I’d think they would get more money for these stallions if their previous owner’s (Like Strike the Gold’s former owner/trainer) and offered them 1k to buy them back, plus the 5k it will cost to ship them home. They can’t bring that much at slaughter, and a much better ending for a horse that has done so much for this industry!
Beth Davidson
Black Dog Farm
Connemaras & Sport Horses
[/QUOTE]
painted as such. What likely happened to Ferdinand is horrifying and heartless, but blaming this on his owner, who tried to get him back and then resulted in this story being reported, is pretty heartless as well.
[QUOTE]
If the owner had never sold him down the river to begin with, he wouldn’t have needed to “try” to get him back. I would think a tiny bit of $4million should make a nice retirement for a horse. What about the industry, what are they doing about it, why not some retirement fund from all those winings/stud fees?
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> poltroon, thrareworse things than death,however rtheconditions under which horses go to slaughter arehorrendous; some years ago HSSUS did a study on Tbhorsesgoing to slaughter, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
What I read about them, I didn’t believe them if they showed a blue sky!
Slaughter houses do not want agitated animals, it’s bad for the endproduct!
And I bet it would be dangerous as heck to work around them…
Unfortunately my scanner is down, I don’t have a premium membership and it would be copyrighted material, but a couple of years ago Western Horseman magazine had an article on slaughter - and believe me, they are not affraid to put grusome visuals in, the horses in the holding pens where all contend.
It was an interesting read. To bad they don’t put old articles on the net or pictures…
The transport on the other side - well, that would be a totaly different story. Hate the thought!
Oh, and PS, slow down your typing…makes it easier to read… 
What a tragic end for such a wonderful horse. I agree with Glimmerglass, the decision probably had less to do with money than it did with saving face. 
Was just watching Trackside Live on TVG, my new addiction, and a son of Ferdinand won a race at Evangeline Downs. They usually announce the pedigree of the winner, and when the one announcer started to say “a bay son of Ferdinand” he just sort of trailed off and there was a full 20 seconds or more of dead air. He than choked out the rest of the pedigree, and then said, “I just can’t say that name yet, I just can’t . . .I’m still so upset” and the other announcer jumped in and said, “Don’t even bring it up man, don’t even bring it up, don’t even ASK me about it”–his voice just shaking with anger. The third commentator was a woman, and they had to cut away from her because she was tearing up.
On the one hand, it THRILLED me to see these people so intimately involved in the racing biz so visibly shocked, angered and upset over this tragedy, on the other, none of them said what had happened. Now, I’m hoping that’s because it was reported on an earlier broadcast that I missed, because TVG is surprisingly good at dealing with these sorts of issues–it’s covered a lot of rescue groups, etc.
But, on a positivie note, it appears this isn’t being swept under the rug, or that no one in racing cares–it seems clear to me they care very much.
I don’t have a problem with the TB industry.
I don’t have a problem with famous TB sires being exported to other countries who can really use their influence.
I don’t even have a problem with some horses going to slaughter. There are worse things than death.
But one thing I think we CAN do here is perhaps put some pressure on the overseas TB associations. For the story on Sea Hero and Strike the Gold, they said they’re trying to get some help from the Turkish Thoroughbred Association. Perhaps we can get these associations to recognize that they have an interest in ensuring that these horses are well cared for and treasured while they reside there.
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