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One of the agonizes of owning a racehorse is they can get hurt, sick or die when you least expect it.
For the last four days, my ordinarily strapping, bright-eyed 3-year-old running Quarter Horse has been lingering close to death.
While an exact cause of his illness remains a mystery, Star Track Won is suffering with colic. Colic applies to many conditions of the digestive tract of which pain is the chief symptom. Overeating, moldy feed, constipation, lack of water, eating wood shaving and foaling complications are just a few of the numerous causes of colic.
The greatest danger to a horse with colic, however, is when the horse tries to relieve the pain. Horses will thrash around on the ground and in the process twist intestines.
That appeared to have happened to Star Track Won, as he had no bowel movement for several days. He quit eating, and until pain relievers were administered, bit at his sides, stood in a stretched position, paced his stall, and groaned.
Any impaction of the bowels is life threatening to horses. They cannot vomit like humans and without passing fecal matter, their gut will eventually explode.
I and my two partners have been torn between doing surgery - $3,000 to $3,500 - to try and untwist the intestine, remove the impaction or allow mother nature to take her course.
Unfortunatly, I have done the one thing you shouldn't do with racehorses, I fell in love with this little critter. My partners and I bred the mare and raised Star Track Won from day one in hopes of racing him at Remington Park later this summer. My emotional side says spend the money, do whatever is necessary to save this horse.
My common sense and financial smarts, however, admits he's not worth it. He was sired by a good Thoroughbred stallion, but one unproven as a Quarter Horse sire. Star was also the first foal out of an unproven mare. He was late in maturing so we missed the lucrative 2-year-old futurities.
Although...