I won't let my 29 and 30 year old mares read this as the shock may lead to their premature deaths!
Which leads me to mention the natural death from a contented life of my 30 year-old mare's 24 year-old son 3 weeks ago. He was no champ, not insured bur could trot good enough to win 6 and be placed 13 times over a 13 month period. Good enough to be a joint winner of the VSTA Country Trotter of the Year, so when he split his pastern completely in two at Moonee Valley a vet gave me two options; pay for an expensive operation or put him down.
Given five minutes to decide, I committed to find money I didn't have to save the gallant little trotter. When the vet rang me to report on the operation the next morning he thanked me for allowing me to perform the operation. I asked why he was thanking me and was taken aback by his response. "We believe this type of operation can save horses but, with thoroughbreds, so many of them are insured and the owners tend to have them euthanized".
The news of top galloper I'm Thunderstruck being euthanized yesterday reminded me of this. I couldn't afford to insure my old horse but I reckon he lived a pretty happy 18 years. I'm not alluding to anything about the poor gallopers situation as he shattered a knee. But money tals while mugs like me walk.