Suspected parasitic infection claims ArchArchArch after months of battling it. Hated his name but he was a cool horse
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloodstock/illness-claims-grade-1-winner-archarcharch-in-korea/
Thatâs horrible and just inexcusable! Thatâs what I HATE about shipping these innocent Thoroughbreds to Asia and other such remote places. I have my doubts they get the care they need and we all know what Japan and Sweden did with Ferdinand and Exceller! Godspeed ArchArchArch. You didnât deserve this miserable death!
Do you have additional information? Because I donât see from the article how it is definitively a âmiserable deathâ or an âinexcusable situation.â
He got sick, which can happen anywhere. He eventually succumbed to the illness. We donât know exactly what veterinary care he was receiving, but given that the article states he was being treated for months, we know there was intervention.
I am sad to lose him. But my point is letâs not jump to conclusions. Many of these overseas farms take exceptional care of their stallions. From the little I know about breeding in Korea, I donât have any reason to believe Archarcharch was unduly suffering.
If you have evidence to the contrary, please let us know.
RIP Archarcharch.
11 Likes
Really???
Korea, Japan, Sweden, Turkey, etc are not âremoteâ places.
What happened to Ferdinand and Exceller will likely never happen again. Exceller died in 1997, Ferdinand likely in 2002.
Most US stallions are often sold overseas with repatriation clauses or the âsellingâ stud will remain part ownership.
The vast majority get the care they need. Sending a stallion off-shore is not a death sentenceâŠ
4 Likes
Amen. In many cases, they receive a FAR better life than they would have if sold domestically outside of Kentucky and the major farms. There are some excellent farms and horsemen in other states⊠but there are just as many farms plagued by lack of funds and poor horsemanship.
A middling KY stallion sold to Asia generally lives like royalty, becoming one of the top TBs in his new home.
6 Likes
Lots of different parasitic infections with different prognosis. Not all are caused by neglect either.
Thereâs EPM⊠Which is technically protozoa, but commonly referred to in laymans terms for non-horse people as âparasitic infectionââŠ
Doubt this horse wanted for anything treatment wise. Sorry for his connections. Always loved him and his sire.
2 Likes
It would not surprise me if veterinary care in Korea may not would it be in a country like the US, Ireland, GB or even China, especially being he stood stud far away from the hub of Korean racing. that being said; I dont believe the horse was abused or tortured, etc until he died. He was privately owned, standing at a very small privately owned farm in rural Korea. That said; it seems like they had kept him going for quite awhile and since he was purchased stateside; I wouldnât put it past the idea that they likely inquired for help on treatment options from the US if they were able to do so. Horses could be exposed to much different things there than what they could suffer from here, as well, lots of different insects and bacterial stuff going on over there.
If I ended up selling a horse overseas for breeding or racing; to me the middle east and Korea are the two high up on the list of places I would prefer them not to go. Has anyone seen photos on the Korean Govtâs stud farm of stallions that once stood in the states? Many of them appear to be in rougher shape.
Iâd like to believe ArchArchArch lived a good life and was treasured by his connections and they did all they could for him.
1 Like
Perhaps youâve missed the fact that in Korea, China and most Asian countries, dogs and cats are raised on âmeat farmsâ in miserable, squalid conditions. They believe beating the live animal makes the meat more tender as well as boiling them alive. They are treated horribly with zero compassion. AS someone who has been involved in rescue and advocacy, I have a hard time believing they think any more of horses. I just donated to a huge rescue of dogs from a meat farm and a âshelterâ where they would have been procured for food. Many animals are sold in marketplaces out of tiny cages and treated equally as bad. Tigers and rhinos are poached for their âvoodooâ value and pangolins (you might have to look that up) are being poached to oblivion and these gentle helpless creatures are treated horribly as well. So, no - I donât relish seeing a horse shipped to these countries at all. I am fully aware that horrors exist everywhere, but their lack of feeling for creatures is quite over the top.
These countries are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for these stallions, sometimes more.
They arenât keeping them on a meat farm.
I have never seen an unflattering picture of a major American stallion in KRA or private care. @snaffle1987 please share those photos.
Aftercare for retired racehorses is a big issue in these areas because there isnât a market. But that is completely separate from the care that high end breeding stock receives. Apples and oranges.
