Eight Belles - Farewell Friend

[DutraAnderson]

HOJE 3 ANOS SEM EIGHT BELLES EU A AMO, REST IN PEACE, : ( anderson do BRASIL

[325boobs]

horse didnt die it was euthanised thats whats has to be done in these circumstances.u ppl who know nothing about horses or the racing game shud shut up.wat wud u rather they put a bullet in her head. euthanasia is the humane way so believe it..i think she wud rather die that way than with a bullet..

[saddlebred8]

that reporter should learn to be more repstful like humally destroyed and rubbing in how 8 bells just won the filly race, poor owner

[Monarchos]

@saddlebred8 He wasn't rubbing in anything. "Humanely destroyed" is a commonly used term for euthanasia.

[UnexpectedChild]

Did you see that? As that reporter was talking to the veterinarian, you could see crowds of people cheering behind them, just thinking of Big Brown's win. Poor Eight Belles....

You will always be in my heart....

[BaileyJane23]

One horse was Humailny Destroyed,..

another was suffered from colic...  now they both lay lifeless in a field, so u tell me......which looks more dead? Hujmailny destroyed or not, a death is a death... R.I.P. eight belles.

[lildaveyy]

Humailny Destroyed thats a little destroyed

[FanOBarbaro]

that is perfectly true...look at Big Brown..he was being given a steroid called Winstrol right up until before the Belmont..as for Big Browns trainer..well he is responsible for the death of a horse named Unrequited..(Dutrow raced Unrequited twice in 48 hrs,and as a result of that, the horse broke its pelvis and was euthanized in the 2nd race)

[timm9]

During training or racing, injuries are common. Injured horses are also euthanized or sold from one owner to another into increasingly worse conditions.

When race horses have finished their career - usually at a very early age, before they are fully mature - they, too, must be disposed of. Their numbers exceed by far the number of humane retirement facilities.

[sprinklefriend]

umm my sister's horse used to be a race horse long before we got him... as in, 8 years before we got him... and he was amazing. he's only dead now because of a barn fire where he was boarded (we live in the city).

[timm9]

Horse Racing Kills

Search for that video above here to learn more go to their site after seeing video.

[Ruffian4Ever]

idiot

[piinkxxpriincess]

she was a little girl who went up agains big boys.. she may not have one the kentucky derby.. byt she won something more importaint.. she won everyones heats <3

rip, angel

[HorseGirl320]

her legs wernt developed too

[cajunsushi]

PETA needs to come to Louisiana.... and see all the abused horses here....my daughter has rescued so many....just for them not to be put down!!! I have two horses myself and whipping a horse is not like whipping a child! Hores racing is not crule...look at bullriding is that cruel?? Or football!! R.I.P. EIGHT BELLES hope your running like the wind up in horse heaven!!

[ladolcevita593]

No, the whip do not hurt the horse.Of course not. Who do you think we riders are??? It is usually very flexible and you can hit yourself with it without feeling anything like pain. I use it on my horse and I would never do anything that would hurt my baby. The whip makes it even more save for a horse to step higher off the ground. Keeps my horse from misstepping so often.

[Mut2234]

I did. and it doen't matter if they knew her or not. WE who miss her are HORSE PEOPLE when a horse passes doing what it loves, a part of us ALL moron since WE KNOW how hard it was. WE KNOW how much fun it is to be a true partner with a wonderful animal. WE know how much it hurts.

[alicemrox]

This is so sad.

[innerspacesinc]

Horse racing is comparable to any other sport when it comes to risk of injury.  Injuries happen! The risk is always present! Cruelty should not even be an issue. Anyone who says horse racing is cruel has apparently NOT seen the inside of the stables or behind the race scene. They pamper those horses. It is sad and tragic and I feel for the owners and trainers of Eight Belles.

[Barbaro2012]

i know the feeling, my friend's dad is a racehorse trainer and loves his horses to death, he would rather die then one of his horses die. He simply devotes his life to his family and his horses

[rosesandrainbows]

inner I agree with you.. Here is a quote from Edgar.  "Great horses such as Eight Belles are different. They aren't just faster; they have a competitive instinct that makes them want to finish first. It doesn't matter whether their jockey touches them. It doesn't matter how long the race is. They want to run in front of a pack, and they'll put themselves on the line physically to do so." (Edgar Prado)

[Webkinz7822]

i cried!!! i feel so bad for the horse

[jenlthomas]

i'm coming too dmbcrew

[K80JO]

I heard the vet say the fracture was so great that it went through the skin and therefore the joint was contaminated, so she would have had to deal with MAJOR infections and it would have been nothing but suffering for the poor mare. Humane euthanasia is an IV injection of an overdose of anesthetic, same concept as laying them down for surgery, and causes the horse to lose consiousness first before dying - they feel nothing and are not aware of what is going on. I'm glad she is not in pain.

