Hip Tag 74 update! Adopted! at end

[Calamber]

[QUOTE=merrygoround;7867626]
It is a TB, from the track, he is tattooed, so a determined person can find them.[/QUOTE]

And they are also now destroying the tattoos on many of the horses to make them unreadable as a result of the hoopla. I agree with Simkie, but also, until and unless the economy is saved with productive jobs this will continue and only increase. There are constantly whole herds of pregnant quarter horses and paints with foals at their side at the various Washington auctions right now. Whole herds.

[FairWeather]

This is a perfect example of where racing is a sh*tshow. How did this horse get to the post-parade, being very clearly lame. Oh, right! Not every track has a pre-race veterinary check! Ugh.
Poor Malcolm. Poor ponies that are still owned by people running them on broken bones.

[FrittSkritt]

Not to mention the jockeys and exercise riders would have noticed, especially if he trotted across the finish line… but I doubt owners/trainers listen very much to them anyway.

[ACMEeventing]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7868832]
If he needs a stall, let me know. Mine who fractured his pelvis we stall rested for 4 months then I slowly legged him up.[/QUOTE]

This is awesome. I adore eventers for exactly times like this.

[enjoytheride]

Thanks for the offer for the stall, but for now he’ll be staying at the vet’s own property. She wants to keep a constant eye on him to monitor his condition and she has hilly pastures which she says will be good for building strength. With these cases they either get better and end up fine but maybe with some mechanical lameness or they have a lot of pain and need to be put down so she wants him close.

She thinks that in 6 months time he’ll be able to be evaluated for a more concrete future. It seems like a long time, but he is only three after all and the current 3yo in my barn has been sat on 4 times by me, not racing around the country on a broken pelvis.

[RedmondDressage]

OP - Glad you have a diagnosis. I’ll definitely be following along for updates and jingling for his recovery. Again - such a wonderful thing you’ve done for him.

[QUOTE=Calamber;7869075]
There are constantly whole herds of pregnant quarter horses and paints with foals at their side at the various Washington auctions right now. Whole herds.[/QUOTE]

Yep… I can’t stand the listings every week but I can’t not look at the same time. Someone dropped off a herd of Curlies in the last week or two… Mom’s, babies, and pregnant mares. I buy Powerball tickets every so often for the sole purpose of maybe being able to make a bigger dent or at the least give some of them a peaceful end. I’m sure that sounds totally stupid but I guess it makes me feel like I could potentially do something significant to help if fate decided to smile on me that day.

[enjoytheride]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15846379292/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15659647830/in/photostream/

Here are two pictures from the vet that show his hips.

[asterix]

This is so very sad, and maddening, and then of course heartening and reassuring. And that’s just sitting here reading about it. I hope YOU are hanging in there, emotionally!

[Appsolute]

[QUOTE=Calamber;7869066]
The shock value aside, this horse, in this condition would not have been worth it to anyone on a trailer to anywhere because he would likely have died. He would have gone to a feedlot. Either way his end would not have been good. And, by the way, tracks on the west coast are not banning owners from sending horses to auctions, they are there all of the time, every month, loads of them, from Washington, Oregon and California. Go look at Mike’s Auction in California. It is the economic collapse and no horror pictures in the world are going to stop this influx until the economy is changed.[/QUOTE]

Yep - well aware of Mike’s Auction. Back in the mid 2000’s I used to ride / train for a lady that pulled horses from there monthly. I have been a good number of times. And this was well before the “economic collapse”. 2002 was “good times” yet horses were still going through Mikes for way under $500 - and racing TBs? The sound ones went to match racers - the crippled ones went to the kill buyer. Even in better time - “racing connections” unceremoniously dumped their crippled horses at auctions. I don’t blame the economy. I blame the throw away nature of the “game of numbers” the racing industry plays.

And out here in CA - the economy has made a nice recovery. Housing prices are higher than ever before, the stock market is higher than ever before - and horses are still being dumped.

