RIP Saarland

[majxmom]

He's gone already, at age 10:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... rland-dead

I'm puzzling over something in the article. Davis is quite a ways from Santa Rosa, over an hour. A horse has an impact injury and they call vets from miles away? "By the time they got here, he was gone." I hope that reporter got it wrong, and they called a local vet to attend the injury. It's funny to me how often infertile horses seem to expire right after they are declared infertile. Like no one cares to keep them going after that.

[nferro9925]

I was just thinking the same thing about infertile horses dying awfully early.

I am sorry he came to such an end
He deserved much better.

[Toccet02]

I hate to agree, but yeah, very suspicious. His few offspring seem to be doing quite well. IF this is foul play, I guess whatever these horses do for us and our wallets is never enough.

[docjocoy]

Unfortunately, I also agree. There have been a few "infertiles" or disappointments recently shipped to other countries (will they magically become fertile?) who have died within weeks of getting to their new country. "Suspicious" is probably a mild term for the way I felt.

[oceancolors79]

very suspicious. Another angle...I was talking to someone who works at a farm in KY and they were saying how sometimes the "infirmities of old age" and other death explanations really mean the ins co euthanized them because no one wanted to take care of an infertile stallion. It isn't making money for anyone, just a "liability". Sad that is can happen that way.

[Heidilady]

I have to object somewhat to the rather gossipy nature of the discussion. It may be suspicious in general that horses with diminished value as stallions die, and we all know about the drama surrounding Alydar, but Cigar sure seems to be alive and well. It also sounds like they were working on Saarland with encouraging results. Whatever might be the case with other stallions, I don't know that this sounds particularly fishy.

Saarland was on a ranch right? I could see a horse used to being in a stall a lot or a stud barn start bouncing around when he's not being handled with kid gloves as previously. I don't know his temperament. Horses do wacky things. Saint Liam had an accident just from behaving as a horse. We heard about a couple stallions attempting to fight awhile back where one ran into a tree and died. There's a reason they wait to try pasture breeding, the risk of injury to the mare or stallion is one they often don't feel is worth it. It's entirely possible this was an accident. The reason many of these horses get shipped abroad isn't that there are unreasonable expectations of increased fertility, it's that they're willing to risk it for the chance that they could be successfully treated and they sure aren't paying full price. War Emblem's lack of interest was treated, he's more normal than he was, and they still got insurance money but kept right on trying when it seemed initially hopeless. It's not all fraught with greed and scandal.

[flytothestars]

"He was frolicking and playing on a field in front of Jess and some other members of the team when he ran into a feeder, flipped over, and injured his spine," McGee said.

It was from DRF.

Appears he died on his own, maybe I am wrong

[wilf]

Heidi, I think Cigar was insured by an unfortunate Italian Company for his fertility for about $30 million. I often wonder if the beneficiaries contribute to the Ky Horse Park Fund. Then again I have seen enough stuff in this "Sport"to second guess every news report.

[majxmom]

Heidi, you are quite right to say it was getting gossipy. I didn't mean to imply at all that he had suffered an Alydar-type "injury" at the hands of the farm. I was actually wondering if the reporter didn't get the details right on the story; perhaps the farm told him that UC Davis was attending the horse for fertility treatment, and the reporter drew a conclusion that UC Davis was the vet hospital called out to attend the injury. It seems astonishing that they would call Davis to drive out on a pumping injury. It's about 90 miles. Santa Rosa is pretty horsey country and very well-heeled. There's plenty of competent vets there.

But then beyond that, it does seem like the Euthanol needle comes out pretty fast on a pensioned horse. I've noticed it so often that now when the Bloodhorse reports that a horse is pensioned, I say to myself that it will be euthanized in a few months, and I'm rarely wrong. Oceancolors might be right that most of the time it is the insurance company doing that, because they take possession when they pay off.

[pfrsue]

But then beyond that, it does seem like the Euthanol needle comes out pretty fast on a pensioned horse. I've noticed it so often that now when the Bloodhorse reports that a horse is pensioned, I say to myself that it will be euthanized in a few months, and I'm rarely wrong. Oceancolors might be right that most of the time it is the insurance company doing that, because they take possession when they pay off.

But...but surely most (not all) stallions are pensioned when they're getting up there in years. Being pensioned due to "declining fertility" or an inability to jump mares could easily indicate other health issues that might lead to euthanasia sooner rather than later. Right?

[westover]

Although i am very sad About Saarland i can't believe the instant " blame " or " suspicion " toward Jess Jackson. I think he has more than showed himself in this industry as someone who is a crusader of the horse and a person with a conscience. He is one of the richest men in the world do you really think he would need to kill the horse for insurance .. or suspicious reasons.. give your head a shake.

Thanks to whomever it was that posted the facts of the case. Sad in deed.

[Tairaterces]

Saarland had been operated on to have his undescended testicle decended and they were waiting(and hoping) for 90 days to see if his fertility had increased. Doesn't sound to me like they were throwing him under the bus . . . . . . . . .

Does it to you?????????????????????????????????



I would like to suggest that this is NOT the National Enquirer. Please get the FACTS . . . . before posting, making sure it's not gossip as is wont to happen on the "horse" forums, as we have all seen.

[Bunty Lawless]

He's gone already, at age 10:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... rland-dead

I'm puzzling over something in the article. Davis is quite a ways from Santa Rosa, over an hour. A horse has an impact injury and they call vets from miles away? "By the time they got here, he was gone." I hope that reporter got it wrong, and they called a local vet to attend the injury. It's funny to me how often infertile horses seem to expire right after they are declared infertile. Like no one cares to keep them going after that.

The way I read the article, he was sent to Davis for his fertility issues and treatment, not the injury.

Agree about the strange coincidence of retired stallions and time before they "expire". Maybe it's like people, who also tend to have shortened lifespans, if they are no longer active while aging.

In Saarland's case, he didn't get a chance to get "old" and out of shape. Sounds like he was just being a horse and the feeder got in the way.

Saarland was a gorgeous animal.

[AscotStud]

IMO Pfrsue nailed it, usually when a horse is pensioned because he no longer able to breed mares or "declining fertilily" there is a corelation to numerous other problems that the horse is dealing with, neurological problems, hind end problems, foot issues (laminitis) or neck problems. Once they have reached the point where they can't cover a mare anymore it is almost the end and that's why they are usually euthanized shortly after their service ends. The majority will breed until they die if they could.
In this case it seems like an accident, it could have and has happened to numerous horses, but because everyone knows his case there everyone thinks of a conspiracy.

[Tairaterces]

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breedi ... rland.aspx

Saarland, who was pensioned as a stallion last year because of fertility issues, died on March 11 from an injury he sustained in his paddock at Jackson’s farm in Northern California. He also was ten.

“Saarland was one of Jess’s favorite horses,” McGee said. “Because [Saarland] was up at what we call the Redwoods [farm], Jess would drive by him every day. On a very personal level, Jess felt a connection with the horse.”

McGee said Saarland had recently been moved to the farm after undergoing successful surgery to get his remaining testicle to descend.

“We were waiting about 90 days to see whether he had regained fertility,” McGee said.