euthanasia

A special report is set to be broadcast on RTE One and RTE Player on Wednesday, June 12, focusing on what happens to racehorses upon their retirement. A spokesperson for Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) confirmed to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast that they have engaged with the programme, responding to questions in relation to specific incidents and their general standpoint on slaughterhouses and euthanasia. Whilst HRI confirmed that they do not have a clear indication as to what will appear in the programme, it is presumed that the one horse...

The day's graded stakes action at Pimlico got off inauspicious start with the injury and subsequent euthanasia of 4-5 choice Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) in the GIII Chick Lang S. Havnameltdown appeared flat-footed at the start but sped into contention as 5-1 Ryvit (Competitive Edge) assumed the helm through a :22.23 opening quarter. Exiting the far turn, the favorite took a bad step, unseating jockey Luis Saez and leaving the front-runner in the clear as 5-2 second choice Super Chow (Lord Nelson) found himself in a very wide second. Several lengths ahead...

If pressed to pinpoint a single Achilles heel in the racehorse, it's probably a fair bet to assume many would zero in on the fetlock--the intricate joint mechanism that in a racehorse travelling at top speed proves especially vulnerable to system failure. Indeed, 19 of the 22 horses that suffered catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries at Santa Anita during its benighted winter-spring meet nearly two years ago had sesamoid fractures. In most cases, the prognosis for horses who suffer severe fetlock breakdowns is grim, but a procedure pioneered at the end of...