Have some equestrian sports crossed the line?

With the death of Eight Belles and numerous other horse sports tragedies that have occurred recently i truly believe that some horse sports have gotten downright dangerous. In my opinion, cross country fences have become outrageously dangerous. Think about it- your galloping your horse at a 4'6" jump with a four foot spread, and its not coming down if you hit it. Why do it? The risk isnt worth the cost. Too many talented horses are dying because we keep raising the bar. When is it enough? Why are rachorses pushed to race at 2? For gods sake thats like telling a child to run a marathon. Horses trust us. They do what we tell them to because they love us. Its an insult to their trust to ask them to perform in things that have such a high chance of hurting them. I love racing, i love eventing, and i love showjumping. I know that the horses love them too, but all im saying is that the sports need to be made safer. Its our duty as horsepeople. Any ideas on how to reform these sports?