[Closed] How do they Destroy horses at the races?

Dogs

bolt gun :o( very quick though

Yep, bolt gun. Quickest most humane way. Terribly sad whenever it happens.

Am sure someone will be along shortly to tell you that horse racing is teh evil badness, though.

Velociraptor that lives in the stables

It starts with the initial training.

Did you try the burgers 😮

Not trolling here… but why do they have to be killed?

Are they beyond repair or just beyond economical repair?

Could a damaged race horse happily spend the rest of its life in a field or would a broken leg lead to a lifetime of suffering?

Active horses need to be, err, active.

what about that horse in the news the other day, The one who likes to go to the pub. Thats not very active

And why do they use the word 'destroyed', rather than "executed" or "killed". "Destroyed" gives me visions of the horse being systematically undermined and emotionally abused until it's a nervous wreck. Or being put head first into a woodchipper or something.

Horses need 4 working legs to move around and have any quality of lfe, they are not like dogs that can happily (ish) wander around with 3 legs.

Whether that justify's shooting them rather than imobilising them whilst a leg heals is a different matter all together.

Horses carry an awful lot of weight on long slender legs. It is very difficult to allow the leg to heal particularly with the type of compound fractures they get in the races.

It doesn't seem nice but I have a whippet and to see how much she loves running I only assume the horses feel the same.

Something like this I thought...

But bigger.

It would just be chum if there were no pedigree race horses to make it from.

[img] [/img]

I know a pissed horse when I see one! Get it a kebab!

Depends on the fracture. A spiral fracture or chipped bone can be repaired but it takes time and a lot of money. If the bone is shattered, which is common in racing injuries, it's unlikely the bone would ever be strong enough to support the horse's weight. Like Lunge said, they need all four legs, they just can't manage with three.
Not sure if a bolt gun is the most humane way though, the vet who treats the horses at my local stable uses lethal injection, they go very peacefully.

Just curious to how they actually do it

Pop a cap in the ass?

Pop a cap in the ass?

Horses, not donkeys.

Captive bolt gun usually. The problem when they break a leg is it's almost impossible to set it and control the horse's behaviour for the ensuing months, so that it heals properly. And a horse that can't canter freely would be a v sad horse - give any horse (even a cart horse) an open field to gallop across and it can't help itself! Presumably such behaviour is the result of evolving as a prey animal - the ones that love to run for fun are the ones that don't get eaten when they have to run for their lives.

Horses, not donkeys.

Let's not let semantics stand in the way of terrible puns.

Not sure if a bolt gun is the most humane way though, the vet who treats the horses at my local stable uses lethal injection, they go very peacefully.

You can't sell em to the French if they are done with lethal injection though?

Most race horses have "Not for human consumption" on their passports (yes, they have passports), so can't be sold for meat.
You can't bury them in England either, but it is legal in Scotland and Wales. You need a bloody big furnace for a horse though!

I think they pwn them with something or other, i can't remember

Broken bones can in some cases be repaired BUT a horse is a flight animal. To repair it's leg you have to get it to stay off its leg for a few weeks so it can set correctly. Not easily done. I think (I've heard) they usually put the whole horse is some sort of sling. So it just there swinging about for a month. Not very humane if you ask me. A bolt to the head is a much more humane course of action in my opinion.

I've seen a horse put down by lethal injection and although slightly traumatic the horse just keeled over and went to sleep. Best way to go really.

Fairly sure burying a horse is also illegal in wales. If the horse has been killed by a gun/bolt they can be fed to the dogs (fox hunting).

[i]Am sure someone will be along shortly to tell you that horse racing is teh evil badness, though.[/i]

it is.

Kev

long slender legs -- equivalent to walking round on your fingers ==> it is i thnk to do with nature of the break and the economies of it - a race horse, whilst a valuable asset isnt likely to race again, so less liklely to get fixed up (unless it is a valuable stud animal). I have seen plenty of animals in casts but only for minor breaks - and operating on a horse soon mounts up in terms of fees - its really easy to run up 4-5k bills without even getting anywhere.

seen plenty of horses euthanized - depends where, usually a bolt but have seen a rifle used - one thing is for sure they dont half kick!!
(I've run anatomy classes for vet students as well as been to abbatoirs to collect clinical material for vetinary research - thankfully dont do that anymore - redundancy and an allergy to the old nags!)

BUT a horse is a flight animal

Pfft!!

Hark at Bellerophon!

[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/09/removed-article-racehorse-slaughter ]no point saving damaged race horses anyway[/url]

or the google cache version that hasn't been pulled
[url= http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cqnaBudbABcJ:www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/06/racehorse-slaughter-meat-animal-welfare+retired+race+horses+for+meat&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari&source=www.google.co.uk ]as it was[/url]

Pah.

A proper vet would do it with a service revolver in front of the crowd.

in some less developed countries I've heard that they sit them in front of STW and bore them to death..
cruel and unnecessary (IMO)

Canvass-covered truck, horse has its lapels stiffened, draws on a cigarette, then the canvass is raised to reveal a heavy duty machine gun

[img] [/img]

Most race horses have "Not for human consumption" on their passports (yes, they have passports), so can't be sold for meat.

Shame, horse is quite tasty. Is it because they're all doped?

How do they Destroy horses at the races?

"Hey horse, you're slow, you've got a stupid face and your mother was a right sl*g"

🙂

Isn't the frog of the hoof effectively a pump, supplementing the heart?
Walking on the hoof activates the pump.
Not walking causes circulation problems, gangrene, etc.

Wot I woz told anyway. Is there a vet in the house to confirm/deny?

