanasia. If we save him, there is no one to feed him.” (What the hell is human slaughter? And are we surprised that he mentions money again? Get the hell out of my paper.)
To end on a positive note, Horse Health says:
Horses CAN recover from a broken leg. But because of the lack of ability to pull weight off of the leg, it is very difficult.
If you can afford slinging the horse for several months, that is one option.
The second is to basically wrap it and let it heal as is. The school did this with a horse many years ago. Has his hock shattered. They turned the hrose out for a year, brought the horse back in, horse was sound as can be! Vets can pin some fractures back together if you got the funds too.
Biggest thing it boils down to….HOw much money do you got to spend on the horse.
Well, Larry Jones, Eight Belles’ trainer, has $400,000 from her win coming in second at the Derby. Would that have done to save her? We’ll never know.
Found a couple books on Amazon that might be helpful:
How to Use Leg Wraps, Bandages and Boots: Supportive Leg Care for Your Horse Seems like this would be worth trying in many cases, doesn’t it?
Understanding the Horse’s Legs The author gives great details on how horses use and depend on their legs. (Duh!)
I also saw a book on how a pony thrived with an artificial leg. I think it was a children’s book, but the publisher didn’t send me a copy of the book, and now I can’t find it…
- Want more like this?
- Neigh.
- The LA Times likes horses, don’t they?
- You know what’s sad?
it is horrible that they do this to horses if were the owners i would kill the people who were doing this to the horses.horses are eligant and loving why put a loving animal down
The issue of why they put a horse down with a broken leg is never cut and dry. Some breaks are so horrendous that putting the animal is the most humane choice. Also you have to consider the quality of life for the animal if after all the time, tears and money (yes money while it isn’t something anyone likes to think about…it is a real consideration for most people in horse sport) are spent will the horse be able to spend its days without pain. I’ve seen horses that are horribly injured, treated and then sold on after they are pasture sound to be a ‘companion’ animal. Often they end up negelected, ignored and passed on time and again.
We owe more to these beautiful animals that we love with all our hearts. Sometimes there is no good choice. Barbaro was a case in point of what happens when we fight and lose that battle. If you’d seen the pictures when they took him outside to graze when they removed the cast….I cried for him. There comes a point when you have to say enough.
They jail people for dogfighting because it hurts or kills the dogs. Shouldnt it be the same for horseracing?
Sarah,
I agree with you. But sports always have mafia-type financing with all the betting. It takes a lot of work to fight that. But I’m ready!
hello dear how r u ? i like horses n i have 4 horses, 2 horses are verry smal just one year old white n black, n two r 4 n 5 years old they also white n black, the white is 4 yeras old n black r 5 years old . i m 21 years old. ok bye GOD bless u .
omg i dont get that pic!
i think we are being somewhat sentimental. Surely it is worse to subject a horse to months of suffering in the attempt to mend a break. It is ridiculously difficult to operate on a horse. The operation itself is easy compared to the prep & recovery. Horse’s cannot lie down for more than 20 mins without causing muscle or lung damage, so it is very hard to keep the limb stable for long enough. Painlessly putting a horse to sleep may be heartbreaking for the owners but it is often kinder for the horse. Barbaro was an amazing animal but he had to endure months of procedures, box rest and muscle wastage. It was admirable of his owners to try to mend the leg but in hindsight, it was misguided.
Racing is an industry, the horse’s welfare is paramount to the sport but it is still a business for the people involved, owners very rarely make any money from racing but have to pay a huge amount just for the privilage and thrill of owning a horse. When a horse breaks a leg it’s racing career is over, owners do not normally buy racehorses with the view to keeping them as pets after their career is over. This is not a sad thing, the horses are still cherished and adored – the racehorses I know have a life of luxury. They are active, fit animals, a sendentary life would not suit them. Owners have to be sensible, if a successful stallion or mare breaks a leg then it may be able to retire to stud but only if it is a very simple break.
We need to remember that although racehorses are bred to raced, they are cared for and loved. It is always devastating for everyone involved with the horse when they are destroyed but is nearly always the kindest thing.
The real reason most people kill horses with a broken leg is because the vet bill is to high so they kill their horse so it doesn’t have to suffer any more
racing horses is not a bad sport as long as the riders don ‘t hurt one anothers horses
horses are my favorite animals
I LOVE HORSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have three and i love them all
where can i by this picture
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH…..I LOVE HORSES A LOT AND I FEEL LOVED TOO BY THEM…..BUT NOW I AM A POOR MAN AND AM AFRAID……I WANT TO STAKE MONEY ON HORSES…NAH NAH NAH….NOT WILLINGLY BUT THRU SHEER NECESSITY TO BE ABLE TO FEED MY SELF AND MY LOVING FAMILY…..OH OHO OHO OHO OHHHH AHHHH………..I HAVE TRIED IT A LITTLE 25 YEARS BACK…..WANT TO KNOW IF ANY THING THAT WILL HELP TO WORK…..
CHEERS
that pic looks so rong cant beleve its on here
I don’t understand you, tiffany.
