I don’t think there will be any ill effects from this. Big brown could be a triple crown winner and thats what everyone wants. Just like barbaro “some people” will remember but like every hot news typic this story will fade and the majority of people will forget… Its to bad it had to happen this way but she was only doing what was ask of her… :sigh:
I wonder how the people who work in racing and cater to the tracks, barns, breeding facilities would feel if racing were banned? The job losses alone would be staggering. I am not speaking of the wealthy owners…they would make out in some other venue.
I am thinking of the exercise riders, the grooms, the people who foal out the mares, the vets, farriers, and barn help. The trainers, the jockeys, the man who delivers the shavings, the feed dealers, the equipment suppliers, the office help at the track and at the training stables/breeding farms. The fence installers, the maintenance people, the people who rehab race horses and sell them for jumping, eventing, dressage, trail - yes even those people…would be out of a job. I’m sure there are many more jobs associated with racing that I don’t even know about.
I guess those that don’t make their money from any of the racing “add-ons” wouldn’t care…after all what is one more unemployed person out there? Maybe the newly unemployed can flip burgers or become a wally world greeter - we all know that there just aren’t that many jobs in regular barns to be had and those that can be had are sometimes had by working students that are paid nominally or in lessons and training as those barns are having hard times right now as well.
Racing can be improved, it HAS improved a great deal over the years and I am sure that efforts will continue to improve it more and I hate to see 2 year olds do anything more than continue to learn ground manners, and late in that 2 yr. old year, carry a saddle. But who am I to call for putting thousands of people out of work forever? Destroying their living, their ability to own a house, a car, put a kid through college?
Sometimes we are outraged by what we see but to effect change we have to work within the industry, not just call for it’s immediate ban without regard to the consequences to the people within that industry. Anyone that thinks there are a myriad of jobs waiting for thousands of racing related folks to come and get 'em hasn’t looked at the economy lately…jobless rate is 5% and more and more people are getting laid off in regular work environments. I doubt that many that work in the horse industry could find similiar work and would need retraining (more expense and more unemployment claims while being retrained), some would never make the transition and become the silent unemployed.
I would vote for not racing a horse until it is 3-4. I would not call for a complete and total ban on racing without trying everything else under the sun first as I don’t believe I should have the power to take other people’s jobs away from them and leave them helpless. (and being unemployed does render one helpless in many ways).
Others will see it differently and think “they’ll find a job”…uhm maybe but if it were YOUR living on the line, would you be so eager to have people call for your industry/business to be shut down? Would you like to give up your home, your car, your children’s future or have to take a job for less pay or be on unemployment? If I hear a “yes”, I think that you would be a rare bird these days and perhaps should look at other career options.
Change is slow to come, but it will come. Hopefully not at the expense of mass unemployment and a glut of racing Tbs that have no where to race because racing was banned.
Smiles, I will bet you Big Brown does not win the Triple Crown.
I also hope that racing doesn’t end. I would rather it changed and adapted, and that people keep their jobs. I met some folks at the track once when taking pictures…yes there are many people who really need those jobs. But if a sport really is bad in the eyes of the public, that won’t matter.
I hope all horsepeople will be careful about the kind of comments they make to non horse people in the next few weeks and monnths. It can make a big difference. “it’s part of the game, horses love it”…you may feel that way, but it may not be the wisest thing to shout from the rooftops in the next few weeks.
I couldnt help but chear for her the entire way around the final turn “Comon’ filly, lets go!”
Just look at these two!:
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo?slug=afp-080503222207.ylezzfs2&prov=afp
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo?slug=afp-080503222129.2os4xogy&prov=afp
And some of the sadder ones:
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo?slug=a5ed6bf764a448ab81929c162184f063.aptopix_kentucky_derby_horse_racing_kyd195&prov=ap
And even here she knows she surrounded by those who are doing their best for her:
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo?slug=3b9fadbd58694079bab03d3cea260244.aptopix_kentucky_derby_horse_racing_kyd193&prov=ap
[QUOTE=Granada;3187691]
[QUOTE=DickHertz;3187587]
you are acting like an asshat, a single incident doesn’t represent an entire group of sportsmen.
