It amazes me when a sport like our "self-polices" in respect to drug use, age, hoof protection, etc..and a sport like track racing can run 2 yr olds, run on bute, etc..all in the name of the sport and $.
Just the simple practice of tieing their tongues makes my skin crawl. I was in the saddling paddock at Santa Anita once a few years ago and was shocked to see what went on. A nice colt (a 2 yr old) was the star of the day and ridden by Julie Krone. I never saw him run again and when I tried to find any record of him the next year..none. So sad.
I have a friend who raises T-breds for the track. She starts all her horses in the arena, then the trail, and does not even send them to the trainer to start running on the track until the fall of their 3rd year, so they do not race until they are 4. If they don't make it as a race horse, they come home and are trained as jumpers.
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
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> From: bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; txtrigger@xxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] sick to my stomach > Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 17:49:07 -0700 > > I have never felt that track racing had an ounce of belief in "what is best > for the horse." I have felt it was always about money and fame. Not that I > know much about horse racing, but it's just a gut feeling. I think > endurance riders, generally, are much more concerned about their horses' > welfare than people in most other horse competitions. Not competitive > trail, but a good many other competitions...such as showing...and certainly > track racing. > > Barbara > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tx Trigger" <txtrigger@xxxxxxxxx> > To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:28 AM > Subject: [RC] sick to my stomach > > > > When money enters the picture, it becomes more than lust for fame and > > glory. > > It becomes greed. Horses who participate in sports that win money are > > often > > thought of as needing to earn their keep. And with that, I think owners > > and > > trainers are often blinded by what is best for the horse, and keep looking > > at the dollar signs. Now I am sure the owners of Eight Belles loved their > > horse...or at least thought they did. And it is a tragic loss. But I > > wonder > > if this incident will stop them from racing others. My guess is it won't. > > They see no problem with asking young, not fully developed horses to race > > as > > fast as they can. > > > > Jonni > > > >>>> Truman Prevatt wrote: > > In any horse sport it's human lust for fame and glory that our horses pay > > the price for, be it in trying to win the Derby, win a 50 or 100 mile > > endurance ride, win the Rolex (a horse died at the Rolex last week - he > > flipped when the caught a leg going up for a jump) or just showing off, No > > horse sport is free of that. Our horses would just as soon be in the field > > munching on grass.<<<< > > > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > > 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!! > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > 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!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
