Daijin...sad story

[Terrapin Flyer]

I guess she didn't produce enough for them. What ever happened to pensioning mares that can't produce (safely) anymore, especially one that you get "a deep emotional attachment to".
Poor girl.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... euthanized

[Laurierace]

I imagine they would have pensioned her had she not colicked and need to be euthanized.

[Jane]

Did you even read the part about the the mare having problems post-surgery with severe colic, and how they didn't want her to suffer??

You are passing judgement on Hill n Dale for doing the humane thing, I 'm terrified to ask what would you have done differently?

[mehile]

I think Terrapin Flyer was more commenting on the fact that she had a severe hemorrhage in 04' was unbreedable for 3yrs, underwent cervical repair, lost 2 consecutive foals and they continued breeding her.

I don't think anyone would fault them for there decision to euthanize her to keep her from suffering.

[Terrapin Flyer]

Thank you Mehile. After all she went through, was it really worth 1 more foal (a Zensational no less). It seemed like it was predetermined that the foal was going to be removed rather than a natural birth, putting way more stress on the mare. Given all she went through & produced for them prior to the 2010 cover you would think one of them would think to pension her. It's no different than a trainer going into an ankle or knee hoping for one more race.

[Terrapin Flyer]

& to directly answer your question Jane, I would have turned her out for good after the first time she slipped & never put her in the position she was in. To me this is the broodmare version of the Wake at Noon story

[springboro]

seems they were responsible and businesslike. An empty mare is not of much use, and I think it was fine to continue to breed her. It appears to be a humane end to the old girl. She was fed and cared for for at least 5 empty years.

[Terrapin Flyer]

I guess being a multiple stakes winner & stakes and champion producer wasn't enough for her to earn a spot in a paddock to live out her years. To say she was not much use is a major disrespect for what she did in her life. I hope none of the horse I have bred or have trained ever come into your hands. So pretty much in your words if Zenyatta is unable to conceive should she be returned to racing until she breaks down...or maybe just be put down, since she is of no use as an open mare.

[AscotStud]

unfortunately an empty mare is not of much use, is a sad statement. But that is the breeding game some love their old girls and to some they are stock. I can go on and on about my old empty girls and problem breeders that I have hung on to or placed in a good home, or clients who ship home old mares to pension, but I don't need to bore anyone.

I have no problem breeding old empty mares, but with her physical problems and return with abortions, its a shame she was not pensioned.

If I have the fortune to produce a mare that accomplished half of what she did, and physically had issues I would love to turn her out and look at her everyday. To me this quote is sickening
“You always care about all your horses, but every once in a while you get one that’s different, that you get a really deep emotional attachment to and she becomes part of the family."

[da hossman]

I think to pass any judgement based upon a short press release is irresponsible. Remember that the news source rarely prints the exact release - they edit and add as they choose. One would have to think that if Hill N Dale felt they had done anything wrong they would have kept her death quiet and not released the news.

If one knows all the facts then one can pass judgement, but even then one's "judgement" is often opinion. Remember when people without all the facts and/or without any real horse knowledge jumped all over Larry Jones about Eight Bells?

[Fireslam]

Only mistake they made was releasing that much info. And fans wonder why farms dont like to give information on horses.

[freshman]

Only mistake they made was releasing that much info. And fans wonder why farms dont like to give information on horses.

Too true.

[clh]

I think sometimes folks make judgements when they don't have the facts. Why not believe that the farm was heartsick about the passing of the mare? And you are so correct Fireslam, they didn't need to release any information about the mare at all, let alone information about her past medical history. The folks around her jump on the big farms for every thing they do its a wonder they release information about anything, and then we wonder why they aren't "fan" friendly?

[Terrapin Flyer]

da hossman, comparing this to Eight Belles is apples to some fruit nobody has ever heard of before. She was a sound filly in her prime. Not an 18 year old mare that has had serious repro issues being bred with a high potential for a problem delivery.

I agree Fireslam that they should not of released "all" the details, but knowing what was reported, I don't think too many people would have put a mare her age through another pregnancy.

Chl, it isn't about being "fan" freindly, its about being humane and realizing when a mare should be pensioned. "Heartsick" or not, they pushed that mare beyond what many people would have and if she meant "that" much probably would have turned her out or bred her to AP Indy and not their latest freshman stud whoese CI they are trying to boost. I lost a young stakes winning and producing mare to a severe hemorage, if she survived there is no way in hell I ever would have thought about ever breeding her back. I would have been happy she lived and turned her out to a well deserved retirement.

I'm not some fan crying over a mare, I have owned, trained, bred, foaled, wrote etc etc in this business. I have seen a lot and not much surprises me...but this does.

[Discovery]

Well said Terrapin.