[patsaretherealchumps]

Man's lust for money will always supercede humane treatment of animals. These animals are being used as slaves for sick people with gambling problems or a sense of entitlement over creatures more noble than themselves.

[ryancat32145]

that seems a bit harsh to me.Most people involved in training horses do it because they love the sport and they love animals.

[Bobofet241]

I always thought that they could keep her suspended in a harness till her legs healed then just either turn her out to pasture or breed her later.

[KatieFreakinCrosby]

If it had been only one leg, they could have. Horses can't just hang there for the months it would take to heal. It was her sesamoid bones that broke--think tiny bones in the wrist-- which don't fully mature until a horse is about 3-4. A young horse's supsensory system is very fragile. Racing them so young is just begging for problems. I'm a horse lover, horse owner, and I don't like racing... but in that situation, they did all they could.

Peace

Kt

[Bobofet241]

Thanks very much for the reply Katie.I love horses so much,always will.

[gingymajic]

awe this is so sad no horse deserves this...

[deeppickle]

Man's lust for money will always supercede humane treatment of animals. These animals are being used as slaves for sick people with gambling problems or a sense of entitlement over creatures more noble than themselves.

[bobafett669]

Lethal injection.

[horsegirljess]

I think they were asking how they are, not how eight belles was ;)

[tonyb9539]

This is a terrible thing...I think that this sport is nothing more than a legal form of animal abuse....RIP my dear friend....

[horsegirljess]

either shot in the head or given an injection containing a lethal amount of a certain drug, not sure what. Both are painless. The gun shot is instant, the injection they gently nod off to sleep.

[KatieFreakinCrosby]

On a track, it's an injection. Usually it stops the heart.

Any retard that thinks they shoot horses in the head should be castrated.

Peace

Kt

[daftpunker27]

interesting sidenote: if you happen to have HBO, the recent episode of "Real Sports" had a segment on horses that were being shipped off for slaughter, usually because the owners could make money instead of spending money to have them put down. They either die in a pit from other horses, get stabbed in the back of the neck to paralyze them, and other things. They also show them shooting a horse in the head.

[horsegirljess]

Why would someone be a retard for 'thinking' that? Mate, it happens. Maybe you should be a retard for 'supporting' it, but not 'thinking' it considering it happens. Also, it's an accepted way to destroy a horse by many vets. It's instant, painless and not at all messy.

[sprinklefriend]

better than how my sister's horse died... he was a thoroughbred too, he raced when he was young but we got him when he was older just for competitions/eventing, he LOVED jumping... but there was a huge barn fire and all 10 of the horses, including my sister's, died. i found out on the internet - was away at college, checked the news back home, and saw it there before my parents had a chance to tell me.

[horsegal90]

Actually, it was fair that they put her down. She was a racehorse. She loved to race. She was in so much pain. Horses ankles cannot heal very well, and she broke two of them. It reminds me of Barbaro. Everyone was devastated, but it's actually better for the horse. They aren't in pain anymore. <3 R.I.P

[dmbcrew36]

She loved to race? How do you know? I'm sure horses love being whipped, just as you would love to have someone ride you around, whipping you to go faster.

[horsegal90]

You see her run? DID YOU? Well Yeah. That's a horse, that LOVES to run. She was a RACEHORSE. Always was, and always will be. She wouldn't just stand in a pasture, 24/7. She'd go crazy.

Next time, look at the horse. Look at her. The way she runs, watch her. She tried, and she got second.

[dmbcrew36]

Are you on crack? You're acting like the horse is a person, who can communicate with us. How do you know the horse wants to be whipped and whipped around a track over and over again?

[horsegal90]

Have you ever been around a horse? Equestrians can sorta tell when horses LOVE what their doing. Eight Belles LOVED racing. She showed it when she raced.

And No, I'm not on Crack. Nor am I on any sort of drugs. Are you?

