CYBORG ELEPHANT!!!!! OMG this is the most amazing thing I ever could have hoped for. (Not that I want to blow off animals' legs in order to give them prosthetics, but it's wonderful that we can help them!)
On a side note, my brother and I used to get into massive arguments as kids (actually, we still get into this argument) as to which animal was cooler, the elephant (his fave) or the gorilla (my fave). I think the elephant takes the win today.
@BellaNotte: They would probably put the horses down anyway if they can no longer race (and a prothetic leg would probably rule them) or be used for stud purproses, just as they do to greyhounds.
@BellaNotte: Aren't there other problems with horses when they break their legs? I thought that there were issues with secondary infections that amputations couldn't fix. But, I'm not a vet so I could be wrong.
you're right that the majority of racehorses are treated as non-entities, useful only as long as they can race. but a prosthetic shouldn't affect a horse used for stud only, for example barbaro. the money he could've made at stud would've definitely "justified" attempting this. they were scraping nearly all his hoof away at the end anyway from thrush.
the important consideration is the type of break. many "hairline" fractures actually can heal. but the more compound the injury (shattering bone, open compound breaks) the main problem is that the horse must have all his weight kept off the healing leg, and for that amount of time the "opposing" hoof often develops laminitis. there's so much weight on such a slender bone.
it's basically assumed that a horse's athletic career is over once they've sustained a break. the broken bone will never have the soundness it did before the break.
@tonightineed is actually Mrs. Ziegler: Man, you know they'll make her the plus-sized contestant and then get on her back for not being plus-sized enough three episodes in.
@debo matar la zombi goldberry83: Nah, they'll humiliate her with clothing that doesn't fit until the once confident elephant is reduced to a sobbing mess. Then they'll boot her off for not "owning her size".
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On a side note, my brother and I used to get into massive arguments as kids (actually, we still get into this argument) as to which animal was cooler, the elephant (his fave) or the gorilla (my fave). I think the elephant takes the win today.
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you're right that the majority of racehorses are treated as non-entities, useful only as long as they can race. but a prosthetic shouldn't affect a horse used for stud only, for example barbaro. the money he could've made at stud would've definitely "justified" attempting this. they were scraping nearly all his hoof away at the end anyway from thrush.
03/11/09
the important consideration is the type of break. many "hairline" fractures actually can heal. but the more compound the injury (shattering bone, open compound breaks) the main problem is that the horse must have all his weight kept off the healing leg, and for that amount of time the "opposing" hoof often develops laminitis. there's so much weight on such a slender bone.
it's basically assumed that a horse's athletic career is over once they've sustained a break. the broken bone will never have the soundness it did before the break.
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Also, if anyone ever has any doubts that animals experience emotions, that, right there, is an elephant smiling.
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I highly recommend Water for Elephants if anyone hasn't ready it. Great story, and has an elephant that will melt your heart.
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Also, hooray for any publicity about the landmine issue is those areas.
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She needs to go kick the people who planted the mines now.
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