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Re: [RC] Barbaro - Sisu West RanchI vote against genetic predisposition to breakdown. Here is my reasoning:There are two selective pressures put on US TB's 1. Be able to run very fast for ~1 mile as a young horse.. 2. To not breakdown until they have raced for a couple of years. Horses that break down, when raced much to young, when raced without the time and LSD to build bones are not the parents of the next generation of race horses. If you look at how they are raised and trained, the remarkable thing is not that an unacceptable number breakdown, but that so many do manage to survive the training. I am also not convinced that TB and QH actually mature as much "faster" than Arabian horses as casual observation suggests. I postulate that: 1. They are fed a much higher protein, and higher calorie diet. This causes extremely fast growth, and will cause the growth plates to close earlier. 2. They have a genetic predisposition to develop bulging muscles. These bulging muscles make them look more mature. It would be interesting to raise a group of Arabians, and TBs on good grass pasture, on say a 1000 A hilly ranch where they had to travel miles each day to get feed and water. I'd bet that their development and age when growth stopped would be pretty similar in both groups. Ed Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower Road Victor, MT 59875 (406) 642-9640 ranch(at)sisuwest(dot)us =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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