Black Caviar's death raises uncomfortable questions about how champion mares spend their retirement

The death of Black Caviar, one of Australia's most popular thoroughbreds, sparked great sadness in the racing industry and among fans around the world.

It also raised some uncomfortable questions about what retirement actually means for a champion mare like her and what breeding a racehorse really entails.

Some questioned the quality of care she received and whether she was valued for more than just her ability to sire foals. Many were surprised at how Thoroughbred breeding works in practice, even with champions like Black Caviar.

Does good care always mean good well-being?

The background

Black Caviar gave birth to her last foal on Saturday morning. Shortly afterwards she was put down because she was suffering from laminitis (an extremely painful condition in which the blood supply to the hoof is severely restricted).

“She had a milk infection about a week ago and we treated her like all broodmares. But like many treatments, it went straight to her feet,” said trainer Peter Moody.

“Basically, it killed her feet.”

The sad news continues: The last foal of the undefeated mare, a colt, died shortly afterwards.

Black Caviar was one day shy of her 18th birthday when she died. Horses retired from racing often only live to be 25-30 years old.

Black Caviar died after giving birth to her ninth foal in eleven years since retiring from racing in 2013.

The average gestation period of a horse is 340 days.

Basics of thoroughbred breeding

The Australian breeding season begins on September 1st each year.

Mating occurs in a “natural” way (the use of artificial insemination is banned worldwide in thoroughbreds), although the process is dramatically different from what happens in horses in their natural environment.

In the wild, the mare typically initiates mating by approaching the stallion and displaying a series of courtship behaviors before allowing him to mate (or “cover”) her several times a day during her mating season.

If she is not ready to mate, she will reject the stallion's advances, which may include kicking and biting him or galloping away.

But at the stud farm, safety and efficiency are the top priority.

To avoid injury to the stallion and to enable efficient covering, the mare is equipped with equipment that ensures that she cannot react during the procedure.

To minimize kicking, she may be fitted with breeding shackles or boots that restrict the movement of her hind legs. A breeding cape protects her neck from bites during copulation.

As an additional form of restraint, a device called a “twitch” can be used. This is a loop of string or rope that is wrapped tightly around the upper lip, temporarily lowering the heart rate and releasing endorphins that calm the mare.

In addition, one of her front legs can be held up when the stallion mounts to further limit her ability to avoid the stallion.

The stallion's natural mating behavior is also restricted during mating. Instead of a courtship between two animals, the stallion is taught to mount the mare on command and under the control of the handler.

And what about animal welfare?

Thoroughbred breeding has a long history, but recently public concerns have arisen about the ethics of the industry.

On the one hand, it is about the welfare of the animals during mating – not only the mare, but also the stallion and the foal – and the care they receive after birth.

In the case of Black Caviar, it is safe to assume that she has received the very best care given her importance and value to her owners.

But even so, she would have been held captive like any other mare during mating and would have had no say in who she was mated with or what happened to her.

Stallions are also affected by common industry practices.

Once a stallion is used for breeding, he will most likely be isolated from horses for the rest of his life, except during breeding. Stallions living in the wild not only have the company of their mares, they also play regularly with their foals.

It is also important to consider the number of horses bred.

The racing industry relies on a steady supply of young horses, particularly two- and three-year-olds. In Australia, most of racing's biggest prizes are age restricted, so owners and trainers need a steady supply of young horses eligible for these races.

This creates a huge incentive to continue breeding, which in turn increases the pressure on horses like Black Caviar to produce offspring even as the mare gets older and the risk of poor outcomes increases.

Black Caviar had nine foals, but such a number is not unusual in the Thoroughbred industry, where there is access to the latest veterinary procedures.

In the wild, mares give birth to only five to seven foals in their lifetime, depending on food availability and protection from predators.

What effect does it have on a mare to become pregnant almost every year?

More pregnancies basically mean more opportunities for something to go wrong.

As horses age, their abdominal muscles, ligaments and tendons often weaken and they become more susceptible to infections. As a result, they are at greater risk for problems during and after pregnancy.

With each pregnancy, the risk increases for mares in their mid- to late teens.

The economic realities of breeding

Finally, an analysis of the reactions to Black Caviar's death shows that there is a significant divide between people inside and outside the industry.

Some outside the bubble questioned the treatment of the champion racehorse, but many in the industry – including Hamish Esplin, president of Thoroughbred Breeders NSW – were quick to come to the aid of Black Caviar's owners.

Anyone who works in the horse racing or horse breeding industry does so because they have a genuine connection and love for horses. But the economic facts cannot be denied – it is a business in which horses are the main asset and mares generate income by producing foals.

Ultimately, all the care and attention given to a horse is to ensure that it can produce foals for as long as possible.

Although Black Caviar's owners kept their foals rather than selling them as yearlings as was customary, these animals still entered the racing and breeding industry.

There is no doubt that Black Caviar was very loved and received the best care. But even after winning 25 races, she still had a job to do: to produce as many foals as possible that could one day provide a similar return on investment as she did.