War Pass
 

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/edito...e.cgi?id=29998

War Pass just got his first winner, Java's War, and I remembered how when he died after returning from Australia, the preliminary necropsy results were inconclusive. Never heard if they ever figured out the cause. He was turned out, seemed fine, then found dead hours later. Since it was right after shipping, is there something about the travelling that could've hit him suddenly? A blood clot? Some sort of shipping illness where symptoms aren't so obvious? You'd think they'd be able to find indications of colic or heart attack if it were that.

Is there anybody here with knowledge about shipping stallions overseas who can discuss the various things that can happen to them and what's done to try to prevent it? I imagine insurance is pretty steep.

Almost certainly it was medication related, though they will never admit to that. It's probably why no follow up information about the death was made public.

What kind of medication? Overdose of motion sickness medicine? Too much Viagra? He was a sire, no longer a racing animal. He just needed to be able to mount a mare and have boys that could swim.

Sometimes animals (hell, people too) just drop dead. A friend of mine dropped dead at age 30, while she was out for a jog (she was in good shape, definitely didn't use drugs, and ran regularly). Never discovered why it happened.

Vaccines. Or whatever it is they give horses coming to and fro.

Horses drop dead in their paddocks all the time from things that are not obvious. He traveled well, arrived healthy and well (they are in quarantine before they are shipped here), and appeared fine for the 24 hours before he was found dead.

No other histopathology results as a cause of death were ever released, either was it released if insurance was paid ... so ... could be any of 100 random things, and most not associated with the shipping. Could be they never found out. You're right, big things like aortic aneurysm, blood clots, etc. are easy to find on gross necropsy.