And I am going to correct your drug conversions: 1ml=1cc=1g, so 10cc’s of a paste is normally 10 grams of the drug. (Banamine 10cc might be fine but not bute.)[/QUOTE]
I’m referring to the injectable, not paste. Injectable is much more cost efficient.
quite an eery and yet touching photo:
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/photo?slug=39fbeabd0646441595988716d9f61114.kentucky_derby_horse_racing_kygj106&prov=ap
My heart is heavy. Having lost my TB filly to a catastrophic break just watching a race brings back memories of her. I tried so hard to keep that filly from breaking down. That year the babies where coming off the track with injuries from training; bad track conditions for the young ones. I pulled her from the track but it didn’t stop the inevitable. She had a bone chip first, then the next year or two it was a hairline fracture and then finally one day she blew her leg off. All this happened at home, she was not being ridden just out to pasture.
Look past the race my friends; look at breeding horses with paper fine lightweight legs. Look at the use of steroids and other drugs. All this combined plus hard fast tracks and probably a 100 other factor!
Just a reminder of why I walked away from the track and I have no TBs in my stable.
MSP there is a pic of her trying to get up…track personnel forced her to the ground thankfully…and why if your filly had a bone chip and over the next 2 years it became a hairline fx did you not remove the chip?? Just curious…something not adding up with that story…did you turn her out after she got the chip or did she go back to work with the chip?? Clarification please.
[QUOTE=Sarah Ralston;3187558]
There were 3 ambulances at the site during the broadcast I saw. How many other horses were hauled off? I think more horses were injured than were reported due to the poor filly’s break down.
I may never watch TB racing again-the incidence of catastrophic injuries is too horrific.[/QUOTE]
Any time a horse is going to be put down on the track they bring every vehicle they can (jockey amublance, gate crew truck, etc.) over just to obstruct the view so nobody can see what’s going on. Even though she was down, when they euthanize the horse always rears up before it dies which is why they get so many vehicles to block the view.
[QUOTE=Twomanydawgs;3188093]
MSP there is a pic of her trying to get up…track personnel forced her to the ground thankfully…[/QUOTE]
Yes I saw picture that was posted, but I was referring to when she first collapsed, before any one got to her. I was watching the terrible network coverage. It was only a quick pan to her just after she collapsed and two out riders had just got to her. They were more interested in photo ops with Hollywood celebs than covering the horses!
I am guessing that it wasn’t long after that when the pain she was feeling made her very restless. It did stick in my mind how odd it was for her to lay so still and even collapse with out thrashing about. I am very glad they euthanized her ASAP, she didn’t have to suffer for long.
Well then along those lines
I might as well quit watching or participating in anything. Hide in the house, dont watch TV, Dont ride my horse.
I have witnessed many sad things in life, MAny were horses,
I have also witnessed far more fantastic sights over the 40 odd years I have been involved with horses. No one is saying these accidents aren’t awful, But screaming and saying How can you continue to watch that knowing a breakdown might occur, makes no sense.
Horses breakdown, Get injured, and die. Anyone who is involved with these animals knows that.
Years ago, I had a friend who had a fantastic show mare who was struck by lightening in a pasture and killed dead where she lay. Freak thing, no shoes on. Just happened. she never rode again, or never was involved again.
IF people choose to not spectate in some of the horse sports because of potential accidents, thats there choice. but I am tired of people acting like those of us who do still watch and love the sports, even participate are somehow callous and cruel.
I am glad I didn’t watch…I’ve been done since Ruffian, too. RIP Eight Belles.
[QUOTE=Twomanydawgs;3188093]
MSP there is a pic of her trying to get up…track personnel forced her to the ground thankfully…and why if your filly had a bone chip and over the next 2 years it became a hairline fx did you not remove the chip?? Just curious…something not adding up with that story…did you turn her out after she got the chip or did she go back to work with the chip?? Clarification please.[/QUOTE]
Three completely different injuries on different legs and she just never got sound enough to ever ride again. I tried diet changes and always had full blood works done. I could not reverse the damage done by her breeding and or the steroid use done to her before I got her.
