putting horses to sleep

[Davesmythe]

Why is it necassary to put horses to sleep if they break a leg is it to difficult to mend

[DalbyStorm]

Hi, It isn't always necessary, it's just that under such pressure when competing the bone can shatter or break in many places. In such cases it is not worth the long term misery and discomfort of nursing an animal back to health, or the financial and practical drain, when it is unlikely to ever be able to event again (dog-eat-dog world where any money is concerened, unfortunately). A good mare would end up as a brood mare for breeding purposes.

[Ouisch]

Because of the size and temprament of a horse, and depending upon the type of break, it can be difficult to keep the animal immobile long enough for the bone(s) to heal. For example, the famous mare Ruffian broke her leg during a race in 1975. Vets applied a pneumatic cast and tranported her to the surgical area. She stopped breathing twice during the 12-hour surgery (as is often the case with horses and anesthesia). Whe she awoke from surgery, she was disoriented and frightened, and despite the efforts of four vets to restrain her, she thrashed about violently and not only further damaged the broken leg, she also fractured the opposite leg. Knowing she wouldn't survive another surgery, she had to be put down.

[FP]

Diverting from the subject, it seems dreadful that an animal is put under such great pressure for our sporting pleasure and then when it harms itself by breaking a limb it is put down because of financial implications.

[New Forester]

Horses operate very much nearer the physical boundaries than humans, even without being ridden. Quite a small horse might weigh 300 or 400 kg -- perhaps 5 to 8 times as much as its rider. However, its leg bones are about the same thickness as human leg bones -- I can just about get my hand around the thinnest part of our horses' legs, but not around my own shin. A horse's leg must be able to take its whole weight, not only when standing around, but at a gallop -- perhaps 30 mph, whilst jumping or turning. Even when convalescing it needs to be able to walk about. In fact a horse really needs all four of its legs, all the time, so it can't easily walk on three legs for six months while the other one mends. I can imagine it might be physically possible to get a horse's leg to mend well enough for use, but it's difficult to see how it could be done without unreasonable distress for an unreasonable length of time. I would not put my much-loved horses (or indeed cattle) through that. (cont...)

[New Forester]

(...cont) However, younger animals can be different. Earlier this year a calf of ours broke its leg. Weighing only a few stone, a plaster cast could support his weight. Being young he healed quickly, and we could take the cast off after four weeks -- and he's now almost as good as new (his leg's slightly kinked, but he doesn't limp). But then he will only be needing it for a couple of years, and he won't need to carry a rider, nor gallop much. It might be possible to do the same with a (much more spindly) young foal, but I rather doubt it. (Incidentally our vet's bill for that simple break was probably more than the profit we'll get from the steer.) The other thing to realise about horses is that they really enjoy working, much as a dog enjoys walks and chasing sticks or rabbits. My cob sulks if I don't take her out, and never gets so excited as when she's pulling a load up a hill or through thick mud (she's bred for draught). Even she, as a relatively staid "cold-blood", will gallop madly around the field without any encouragement from me. A racehorse, of course, is bred for racing.

[SmarterThanU]

Because they look silly using crutches.

[Shadow]

It isn't!! People shouldn't! You'd have noticed people not putting other people to sleep no matter how much pain they're in! I even saw on Ripley's Believe it or not, that a horse broke his leg and had to be put asleep, but the woman ho owned the horse disaggreed with the idea, and made these special crutches for him and he walks perfectly now and is probably still living. So what if he can't run, horses shouldn't even be used for racing. But if this horse got special treatment, why can't other horses. It shouldn't be that expansive if the whole idea was hand made from just a person who liked horses.

[New Forester]

Shadow - I think I saw the same programme, where a horse was given an artifical lower leg. I would be really sad to shoot one of my horses if it broke its leg. But I would not do what that woman did -- I think it was very cruel. A horse is an active, playful, energetic animal, and is not physically designed or emotionally suited to hobble about on such a thing. I'm sure my horses would be miserable living like that, and I'd rather they had a shorter life than a miserable one. When I put them all together in the field this evening, all four horses (including the old mare) galloped flat out round and round the field, bucking, squealing, jumping, sliding over flat on the grass and generally having a lovely time. This is what makes life worth living for a horse.