It's a horse of course

[Detector]

Some one explain to me why a horse gets "put down" when it breaks a leg? I see other animals with amputated legs that they still don't put down, so whats the deal with horses?

You might have seen that race horse tragedy the other day at the races, and a horse broke some leg bones and was put down on the spot. I just don't get it?

[Bandit]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, as I'm not exactly a horse expert. But I remember from the whole Barbaro thing that if a horse isn't able to put weight on one leg, they overbear on their other leg, causing laminitis to set in (kind of like an infection). With Barbaro, he couldn't put any weight on his broken ankle, so that forced too much weight onto his other leg and it is actually the laminitis and eventual pain that caused them to put him down. With Eight Belles, she broke both front ankles. They were compound fractures, meaning she would not be able to put weight on either leg, meaning she would suffer and eventually have to be put down anyways. It all boils down to a very large animal with farily skinny ankle joints and a weird circulation system. Maybe someone with more animal knowledge than me can elaborate on that.

[wordsmythe]

Never ride anything that can make a decision...

Unless it can also explain that decision to you.

[jeezeweeze]

Another horse was injured

Barbaro's trainer keeps another vigil for injured horse - USATODAY.com

[88-31-10]

You can lead a horse to water but if you can get him to lie on his back and do the backstroke then you've got something.