One, this sort of thing is rare, but it should be rarer than it is. Synthetic surfaces still have some kinks to work out, but they are proven to reduce catastrophic injuries. Tracks that don't have a synthetic surface installed should study the issue long and hard, making sure they aren't just giving lip service to the subject. They should also look to ban any owner, trainer, or vet who knowingly takes any part in the entry and running of a horse that is not sound. The two-pronged approach would go a long way toward making sure the sport is much safer for both the horses and the riders.

Two, horses competing in this sport are going to get hurt from time to time, regardless of the surface or persons managing and conditioning them. Human runners get stress fractures and tear muscles and tendons just like horses do. Football players and boxers get paralyzed and even killed from time to time even though safety measures are in place. Every great sport involves some level of risk when great athletes are giving it everything they have on the battle field. I know that some of you may counter my second thought with the statement that horses are forced to run so the comparison I'm making is invalid. Let me tell you, they don't run if they don't want to run. The horses you saw running on Derby Day don't run because a jockey hits them with a stick, they run because they want to win. It's in the blood of the Thoroughbred. They want to compete and win and will lay their bodies on the line to get to the finish line first. Because they compete so fiercely, the people closest to them need to make sure they are completely sound when they go to the track to compete. They need to do everything they can to make sure that when that 1,000 pounds of concussion hits those legs and the legs hit the racing surface, the shock is absorbed and dispersed so a misstep does not cause a life ending injury.