This just sickens me - yet another poor TB brealking down thanks to excessive training causing fatigue fractures . Yeah, valliant effort, blah, blah, blah… those poor horses are driven to perform by greedy humans. TBs should NEVER be started as young as they are. They should be allowed to fully mature BEFORE they enter training to set them up for long term succes, not short term failure. Another totally penny wise, pound foolish approach.
Yet another reason why I do not support the racing industry. Such a lovely filly - what a shame to kill her prematurely. 
[QUOTE=BornToRide;3188123]
TBs should NEVER be started as young as they are. They should be allowed to fully mature BEFORE they enter training to set them up for long term succes, not short term failure. Another totally penny wise, pound foolish approach. ([/QUOTE]
why do you blame early training versus breeding decisions? Many horses in the 1940’s and 50’s, etc often had 10 or more starts as two year olds and some went on to have 50+ starts in their careers. Early training seemed to help back then, not hinder…correct me if I’m wrong, but have there not been been studies which indicate that early and rigourous training actually helps bones grow stronger and tougher. It seems to me that the problem with today’s horses may stem more from their genetic makeup than training methods.
[QUOTE=SBT;3187605]
1t’s absolutely ridiculous to say that all horse sports carry the same risk. That’s like saying you’re just as likely to die in a fender-bender at 15 mph as you are in a head-on at 65. A breakdown in the dressage arena and a breakdown at a full racing gallop are NOT the same. Add in solid obstacles and unstable footing (eventing) or immature bones (racing), and your odds of catastrophic injuries increase. It’s not rocket science and it’s not a numbers game. It’s a fact of physics that the faster you go and the harder you hit, the more damage you will do.
Add me to the list of those who are officially DONE with racing and eventing. It’s JUST. NOT. WORTH IT. :no: I would be very happy to see eventing dropped from the Olympics, and just as happy to see racing restricted to horses age 4 and up…or done away with altogether. If you feel the need for speed, thrills, and chills, get into NASCAR. At least the cars don’t suffer when they break. 
[/QUOTE]
That is what I was trying to say, thanks.
RIP Eight Belles.
And I am going to correct your drug conversions: 1ml=1cc=1g, so 10cc’s of a paste is normally 10 grams of the drug. (Banamine 10cc might be fine but not bute.)
Apples and oranges and pears.
First, ml and cc are both measures of volume, so 1ml=1cc always.
But grams are a measure of mass. 1cc of WATER= 1g of WATER. But that ONLY applies to water. For other substances, it depends on the density.
Second, when referring to equine medication, we ususally use “grams” to refer to “grams of active ingredient”, but we use cc’s to measure what we put in the syringe, wich is a mixture of active and inactive ingredients.
So a 10cc in injection of bute contains a LOT less than 10 grams of active ingredient.
[QUOTE=kcgold;3188187]
why do you blame early training versus breeding decisions? Many horses in the 1940’s and 50’s, etc often had 10 or more starts as two year olds and some went on to have 50+ starts in their careers. Early training seemed to help back then, not hinder…correct me if I’m wrong, but have there not been been studies which indicate that early and rigourous training actually helps bones grow stronger and tougher. It seems to me that the problem with today’s horses may stem more from their genetic makeup than training methods.[/QUOTE]
Fair point about the breeding.
Add me to the list of those who are officially DONE with racing and eventing. It’s JUST. NOT. WORTH IT. I would be very happy to see eventing dropped from the Olympics, and just as happy to see racing restricted to horses age 4 and up…or done away with altogether. If you feel the need for speed, thrills, and chills, get into NASCAR. At least the cars don’t suffer when they break.
That’s exactly how I feel. Even though I have some friends who event, I can’t be supportive of that sport or racing anymore. Too many tragedies.
