Black Caviar’s death has prompted uncomfortable questions about how champion mares spend their retirement
- Written by Cathrynne Henshall, Post Doctoral Fellow-School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University
The death of one of Australia’s most-loved thoroughbreds, Black Caviar, brought an outpouring of grief[1] from the racing industry and fans across the world.
It also sparked some uncomfortable questions about what retirement actually means for a champion mare like her and what really goes into breeding a racehorse.
Some questioned the quality of care[2] she was given and whether she was valued for more than just her ability to produce foals. Many were surprised at how thoroughbred breeding works in practice, even for champions like Black Caviar.
Does good care always mean good welfare?
The background
Black Caviar gave birth to her final foal on Saturday morning. Shortly afterwards she was euthanised after contracting laminitis[3] (an extremely painful condition in which blood flow to the hoof is severely restricted).
“She had a milk infection about a week ago and we just treated it like you do with all broodmares. But, like a lot of treatments, it went straight to her feet,” trainer Peter Moody[4] said.
“Basically, it killed her feet.”
Continuing the sad news, the unbeaten mare’s final foal, a colt, died shortly after[5].
Black Caviar was one day shy of her 18th birthday when she died. Retired racehorses often live[6] between 25–30 years.
Black Caviar died after delivering her ninth foal in 11 years since her retirement from racing in 2013.
The average gestation period for a horse is 340 days[7].
Thoroughbred breeding basics
The Australian breeding season begins on September 1[8] each year.
Mating is achieved “naturally” (use of artificial insemination is banned for thoroughbreds worldwide[9]) – although the process is dramatically different from what happens with horses in natural settings.
In the wild, the mare usually initiates mating by approaching the stallion and performing a range of courtship behaviours before allowing him to mate (or “cover”) her multiple times a day during her receptive period.
If she’s not ready to breed, she will refuse the stallion’s advances, which may including kicking and biting him or galloping away.
In the wild, there is a courtship between a mare and a stallion before she allows him to cover her.
Paul McGreevy/Wes Mountain/The Conversation
But at the stud, safety and efficiency is prioritised.
To prevent injury to the stallion and to facilitate an efficient covering, the mare will be fitted with equipment designed to ensure she can’t react during the procedure.
To minimise kicking, she may be fitted with breeding hobbles or boots that limit the movement of her hind legs. A breeding cape protects her neck from bites during copulation.
A device known as a twitch may be used as an additional form of restraint. This is a loop of string or rope that is twisted tightly around the upper lip, causing a temporary reduction in heart rate[10] and the release of endorphins[11] that induce calmness in the mare.
She may also have a foreleg held up while the stallion mounts to further restrict her ability to avoid the stallion.
