Monzante's Death a Disgrace

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

sharon tupper — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 04:47:31 GMT

This is happening to good horses that don't deserve this kind of treatment. If thoroughbreds aren't performing to their full potential, then by all means retire them and find suitable homes where they can start their second career; not putting them in claimers and then they break down and this happens. Monzante still had his life ahead of him but now he won't get to experience it because his owners wanted to be stupid. What the heck is wrong with these people today? Too much overbreeding and they are breeding for speed. As it is, there are too many horses winding up at auctions and half of them go to slaughter. I think the owners need to be held responsible for their actions and if their horses aren't performing to their full potential, the owners need to be forced to retire their horses with no questions asked. The jockey club needs to do something about this as well. The industry wasn't like this when Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed were around. Stop overbreeding people and give racehorses a second chance at doing another career!!!!

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Blum Gone — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 15:10:17 GMT

If anyone is still reading these comments, be advised that Cost of Freedom (nearly $1 million earned) and Speed Rouser (age 11) are running at Santa Rosa, Wed., 8-7 in Race 6. Both bred by Harris Farms.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Cassandra.Says — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 08:06:03 GMT

There isn't a market for 25,000 retrained thoroughbreds per year. Not even if they were free.

I placed a few with endurance riders, one cutting horse, one small little stud with extreme shoulder as a herd sire for sports ponies but the warm bloods have decimated the market for hunter/jumpers. (What a marketing triumph to make it the conventional wisdom that warm bloods have more "scope" than the horses who jump the Grand National course!)

I absolutely agree, Steve, that it is outrageous to race them to destruction, but let's not kid ourselves that there is a viable alternative in finding retirement homes for tens of thousands of horses. The broodmare population is dropping dramatically, so motherhood is not a second career for a lot of fillies and mares -- it's not only tough old geldings.

A death without fear and pain is the most we can aspire to for most of our retirees.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Line OTTB — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 22:27:48 GMT

DISGRACE and the horse could have been saved (see bloodhorse.com report) and Thacker claimed Monzante was a member of the family ... DISGRACE !!!

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Blum Gone — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 20:07:31 GMT

Freetex, please e-mail me privately, so we can "talk."

ssefscik at dishmail.net

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Freetex — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:13:40 GMT

Blum Gone, the horse I am watching is Win Willy. He has had quite the career.

Is there any news on Portfido? How about G-10? What can we do to help?

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Blum Gone — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:25:19 GMT

Freetex, you said: "I am watching another famous gelding who ran in the triple crown races a few years ago. He is now 7 years old and often races at Delaware Park."

Would be helpful if you would share this horse's name.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Blum Gone — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:19:33 GMT

TRF SC, please e-mail me privately:

ssefscik at dishmail.net

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Soldier Course — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:53:09 GMT

Because Barbaro lived for eight months after his catastrophic injury in the Preakness, he left a legacy of awareness and generosity to support research on laminitis. He also put PennVet on the map, contributing greatly to its reputation and endowment. Two years ago PennVet recognized every single donor to Barbaro Fund in the five years following his death, in a special issue of its "Bellwether" magazine.

The last eight months of Barbaro's life were not lived in vain.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Aleine — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 02:56:48 GMT

Ceil Rock...I don't know about your suggestion that Barbaro should have been euthanized early on. I'm sure those few days he was allowed outside to munch on grass and breathe in fresh air were true gifts for him at the vet hospital. He could've moved in with me if the Jackson's were too burdened.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Aleine — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 02:53:31 GMT

Thanx Pedigree Ann. Secretariat was at Claiborne farm. Just my point about mis-management of that horse in his retirement. He was a key attraction for visitors at Claiborne---that was the bottom line. No time for keeping him in shape, just a circus attraction. Who cares if it was 20 years ago.

Granted Secretariat was a mischief maker-he once escaped from his Va farm and was out on the highway late at night when a trucker saw him and kindly returned him to Meadow Farm. Big Red still rules in Va. Too bad his demise was too soon. Cushings? I knew his heart was oversized-cardiomegaly.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

TerriV — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 01:50:46 GMT

There are so many great Ideas mentioned here. How do we make something happen?

Monzante is another sad name on a long list. We have argued about who is to blame way too often with no results. Let's forget blame and find an answer.

I am just a fan, a horse lover who knows we have another chance here to do the right thing. But I have no power to make a change in this industry. Who does?

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

robinm — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 23:19:21 GMT

I've read every comment and deliberately waited to post until after seeing comments regarding Thacker's "rebuttal". Which was a long time coming, by the way, and smacks mostly of "CYA".

Like another poster, I can't know whether or not euthanasia was the right decision, but I think it's clear a one-time Grade 1 winner shouldn't wind up in a 4K claiming race. Somebody should have given this horse a well-earned retirement long before his sad end.

I also feel compelled to comment on laminitis. I just lost a well-loved and well-cared for gelding just a day before his 17th birthday. He had been leased to a very good friend who had owned his sire and needed a riding horse after her stallion died (at the ripe old age of 27). Ray had the best of care his entire life and the best of care after the laminitis diagnosis. We tried for a month to save him using every treatment available in my area. But trust me, when a horse's coffin bone drops through the sole of his hoof and can't bear any weight whatsoever on the leg, the only humane thing is euthanasia. You can bet Secretariat got the best of care as well, and yes, he probably should have been kept more fit and less heavy. But, if indeed he was a Cushings horse, as someone else mentioned, this is very hard to manage even now, and probably more so then. Laminitis is very common in Cushings horses. I sincerely hope veterinary medicine will come up with a cure, or at least better management, for both Cushings and laminitis. It can't come too soon.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Freetex — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 20:22:11 GMT

Thank God for you Steve Haskin!

