Breeding Big Brown

[Frog]

[QUOTE=loriandlobo;3262427]
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! My horse is in his 5th year of racing. I trail ride and work cattle on him when we’re not racing. I ride him bareback with a rope halter around the backside at the track. PLEASE DON’T TELL HIM HE’S ONLY RACING BECAUSE HE HAS NO VALUE ELSEWHERE!!!:eek:[/QUOTE]

I thought it was clear I was talking about within the racing world. Or maybe you have a graded stakes winning son or daughter of Storm Cat that you just can’t bear to breed.

[solargal]

@Madeline;3260251

Again , I propose my test of “rideability.” Take your (and this is a pure hypothetical) totally fit 3 year old Warmblood. And 19 of his peers. Put them out on a track with jockeys riding short. Bring on 100,000+ screaming and mostly inebriated fans. And a band. Parade them up past the stands. If you’re still on, put them in the starting gate and let them race. Then pull them up and canter in a mannerly fashion back to the finish area and pull up in front of the cheering crowd.

And that’s not rideable? I saw more horses being “unrideable” on the track in an afternoon of Dressage at Saratoga than I ever see when they are racing…

Exactly.:yes:

[loriandlobo]

[QUOTE=Frog;3262595]
I thought it was clear I was talking about within the racing world. Or maybe you have a graded stakes winning son or daughter of Storm Cat that you just can’t bear to breed.[/QUOTE]

He is within the racing world. He also gives rides around the barn - on lead rope - to the children of grooms. We also sometimes take kids and their parents from the grandstand back to the barn to let them pet him and feed him carrots. I believe it helps influence in a positive way the next generation of racing fans. Race horses shouldn’t be good for just going around in a circle. They spend years covering miles and miles only to get no further than where they started. There are more facets to racing than just running.

[Frog]

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that. Those things don’t have monetary value to the industry. And Big Brown isn’t going to retire to give pony rides to the grooms’ children. I didn’t mean to say that your horse doesn’t have value to you and your friends and family. But when I said value- I meant actual money.

[loriandlobo]

[QUOTE=Frog;3262777]
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that. Those things don’t have monetary value to the industry. And Big Brown isn’t going to retire to give pony rides to the grooms’ children. I didn’t mean to say that your horse doesn’t have value to you and your friends and family. But when I said value- I meant actual money.[/QUOTE]

I understand your thinking. However, I disagree. If we started putting the horse back in horse racing, it would encourage a whole new genre of people who love horses but know nothing about racing to come to the tracks. These would be the same people who would spend their money on gambling, eating and drinking, and souvenir buying. This would carry over to increased purses which means increased fields which means increased horses to bet on. And the cycle continues. I grew up going to the races with my grandfather. I envied the people on the backside who got to be around the horses. I NEVER thought I’d be in racing but I am, and trust me, I’ve put my share of money into it. So who’s to say the kid that pets my horse tomorrow at the barn isn’t going to grow up to be the next big owner or trainer of the next great horse. It all has to start somewhere.:sadsmile: