We’d rather have dramatic, no science. Despite the fact, that 7777775689 have red blood cell anomalies with no problem, we want to hear the aberration.
updated op to add Calvin, who died today after a fall in the Training division at Aspen Farms Horse Trials http://eventingnation.com/calvin-euthanized-at-aspen-farms-horse-trials/.
And then there’s the days that this happens, and it’s REALLY hard to blame anyone for anything other than That’s Just Horses:
[QUOTE=HorsesinHaiti;8191740]
And then there’s the days that this happens, and it’s REALLY hard to blame anyone for anything other than That’s Just Horses:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/new-horizons-again[/QUOTE]
From the linked article:
We barely got to ride the week leading up to the trip because it was below zero almost every day, and then to top it off we jackknifed the trailer on black ice about three hours into the trip. All seeming well with the truck and trailer and horses (only minor scrapes and repairs to be made later), we continued on, only to be greeted with a week of 45 degrees and rain once we were in Aiken; not exactly what we had been looking forward to.
But on the bright side, the horses were glad to be out of the ice and snow and Ruler positively ate up his first intermediate course.
But it was with a sharp wrench of my stomach that Ruler pulled up lame after cross-country. I thought at first that he had caught his toe and only stumbled as he came down to the trot, but as the day wore on and ice and rest made no improvement to his lameness or sour attitude, I knew that something was wrong—and not in a little way. His attitude fortunately improved with a good night’s sleep, but I can’t say that I was any more positive in the following days.
Then Wort and Anna went on to tackle their first prelim together and did a fantastic job, but when we jogged Wort later that day he was noticeably favoring his right front for several steps, and then fine again. He had been “not quite right” sporadically in the prior two weeks, and everyone kept saying that with his age and the freezing temperatures it was no wonder he was sore." (Spoiler, horse breaks leg and is euthed)
See, I think this specific situation isn’t “just horses.” There seemed to be a lot of problems in the two weeks prior to the event that would have led me (and maybe some others) not to compete either of these horses. Now one is dead and one looks to be retired due to injury.
[QUOTE=Jealoushe;8191525]
updated op to add Calvin, who died today after a fall in the Training division at Aspen Farms Horse Trials http://eventingnation.com/calvin-euthanized-at-aspen-farms-horse-trials/.[/QUOTE]
Because this is training, is this more a story of “So sad for your loss” or does it too become part of the discussion of “What are we doing”.
How could a horse with almost 7 years since his first training course, a skilled partner, wind up falling on a training course in such a way that the horse needs to be put down right there. Please don’t respond with a “things just happen” statement for that may work with a horse in a field, it is a hard bitter pill to swallow when it is a horse on course; a well trained one at that.
We won’t ask questions for fear of upsetting the owner.
We won’t ask questions for fear of questioning authority.
We will instead be the three monkeys, hoping the problem just disappears.
Trauma to the shoulder so bad that he cannot even be taken to a hospital for more review?
I love this sport, but I’m starting to wonder if playing in this sandbox is worth gambling his life. I can only imagine the emotions racking through the owner’s heart and send my own supporting thoughts to her and her family.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;8185395]
Just throwing this out, but if calcium is part of the body’s regulation system for the heart, there has been discussion (from a scientific study) that lasix disrupts the body’s calcium usage for well over a month every time it’s used, which might have something to do with a higher inicidence in the US than other racing jurisdictions.
Wasn’t it Baffert that had seven or eight horses drop dead in California in about a year this year or last year?
And don’t the USEF and/or USEA require necropsies for deaths in competition in eventing?[/QUOTE]
Yes and yes.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/jessy-du-breau-dies-ox-ridge another sudden death in a different discipline.
[QUOTE=ladyj79;8191784]
From the linked article:
We barely got to ride the week leading up to the trip because it was below zero almost every day, and then to top it off we jackknifed the trailer on black ice about three hours into the trip. All seeming well with the truck and trailer and horses (only minor scrapes and repairs to be made later), we continued on, only to be greeted with a week of 45 degrees and rain once we were in Aiken; not exactly what we had been looking forward to.
But on the bright side, the horses were glad to be out of the ice and snow and Ruler positively ate up his first intermediate course.
But it was with a sharp wrench of my stomach that Ruler pulled up lame after cross-country. I thought at first that he had caught his toe and only stumbled as he came down to the trot, but as the day wore on and ice and rest made no improvement to his lameness or sour attitude, I knew that something was wrong—and not in a little way. His attitude fortunately improved with a good night’s sleep, but I can’t say that I was any more positive in the following days.
