Barbaro's Owners - did the right thing?

Question

I've read a lot about how caring and loving the owners were, and how they went far out of their way to help Barbaro. This may be true, but I don't see how Barbaro was loved and well cared for when he was pushed into racing which ultimately killed him. Race horses are forced to race before their skeletal system has finished growing. I see this as abuse and greed by the owners, not love. Any opinions?

So far, I hear people passing the buck - metioning horse racing traditions, big business, etc. What I'm talking about is personal responsiblity and ethics. I take offense at hearing how the owners did "all they could" and I believe they should not be viewed as heroes. The only heroes I see are the medical staff doing their best to create a miracle.

Yes, Barbaro could have broken his leg running across a field. The fact is, he broke it while racing, a sport known to cause terrible injuries to young horses. It's fairly safe to say this all happened due to being pushed too hard by the caring owners. It's very kind that they wanted to do all they could after the fact, but please don't ignore greed is the reason behind his early death.

A lot of these answers seem to avoid the real issue. I don't know the last time an 11 or 12 year old died throwing a curve ball. I agree that the owners don't need the money, they have made plenty abusing other young horses who are pushed too hard. Stop to think about it rather than defending blindly, this sport abuses horses and the owners thrive on this.

Answer 1

I understand that you think racing is some evil, torturous, abusive thing that we force horses to do. That's your opinion and you have reasons to support your opinion. If you don't want to change your opinion, I'm not going to be able to convince you (nor are any of the other people answering your question). Anyway, you sought my opinion and I am willing to give it.

First of all, you say that horses are forced to race before their skeletal system finishes growing, then another person made an example of human sports which you rejected saying kids don't die from throwing baseballs. Of course they don't die from throwing baseballs. However they can be injured other ways (breaking or over extending their arms or whatnot). But it's not just baseball... kids play many sports and they could potentially die in any of them. There's always the occasional tragedy of a child getting tackled wrong and dying, getting hit by the ball and dying, simply collapsing while running and dying... there's plenty of ways kids can end up dead playing sports. Kids can drown in swimming lessons or fall of their horse and break something or die when the horse falls on top of them. So it's not rare for something to start their sport before their skeletal system develops. Also, a horse is almost fully grown when they start race training at age 2. Barbaro got his injury over a year later when he was 3... so his skeletal system development was not really a factor. But I understand that your point is not about Barbaro, but about the abusiveness of horse racing. Nevertheless, horse racing can't be abusive simply because the horses start racing before they're fully mature, since children start playing sports before they're fully mature too.

You may suggest that while children could die playing their sports, it is very rare for a child to actually die in playing sports. But that's true of horses as well. Horse races take place all over the world every day. The majority of the races go off without a problem. To the extent that injuries occur, many of them are not life threatening... horses can pull tendons and ligaments just like people. People and horses might not be able to participate in their sport again, but they're far from dead.

Horses break bones as much as children break their bones... the difference is that a horse's legs are a lot harder to heal than a child's. You might claim that since the legs are so difficult to heal, we shouldn't risk breaking the legs by forcing the animals to race. But by that reasoning we shouldn't use horses for anything... Horses break legs in just about every activity. They can break legs by pulling carts, by doing events like barrel racing, by cattle cutting, by jumping, and even by just being ridden around the ring. Furthermore, horses can break their legs in their stalls or while running in the pastures. To suggest that we shouldn't race horses because they can break bones would lead to the argument that we shouldn't use horses for anything because they can break bones. And even then, horses would still break bones and die in the wild.

Perhaps horses break their bones more often in races than the other places where they could break bones. Unfortunately that's the risk we take. No horse owner wants their horse to be hurt... it's a horrible thing when my mare comes in with a bruise from being kicked in the pasture... and it's even worse when she's lame from hoof problems like white line. Of course she'll recover from these whereas racehorses are less likely to recover from their broken bones. But all horse owners, including race horse owners, try to do everything they can to ensure that their horses will be safe and free from injury. Michael Matz, Barbaro's trainer, entered Barbaro in very few races to ensure the colt's health and safety.

Of course you believe that Barbaro shouldn't be entered in races at all because that's the only way to be sure he won't be hurt. I can't agree. There are some things special enough to justify the risk. People understand that skiing/snowboarding, contact sports, bungie jumping, and other activities are dangerous, but they do them anyway. Those things are so thrilling that we risk injury in order to do those things. Horse racing is the same. It's the oldest sport in the country... the sport of kings. We risk the horse's safety because it's such a special event. Horse racing is bigger and grander than any other horse show... including things like the AQHA national championships.

I believe your problem with horse racing is that in sports that we participate in, knowing the risk of injury, we are making the decision for ourselves. In horse racing, we make the decisions for the horse. When we want them to run, they have to run. And when we ask them to race, they have little choice. But I don't think we're forcing them. If a horse doesn't want to do something, it's not going to do it... and it might injure you for trying to make him. If a horse didn't want to race, it wouldn't be in the race. But Barbaro did want to race. He, like the other horses in the important races, know that they're special. When the gates open and they run down the track, they run and win because that's what they want to do. It's not the owners and the training and the jockey and the whip... it's the horse's heart. Like every champion, they have a drive for success. If you watch the horses on race day you can see their excitement. You can see it in their eyes, in the way they carry themselves, in the way they're fired up as they enter the starting gate. And the winning racehorse knows he did well. Not only do horses want to win, they also understand when you're pleased with them... so as they enter the winner's circle and everyone is excited as they congratulate each other and the horse, the horse knows he's done well. My mare does everything I ask and she appreciates every bit of praise and reward that I give her. For Barbaro, that's on a national scale. He loved racing.

