Another reason not to grieve Alpo - this poor beast was kept alive in great pain for the last 9 months because his owners hoped he could make them a boat load of money in stud fees. This wasn't humanitarians trying to keep a noble beast alive, it was investors protecting their capital; his death wasn't a merciful end to his pain, it was cutting their financial losses.

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"The large print givith, and the small print taketh away!"
Tom Waits, Step Right Up

Great point Boogie. I love how no one is mentioning that.

Oh don't worry, the owners got their pound of flesh out of Alpo before he was ground up flesh. Pretty sure he was given a test tube, a VCR, and a copy of "Mare's Gone Wild" in that stall before he bought the farm.

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"In an insane world, only the sane will seem insane"

Perhaps, Mr. Lennon. However, a few things should be noted:

1) Barbaro's owners could have promptly euthanized him and easily collected on their Insurance policy following the initial injury in May, 2006;
2) It remains questionable whether Barbaro would have been able to reproduce. The act of mounting a mare requires a tremendous amount of torque and pressure on a horse's hind legs. Based upon his initial injury, it is unlikely that he would have been able to perform this act;
3) Artificial insemination is not permitted in the breeding of Thoroughbreds.

I don't know the true motivations of these owners. However, it remains a possibility that they have spent tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of dollars to try to help this horse that they loved live.

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What I find unbelievable about the situation is that since the injury, the Barbaro Fund has collected over $1.2 million for his medical care.

Can somoeone please explain to me the motivation involved in making a monetary donation to owners who have the financial means required to purchase and train 70+ racehorses, and to a horse with career winnings of $2.3 million dollars. And as Roses points out, there is still the matter of the insurance settlement.

And to think that Americans are not a charitable bunch.

Fu@k Aids in Africa!
Fu@k breast cancer!
Fu@k Katrina victims - that was last year.

America has a horse to save!!!

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

Unfortunately in thoroughbred racing, you cannot produce a race horse from artifical insemination.

Moving along.....

Althought the title of this thread seems to suggest a boring topic, it's got some of the best one-liners. Kudos to all for:








I think the "Mares Gone Wild" post is my favorite.

Knowing nothing about thoroughbreds, I must ask:

Why not? They've been using artificial insemination on livestock for years; they've been using it with people for years. What makes the sport of thouroughbred racing so special that it would be unethical to artificially inseminate a horse?

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"The large print givith, and the small print taketh away!"
Tom Waits, Step Right Up

No, no, no, no,no. Different issues. Steroids are unethical because

1. They are a controled substance only available with a doctor's prescription
2. there are serious, life-threatening side effects, especially if not used under a doctor's supervision
3. The youth of America try to emulate their sports heros.

Put the three of them together, and you have a recipe for disaster. What is artificially inseminating a horse going to do? Insight children to masterbate? They don't need any help with that!

_________________
"The large print givith, and the small print taketh away!"
Tom Waits, Step Right Up