[judmor]

Those of you who think embryo transfer is a good idea in the Thoroughbred business -- have your really thought it through? How many mares would have lives as ET mares and then be worthless when they can't carry a foal anymore? What happens to them? Who breeds them? What happens to their dams? What happens if they get sick/injured during pregnancy -- is someone going to go to the same trouble to save them as they would a Rachel Alexander? Why is an ET mare's life worth less than a TB mare's? ET would just lead to more unwanted horses and more fodder for peta. If a mare can't carry a foal on her own, maybe she shouldn't have a foal!

This

[danceronice]

What Bacchus said. Especially in a case where the dam of the mare also had a history of bad foaling--ET just passes the risk of foaling to the host mare, while PRESERVING the bad foaling genes if the offspring's a filly. If a mare can't carry a foal, that trait needs to not be passed on. Enjoy her as a race mare and accept she's not broodie material.

[Carol Ames]

Jingles; didn't we see an earlier video of her with a colt?

[danceronice]

Jingles; didn't we see an earlier video of her with a colt?

...that was last year's. Curlin colt. Barn name Taco, saddled with the unfortunate fan name Jess's Dream for his real name.

[DLee]

The racing industry is a business (obviously), and whether or not a mare can carry a foal and have it successfully seems fairly insignificant compared to HOY award. If the point is to breed the best to the best, surely it is more important to breed the bloodlines of the most successful racehorses, not just those who are able to produce a foal without complications. Sometimes that is just sheer luck anyway.

As far as the disposability of the ETA mare, unfortunately, many horses are looked at as disposable. Many successful broodmares who HAVE produced foals are 'disposable' once they hit that certain age.

It's no more 'meddling' than all the corrective surgeries done on the foals and yearlings before they go to a sale. I also don't believe there is no way to monitor and limit AI and embryo transfer, if that is what the JC ever decided to do.

And while emotionally an ET mare's life shouldn't be worth less than RA or Zenyatta's life, in the reality of this business of course it is.

[Bacchus]

Yes, it is a business, but it's based on the horse. Not too long ago, the industry as a whole didn't seem to care too much about the horses or what happened to them. That has changed dramatically over the past few years. Fans are dying off and not being regenerated in the younger generations, and the general public thinks racing is killing horses and/or sending them to slaughter, so the industry has started to realize the horse needs to come first. If they start allowing ET and ET mares become another black eye for the industry it's just one more hurdle it will have to face. Doubt it can handle it.

[Glimmerglass]

Tweeted by Stonestreet (4/16): Image "Rachel enjoys two hours of liberty in her paddock for the first time since returning home"

[Toadie's mom]

Tweeted by Stonestreet (4/16): Image "Rachel enjoys two hours of liberty in her paddock for the first time since returning home"

Doesn't look like she lost a lot of weight, but must have been kicking the stall

[jdeboer01]

Doesn't look like she lost a lot of weight, but must have been kicking the stall

Wow, that ankle looks swollen.

I'm not the most knowledgeable regarding Rachel, but does she have a reputation of being hot and difficult?

[Gestalt]

There is an obvious red spot on the inside front of that right hind. She could have injured herself while rising. No reason to think she is a stall kicker.