Comments on: Lessons Learned From Barbaro

Fight To Save Racehorse Advanced Equine Medicine's Understanding Of Leg Injuries

[ellenrouse]

Nanabear9:
I'd be curious to find out about artificial insemination. When I was a teenager my then-boyfriend-now-husband's mother owned several Tennessee Walking horses. I was fortunate enough to see the magnificent Carbondale in retirement and thought I remembered hearing that seminal fluid was collected for the purpose of AI.

[talkingham]

I can't believe the above article did not mention the age of the horses being abused by racing. A three year horse such as Barbaro's bones have not even hardened. It's absolutely no surprise that the kinds of injuries being sustained are so common.

I put racing 3-year olds right up there with *** fighting.

[jn122736]

One poster said:

%u201CThe idea of Barbaro's owners keeping him alive for the money is so far out there that those who thnk it don't know anything about the love a person can have for their animals. I have several animals the I consiter my kids and I would sell everything I own to help them.%u201D---------

While this may very well be true I suspect most would kill and eat those same animals, any animals, if they were placed in a situation where they were starving and had no other food source. However, even if they would die rather than eat the animals it would not be because of the animals.

The bottom line in human nature is, every action we take in life is totally self-centered--- (that is NOT to say selfish in the general sense of the word)---. This includes anything from donating to a worthy cause to giving up your own life to save others.

A young soldier recently threw himself on top of a hand grenade and saved the lives of some of his comrades for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I can imagine no greater, UNSELFISH, deed than this, nor one more worthy of the award.
Yet he did this because of HIS honorable character, HIS genuine love for his fellow soldiers and he did it without hesitation because for HIM it was the right thing to do.

Unfortunately too many do dishonorable things from the same self-centered position.
Everything we say and do is a reflection on our own character.

[scully15]

He was a horse...I am as much an animal lover as the next person. My home in childhood was full of animals my father brought home and I was sad eveyr time one of them passed. But for crying out loud people...I am seeing more blogs about this horse passing than I did for one of the greatest Presidents who recently passed away. Focus in reality, in people, in the real world...not just in a horse. Show some compassion for the 4 people that died in the gas station explosion or some accident like that.

[scully15]

Yes, any normal person who have huge bills in relation to the care an animal like this receives with an injury like he recieve, but do you really think that they are going to pay all (if any) of that. Don't you think that the vets that have taken care of him these past months will be plenty compansated by all the publicity they have and will get concerning the great job they did while trying to save this horse. I have owned animals in the past but not matter how much I love a pet I could not reconcile paying that much, not matter if the animal made me money or not. the onyl reason why they tried to save this horse for as long as they did was because it made the owners money and they want more. Well, they will get it with all the publicity they are getting. I bet they have interviews lined up (and being paid too) left an right.

[bearballew]

EllenRouse:

According to an article I read, Jockey Club rules, which regulate the American thoroughbreds, prohibit use of artificial insemination in the breeding of thoroughbreds.

[acporras]

The risk outweighs the gain. Shame on all horse owners or dog owners who race their animals. If Barbaro wasn't raced, he would be alive today. Too bad animals have to suffer for someone's monetary gain.

[ellenrouse]

I don't see any cynacism in my comment. But I am amazed that the word "***" was ****ed out. How about seminal fluid? This is medical terminology, not vulgar language.

[amazedd]

Don't be so cynical.

[ellenrouse]

Not to worry about carrying on Barbaro's lineage... I'm sure they were harvesting *** as fast and as long as they could. We can only hope he enjoyed providing the donations.