Performer, who was going to be standing his first season at Claiborne in 2022, died from a ruptured stomach.
Poor guy must have been in terrible agony. That’s what killed Dr. Fager as well.
I think I remember wondering about Lord Nelson’s feet after watching Spendthrift’s Virtual Stallion Show. Looked like he had some kind of special shoeing job.
English Channel died suddenly. Just yesterday the report was that he probably wouldn’t be breeding next season due to illness.
I saw the first report the other day. Then this 
My condolences to his connections.
Saw the report yesterday, as well, and then the shocking news that he had passed. How very sad for all involved.
Very glad that we have a weanling filly by him.
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What a shame- he seemed like a very cool horse. I wonder what they noticed about him that caused them to initially decide not to stand him next year, and then to lose him so quickly after that announcement. Very sad- Godspeed Good Boy!
I’m going to say it, and probably kick myself for it because it’s not a kind thought… but I just don’t understand why these top stallion stations keep having their horses contract laminitis.
I hate the industry standard of beefing up a stallion for stud. I hope that these recent deaths over laminitis complications will incentivize these farms into considering easing back on the unhealthily overweight stallions. 
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Where did you see it reported that he contracted laminitis? I have not seen any cause reported in anything I’ve read.
Lord Nelson’s BH article prompted the reply, but it isn’t targeted specifically at his connections. Bernardini died in July and it’s been on my mind ever since.
Just curious. I will confess, and why I asked, is I think this often ever since Secretariat died. I know not all stallions die of laminitis but I also though more farms where at least exercises their stallions to help with weight management.
I originally though laminitis for English Channel when they said he would not be covering mares in 2022 but then rethought my opinion when he went from being pulled from stud duty to dead in 24 hours… that’s a blazing fast case of laminitis if that is what it was but also suspicious that ‘illness’ was the only description.
Laminitis s*cks!!
I have no idea about English Channel; the whole situation is very sad, my condolences to his connections. I wondered if it was something neurological.
Laminitis does suck, but it is (generally) preventable. It isn’t something that typically comes out of the blue like strangulating lipomas or a pulmonary embolism. It seems to be one of the top stallion killers, besides labeled “heart attacks”.
I do wish there was some more transparency about these deaths, but I know… Joe Public… aint owed an explanation. These are stallions that have hundreds of foals a year though - it’d be nice as a mare owner to know the real COD with these highly public figures that sire hundreds of foals a year.
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Didn’t Lord Nelson contract laminitis secondary to an infection in one of his legs, like Lady Eli? IIRC, it occurred right as he retired, or maybe it forced his retirement.
But you do have a point. I’ll give Claiborne a pass since we didn’t have the information in 1989 that we do now about metabolic syndrome, but Secretariat was fat. He was very probably metabolic and that probably is why he died at 19.
There are probably a lot of stallions standing today who could benefit from dry lot turnout or grazing muzzles. I don’t know if Three Chimneys stallions are still ridden daily since the Clays sold the farm, but some exercise where possible is a good thing.
My first thought with English Channel was something like colitis X, which can kill pretty fast. Or grass sickness, though we don’t seem to see much of that (thank god).
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Lord Nelson developed laminitis while he was racing, secondary to an infection in his foreleg.
Old Trieste died of laminitis after he had a bad reaction to medicine that was being used to treat an eye infection.
English Channel did not die of laminitis.
IMO, laminitis is generally preventable only under certain circumstances. Other times, it does strike suddenly and unexpectedly despite a horse having the best of care.
I think the TB industry goes above and beyond to be transparent when it comes to stallion deaths. I bet if you called Calumet, they would tell you what happened. Certainly that information is available to interested mare owners. English Channel was about to turn 20. If I had a son or daughter of his I wouldn’t be unduly concerned that he might “only” live 20 years.
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Your post did just say what I said, just worded differently. (side note: I did not say English Channel died of laminitis. My post was a response to Lord Nelson).
I totally agree that the TB industry is much more transparent compared to other registries. You will rarely hear the exact COD for many top WB stallions. I am a mare owner and I do own many of racing’s cast offs – as a horse owner in general, I really wouldn’t like that my horse “only” lived to be 20. With all of the modern advances in horse care, 20 is not geriatric.
Re: your comments about laminitis… I agree also. That’s exactly why I used “generally” and “typically”, to suggest there are some external factors totally out of an SO’s control that can contribute to the incidence of the disease.
I’ve taken care of a few horses who developed laminitis secondary to a major illness - one was salmonella, and the other was after a major DFFT injury. Neither of these horses had pathologically healthy feet to begin with; laminitis seems to be that thing that can go along for a long time (chronic) as subclinical, and then an illness or major trauma event causes it to come out in full force.
None of this detracts from the undebatable fact that many TB stallions are kept overweight deliberately.
And today Rock Hard Ten
I was just talking to my friend about him earlier this week, saw some nice foals at the Fasig Tipton with him right up close. Such a loss He was a really nice sire for sport horses too, all the eventers here loved him.
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He was down to 10 mares. I hope this was natural causes. I’m sorry, I worry about them in any country, including ours.
I adore Kris S/Roberto horses. I really hate to see that line die out
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So sad. He was one of my favorites.