And yes, there are many used up, broken and dumped TBs at Mikes (along with most of the other low end stock auctions) - but don’t say that on the racing forum, they will tell you race horses have the very best of care, and the best lives possible.

Golden Gate Fields has a “no slaughter policy” - but that still doesn’t prevent owners and trainers from doing the wrong thing.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/10/02/kpix-5-reports-on-horse-auctions-brings-changes-to-golden-gate-fields/

[hoopoe]

the recent pictures really bring to life how bad the atrophy is.

It will be wonderful to see what time and TLC does for this nice fellow

[Lady_Eboshi]

[QUOTE=RedmondDressage;7870066]
OP - Glad you have a diagnosis. I’ll definitely be following along for updates and jingling for his recovery. Again - such a wonderful thing you’ve done for him.

Yep… I can’t stand the listings every week but I can’t not look at the same time. Someone dropped off a herd of Curlies in the last week or two… Mom’s, babies, and pregnant mares. I buy Powerball tickets every so often for the sole purpose of maybe being able to make a bigger dent or at the least give some of them a peaceful end. I’m sure that sounds totally stupid but I guess it makes me feel like I could potentially do something significant to help if fate decided to smile on me that day.[/QUOTE]

The problem with “whole herds” being dumped as you describe is someone got sick and tired of “breeding for the sake of breeding,” likely for a tax write-off. There have to be HOMES and JOBS for horses! Just “producing” them because you don’t know how to stop is what floods and depresses the market and keeps the kill buyers in business. Would you like to bet that most of these “whole herds” have not so much as ever had a hand on them, let alone broke and trained to be useful?

People like that (a lot of whom are dumber than dirt) are indeed producing “livestock,” and these horses are ending their lives likewise. I’m looking forward to the day this crap no longer pays.

BTW, I don’t buy it that the impoverished d-bag trainer didn’t have the money to euthanize the horse; if the poor thing had crumpled up and dropped to the track someone sure would have sent him the bill! WE NEED TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR PEOPLE LIKE THIS.

Maybe it’s ALSO time gambling (a social pathology) on the sport performances of live animals is banned. At least then racing would be in the same boat as other horse sports–with a lot less money involved.

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;7870071]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15846379292/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15659647830/in/photostream/

Here are two pictures from the vet that show his hips.[/QUOTE]

Wow. That is quite stunning. Poor fellow

Does the vet think some nerve damage might be at play, too?

[vineyridge]

Those pictures are appalling. Thistledown never should have let that poor horse race. I would send those pictures to the Ohio Racing Commission along with his tattoo numbers and the dates of his last race and ask how he was allowed to start.

Horse Racing has gotten to the point that it would not exist were it not for gambling. The tracks only care about attracting gamblers. The very basis of racing anything is that my whatever is faster than your whatever.

[merrygoround]

The video didn’t show the hollows, just that the height was equal.

Poor guy! Bless you and your vet for giving him a fighting chance.

[Ponytoes]

This is beyond sad. Obviously I would think you could research the owners that raced him in this condition - can’t something be done - why have they not been outed on this thread like other horse abusers have been here? And another THANK YOU AND HUGS for doing all you have done for this horse - the horse world needs so many more like you and so many less like the previous owners - who somehow should receive some repercussions for this, especially from the racing establishment.

[enjoytheride]

There are people working behind the scenes to get things done and things are getting done, and I will update people as things progress.

[Appsolute]

Thank you enjoy for all you have done for this horse! It’s not easy emotionally or financially.

I do hope that his “connections” face some consequence. But I realize that is going to require even more hard work from the do gooders like you.

Bless you - and curses to the people and industry that let this happen.

Honestly I would be very happy to see racing go away, like I said, the resident “racers” on this board hate me - but I hate that the industry victimizes horses like this

[CrowneDragon]

I’m wondering where he was and who had him (owned him) between his last start and when he showed up at the auction. I’d be interested in that info if it ever surfaces.

[back_in_the_saddle]

The pictures are terrible. Is it possible for that to heal normally?

[RedmondDressage]

Wow. Those pictures made me sick to my stomach. Poor, poor guy.