Could Barbaro Easily Defy Secretariat's Records if He were Older?

I am driven with nostalgia when I try to remember the day the sports papers read Barbaro’s euthanasia news. The world of horse racing was for once stricken with the question, are three year olds too young to be raced?

Barbaro’s euthanasia following the right hind leg fractures during the 2006 Preakness and many further levels of deteriorations in his condition eventually predisposing laminitis (an infection in the legs) caused many racing aficionados to begin to ponder if two and three year olds were the right age to be racing under the saddle.

When Barbaro geared up for the Kentucky Derby in 2006 he was still undefeated leading into an unequivocal victory by 6 ½ lengths to become the sixth undefeated Derby winner since 1946. His sweeping win made him an instant favourite for the Preakness. But the race restarted due to a false start by Barbaro drove him into a catastrophic injury leaving his right hind leg broken in 20 different places and his foot literally dangling loose.

Even after several rounds of surgery, Barbaro’s operated upon legs that had developed an infectious laminitis that seemed to grow into the other legs as well complicating his condition beyond repair. The indomitable horse finally had to be euthanized in January 2007. Many equestrian communities have since argued on the possible impacts of early age racing of thoroughbreds leading them into a more vulnerable teenage phase littered with bowed tendons, chipped bones, fractures, arthritis and back problems.

But how far are thoroughbreds affected and whether or not the racing ethics allow an inhumane treatment of the horses directed solely for selfish benefits through heavy purse racing tournaments?

Years of research in Equestrian care have proven that the fine thoroughbred are infact designed for speed and not durability but there are a series of protocols followed to make sure their participation in an event doesn’t lead them into the deadly bouts of painful injury later. Where on one hand science and technology are trying to bring down the risk figures associated with the horse races conducted on dirt and synthetic tracks, the equivalence of a two year old colt to an 18 year old athlete and a three year old horse to a human athlete in his early twenties may trigger doubt in minds of many a thinkers if the horses at this age are ready for an Olympic equivalent run.

The argument stays open and only time could trigger a wake-up call. Like Barbaro and Eight Belles euthanized soon after their magnificent performances in racing history due to injuries sustained from tremendous racing at a somewhat fragile and developing age may result in an opinion where horse racing could use some reforms. And why not, when there are various online horse racing games to feast your mind on, why not spare the horses the pain and the injury.

Horseracegame.com brings for all horse racing fanatics, a racing platform that is free from any whip and the subsequent pain and performance pressure on real horses. An impressive sprawl of virtual horses that are immortal and the choicest race tracks from around the world, cutting edge 3D graphics, innumerable albums of horse racing pictures and game points that can eventually be encashed for real prizes, this keeps getting better.

If you really are a race horse lover, this is the destination you’ve been surfing the World Wide Web for. Register online, join your favourite community and get started. Breed, train and race your horses without the slightest impression of pain. Remember, here you actually get to prove to your horses, how deep is your love.

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