breakdowns

[Clockerbob]

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.ph ... -the-game/
racefan says:
03 Dec 2008 at 01:51 pm | #
I am a former (recent) thoroughbred horse trainer, and about a year or so age when the industry and public began to view steroids as the big enemy, I began wondering why nobody says anything about all the sore horses, some probably with tiny fractures the don’t radiograph, having their joints injected with acid and cortisone, often time within 48 hours of a race, after entries are drawn. These are the horses that are running and breaking down...................

abe lincoln says:
03 Dec 2008 at 01:59 pm | #
I trained thoroughbreds briefly in the late 80s/early 1990s and still work in the industry, but not on the backside.
I also owned and claimed horses for myself.
I used h-acid/cortisone combinations back then for various joint ailments, used steroids to keep fillies eating, and never gave either one a second thought.
Why?
Because when the horses got sore and didnt respond to the therapeutic use of both substances the horses were given time off. Not run sore, not heel nerved, not cobra venomed.......



http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.ph ... -the-game/

[Classy]

Why is that allow Bob, this is just crazy. They should never be allowed to run these horses. Where is the regulation on this. We are killing the horses and the fan with all this bull love that they do just to run these beautiful animals. It is abuse.

[DegenerationX]

Honest Abe would never lie.

[Clockerbob]

Why is that allow Bob, this is just crazy. They should never be allowed to run these horses. Where is the regulation on this. We are killing the horses and the fan with all this bull love that they do just to run these beautiful animals. It is abuse.

It is allowed because it gives the house an edge
betting.

http://www.clockerbob.com/chapter3.html
So here’s the windup: I was told to be at the barn around 11:30 A.M. the next morning, the day of the Spinaway Stakes. So there I was, alone, because all the barn chores were completed and the crew had scrammed. I was walking the row, talking to the horses at 12:00 noon when the veterinarian pulled up. “Where’s the horse in today’s stake?” He asked. I pointed. The veterinarian said, "Get a shank and hold her in the stall." He then lifted the back lid of his veterinarian’s vehicle. He carefully selected a small bottle and a needle, and approached. The veterinarian calmly entered her stall. He found a vein on her neck, loaded the needle from the bottle, and injected. He held his hand on her neck for awhile, and I though this would be a great opportunity to ask a vet about this listless two year old filly’s one ankle looking a smooch bigger than the other. So I did! He never even looked down at her ankles, but said, "I don’t do legs."

We then left the two-year-old filly’s stall together. I snapped the webbing shut, and the vet walked to the back of his vet vehicle. Then the veterinarian quickly disposed of the needle and the bottle, and closed the back lid of his vehicle.

He motioned to me, and I moved towards him. "Don’t let anyone go near her stall. Get some coffee, a chair, and sit outside her stall, here, on the edge of the road. Grab some pebbles. She’ll start dancing in about thirty minutes, and throw the pebbles and yell at her so she’ll keep her feet on the floor.”

"Listen," I said, “you’re not going to the Lukas barn are you?” “No,” he said, “It's your turn today.”

[AlphaGaijin]

Anyone who thinks that sore, unsound and overly medicated horses are not -- and haven't been -- running / working out on a consistent basis needs to wake the hell up.

I mean that in the kindest way possible.

Seriously folks. This has been happening for A LONG TIME.

Before anyone attacks me for writing the above, I'm not making excuses -- nor am I offering solutions. I'm just stating a fact.

[Classy]

Yes it has and now is the time it needs to stop.

[Barley]

IN RACE 9 A HORSE WAS PULLED UP ON FRIDAY NUMBER 7

[Ancient Title]

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/07/31/sports/horseracing/z26e28c192eafb5b488257605001107e7.txt

Cayambe was vanned off the track in the ninth race, but track officials reported no major injury. There were no fatalities at the track Friday either in morning workouts or races.

That being said, I'm not so sure about the accuracy of the North County Times. Last year they reported that one of injuries was a broken knee cap.

[Stephenlb]

As long as there is a betting aspect to this business there will be trainers and owners who will do anything to cash a ticket or get in the winner circle.
Injecting ankles, knee,etc is part of the sport unfortunately. As an owner for 20 years, I do everything possible to protect my horses. But when a horse is not 100% you need to help them sometimes. Trust me there are owners and trainers that will go 2 or 3 steps beyond what I believe is fair to the horse. But they have to live with themselves.

I have retired Stakes horses, claiming horses that have no future after racing just because I cant watch them breaking down at the track. But remember even the most perfectly sound horses break down just like a human athlete.

[ScrapingThePaint]

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/07/31/sports/horseracing/z26e28c192eafb5b488257605001107e7.txt

Cayambe was vanned off the track in the ninth race, but track officials reported no major injury. There were no fatalities at the track Friday either in morning workouts or races.

This morning at the Donut Days thing, Trevor said that eight horses had been lost so far. The last number I read was 7. Does anyone know who the eighth horse might have been?