The passing of Black Caviar was sad but the back story broke my heart. After such a successful career, making so much money for her owners we were led to believe her retirement would be in lush pastures bathed In sunshine. Not so, a brutal  breeding program leading to nine foals in eleven years was cruel; did the additional weight carried during these pregnancies contribute to the laminitis leading to her death? We ask that there be a limited number of “covers” be permitted on any mare.