What is the average life span for a racehorse? Everything to know about Haru Urara, who inspired the Umamusume character, dies at 29

Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara passed away on September 9, at the age of 29. Haru was well-known for never winning a single race in her life, and she had participated in 113 races. According to WebMD, the average lifespan of a racehorse is 25-35 years.

WebMD further listed a few health issues that are quite common amongst thoroughbred horses. The issues include abnormally small hearts, bleeding from lungs, low fertility, and lameness caused by an unbalanced hoof-to-body size ratio. Haru Urara reportedly died from colic. 

The Straits Times added that Haru was at Martha Farm when she died. According to her caretaker, Ms Yuko Miyahara, the horse got sick on September 8, prompting them to call the vet. His condition, however, worsened and she took her last breath in the early hours of Tuesday, September 9.

Apart from the aforementioned fact about Haru not winning a single match, there had been another interesting factor about her. The racehorse acted as an inspiration behind a character in Umamusume as well. This led to the Umamusume fanbase mourning her death as well. The official social media accounts of Umamusume: Pretty Derby released statements sharing condolences on Haru's death.

The statement on X, read,

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Haru Urara passed away on September 9. The legendary racehorse's legacy serves as the inspiration for the character of the same name in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. We share our condolences to all the staff involved in Haru Urara's care.."

Exploring more about Haru Urara's life amid news about her death

According to reports by Gosu Gamers, Haru Urara was born in February 1996 in Hokkaido. Haru's sire was Nippo Teio, a top-class racehorse. The outlet stated that the meaning of Haru's name was "Glorious Spring" or "Gentle Spring" in Japanese. Haru participated in her first race in November 1998 and had never won since then, despite her impressive lineage.

In her first race in 1998, Haru came last amongst five racers. According to the outlet, over the next four years, she continued taking part in races at a frequency of about once or twice every month, but failed to win. Her story was spotted by Japanese media in 2003, when she had already lost 80 consecutive races.

Haru was soon branded as "the shining star of losers everywhere" as she would participate in races despite her record of losing every single time. In August 2004, Haru Urara ran her final race and retired with zero wins. However, in 2019, a time trial race was organized particularly for older horses. This was the first time that Haru managed to win.

Meanwhile, several campaigns and merchandise related to Haru were released by the Kōchi Prefecture Horse Racing Association. People reportedly often used Haru's betting tickets as amulets to attract good luck. 

Netizens currently have flooded social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, with tributes and condolences for Haru Urara. In these tributes, many made references to Umamusume as well.