Overheated horse cools off in Tampa infield lake
 

OLDSMAR, Fla. - In one of the more bizarre episodes in the history of Tampa Bay Downs, a 4-year-old Point Given gelding named Shipping News, a starter in a 1 3/8-mile maiden turf race Thursday, wound up splashing about in the infield lake following a series of events that began with the horse being pulled up after seven furlongs of the marathon race.

http://www.drf.com/news/overheated-h...a-infield-lake

I wonder if he was sired by our Point Given here on DT.

As a state vet for many years I have had some wild times with horses that fell, were unhurt and ran away (with out the bridle because it got pulled off in the fall) or had heat strokes and they do get wild and hyper (ie the nervous system is over heated causing hyper excitabiltiy):eek: but never had one get into the in field lake.

Pretty smart horse to go cool him self off in the lake, but also lucky it was a shallow lake.:cool:

An old outrider I knew told me a story back many, many years ago a filly trained by Horatio Luro got loose in the Atlantic City Race Course infield and was chased until she jumped in the lake and could not get caught because she was in such a panic. She would not come near any people tring to help her and she drown.:(

No matter how long one works with horses, one never really ever "sees it all" because horse will always suprise you!!

Florida is just too hot to live in

not today! 75 and beautiful

In general

Marathon race? It's barely a true middle distance. Hope Mr Horse enjoyed his swim though.

This story would have been so much funnier had a drunken Kent Desormeaux steered the horse into the lake...

You can bring a horse to water but only if the jock needs a drink?

Isn't there a small alligator in that lake?

This must have been a sight!
 

OOPS. I looked for a thread about this before I posted. Can't imagine being at the track and seeing that.

yes

You couldn't survive a summer in Louisiana.

Louisiana was my introduction to the cockroach.

I don't mean that in a bad way.

This reminds me of a horse named Twostep Partner who was about to break his maiden at River Downs, but after getting a couple of right hand whips took a dip in the pond.http://emmy247.deviantart.com/art/sink-or-swim-60081003?q=sort%3Atime+favby%3Ahunter-jumper--lover&qo=21

Were you trying not to offend the cockroaches? :D

The horse ending up in the lake is crazy enough, but on second reading I caught the part about the gate crew taking off their pants to wade in... :eek:

How clean is the water in that lake anyway? I hope the scrapes on the horse weren't too bad. Wouldn't want anything to become infected. I'm sure they try to keep it as clean as possible, but you can only do so much.

I agree - and I'm glad the horse didn't stake itself going through the rails. Twice! :eek: