Bam Bam, a 4-year-old colt born and first raced in Brazil, is dead after breaking down in the 4th at Belmont Friday. If not for the NY database, we’d be left with this decidedly (and intentionally) ambiguous, open-ended line from the Equibase chart: “BAM BAM…lost his action nearing the quarter pole favoring his right hind leg, got quickly protected, pulled up and was subsequently vanned off.” “Vanned off” – not so good. “Got quickly protected” – sounds promising. As it was, the horse had broken his leg and was euthanized back in the barn. And that’s that.
I remember the horses having their legs gently felt, looking for any signs of swelling, edema or the slightest heat. Carefully assesssing possible injuries. If there were, it was serious business to coddle and sooth and enrich the areas. I wasn’t thrilled with pinfiring or blistering. But rest was what many received. And constant checking by their grooms for healing. I feel like such an outsider now.
None of this makes sense. I just watched a partial episode for a show doing a real time look into the life on a track. The horses apparently share their quarters with families of immigrants, kids running around, and indiscriminate wrapping of the legs, with kids dong one leg while the adult does the other. It has now been shown by UC Davis that these catastrophic breaks are not a sudden break but follow an injury. We knew that and that is why the careful feeling of the legs and hands on wiping – so we could feel for hurting or soreness.
What the h-e-double toothpick is happening to the careful and knowledgeable horse husbandry my family was a part of in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s?
Maybe the cacophany of the loud music and families living in the quarters, (cooking in the breezeways!) Has something to do with all this death and destruction.
janwindsong,
what show were you watching ?
Janwindsong these poor horses living in such a dreadful environment – the loud music noise must drive them insane! Yes, the REAL care for the horses’ health has been lost.
Have you seen the recent report by the Congressional Research Service suggesting that the Tonka-Barr bill promoted by the Jockey Club and HSUS is unconstitutional?
No, I have not seen it. Would you post a link here? Thank you.
I have not watched horse racing in years. Tired of the tears.
don’t these people ever learn … or care??
And, the hell goes on….