Five horses die in two days at meet
Five horses have died in just two days at England's Cheltenham Festival jump racing meeting, including two on Wednesday that were injured in the Coral Cup.
Featherbed Lane lost his action and was pulled up after the fifth jump. It was later confirmed the seven-year-old had been humanely destroyed after suffering a broken leg, Sky News reported.
Abergavenny fell at the third and had to be put down because of a leg fracture.
Wishfull Thinking also suffered a fall in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, with the horse rolling under the rails and into a crowd of spectators.
Jockey Richard Johnson suffered a minor injury and a photographer sustained a facial injury, but the horse was reported to be fine.
The incidents came after three horses died on the opening day of the festival Tuesday after suffering bone fractures or breaks, including two during the Cross-Country Chase.
The news also came as HBO announced it was canceling the horse racing drama "Luck," after three horses died in production.
My thoughts or questions on what caused these tragedies are:
· Are the courses too intricate or difficult for the horse to safely navigate them?
· Could the riders not be experienced enough to guide their horses safely through the challenging courses?
· Are the horses not fit enough and not up to the challenge of maneuvering over these complicated courses?
· Or, worse are the horses simply over- faced for personal gain and glory to satisfy sponsors or egos?
In my opinion some segments of the horse industry need to be looked into and guidelines and rules need to be put in place. If people won’t voluntarily treat their horses fairly and humanely then protocols for the horses well being and safety need to be implemented.
Below are the stories I copied and pasted from the news if you’re interested in the HBO series “Luck” and what’s happening there. (I don't know the legalities of doing this but I hope it's allowed)
HBO suspends filming of horses after third death on set of 'Luck'
By Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
The incident occurred early Tuesday when one of the horses in the stable for the Dustin Hoffman/Nick Nolte horse racing drama suffered an accident while returning to the stall.
Dr. Gary Beck, a veterinarian from the California Horse Racing Board, was on hand and noted the horse was on her way back to the stall when she "reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground."
Tuesday's incident marked the third time a horse has been put down as part of the horse racing drama from David Milch and Michael Mann; two horses were injured and euthanized during production of Season 1.
HBO is working with the American Humane Association and the CHRB to investigate the incident, with a certified safety representative on the premises of the Santa Anita stable in Arcadia, Calif., and noted that all safety precautions were in place.
"We will not be filming horses until AHA completes its inquiry. Production will continue with other scenes," HBO said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "Everyone associated with 'Luck' cares deeply about the well-being of the horses who are so much a part of the heart and soul of the production."
HBO noted it works with the AHA and racing industry experts to implement safety protocols that go "above and beyond" typical film TV industry standards and practices, with pre-race exams performed by a CHRB-certified vet with radiographs taken of the legs of all horses being considered for use in simulated racing sequences.
"As with all fatalities within CHRB racing enclosures a necropsy will be conducted, "CHRB Equine Medical Director Dr. Rick Arthur said a statement. "Unfortunately, we see several of these injuries in the stable area every year. They are more common than people realize."
Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for production on the series to be shut down and blasted the production for its use of what they claim are unfit or injured horses.
"HBO, David Milch and Michael Mann should be ashamed. Three horses have now died, and all the evidence we have gathered points to sloppy oversight, the use of unfit or injured horses and disregard for the treatment of racehorses," the animal-rights group said in a statement obtained late Tuesday by THR.
"We contacted HBO and producer/star Dustin Hoffman last week regarding reports we'd received stating that oversight on the set was lax, and we urged them to help make things safer for the horses. But we received no response. Yesterday, we went to law enforcement about the deaths of the first two horses, Outlaw Yodeler and Marc's Shadow, because one was drugged and the other was arthritic. We will want answers on HBO's latest casualty. Filming must stop now."
Despite its critical praise, 'Luck' has been a ratings underperformer for the network, averaging about 625,000 total viewers. The series was renewed for a second season immediately after its lackluster premiere in order to fit production into the window between racing at Santa Anita.
HBO cancels 'Luck' following horse deaths
March 14, 2012, 7:23 PM EST
WENN
The producers of Dustin Hoffman's hit TV series "Luck" have announced they are canceling the show following the death of a horse on Tuesday.
The tragedy marked the third time in a year that a horse had to be euthanized during filming at the Santa Anita racetrack in California.
And although the latest incident happened off-set in the stables area of the location, executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann have decided not to proceed with the remainder of the second season of the show.
A statement from HBO, the film company behind the project, reads, "It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, together with HBO, have decided to cease all future production on the series Luck.
"Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures.
"While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.
"We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation."
A joint statement from Mann and Milch reads, "The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers. This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."
Luck launched earlier this year to rave reviews and was quickly picked up for a second season.
HBO bosses will continue to run all episodes filmed so far.
Sometimes it's hard to know the true facts concerning news stories. Everyone's got their own opinions. I'd be interested to know what you think about this.
Until next time
