Barbaro breaks leg at Preakness

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Wasn't Barbaro's owner an Olympic equestrain rider? Considering the way he practically sprinted to the track right after the horse stopped on Saturday, IMO he has more invested in that horse than just money.

My roommate in college had a race horse (actually his uncle did, but he had a vested interest in it) and he was depressed for like a month when they had to put it down following an accident on the track. The horse had been doing well, I think it had just won a big race the week before, and he was making my friend a good deal of money, but that wasn't why he was so upset.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

Wasn't Barbaro's owner an Olympic equestrain rider? Considering the way he practically sprinted to the track right after the horse stopped on Saturday, IMO he has more invested in that horse than just money.

My roommate in college had a race horse (actually his uncle did, but he had a vested interest in it) and he was depressed for like a month when they had to put it down following an accident on the track. The horse had been doing well, I think it had just won a big race the week before, and he was making my friend a good deal of money, but that wasn't why he was so upset.

This is all I'm trying to say - there's much more than financial consideration involved here. And what's being lost here is the fact the horse has no say in the matter. The owner and trainer basically have to come to a very emotional decision to save the horse. Unlike a human athlete, the final decision rests with the individual, an animal is at the mercy of someone else making the decision.

[FRPLG]

I think bashing anyone for saving someone's or something's life is embarassing. Sorry if you can't handle the fact that there is money involved but saying the horse should be put down because the money could be spent elsewhere is about the the worst and most heartless thing I can imagine. Everything deserves life if possible. By your standards everyone should go ahead put their pets/race horses/zoo animals/etc... and put all that money towards human healthcare.

[dmek25]

schneed , the next time i give a response to any thread youre looking at , please feel free to grade my punctuality .

[dmek25]

12th i agree with what you are saying. but i do not play the ponies, and really dont consider horse racing a sport. i just get sick of the absurd amount of money that is involved in spoorts now a days, not just horses. i guess im venting alittle

[firstdown]

If I'm correct the owner paid 500 million for this horse. The insurance money is nothing and depending on how the policy is written putting the horse down might not be covered. How anyone can read this guys mind and say its out of greed is just crazy. Yes it could be greed but can't say its greed unless you know the facts. I do know that after this happened they showed the jocky, trainers, and owner all standing around crying like they just lost a love one. When it comes to the care for these horses I don't think anyone wants to put them down it probably comes down to who can afford to have it done. I have a friend who has spent thousands on their dog which I would have not spent myself if it was my pet. It might sound a little harsh but I'm not spending all my savings on a dog and not my family because they come first. Now if I had the extra cash yes I would spend the money to try and save the dogs life. Also the thing about 40,000,000 Americans cannot afford or cannot get health insurance is not the truth. First alot of young people feel they do not need health insurance. Alot of people buy that new car and cannot afford health insurance after stretching their budget. Some just choose not to buy insurance> The amount of people who realy cannot afford or get coverage is much smaller but what would politicians run on if the truth was known.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

If I'm correct the owner paid 500 million for this horse. The insurance money is nothing and depending on how the policy is written putting the horse down might not be covered. How anyone can read this guys mind and say its out of greed is just crazy. Yes it could be greed but can't say its greed unless you know the facts. I do know that after this happened they showed the jocky, trainers, and owner all standing around crying like they just lost a love one. When it comes to the care for these horses I don't think anyone wants to put them down it probably comes down to who can afford to have it done. I have a friend who has spent thousands on their dog which I would have not spent myself if it was my pet. It might sound a little harsh but I'm not spending all my savings on a dog and not my family because they come first. Now if I had the extra cash yes I would spend the money to try and save the dogs life. Also the thing about 40,000,000 Americans cannot afford or cannot get health insurance is not the truth. First alot of young people feel they do not need health insurance. Alot of people buy that new car and cannot afford health insurance after stretching their budget. Some just choose not to buy insurance> The amount of people who realy cannot afford or get coverage is much smaller but what would politicians run on if the truth was known.

Nice post. I'm a financial analyst for Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, and you pretty much hit it on the head.

If somebody presents at one of our emergency rooms, NOT ONE OF THEM GETS TURNED AWAY. Last year, we gave away $68 million worth of free care to people who didn't have adequate health insurance. When it comes down to it, a lot of people "can't afford" to pay for insurance. But they still get healthcare. They may not be paying for it, but they're getting it, and hospitals are paying for it.

A lot of people can afford healthcare. When people whine about not being able to afford it, you really have to wonder what the word "afford" means to them. In a lot of cases, they're saying they can't afford it because now the high cost means they can't go out to eat as much. Is the problem that you can't afford it? Or is the problem that you don't want to pay that much for it?

[BDBohnzie]

either way, eventually this horse will be made into kibble and glue...