Kentucky Derby

It is easy to blame bute initially for this type of catastrophic injury, but there are after all several herbal alternatives in legal use throughout the horse world with supposed pain killing effects, it wasn't all that long ago when bute was legal in many disciplines. What bute and Lasix are answerable for in US TB’s is in allowing weaker individuals to reach greater heights in performance thus earning them to have a greater influence in the breeding shed.

Personally I think they need to do some serious research into racehorse mortality and track / training conditions in the US, where it appears that they are a long way behind us in the UK where several studies have been conducted into flat and jumping injuries and fatalities. Until that is done this kind of speculation is unhelpful. It's easy to jump to conclusions but until they undertake PM's and do some serious research then it could be a whole combination of factors not just one specific thing.

What does concern me is the saving of horses suffering these and other possibly genetically linked injuries for breeding purposes, this could be perpetrating a huge underlying problem in the TB worldwide where sometimes performance, (all be it from infrequent track appearances between lameness or prior to broken bones), can take precedence over a tough sound but less "brilliant" performer with better conformation.
 
I've just seen a photo of Eight Belles as they were trying to get her down on the floor
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Her lower legs were almost severed
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The standard pre-race meds given to every horse in the US include bute - all the horses I ran were sound and healthy the day before, given them bute is like you taking an asprin before you run a marathon. It just helps you perform, and you recover quicker.
 
I dont understand..why do you give them bute? Pre-race meds?
Do british horses get this? IF not how do they cope without?
 
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