Beautifulll horses
ok, the horse -pony- is not too small to carry sumthng tht size. the bear probly wieghs….. wat? 200 ponds? MAYBE 250…..tht pony weighs about 750-850….a horse tht size can hold about 850-1000 depending on their weight….. and can pull up to twice their body weight,..,.so the size fo the bear is not important. this is a 100% inhumane worng peicee of shyt tht dumb ppl do who have no lives and will go to hell. the bear looks TERRIFIED and the horse looks twice tht bad. this is wrong. it makes me want to but mad bears on these ppl’s backs. -emma a 7th grader in w.i. who loves horse and has been riding since 3 y.o., and training professionally since age 9. thnx plz dnt hate, ?
and for sarah wayyy at the top: gambling is a sin, sins r forgiven. only bad trainers r inhmane to their racehorses….. 40% of race trainers have never used illegal drugs or practise of any sort on thier or anyone elses horses. i have riding around 14 racehorse in my 13 years….. and 4 of them had bad trainers. but the other 10 were loved and pampered, not mistreated or hurt…….the most pain theyv gone through is a bite or kick from an ornery horse in a paddock, or MBYE thrush….half the ppl commentdnt knw wat tht is tho. ITS NT THE KIND PPL GET, K? email me w ur opinions or questions…ik alot bout the situation: ermajean2445@hotmail.com
and wow amanda i couldnt of sayd it any better! who says less is more?! tell it how it is!
I LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEE HORSEEESSS THEY ARE THE BEST…………………………………………..I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YUO HORSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETYYYYYYYYYYYY
I <3 LOVE HORSES! I don't really know why, but THEY SHOULD STOP!
I THINK THEY SHOULD STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I <3 HORSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE HORSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hey this is so torcher
I’ve never been around a horse before, but I do have pets and I do care about animals.
IMO prolonging the life of a horse to die in old age if it’s highly probably or certain that it would never have the quality of life it deserves is inhuman for the horse.
Any animal if it becomes sevely injured and receives a broke leg, whether it is a buffalo or a wild horse will be exposed to predators and would almost certainly die.
Horses are running animals, and a horse who cannot run will almost certainly have one of it’s primary purpose in life taken away from him. I support the euthanisation of an animal in this case.
I love horses ….
Karim,
Where to begin?
I’m curious: do you also advocate euthanization of people if they are old and not able to walk well? We are primarily running animals, too. However, both our purpose and a horse’s purpose is not to run, it’s to survive and do well unto others and express love. All animals, ALL animals want to survive more than anything. I feel sure of this.
it is not far to kill a horse with a brocken leg if u just put something on it so they cant bened it and keep them in a stabble of some waer drie where they dont really hav to move to get food or water
so thhat is what i think of what u should do with a brocken leg
A.D
i lov horses i hav a breed wich most peoole say i hav not herd of she is a quarab
I love my horses and this is great
I love horses as well and agree that there are many problems in the racing industry. Speaking on the problem of broken legs, though, I disagree with some of your conclusions that people should always try to save their badly injured horse. Though not all broken legs are fatal, some are just too bad for the horse to survive, and keeping them alive would only extend their suffering. Horses are surprisingly delicate animals, despite their size and strength…and I’ve known several horses that were put down because of severe injury; though the owner was sobbing and holding the animal till the end, they knew it was the right thing to do. Sometimes it is better to give them a kind death, than to draw out what will only be agonizingly painful to no end. If my horse was injured and I believed there was not really a chance for recovery, I would ask them to put him down, and I would be by his side as he died…sad because I would miss him, but that its better than him living a few weeks or a month longer in terrible pain, isn’t it?
Okay, to everyone who wasted their time by simply typing that you love horses, I’m sure that many people do. Which is why we have to choose to put them out of their misery. When a horse injures it’s leg, it’s freedom to move around are taken from it. The right thing to do in this situation is dependant entirely on the specific case.
To Donna Barstow:
Humans and Horses are hardly comparable, but since you wish to catagorize them together, very well. Many people consider horses as their children, and if your child were say in a coma, with no hope of ever leading a pain-free life again (whether physical, phsycological, or emotional pain), many people have had to pull the plug on them. A horse who doesn’t have the ability to move around is often susceptable to other complications and diseases, but they might as well be in a coma for the rest of their life, for they usually are unable to run, jump, or be ridden ever again. Neither one of these choices are easy to make, and neither one is taken lightly.
So, I support the euthanization of horses with broken legs, WHEN the case calls for it. I do NOT agree with putting down an animal simply because of financial problems, nor do I condone shutting down racetracks simply because horses have been injured during races. To move this logic to another feild, should we ban all sports, and physical activities, because of the risk of injuring yourself? if that were the case, nobody would be able to cook, eat, sleep, use electricity, take baths, or ride a bike, because you could: get burnt, suffocate on your pillow, get electricuted/catch fire, drown, or get hit by a car.