[aielloyoyo]

your right racehorses do have a passion to race and the really dont like being stuck in a stall all day

[Ruffian4Ever]

You must not know anything about horses.  The whip DOES NOT hurt the horse! People like you really annoy me.

[dmbcrew36]

Ok, since I know nothing about horses, and it doesn't hurt the horse, what's your address? I'll come over and whip the shit out of you and you tell me that it doesn't hurt.

[Ruffian4Ever]

Nice comeback...real mature! And most jockeys do not "whip the shit" of the horses. You PETA people need to get a life and stop trying to make a problem when there isnt one.

[horsegal90]

Excatly. I agree with Ruffian. The fact that the SOME jockeys 'whip the shit' out of the horses, is false. Horses were trained that way. It does NOT harm them when they are hit with a whip or crop, because they know that their only doing it to urge it on. Go watch some of the videos on here with horse abuse, and you'll know the difference. And get a LIFE.

[Mut2234]

wow, horses can comunicate ALOT with us they are not human, they are alot more than we ever could be, understanding and completely fatih driven.

[AckIsBack32]

Horses have can express their feelings through body language. Duh. She clearly liked what she was doing, or she would have been uncomfortable and stopped racing. If she wasn't happy, she wouldn't try. Whipping doesn't hurt the horse. You don't beat them, you guide them. Horses have thicker skin,so they feel the Jockey's directions, not pain. A horse wouldn't respond to pain, it would react,and panic. If you plan to go around saying crap, make sure you actually know somthing about horses first.

[gypsyearthspirit]

I am so touched by how much love she inspired...rest in peace sweet baby girl....<3

[timm9]

Form of ANIMAL ABUSE!

[creepinjesus]

what is? killing the horse to put it out of being in pain? or the sport of horse riding?

[timm9]

horse riding. Tons die/killed each year just for "sport"/ MONEY In racing.

[AckIsBack32]

"horse riding. Tons die/killed each year just for "sport"/ MONEY In racing."

So? How is that differant from any other sport? Accidents happen. Yeah, it's extremely sad, but that's what happens in sports.

[timm9]

Alot are killed before they u even see them because they are seen as unfit racer early on. Thats not "Accidents".

If a horse wishes to really race they would not have to beat it wit kicks in its side and whips. They put fear in them young.

[AckIsBack32]

They aren't beaten. Obviously, you know nothing about the sport. Read my other comment kthnx. If they are seen as unfit to race when they're young, why kill them? It's a waste of money and a perfectly good life. Many failed racers are sold and end up doing differant things, like Dressage or Cross Country; I know many horses like that. If the horse was killed just because it failed, he/she had a very stupid owner. It's not very common for that to happen.

[timm9]

The horse racing industry advertises itself as "glamorous," but in reality, exploitation, welfare violations, cruelty, and premature deaths are an inherent and unavoidable part of this industry based on greed.

[Ruffian4Ever]

PETA jackass.

[Mafia885]

humanley destroyed?.......

[ehow99]

We Love you

[diana351]

humanely destroyed! wow i cant believe he said that

[energizerbunny1017]

you shouldn't say she was humanley destroyed, just say she was euthanized, its not like were idiots!

[feldwebel7502]

...or know about grammer!

[paramore13rocks]

this is very sad!! poor horse!!

[Maylu7676]

This accident has reminded me of Ruffian. She, too, died in a race when she was only 3 years old. This is so sad.

[94gunsmoke]

@Maylu7676 Well Ruffian didn't die on the track like Eight Belles

[FrenchFancy101]

2 Year old horses shouldn't be raced- But the only thing that matters to these people is money- Poor horses- I break my horses in at age 3 and ride them fully when they turn 4-

[horsegal90]

She fractured her front two ankles, not feet.

R.I.P Eight Belles. You were the only filly in 19 colts. You deserved that first place. We love you. <3

[Maylu7676]

She would have won that race, too, if the accident hadn't happened.

[horsegal90]

No, Not really. She wouldn't. Big Brown was five lengths ahead of her. It had nothing to do with her accident. Although, she did pull up lame at the end, but that wouldn't have helped her anyways.

R.I.P. <3

[gadushoon]

Three.

[ViralCobra]

How many horses are left?

[gadushoon]

Seven.

[BonBonBatman]

God bless you, Eight Belles. My heart is broken for you.