What on earth is going on at newbury races?!!!

[Llanali]

Two horses have just dropped dead in the paddock, and a few others have gone wobbly, and lost their back ends....

I'm at the races, and there's talk of an electrical current- anyone watching TV have a better idea?

Absolutely horrific.

 

[xloopylozzax]

cant see anything

 

[*hic*]

racing post

 

[Llanali]

Thanks for the link jemima.

It's horrible, really horrible.

 

[monkeybum13]

It's tragic, really is sad

 

[Jane_Lou]

Kind Cassidy also withdrawn now from 1st race, he was seen to wobble but the race has now started so they must be intending to run the card as normal but delayed I guess.

 

[Llanali]

Yes Jane_Lou,

They've decided to run on, but not using that paddock at all. The trailer has just left

 

[JessandCharlie]

It's just awful. I feel a bit funny now. Never seen a horse die before

J&C

 

[stencilface]

Sounds aful - poor horses. Only consolation is it would have been quick.

I saw a horse die in front of me at my first ever race meet when I was 10yo - collapsed of a heart attack in front of me.

Races abandoned now

 

[j1ffy]

Oh my, how awful for all involved. I can't imagine what a shock it must be to have watched (jessandcharlie, I hope you have a stiff drink and someone with you) let alone involved in owning / training / grooming one of those poor horses.

I'm sure there will be investigations and legal discussions. The clerk of the course must be having a fit.

 

[clairefeekerry1]

they are saying there might be an issue with some underground electric current- how odd??

 

[worMy]

Tragic. RIP.

 

[caramel]

Just said on channel 4 that when some horses came back from the 1st the lads reported burn marks around the mouths where the bits go....

 

[digger2]

Racing post mentioning the lads felt shocks when touching the horses, and that the aliminium racing plates were conducting, poor horses and condolences to all conected, and those who witnessed, how awful.

 

[only_me]

That is awful
Poor horses & poor trainers

 

[hotzonezackattack]

all the races have been abandoned at newbury now

 

[Dotilas]

How utterly awful Condolences to all connected

 

[kezimac]

were they being walked or ridden and how did it only affect the horses and not the jockey/groom?
that is awful - cant believe the first race was run if some of them had dropped dead and the others a bit wobbly - surely you wouldnt run it at all ?

 

[kezimac]

just read this....


Two horses collapsed and died in the paddock before the first race at Newbury.

Both Fenix Two and Marching Song mysteriously fell to the ground, with the reasons for their deaths unknown.

Some horses had already made it down to the start and there were reports that others had "wobbled" on entering the paddock.

Stipendiary steward Paul Barton said: "We are going to hold an inquiry and interview those connected with the horses. We are not going to use the parade ring for the rest of the meeting. The horses will parade in the pre-parade ring and leave from that point.

"The veterinary team are in charge of whatever precautions as far as the other horses are concerned. They have checked all other horses in this race."

Nicky Henderson, however, was quick to withdraw his runner Kid Cassidy.

Andy Turnell, trainer of Marching Song, said: "It looks like they've been electrocuted. My fellow seemed perfectly all right and I was about to leg him up but he just went straight down."

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Fenix Two, said: "Kid Cassidy was in front and he took a turn.

"We thought he was bucking and kicking and he went down on his knees then he seemed to be OK.

"Mine reared up and we couldn't get him back, it was like he was stuck to the ground. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life."

There is speculation the horses died from some form of electric shock from a cable running underneath.

Denman's owner Paul Barber was in the paddock and said: "The girl of Turnell's said she felt a tingling as she led them round and then Nicky's horse went down.

"They were getting the shocks off the grass, not off the tarmac. I've never seen anything quite like that ever."

 

[teapot]

Horses are far more suspectible to electric shocks supposedly (4 points of entry compared to our 2). One jockey was just about to be legged up, not sure about the other.

Kid Cassidy went down in the paddock, got back up and was withdrawn down at the start. AP's been quoted as saying he went down like a bolted rabbit.

Tragic really

 

[JDChaser]

Lads definitely got electric shocks off the body of the horse and the horses mouths were burned from the bit. Its all very sad and awful heading home with one horse less in the lorry. Annoying that people at the races are starting up conspiracy theories about bloody race fixing or insurance fiddling or whatever - a JP McManus horse I think not!! Marching Song died very quickly but Fenix Two was alive for a few minutes before he passed away sadly, when the on course vets were trying to treat him.

 

[livvyc_ria]

Absolutely tragic, a very sad day.

Never heard of anything like it before. Just tragic.

 

[jumptoit]

were they being walked or ridden and how did it only affect the horses and not the jockey/groom?

Someone on Channel 4 was just explaining that it is the difference between two voltages/currents that could have caused the problem, as it changes with distance and horses have a much longer stride than us this would make them much worse affected.

Absolutely tragic event, RIP

 

[Leg_end]

Gosh how awful for all concerned... Not an ideal way to go poor things

 

[kit279]

If there was a voltage difference in the ground, the horses would be much more at risk. For a current to flow, there has to be a conduction pathway and a voltage difference. The horses' hearts are not more susceptible, as far as I know, but they have a greater chance of forming a conduction pathway for the following reasons.

1) Metal shoes nailed onto hoof. Humans wear non-conducting shoes and their feet are padded with semi-insulating soft tissue, a poor conductor. Humans by and large are poor conductors of electricity, believe it or not. Hoof and bone are good conductors.

2) 4 legs with quite a bit of length between them. A human standing on a bit of ground with a high voltage would be less likely to be simultaneously touching a bit of no-voltage ground. Ergo, no voltage difference and no current flowing. Same reason a pigeon can sit on a mains power line at 240V and not fry - if the pigeon was to be connected to the ground at the same time, the bird would become a conductor and the current would kill it. A horse need only put one hoof on a high voltage bit of ground and the other legs, front or back, would make the necessary circuit.

Any which way, it's absolutely tragic for the horses, owners, trainers and lads concerned. RIP.

 

[nikkimariet]

I was watching the racing on TV when this happened. By far the most weird and freak accident to ever happen. Poor horses! xoxo

 

[bigboyrocky]

Saw it on TV earlier - tragic isnt it? poor horses, and i hope they get to the bottom of it asap

 

[Chloe_GHE]

My god! horrific!

 

[measles]

Unprecedented and tragic.

 

[diggerbez]

this is so horrible. my thoughts to all connections.... RIP horses