Resolution (NZ) and catastrophic breakdowns on the track.

Just 5 days ago we were horrified and saddened when top NZ 4 year old gelding Resolution (NZ) falter a few hundred metres before the post in the GR1 Sydney Cup, and then break down badly in his off foreleg. He has his own post below on this memorial.

Below are some words and photographs contributed to this memorial by a reader and eye
witness to the breakdown at Randwick last weekend.
Resolution post breakdown 1~ ~2 ~3

"I was at Randwick right beside Resolution as he pulled up broken down and took the photos attached. I was struck by the cruelty inflicted on the animal due to the breakdown - how very distressed he was - but also how clever he was at compensating for the damaged limb by throwing so much of the load onto the near hind and at the same time balancing a rider and staying upright.
At first I thought he'd broken down in a hind leg - but then I realised it was the off fore and he appeared to be throwing more weight onto his near hind in an effort to unload his off fore.

One thing I did photograph was the hoof of his badly injured limb. It was a "distorted foot" badly dysfunctional and not capable of supporting the horse's weight or the tendons and ligaments that operate the limb. This is not surprising when you look at his record,
only a 4 year old but already having had 20 runs and this was his third over 2 miles this year - a lot to ask of a young 4 year old. In addition, he would have had long periods of training and little respite from shoes which slowly destroy the feet of racehorses.

I watched the horse being saddled up and he was very distressed. He was lashing out with his hind foot and wouldn't stand still so the strapper had a big lump of skin from his neck which she twisted in order to keep him still.

At the International Symposium for Prevention of Racetrack Fatalities and Injuries inMelbourne (which I attended) one known risk factor was 'blinkers' and another was 'horse not wanting to go down to the start'. I was told the horse who broke his leg at Hawkesbury last year also was very distressed when being saddled up. People desperately need education in the industry to not only mentally prepare them for such tragedies but to be aware of all the known risk factors so that this awful cruelty and injustice to horses can be prevented as much as possible.

I believe horses have a great will to survive and great dignity.
In the words of horselover, Julie Walker....
"Dignity belongs to all. It is not our place to remove it by our cruelty, our neglect or our stupidity. Man may chose his path but these innocents cannot. We have a responsibility to act on their behalf and prove ourselves all the more dignitifed by our acts of compassion. May all those who do nothing carry the results of their inaction on their consciences for all time."

"Contributed by reader, name withheld"

A Note on Club Red...
Club Red fell at the second last hurdle at Flemington in June 2006. He suffered a fractured shoulder, and was made to get to his feet by officials before being euthanased. An eye witness captured the moment, and the distress on this horses face. RIP Club Red.

Photo~ Photo~1