6 Likes
In case anyone wants to see the âabusiveâ conditions at KRAâs Letâs Run Farm:
3 Likes
Extraordinary the amount of speculation and guesswork contained in the above. One is subtle in itâs xenophobia while the other runs right past innuendo and crashes headlong into the brick wall of hysteria.
9 Likes
I love the Arch line too. LaurieBâs Arch yearling that sold several years ago at Keeneland was a stunner.
Iâm sorry for the connections of Arch Arch Arch as well. Private breeders really put their heart and soul into their programs. The loss must be devastating for them.
Not exactly. For some some of it is speculation but have you ever been to Korea? Seen it for yourself? And I am not referring to the hub of Korean racing or the well known parts of Korea. Just because ArchArchArch was sold overseas for likely a decent amount of money; does not guarantee that he is housed and cared for in the manner as he was in the United States. I think we all hope and pray that he was loved and taken care of like a king but doing that is even speculation in itself. You just donât know There are plenty of yearlings and two year olds who have been exported from the US to Korea for racing only to be found on the back of a open cattle trailer at a local meat mark confirmed by their tattoos. Donât believe me? start googling.
The photos I saw of the KRA stallions was on thoroughbred racing and breeding site somehow linked to the Korean govtâ. It was in Korean and hard to navigate and the link was posted here on COTH over a year ago. For the life of me I couldnât pinpoint the link if I wanted to. I wasnât the one to post it and if I recall correctly, whoever did; made the same commentary on the condition of some of the horses listed on the link.
I have been to Korea multiple times. And Japan. And China.
I have ridden horses in Korea and China.
What would you like to know?
8 Likes
Itâs not that I do or donât believe you⊠you can pretty much prove any point youâd like to make by âGooglingâ somethingâŠ
Have you ever been to Korea? I know I havenât and therefore hesitate to speculate about their horse care good or badâŠ
1 Like
Have YOU ever been to Korea?
Also, did you read any of my post?
You talk about yearlings and two year olds⊠I already acknowledged that problem. There are limited options for TB aftercare for racehorses in South Korea. If a yearling or two year old becomes injured or is just too slow, there are limited homes. Slaughter is a big issue there, as it is in other places where aftercare is severely limited.
That is a completely different situation than a successful stallion who was imported for considerably more than a âdecent amount of moneyâ becoming ill.
Racehorses end up being sent to slaughter in the US, too. That doesnât mean that Into Mischief is being abused by Spendthrift. Yet thatâs the type of stretch you are making.
The bottom line is WE DONâT KNOW what kind of life or care ArchArchArch experienced in Korea. Yet the overwhelming evidence, like googleable pictures of successful stallions at Korean farms, indicates this concern and speculation about Archarcharch being mistreated is unfounded.
Edited: grammar
8 Likes
Before anyone talks about turnout -
S. Korea has only 1% of the landmass of the USA. It has 15% the population of the USA.
Japan has 3.8% of the landmass of the USA. It has 38% of the population of the USA.
It is a different situation there. There is not land to be had. It is all occupied, and that which doesnât have buildings on it is being farmed. Racehorses and many stallions in the US donât get much or any turnout.
Saying that a foreign country canât care for itâs animals because, well, theyâre foreign is incredibly xenophobic and racist.
This place that I rode at in Turkey is just dreadful. 
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293974-d6502003-Reviews-Alkuzu_Riding_School-Istanbul.html
2 Likes
Thank you for the devastating evidence of how cruelly stallions are treated in Korea⊠very revealing photos. I was all aghasted. It was fun to see Hansen again, though.
Some posts here sound like a visit to certain California Chrome Facebook pages where the xenophobia, conspiracy theories and angst about every photo is waaaaaay over the top. Many there just know their darling Chromie is going to be slaughtered for Sunday dinner like Ferdinand or Excellent (sic).
5 Likes
Article from the BHâŠ
Stronach Group Urges South Korean Sales Ban after a PETA video expose and learning from PETA that American stallion Private Vow was slaughtered in South Korean.
While I am not a PETA fan, sounds like Private Vow, who was sold from LA to a farm in So Korea in 2015 and then sold on subsequently to a breeder who used Private Vow for only his breeding program.
Sounds like something potentially is going onâŠ
1 Like
@Where_sMyWhite Thank you for sharing. I am willing to humbly eat my words on this one.
While I still donât think we can make any assumptions about Archarcharchâs end of life, we do need to follow the trail in South Korea.
2 Likes