I think (I've heard) they usually put the whole horse is some sort of sling. So it just there swinging about for a month. Not very humane if you ask me. A bolt to the head is a much more humane course of action in my opinion.

So be bored in a sling for a month or be dead? How is that more humane?

I'm no bleeding heart animal rights activist, I get that it is probably more economical to "destroy" the horse than pay for a lot of treatment for an animal who's useful life has just expired. But let's not just dress it up as being more humane eh?

I thought you had to use a special gun to kill a horse.

A colt.

Or........its useless to them now a la greyhounds after they're racing career is over?

Or they use a thing called a Humane Killer - which is really just a pistol that takes 38 specials and has a blunder buss like end. I think its called a Stephen Grant Humane Killer. Strait to the head.

the problem with eating them is that they have to be bled properly whithin an hour, which can only be done at the horse abbatoir (nearest to us is bristol) so if it get shot at exeter then it won't get there in time. If you do lethal injection then you defo cannot eat them, barbituates.

The issue with why they puit them down is that its too expensive to fix them, they ahve to be kept off the foot for ages, which is difficult and expensive, so most owners opt to destroy. Interestingly the repair and rehab of broken legs has almost all been devloped with racing money..

So be bored in a sling for a month or be dead? How is that more humane?

I'm no bleeding heart animal rights activist, I get that it is probably more economical to "destroy" the horse than pay for a lot of treatment for an animal who's useful life has just expired. But let's not just dress it up as being more humane eh?

It's nothing to do with being bored. If you have had to stable a horse for a week you will see how mad they go. With no way to use energy they go stir crazy. No matter what you feed them and also as I said HORSES ARE FLIGHT ANIMALS. If you tie it up it will go mental and if it goes mental it's leg isn't going to set correctly.

[img] [/img]

Cyberponies will inherit the Earth. This pony is halfway through conversion, next step are the lasers and head-mounted chaingun.

If you tie it up it will go mental and if it goes mental it's leg isn't going to set correctly.

It can be done, it just costs N.

in some less developed countries I've heard that they sit them in front of STW and bore them to death..
cruel and unnecessary (IMO)

LOL there, nice one drunki.

So be bored in a sling for a month or be dead? How is that more humane?

Because it has absolutely no idea why it's being tortured by being suspended in mid-air. Of course if you can find a way of explaining to the horse what's going on, so it can an enjoy a month or two of sheer relaxed boredom instead of a month or two of confusion, panic and abject terror, then I'm sure vets would be thrilled to hear!

Seems the whole industry has no problem using "fear" to get them to race.

Not trolling here… but why do they have to be killed?

Because they can't make you money anymore. Cynical? Me?

Because they can't make you money anymore. Cynical? Me?

Or they cost too much money. It's not cynicism, it's a reality good or bad.

Because it has absolutely no idea why it's being tortured by being suspended in mid-air. Of course if you can find a way of explaining to the horse what's going on, so it can an enjoy a month or two of sheer relaxed boredom instead of a month or two of confusion, panic and abject terror, then I'm sure vets would be thrilled to hear!

Like the abject terror and panic of having a saddle and rider on their back for the first time? But they get used to it. As if they are going to be panicked and frantic for two months straight, what a load of crap.

It's not just horses.
[url=

Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg[/url]

Stuey01 - Member

Because it has absolutely no idea why it's being tortured by being suspended in mid-air. Of course if you can find a way of explaining to the horse what's going on, so it can an enjoy a month or two of sheer relaxed boredom instead of a month or two of confusion, panic and abject terror, then I'm sure vets would be thrilled to hear!

Like the abject terror and panic of having a saddle and rider on their back for the first time? But they get used to it. As if they are going to be panicked and frantic for two months straight, what a load of crap.

I really think this is moot and quite a pointless discussion. Horses can have their legs fixed, they are put down because its costly, although some rich owners do pay to fix them, others don't.

MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member

It's not just horses.
Gymnast Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg

Very funny.

I really think this is moot and quite a pointless discussion. Horses can have their legs fixed, they are put down because its costly, although some rich owners do pay to fix them, others don't.

Seems the whole industry has no problem using "fear" to get them to race.

They race anyway, whether you want them to or not! If you think an 8 stone jockey can force an 80 stone horse to do anything then you're very much mistaken. Much of a jockey's job is holding the horse back so it lasts the race.

Not trolling here… but why do they have to be killed?

I really think this is moot and quite a pointless discussion. Horses can have their legs fixed, they are put down because its costly, although some rich owners do pay to fix them, others don't.

Some breakages can be fixed, yes, but others not. Plus its not always a broken bone, the tendons are a common thing to snap/tear aswell.

One of ours half tore a tendon on its front hoof. 8 weeks of box rest, gentle walking out every day in hand rain hail of shine, injections etc etc etc ... no cost spared. After the 8 weeks, it went back outside. 3 days later it can in hobbling ... had torn it again cause it was running around like a hooligan ( he was like that ). Was put down the following morning. Somethings just cant be fixed and its simply crueller to keep them going.

Generally, the front legs take about 2/3 of the weight, so any weakness in the front will be shown up quickly.

Looking back, I've always said that if we were faced with the same situation, I would have the horse put down at the start ( if the prognosis was not good ). Its not fair to keep them in the stable, and whilst mine behaved, I didn't half feel sorry for him every time I walked away and he just stood there , head down, depressed. In such cases, its about quality of life, and not preservation at life at the expense of quality of life.

It would just be chum if there were no pedigree race horses to make it from.

made my day 🙂

I'm reminded of the scene in animal house with the chainsaw.

Can't find it on youtube though

Now we know

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/9395743.stm