Tragic death of Wild Lone

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

George Cooper — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 01:12:29 GMT

I really detest it when an apparently healthy and fit horse dies or is injured in the pursuit of "sport", ostensibly for the enjoyment of human beings as it could cross that fine line into exploitation...... ..... ......

However - this is not intended to stir up vitriol on either side of that debate, at all - but to thank Wren and Richard for their very useful comments on the specific case and also the generalities of performance horse accidents.

This writer acknowledges that he's learned something!! (and this from a vet who was married to a show-jumper for 30 years whose mother thought she WAS a horse.)

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

patrick murphy — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:09:46 GMT

not one upmanship, but I had one succumb right down my side, and in the bad old days, I got sent to RCVS for post mortem (for insurance) the horse later, as I was stealing clients. thins a lot looser now.still a shame however for all connections.

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

nikki — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 23:26:39 GMT

Had one drop down dead in front of me out hunting last year. We had barely left the meet, were in the second non-jumping slower group with the kiddies and young horses and were just having our first canter so hardly pushing things and it just keeled over a few strides in front of me. It was dead by the time I jumped off my horse. These things unfortunately happen to horses (and to people).

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Miriam Lodewyks — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 23:09:54 GMT

A good friend of mine was quietly schooling her dressage horse in an arena, when he suddenly stumbled and dropped dead beneath her. Suspected aneurism rupture. It happens. Nobody's fault, but tragic none the less.

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Wren — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:45:36 GMT

[quote user="Richard Stephenson"]

Wynne,

Having provided veterinary cover for over a thousand race meetings over the last 26 years I have to say the good to firm going is by far the most dangerous when it comes to FATAL accidents - simply because they run faster. Heavy going tends to slow the field down and in the event of a fall turn it into a 'slide' rather than a 'crash'. Yes you may get tired and 'winded' horses on soft to heavy going but I must say I'm always happier if it rains hard!!

Yours,

Richard Stephenson.

[/quote]

My experience too Richard. There are also always a few racehorses each season which drop dead on the gallops - invariably an all-weather surface. FEI regulations demand a PM, however there has been no official statement yet with regard to findings. I would suspect a large vessel or atrial rupture.

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:19:40 GMT

I know if it had been one of my beloved horses, there's no way I could have got on that podium.

Wynne

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Richard Stephenson — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:30:33 GMT

Wynne,

Yours,

Richard Stephenson.

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Virginia Campbell — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 22:05:14 GMT

Best Mate looked OK before he went down in the home straight at Exeter. The ground was OK I think.

In my first job I had a mobile phone call from a lady whose (fit) hunter had gone down on a canter in the hills - by the time she had started explaining to me what had happened, the horse was dead.

It happens.

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 18:59:21 GMT

I know nothing of equestrian sports... but as human athletes in peak condition can, and do, collapse and die when undertaking strenuous activity, I'd guess horses can do the same???

Re: Tragic death of Wild Lone

Wren — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 18:00:47 GMT

I'm going to disagree here with you Wynne. Sorry!

I watched every single one of the 90 competitors that started the XC phase. I agree that the ground was heavy and the technical delegation also agreed so they remove a 1min loop from the course on the Friday night. This loop contained the main hill on the course and a couple of fences.

My feeling were that while the ground was heavy early in the day and the early running horses were finishing tired or having stops in the last 20% of the course, the ground actually dries up during the course of the event and horses were finishing better and stronger. The riders also learned from watching the first few on course that the optimum time was not likely to be achieveable (in fact no-one made the OT - Jonelle Price came closest accruing just 4 TFs which is equivalent to about 10 secs over the OT) and the best way to ride the course was to set off steady and save something in the tank for the end of the round. Harry was the fourth last on the course on Saturday and riders were commenting on how the ground had dried throughout the day.

The fact that all 60 remaining horses passed the trot-up the following morning (excluding Bill Levett's horse which was withdrawn overnight with an over-reach injury) is testament to the sympathetic way most riders tackled the course. Every rider was watched on course by the FEI Ground Jury (as is the case at all FEI events) and they can, and do, issue yellow or red cards if they feel a tired horse is being pushed. A red card means that the rider has to pull up and walk home.

Harry's horse had more thoroughbred blood than most of the Continental horses competing being an Irish Sports Horse, and as such he would have coped with the going as well as any horse there - he proved that at Badminton this spring when he produced a fast clear to finish 3rd in torrid conditions when most were literally getting bogged down in the mud. The horses that I think particularly struggled in the conditions were those based in California, particularly Sinead Halpin's, Phillip Dutton's and Hawley Bennet-Awad's, but that's understandable as they barely ever see rain, let alone mud.

Lastly Harry himself said after his round that he wanted to make a point that he did not feel in any way that the conditions or the course contributed to the loss of his horse. He said the horse finished well within himself, and with a slower time than he wanted really as he'd started very steadily.

These things happen, and are unpredictable in their occurrence. I'm happy that the horse was not unduly pushed or stressed by the effort that was asked of him, that he collapsed suddenly and without suffering, and that he was within feet of some of the best vets in the world when he did collapse.

I'll have to admit that seeing Harry on the podium collecting the team silver the following day was a particularly gut-wrenching moment, but I do not feel that the course or conditions contributed to his death.