Then Wort and Anna went on to tackle their first prelim together and did a fantastic job, but when we jogged Wort later that day he was noticeably favoring his right front for several steps, and then fine again. He had been “not quite right” sporadically in the prior two weeks, and everyone kept saying that with his age and the freezing temperatures it was no wonder he was sore." (Spoiler, horse breaks leg and is euthed)
See, I think this specific situation isn’t “just horses.” There seemed to be a lot of problems in the two weeks prior to the event that would have led me (and maybe some others) not to compete either of these horses. Now one is dead and one looks to be retired due to injury.[/QUOTE]
I went hmm also LadyJ79, BUT! I wasn’t there for the week in Aiken to check them out in someone’s indoor, so its hard to call negligence and ESPECIALLY, the rest of the article not quoted above is where the horse breaks the pastern DURING THE VET VISIT TO DIAGNOSE A MINOR LAMENESS. Vet didn’t see much wrong, got through 2 or 3 nerve blocks and vet still didn’t see much wrong, it was right before the last block on that leg where the pastern shattered on a figure 8 jog in hand. That’s the part where I went, ‘she’s in the middle of doing what COTHers tell us to do for a lameness like that, under the vet’s direction, how much more can she do’.
Was a vet check done when they got to Aiken, or before deciding to trailer home? The article doesn’t say, I can’t assume they didn’t ask the show vet to look them over before the event or before trailering home. But when a horse with an apparently minor lameness shatters a pastern deep into a vet check in the middle of a lameness jog, jeesh, I can’t call that major negligence! Sometimes, people really are trying their best and the results aren’t 100% their fault, or the sport’s fault.
A French rider who got hurt 7 months ago died today per Eventing Nation. 
Updated per EN
http://eventingnation.com/guillaume-pucci-dies-seven-months-after-cross-country-accident/
Was it a rotational?
EN points out that this makes five human deaths in the last calendar year. 4 of the five were professionals. Time for another huge international focus on safety.
Updated to add Uwald, who was euthanized due to an injury suffered at Bramham;
http://eventingnation.com/nana-daltons-uwald-put-down-after-bramham-injury/
This post kind of made me cringe. The horse was not competitive. He had “bad legs”, yet the dream to just be out there drove them to compete him. Now he’s gone. This is very sad.
[QUOTE=Jealoushe;8202907]
Updated to add Uwald, who was euthanized due to an injury suffered at Bramham;
http://eventingnation.com/nana-daltons-uwald-put-down-after-bramham-injury/
This post kind of made me cringe. The horse was not competitive. He had “bad legs”, yet the dream to just be out there drove them to compete him. Now he’s gone. This is very sad.[/QUOTE]
This was not the way I took the article at all. It sounded like it was to be a low pressure prep event for his fall season. Not a “dream” to just compete at the 3* level.
[QUOTE=CatchMeIfUCan;8203040]
This was not the way I took the article at all. It sounded like it was to be an low pressure prep event for his fall season. Not a “dream” to just compete at the 3* level.[/QUOTE]
I took it the same as you. He was an event horse and hunt horse…and like many had old injuries. Sounds like they had a lovely partnership. They were aiming for a good confident go at that level and not trying to be competitive…which in eventer speak typically means they were not trying to make time. But probably going for a clean and qualifying score.
So sad. A suspensory can go with little to no warning.
[QUOTE=CatchMeIfUCan;8203040]
This was not the way I took the article at all. It sounded like it was to be a low pressure prep event for his fall season. Not a “dream” to just compete at the 3* level.[/QUOTE]
“The years of wear and tear”…he was not competitive nor fit to compete, but, they did anyway. The suspensory that “went” was from his good leg compensating for the bad legs. Hind suspensory injuries in racehorses are usually a retirement thing because they are so difficult to heal and so suspect for the future because of the amount of strain on the hind limbs especially at the start. I cannot imagine why you would jump a horse at the upper levels who has had one.
I wonder with the above discussion about calcium etc if all of the ulcer meds and other supps are not throwing off a balance and adding some risk. Anyone with a more scientific/ cardiac background have any thoughts?
I know little things can throw me off big time when I’m doing a triathlon.
Updated to add Easy Tiger IV. 6 horses in May/June.
RIP
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/06/25/leg-fracture-claims-life-eventer-easy-tiger-iv/#axzz3eAyoh252
Fatality at Scone Horse Trials Australia in the CNC2*. RIP Olivia.
https://www.an-eventful-life.com.au/eventing-news/other-events/fatal-accident-scone-horse-trials
[QUOTE=Jealoushe;8562026]
Fatality at Scone Horse Trials Australia in the CNC2*. RIP Olivia.
How sad. Godspeed.
I normally compete at Scone. I wasn’t there this time as I’m still recovering from an accident. Lots of friends were there though - could have so easily been one of them.
I came to have a look at Chronofhorse to see if the news had made it here and this was the first time I’ve come across this thread. It is so shocking to see that huge list at the beginning. I think what shocks me even more is that that the 90s are held up as the time when the deaths started and things were changed to try to reduce deaths yet this list makes it patently obvious that nothing they’re doing has worked. I feel almost like people are tacitly agreeing not to talk about it.
