Very sad.

[bernardgreen]

It might not have been an electric cable that caused the problem

An old dis-used metal water pipe could have been an electrical link between the ground / earth systems in two areas served by different electrical supplies. Effectively bonding the two areas together and thus both have the same potential as each other with current flowing through the pipe.

Then the pipe breaks under the paddock and the broken ends now are at different potentials, the pipe is now importing these two different potentials to the ground either side of the break. That could create a steep voltage gradient over a very small area of ground

 

[Taylortwocities]

The only amusing bit, that i could find, was a quote reported in the Mail on Sunday from the owner of one of the dead horses.

Marching Song’s part-owner Graham Thorner said the fallen horse had ‘great potential’.

 

[bernardgreen]

I was a bit amused by the comment made by a Newbury executive that refered to " all those connected with the deceased horses " as being understanding and supportive of the actions taken,

 

[Lectrician]

It is more than likely nothing to do with a cable in the vacinity of the shocks - more likely current flowing through the ground during a fault from an earth rod/tape.

An HV earth which is not installed correctly, has been cut short, or has simply gone high resistance to the surrounding ground can cause high voltage gradients across the ground, with wide-legged animals suffering....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So also a hazard then to drunk women squatting down for a p**?

 

[securespark]

Latest is they think the underground cable was damaged by a spiking machine.

They reckon the two dead beasts both wore steel shoes, the survivors wore alu shoes.

 

[automationman]

Yes, saw that last night on the news. The news reader inferred (in his tone) that the aluminium shoes protected the horses... As we all know aluminium is a very good conductor so I don't quite understand their thinking. Unless the shoes were were coated or anodized and quite new. (Am I right in remembering that an anodized surface forms an insulator?)

 

[bernardgreen]

As we all know aluminium is a very good conductor so I don't quite understand their thinking.

They embellish as much as they can to make their version of the news more interesting ( entertaining ) than the other station's version of the same news. More viewers the better seems to have more importance than technical accuracy.

According to a horse owner the hoof of a horse when dry is a reasonably good insulator and the type of shoe would not affect the outcome. One of her friends horses died during a thunderstorm due to lightning striking a nearby tree so she has good knowledge of the matter.

Even if the aluminuin was anodised the nails fixing it would conduct current into the hoof if it were damp. Also wet grass if long enough would bridge round the insulating hoof to create a path between ground and conductive tissue in the leg above the hoof.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

... Very sad ...

... very sad that two animals have been killed ...

... great shame ...

... this sad event ...

FGS get over yourselves.

Yes, it's sad, but no sadder than the other several hundred racehorse deaths which occur each and every year, year after year after year, at a rate of more than one a day. Probably less sad than the cases where animals are in tremendous pain from broken bones or are perfectly healthy but are just deliberately killed because they aren't commercially viable.

It's what happens in horse racing - these were just two more and won't make even a microscopic blip in the statistics.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Why is it perverse to wonder why these two racehorse deaths merit all this hand-wringing and expressions of sorrow when all the hundreds of others don't?

I'm not being nasty, just saying you should all get some perspective. Two racehorses died. I expect more than two have died or been killed since then, and there'll be more than two next weekend.

Move on - get over it.

If you really think it is sad then campaign to have horse racing abolished.

You remind me of all those vicarious people who mourn the deaths of people they never knew.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[bernardgreen]

The only reason this incident got so much news coverage was because it happened to be seen live on TV.

Any accident that happens to be caught on film or live TV immediately increases in "value" to the broadcasters. Two horses seen dying on live TV has far more "value" than four people dying unseen in an accident.

It is a sad world where media "value" is more important than real life values.

 

[SgtTrojan]

Oh dear..
The joys of the written word and their interpretation.
EDIT: Post above was deleted by a moderator