Race horses are subject to some of the most strenuous physical activity in the world of athletes. They are pushed by their trainers to be at the very peak of health. And so it’s strange when so many suddenly die at the peak of their health under mysterious circumstances – and immediately questions are raised over why and how something like this would happen. And now, almost a year after the sudden death of two horses at a racetrack in Newbury, there are reports of horse deaths in the United States under equally mysterious circumstances.
The horses were raised from birth by their owners who hand fed them and treated them well like so many other avid horse owners who make it a matter of pride for their horses to be treated well. And when they heard they would be offered space at a resort near Queensland, Ohio, they jumped at the opportunity knowing the vast spaces and time with other horses would do their prized steeds well. But then something went tragically wrong. The horses began to die of a mysterious ailment.
And as the owners of the resort scrambled to identify the cause, they began to realize this mystery illness was only affecting the horses brought in recently. Suspecting ticks, they began spraying and checking regularly. But it didn’t seem to have much of an effect. And when the owners arrived and began comforting their animals, talking to them by name, the tragedy was only compounded. These weren’t just race horses, they were family members. Now with Biosecurity in Queensland looking over the possible causes, they are finding no identifiable illnesses that could be killing the animals. Instead, they are finding a trail of breadcrumbs leading nowhere. And more than one person has voiced concern that it may not be an illness at all.
In February, when two horses mysteriously died of an electrical malfunction at a racetrack in Newbury, authorities were equally baffled. The mystery began when the horses suddenly fell as if struck suddenly dead by a mysterious force. Later investigators uncovered a cable which had been left under a platform that may have electrified the ground and ultimately claimed the horses lives. The mystery soon raced through headlines, and even outlasted the official explanation which was labeled a freak accident.
While the two seem connected only by the types of animals killed, there was another incident in 2009 where several Polo horses suddenly died in Florida after being brought in from Venezuela. Why are race horses specifically dying in such bizarre ways? And is there a cause or link that could tie them all together? While some are still questioning whether foul play could be at work in any of these cases, others say the tragedy still outweighs any potential explanation as these are not only racing horses, but friends to their families as well.