Harlan's Holiday euthanized after dramatic collapse

[Lauruffian]

Wow–what a bizarre and scary sequence of events.

From this article:

WinStar Farm’s Harlan’s Holiday , currently North America’s leading juvenile sire, had to be euthanized late Nov. 1 at Haras Firmamento Farm in Mar de Plata, Argentina, where he was standing for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. He was 14.

After a normal day and an uneventful cover in the afternoon, Harlan’s Holiday suddenly collapsed when returning to his stall and lost all use of his hind end. He prolapsed intestine from his rectum and was in shock as veterinarians rushed to his care. Multiple efforts to repair the prolapse were unsuccessful, and Harlan’s Holiday had to be euthanized.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/81790/harlans-holiday-euthanized-in-argentina#ixzz2jWDJXMG4

[twelvebelles]

I saw this yesterday. I was at Winstar earlier this year and met HH. He was a beautiful horse with what seemed like many good years in front of him. RIP sweet boy. I hope there is a horse a Heaven and that you are there now.

[Linny]

Sad indeed. He was campaigned by friends of mine and they had enjoyed success with his offspring as well. RIP Harlan’s Holiday.

[danceronice]

What in the world could cause something like that?

[skydy]

Terrible news.
How many mares did he cover this season (or is there really a “season” anymore for the stallions who are required to breed in both hemispheres)?

What a terrible loss.

[fire_911medic]

Incredibly sad news to hear. I think the shuttling of stallions literally puts enormous strain on them and then asking them to adapt to new climate, new experiences, and expect them to produce. I am certain some just do not do well with that. Plus considering around here average thoroughbred stud book is 80-120 mares a year for the popular ones (ie in demand to be shuttled) you are looking at least one cover, many times more than one to impregnate the mares, then keep that going year round, that is ALOT to ask of a stallion ! I think if you plan to stand in another area, forgo the US breeding season or severely limit the book so as not to stress the stallion. Of course freak things do happen and working in the industry for farms that did and did not shuttle stallions I understand the financial impact, but the horses well being MUST come first ! Still terribly sad to hear. I really did like the boy. A lovely stallion indeed.

[Angelico]

[QUOTE=fire_911medic;7245220]
Incredibly sad news to hear. I think the shuttling of stallions literally puts enormous strain on them and then asking them to adapt to new climate, new experiences, and expect them to produce. I am certain some just do not do well with that. Plus considering around here average thoroughbred stud book is 80-120 mares a year for the popular ones (ie in demand to be shuttled) you are looking at least one cover, many times more than one to impregnate the mares, then keep that going year round, that is ALOT to ask of a stallion ! I think if you plan to stand in another area, forgo the US breeding season or severely limit the book so as not to stress the stallion. Of course freak things do happen and working in the industry for farms that did and did not shuttle stallions I understand the financial impact, but the horses well being MUST come first ! Still terribly sad to hear. I really did like the boy. A lovely stallion indeed.[/QUOTE]

Agreed.

[Calamber]

[QUOTE=Angelico;7245274]
Agreed.[/QUOTE]

Same, as I have said before, the welfare of these stallions have to come first. Another “statistic”, so sad, such a grand horse with many possible years ahead that will not be seen.

[summerhorse]

Something catastrophic obviously happened inside, I’ve never even HEARD of something like this happening. If a horse or any animal has a prolapsed rectum they are usually walking around pretty well and it repairs fairly well (depending on the cause). I am hoping they mean prolapsed rectum and some colon and not actual small intestines coming out. I’d guess some kind of very large rupture. Perhaps he had cancer or a major blood vessel trunk rupture? I don’t like sending horses all over to stud but I doubt that had anything to do with it except perhaps for some parasite he might have picked up down there and not had a native’s natural tolerance to it.He was a very kind horse, such a loss.