What a shame!

While i feel bad that this horse was put down. You should understand that these are horses that have been breed for generations these horses love to run live to run if they weren't running on a track they would be running on an open range. On the open range if they got hurt they had to lay there and suffer until death came over them. Horses are running machines thats what they do.

four4me, I agree that horses love to run. So do dogs. Actually, so do a lot of people. I love horseshows and competitions. But when any animal (inlcuding human) is forced to perform beyond the limits they were designed by nature, it's punishing to its body. Why do so many athletes take steroids? Because they want to do what they can't seem to accomplish naturally. Yes, some horses and some dogs are bred for racing. In the process, which has become a multi-billion dollar business, many animals are mistreated, killed or sent to the slaughterhouse. I won't spend an our debating this issue or post links to the sites that show the injuries these animals sustain or what happens when they don't make the grade. I'm not here to convince you to change your mind. If you've ever watched horses playing in the field, rolling on the grass and, yes, racing each other, you would see a big, big difference. They are not "racing machines" as you say. They aren't made of metal. They have feelings. They cry and kick when their babies are taken away from them at a very young age. They ache when they are forced to run on hard surfaces for extended periods.   Some horses are literally ridden to death on the track. What you wrote is a myth. When cars were raced years ago, engineers worked hard to make them faster. But the type of breeding that goes on to create the fastest horse isn't the same because they don't have engines, they have lungs, hearts, bones and muscles. Most horse vets will agree that their patients are hopelessly lame after racing for only a couple of years. I love watching animals compete and one of my favorites is agility racing for dogs. They have so much fun. But if one of them screws up and doesn't run through the tunnel or jump over the fence, it doesn't get put down. Sure horses aren't as intelligent as dogs and they're not going to fetch your slippers, but they deserve a better life than being a disposable commodity for the gambling circuit. I guess it depends on whether or not you look at animals as free-spirited creatures or investments.

I am from Maryland we have some of the best racing horses in the world. Our racing industry is in a big jam because of slots can you believe that. They are leaving Maryland to go to greener pastures the horse racing industry is seriously regulated these horses are better taken care of than people. They tried to load the horse in the ambulance but he couldn't get in there they put the horse down so it wouldn't suffer a minute longer.

I understand what your saying i feel for any animal human or otherwise who is pushed to the breaking point but this wasn't the case. This horse and many others was a racing horse not some nag. Racing horses goes back to roman times. Centuries of breeding.

Athletes take steroids to gain and edge in the game knowing it's forbidden to do so.

You don't have to post links and i will not try and convince you otherwise about racing horses.
Sure racing is done for a profit... what in America isn't profit oriented.

I have a good friend she was thrown from a racing horse while warming him up in the morning for a race to be held later that day she was paralyzed till today she always says if she could walk again she would get back on horses and continue training them. People who train race horses love them more than people.

I have lived on a farm my uncle had prize horses and livestock. You cant compare animals to machines outside of the fact that they coined the phrase horse power which is the equivalent of what one horse can pull (the power that a horse exerts in pulling) hence the terms for cars 350 horse power Is equal to 350 horses

You are right, there was a lot of money at stake. As such, George Washington was a huge investment. Do you think for one minute that the owners/trainers would have raced him knowing that would be his last race? It was an accident. He stepped in a bad spot on the track.

Everyone felt bad to hear that he had to be put down. Including me.

what do you mean by "They tried to put him (the horse) on an ambulance but he coudln't get in there so they had to put him down so he wouldn't suffer"....You are going to tell me that at this heights, 2007, they don't have a special truck to transport disabled animals to the hospitals after a race in the racetrack? You are going to tell me that the racetrack association of Americas (if such stuff exist) can pay someone to come up with a truck or a special maybe custom made cars for horses that fracture their legs?THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE...i can't believe they tried to stuck a horse on a real ambulance vehicle...I think i heard something like that happening before, i just thought it was a special ocassion..

No Pumpi, I think four4me meant that the horse couldn't walk. Yes, they have special transportation for horses. If they tried to force him to walk it might have caused more pain & suffering.

Thanks for your comment however.