Horse racing isn't just about carrying on a traditional abusive system for our own personal benefit. It's not about the money. Horses are very expensive... and buying a champion is much more expensive. Most horses won't win enough races to repay their owners for their investment. It's not a sure thing. Most horses racing careers consist of claiming races where they run for a few thousand dollars.

There's nothing I can say or do to make you believe that horse racing is not abusive. There is evidence both that it is and is not abusive. It comes down to what the horses think... it's not abuse if they consent and want to do it... but it's hard for us just to ask the horse. All I can say is that horses enjoy pleasing us. They do what we ask. And the ones who don't want to race aren't there racing because they wouldn't have the right attitude to win the races.

Answer 2

The lack of knowledge here can be amazing. First off, people still go on about collecting him - people, the thoroughbred registry does not recognize artificial insemination for race horses. The stallion must be able to cover the mare naturally. Second, Barbaro's trainer has been second guessed a lot - not for pushing the colt, but for going so long between starts. This magnificent horse was not pushed beyond his capability. His injury was from a tragic misstep and that can happen to any athlete. Gayle Sayers, one of the greatest runners in football history, blew out a knee just cutting direction during a game, and was never the same. If you want to talk about pushing before being ready, think about that the next time you see Little League coaches teaching an 11 or 12 year old kid to throw curve balls.

Getting back to Barbaro, if the owners were truly abusive and greedy, that horse would have run a lot more than he did. He had ony five races before the Kentucky Derby. After the Derby, he had six and was never beaten. Not even Secretariat did that, and that's the best of all time - in my very humble opinion. My hat if off to Roy and Gretchen Jackson for what they tried to do to save Barbaro. Their only mistake was that they violated their own self-imposed rule when they allowed themselves to love him. They are in pain because of what happened in the end. Money? They don't need it.

Answer 3

YOU are avoiding the real issue. The fact is that the thoroughbred horse is bred for nothing but racing. As far as "The only heroes I see are the medical staff doing their best to create a miracle.".

Um, CLEARLY, the medical staff wouldn't have done ANYTHING if the owners didn't tell them that they would pay for whatever was necessary. The owners could have put him down on Derby Day and collected the insurance money if they wanted to. They TRIED to save him, because they loved him. Some things are beyond human capacity.

As far as being "pushed too hard", please? You have no idea what you are talking about. The jockey, the great Edgar Prado jumped off the horse and pulled him up as soon as he realized there was a problem. It was a tragedy. Sometimes they happen. Try reading Shakespeare.

Without horse racing, there would never have been SECRETARIAT.

Answer 4

Greed by the owners... yes But the reason for his late death, not early death.
Abuse... NO!!!!!!!
This is the 10 millionth question asked on this topic. Let me summarize.

People who know little about horses and racing believe it to be cruel when infact it is not, please do some research. The media made a big deal over this one horse but fails to mention the horses from other areas and sports and the slaughter victims. So in a sense... domesticating horses was cruel? It is agreed upon however that racing occurs too early where most other sports do not occur so early.

The trend has been to call the owners greedy. I agree with the statement and I think had he survived the media and movie would have made them more than his stud fees ever could have.

And most have decide they are tired of hearing this question asked over and over again.

Thumbs down PETA lovers?

Answer 5

I am a big fan of horse racing, but an even bigger fan of horses and how amazing they are. I do think it's wrong that horses are pushed into racing to early. When they are "2" years old. As far as barbaro I'm sure part of the owners feelings were to save there horse because they loved him, and to save him along enough to breed him or collect sperm. as sad as it is it is a buisness and that must be considered. As far as morals I think horse racing could be a much better sport if there were some more strict rules in place to protect the horses. We shouldn't beat down an animal for our own pleasure.

Answer 6

The information about the horse's skeletal system isn't accurate. Horse racing has traditions in this country going back far before more popular sports of today like baseball, football, etc.

It does cost a great deal to support a race horse at any level. But hey, they have to win, or be in the money to get paid.

I love baseball, but guys on teams finishing dead last still get paid 6 or 7 or 9 million for one year!! Talk about abuse & greed!!

Answer 7

Truthfully they pushed Barbaro to much and they should have paid attention to how he was feeling dearing the race. But in a way though they kind of did the right thing. A lot of people hate to see him go. But come what would you rather do suffer tons of pain or be in heaven galloping in the fields. I think we all know the answer to that one. In Memory of Barbaro!!!!! We Miss you Buddy!!!!

Answer 8

I think all horses bred for horse racing love to race. Plenty of people love running track and twist ankles doing it, but they aren't being cruelly punished. I think his owners were very loving, and usually a horse that can run so good really enjoys the track.

Answer 9

The horse could have broken his leg running across a field. I am
sure the owners spent a fortune trying to cure the horse. I think
you are wrong. That's my opinion.

Answer 10

Rase horses are bread for racing.... Like Some Dogs are bread for Showing. Horses have been "used" liek that since Humans figured out they could ride them. Think about it. We used them to Hun off of Making them run as fas as they could to cach the Prey.

I Don't see how it's any different. I do beleve they did the rght thing. What he had was Fatal anyway. they ended his suffering when they knew for sure there was NO hope of him getting better

Answer 11

i think that they did the right think they only helped the horse..they took alot of the money they won to fix that horse....they was just looking out for the horses health...