I just now read your article about Manzante and I feel sick. Sick that the tragic downslide and ending for Manzante could still be happening in the year 2013. Why?

Your words should be published in every possible meida format. Thank you for having the courage and heart to speak out and stand up for the horses who give so much.

Is there anything we the fans can do, anything at all to help prevent the neglect and finally abuse this horse suffered from happening again?

Manzante deserved to retire in a honorable and dignified way. Did not one single owner or trainer care?

I am watching another famous gelding who ran in the triple crown races a few years ago. He is now 7 years old and often races at Delaware Park. I pray his owner and trainer have read your article. Maybe they don't really need to and are cut from a different cloth than Manzante's connections. Hopefully, they will care enough to ensure this great gelding does not have to slide down the dismal ladder to oblivion.

Finally, Steve I read all of your articles but rarely comment on the blogs but this time it was more than I could handle.

Sincerely, Freetex

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Pedigree Ann — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 18:14:04 GMT

Soldier Course - Sec HAD gotten roly-poly. Not enough exercise to work off the food intake. That's why another farm (Three Chimneys was it?) gave Seattle Slew exercise under saddle - to keep him from getting too heavy for his legs. These big-framed horses, like John Wayne or Johnny Weismuller, are going to put on weight as they age unless they get more exercise than wandering in a paddock.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Needler in Virginia — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 03:27:08 GMT

I think LaMarra is missing the point, too. He seems to be hung up on whether or not Monzante was euthanized on the track or not, and whether or not the decision to euthanize was made then or back at the barn. The end result, he says, is that everyone jumped too soon and too hard on Thacker. Is that the problem, or is the problem that this travesty ever happened in the first place? Talk about angels on the head of a pin............

Bah, humbug..............BAH!

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Lise from Maine — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:34:23 GMT

Hi!

Thank you so much, Steve, for sticking up for Monzante and all the other horses.

This kind of action "turns off" fans.

The industry needs to do something about it.

The horse must come first in terms of his or her needs.

It is that simple.

Thank you once again.

Lise from Maine

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Soldier Course — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 19:04:39 GMT

ezevans:

You've hit the nail on the head. The issue Steve's article raises is not limited to the trainer's decision to euthanize Monzante, but encompasses all his previous decisions regarding the poor horse that gave rise to his sad, sad ending.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Soldier Course — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 17:38:49 GMT

Aleine:

I don't read your post as a conspiracy theory. It raises the same question I ponder from time to time. One form of laminitis is "weight bearing" ( also called "load bearing"), and can develop when a limb bears an extra heavy load. Secretariat looked like he had gained a lot of weight as he aged.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

ezevans — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 16:17:27 GMT

@KYVET: Funny how you bash the article for not having the facts but then turn around and make assumptions about the folks that comment. Plenty of industry types regularly follow/comment on Mr. Haskin's articles. IMHO, some of this comes down to plain old common sense and descency. I have no issue with running older horses and we have seen examples of very successful and well managed careers. BUT when those older campaigners started to loose a step or had re-occurring nagging injuries the owners/trainers had the sense to recognize it and out of respect for the horse and its service, they retired them rather than give the lemon one last squeeze. I don't know Monzante's trainer or owner but I don't need to in this situation. You can do everything by the book but that doesn't equate to showing good judgement and that is where they failed across the board in this case. The decision to euthanize may in fact have been the correct one...don't know, wasn't there BUT the real point is that it should have never been a question.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

ezevans — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:53:04 GMT

@Aleine - Huh? That was 20 plus years ago. Think about how far the science has progressed and we still lose horses to laminitis (although I'm very optimist with recent advances this problem will be tackled). Secretariat had cushings..why does laminitis surprise you? Take hints of conspiracy elsewhere.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

ceil rock — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 22:51:26 GMT

Nobody wants to euthanize a horse on the track - that's the biggest downer of all, both for the fans and the TV audience. It's only done when there is really no other option. If you can't get the horse up, into the ambulance and back to the barn, what then? Most experienced trainers & vets pretty much know if they have a catastrophic breakdown on their hands (like Eight Belles - and Barbaro, who should have been euthanized early on).

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Aleine — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 20:13:33 GMT

Oh...while we're looking at untimely and inhumane deaths.

Anyone ask themselves why Secreatariat turned up with laminitis in his 19th year of life?

He WAS retired, pensioned, and with a loyal following as visitors. Never understood that one.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Aleine — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 20:11:10 GMT

All horses' deaths at the hands of mindless handlers is a travesty.

I was at Colonial Downs on derby day (July 13th). I'm sure everyone was sickened by watching Risk Tolerance's euthanization on the track. I would've taken that horse home with me to mend rather than see the end result. (Hillwood Stable, LLC you should be ashamed). Too many people getting into the business with greed as their motivating factor.

Sickening.

re: Monzante's Death a Disgrace

Soldier Course — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 19:36:48 GMT

TRF SC:

Hello! Nice to see your post. I'm in Charleston.