Just a thought.
like hourse riding
Sarah and Donna Barstow, dog fighting isn’t a good analogy to use against horse racing. In dog fighting, the very point is to see as much violence as possible. The reason why horse racing sees so many injured animals these days is because people are just bad at breeding animals. Mother nature is the best breeder in the world. Wild animals are made to survive and they are made STURDY. Look at any mustang, brumby, or wild ass and you will see stout bodies with short, thick legs, sturdy joints, and great big feet that are hard as rocks.
Thoroughbred breeders, however, breed for a light frame that won’t bog the horse down while running, and powerful muscles that will carry the horse past the finish line much faster than any horse in nature. The thing is, race horses are being bred much more powerful than their slender frames and weak feet can handle. An animal should never just shatter a leg from running in a straight line on flat turf. In the wild you might see a horse break a limb by taking a bad fall or getting it caught in something, but never from natural movement on solid ground. Yet it’s such a common thing in racing.
So if you’re going to fight something, fight the bad breeding practices that many racehorse farms use. No animal anywhere should be bred like that. I would also fight the age at which they race horses. Many are started under saddle before they turn two years old and they begin racing a few months before their second birthday. Horses are not fully developed until they’re 4-6 years old and extensive riding and work before that age can cause permanent damage.
If you were to successfully ban horse racing throughout the country or even one state, here are the results you might see: horse racing farms all over would lose money and they would be forced to get rid of most or all of their animals. These horses would go up for sale but because race-bred Thoroughbreds are a dime a dozen in America and tend to be much more high-strung and prone to injury than just about any other horse breed, most of the animals would either end up going to auction where they would probably get sold to slaughter, or they would just go straight to a slaughterhouse in Canada.
Fix the industry, but don’t get rid of it. Many horses whose lives depend on the success of their owners’ business will thank you.
In owning a horse for some time, I can understand the conclusion that some make that all horses should be saved…. regardless of injury.
But, to the people making that comment… you obviously don’t understand horses that well.
As strong and powerful as they are… they can become fragile in a heartbeat.
They were born to be on four legs…
Four working legs. I’ve seen one horse (A smaller one mind you… survive with just three legs)
If you saw a video of Eight Belles… crashing to the ground… and what the leg looked like after wards….
And, had owned a horse at any time….
You wouldn’t agree to keeping the animal alive. Sometimes you have to think with your head… not your heart.
And people aren’t the same as horses. We can get around fine with wheelchairs, canes…. *ell, no legs at all.
How you can make a comparison between the two is beyond me.
A person you can talk to after they wake up from surgery… they understand human…
The horse wakes up… and all *ell can break lose.
I fully support putting the animal down…. over trying all heroic measures for an injury that will most likely never heal properly.
The bigger solution is to do away with horse racing… or to have higher standards when breeding racing horses.
well i love horses i have 2 about to get another one. The are great animals that have a right to live just like we do. Im going to be a vet when i get older and when they arnt that hurt and they say put them down i wont ill buy it from the people and ill keep it and save it. They are beautiful beautiful animal that I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Danielle how could you say that if you treat the hurt part right then it will be ok i HATE HATE HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY PUT THE HORSE DOWN ITS SO MEAN WHAT IS I WAS HURT OR U WERE HURT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO KILL YOU IF YOU WERE A HORSE!!!!!!!
On August 15, 2010 (Sunday 6:55am)
One of the Herd & Family’s closest horse was in a car accident. We believe it was foul play, as we approached the crime scene of our beloved young mare of 5 years young. A young horse full of life and love, lay there still and cold. After crying herself sick, of the horrid situation…hands bloody and distraught the Cowgirl Mom frantically retraced any and all footsteps.
The horses were reported to have kicked the boards down. All three of them that were tightly secured with nails and screws on each end. No trace of hoof marks from any of our 16h.h. 1500lb horses. What a coincidence that they lay one on top of the other.
Searching on we found a bail of hay that had been “pulled down by the horses”. The Bails were stacked 6 high one on top of each, and couldn’t have possibly been dragged 6ft in front. Why were our hay hooks on the ground, out of place from our visit last night? Why is there a hammer slightly hidden under hay shavings.
The road is about 100 yards away from the main horse gate. And why is there fresh hay led to the road?
A speeding driver on a road that permits only 35mph struck a well fed 1600lb beloved mare. Leaving the vehicle, as it was towed..and getting a ride from a friend he was released from a CHP.
The CHP had shot the horse as soon as he arrived on scene. Without contacting the Cowgirl. Without knocking on the door which was right infront of him. Dragged our horse…our family member..and then contacted us. Accident occured around 6a.m….Cowgirl contacted at 7:30. Still no word from the suspicious driver.
>>>WHAT DO WE DO?!?! IS THERE A CASE HERE?!?! <<<<<<Aside from the sentimental value of our little mare, she was 5 y.o. and could have easily been sold for over $10,000. Papers, genetics, and all.
>It’s not his decision to shoot our horse
>Was this a set-up?
>Is the driver allowed to be released?
Our mare had road rash..and one clean broken tibia of her rear right leg…
RIP LITTLE BIT
Any helpful information please contact me
aqureus07@comcast.net