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HORSE RACING
• Melbourne Cup 2015: How old is too old? Each horse is different, but age did not weary Red Cadeaux
by Michael Lynch | The Sydney Morning Herald
When crowd favourite Red Cadeaux broke down in the Melbourne Cup and had to be taken for surgery on a leg injury, the outcry was predictable.
What on earth was he doing being run in such a competitive race at his age was the question on the lips of many people.
Surely at the age of nine (he was born in March, 2006, so by his UK birthdate that is how old he is) he should be in a paddock somewhere enjoying retirement. Weren’t his owners and trainers simply being greedy by forcing an aged horse to run quickly against much younger ones, putting an unfair stress on his elderly limbs, making the chance of such a breakdown inevitable?
Read more »
I hate it when people sit on the sidelines and dictate what is really going on with a horse. At least they are talking about it. Of course it will stop there. —Ed.
• Book Review: Saving Baby- How One Woman’s Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption
by Nicole M Arciello | Times Union
I’ve written here about horseracing many times. Just last week before the Breeder’s Cup, the sensationalized televised weekend event that showcases the glitz and glamour on the facade, yet preserves the animal cruelty and exploitation at its evil core, I put out a plea for readers to learn more. Much like the circus, and Sea World and other events that use animals to draw crowds, horseracing must be exposed for what it truly is, the exploitation of a voiceless species for human gain. And may I remind here, that whenever money and animals mix, the animals always lose. Read more » Buy the Book »
• Hawley rescue pledges to do better after horse’s death prompts outcry
by Adrian Glass-Moore | INFORUM
A horse named Lightning was big and strong when she arrived at a horse rescue here this year.
A family donated her to the Hightail Horse Ranch and Rescue to be used as a fundraiser horse, meaning the rescue could sell her for a good price and use the money to help other horses. But Lightning’s condition deteriorated in a matter of months of living at the rescue. Read more »
Horse rescues take on a huge challenge saving horses. It is a monumental task and takes a monumental effort. We understand that. We do. The point of including this article here is it that outlines some of the mistakes — sometimes fatal — rescuers must be on the lookout for. We are here to educate, not judge. —Ed.
• ICYMI: Million Mask thugs burned and cut police horses and tried to gouge eyes out with sticks
by Oli Smith | Daily Express Newspaper
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called the rioters at the Million Mask protest “despicable” and said that the violence specifically targeted the helpless animals.
Police horses were treated by vets after they had their legs sliced with broken shards of glass and sticks rammed into their eyes. Highpowered lasers, capable of blinding, were also targeted on the animal’s eyes. Officers also confirmed that fireworks were used on the animals in an attempt to burn them.
Hundreds of masked protesters rampaged through London on Thursday night when the chaotic annual march turned violent. Four police officers were left injured in the attacks as well six horses. Read more »
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Featured Image: RED CADEAUX racing at York racecourse, England. Source: Getty Images (144722295)
Tuesday's Horse 
The article by Michael Lynch in the Sydney Morning Herald is a joke. He is not independent of the racing industry. He has no idea about the real life of the racehorse. May I post here the comment I made on social media.
I have been following Red Cadeaux for years and have had grave concerns for him. His feet are terrible but Lynch wouldn’t know the first thing about that! As a qualified equine podiatrist colleague posted re Red:
“The veterinary scientists’ knowledge of biomechanics and physics and healthy feet is abysmal”.
“It was no surprise to me when Red Cadeaux broke down in the Cup yesterday. I was looking at Red’s feet just over 12 months ago and was appalled with what I saw. I signed a worldwide petition pleading for Red’s connections to retire him.”
At about that stage he had already won close to $8 million and he was 9 years of age. A 10 year old horse is young but when it’s a 10 year old racehorse, then his body has had a great deal of wear and tear and damage from racing and that is a FACT.
My heart sank when I heard that Red was yet again coming out to Australia to compete in the long distance Melbourne Cup. Red had already placed 2nd thrice and 8th once if my memory serves me right. And all this travelling is not good for him. I noticed that there were concerns after Red did some trackwork the day before the Cup.
When Ed Dunlop was interviewed at Werribee Equine Hospital yesterday he stated that Red had sustained “sesamoid fractures”. If he had’ve said “fracture” singular I would’ve had hope that he would have a chance of a good post surgery outcome. Depending on the severity, fetlock injuries can be repairable but these usually involve tendons and ligaments. When it comes to sesamoids, then that is serious especially when both the sesamoids have been fractured.
A news report has just announced that the connections of Red said that he will remain in Australia and retire very comfortably in a paddock. Well no, he will NOT be “very comfortable” given his serious injury and despite the fact that he has survived same, he will, at the very least, suffer from discomfort/pain. His life has been ruined.
Ahh yes, they were thinking about retiring him in the past.
“Thinking about it” it appears to me that the temptation of placing in the first 10 in the Cup was just too irresistible for his connections. This magnificent much adored international racehorse came very close to death yesterday.
DUNLOP and ARCULLI you utterly disgust me!
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Thank you Carolyn for your comment and for clarifying Red’s journey to this point. The telltale sign will be if he “colics and dies”. This explanation is often trotted for horses who don’t make it after being cruelly used on the racetrack.
Connections like Red’s try to make it sound as if the horses have gone some place where they can quietly heal from the rigors of racing. If it doesn’t go well they have a built in excuse, as colic is known to be unpredictable and even unexplainable and can hit a horse at any time.
All we can do is watch and pray.
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Agreed VGrF, colic is often an excuse but I’m also concerned about laminitis setting in in his double-loaded good limb. Not much one can do, the damage has been done and all we can do is pray for him.
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RED CADEAUX is dead as a result of his serious sesamoid injury suffered in the Melbourne Cup. “Complications” as a result of the surgery….. If it had been any other racehorse and not THE Melbourne Cup the horse would’ve been euthanased either on track or out the back (which they prefer being out of public view). To have kept him alive and to be seen to be doing the right thing? It is my belief that it was a public relations exercise to appease the public. I’m devastated and it is unforgivable what they did to this horse, they just raced him into the ground and the desire to have a go at the $6 million dollar prizemoney Cup for the FIFTH time was more important than his welfare when he’d already won over $8million and had won more money in British horseracing history to date. DISGUSTED!
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