Well cheers all around then! C’mon 'breeze, lighten up. What’ll ya have? This round’s on me! clink
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6227619]
Well cheers all around then! C’mon 'breeze, lighten up. What’ll ya have? This round’s on me! clink[/QUOTE]
I’m always lightened when I post here. I can be passionate without any anger. That is why I put in the cheers!! 
heh I wish I could have a drink,but unfortunately, even the “supposed healthy” glass of red wine gives me a headache.
So I will clink with my home brewed green tea.
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6227619]
Well cheers all around then! C’mon 'breeze, lighten up. What’ll ya have? This round’s on me! clink[/QUOTE]
After three bottles of bubbly and numerous mixed drinks during a 90+ degree day … I’ll take a gin and tonic, please 
Speaking of Tanqueray, I wonder whatever happened to Tony.
Oh snap! I forgot about this one. Sounds like Tony plays the ponies?
…and we’re back on topic. Almost. :winkgrin:
I am a handicapper, for a living and a horseperson for a hobby. I have stood at tracks and watched hardcore railbirds silenced upon seeing a spill or fall. Sure many only care about the bet they made but more than you would guess are effected by fall and injuries.
As for the article, they writer chooses to lump all horses “eased” with fatal breakdowns and that is a glaring error. If a horse is badly distanced and is “eased” it’s hardly the same as crashing to the dirt, never to arise. The article lumps horses taken from the course in 2+ mile steeplechase races with breakdowns. In the last week at Aqueduct and Parx I have seen past performances reflecting “eased” races followed by on the board finishes. Clearly the eased runers in those cases suffered no ill effects.
I have been the person who sits down next to a total stranger holding a halter, gently touching the stitching, running their hand over the brass of the nameplate, knowing that by now that horse is gone. That groom can’t muster the strength to go back to the barn or even get off that bench because the name on that halter will never again show up on the program. I have been the person who says “I’m sorry” only to have a stranger breakdown and cry like a baby on my shoulder.
I watched as no less than Ron McAnally cried in the winner’s circle with Bayakoa because he had seen what happened to his gallant rival Go For Wand.
Racing can be heartbreaking but the idea that it is heartless is perpetuated only outside its gates.
[QUOTE=Linny;6227679]
<snip>
Racing can be heartbreaking but the idea that it is heartless is perpetuated only outside its gates.[/QUOTE]
Thank you, Linny.
Cheers all. It’s 9 am so I’ll take a gin gimlet. Citrus is excellent at breakfast, donchaknow
Thanks Linny.
Horses bring out interesting reactions among people. Unless you make a point to ride or take care of one on a daily basis, there is no real way in modern life to learn about them as real beings instead of full size Breyer figurines and photogenic subjects. Books don’t count because of what is left unsaid that I believe is fundamental–Horses are not big dogs or cats with hooves. They are large, somewhat intellectually limited prey animals. They are natural athletes. They carry our hopes and dreams and always have. They are extraordinarily expensive to keep and, unlike Fido, real world finances have to guide most of our decisions tempered by our own moral compass. Good people make poor decisions. Bad people luck out. Fairy tales don’t always come true and horses can die on the track and really, it’s nobody’s fault-unless the mere act of racing a horse is something bad in itself.
I once sat next to a claiming trainer right after he lost his best horse in a stakes race when the horse broke down catastrophically in the front. No doubt he made an In Memoriam thread or maybe even some breakdown list somewhere. What I saw was a grown man “making an appearance” and trying not to cry. I think he wore his best clothes that day probably for the winners circle. He had to leave after 15 minutes and no one knew what to say to him.
I know that piling on is an Internet sport especially when the targets are strangers and the sport isn’t one in which there is a lot of day to day familiarity. Racing does have issues but no one is as hard on it as the so called fans on the Internet. Part of the response pointing out the feet of clay in other equestrian sports is sheer defensiveness-no human activity can live up to the standards being demanded by some and certainly no other horse sport does. The idea that every other competitor in every show across the country is “drugfree” is a pipe dream.
Anyway thanks again for bringing some reality into the situation. Honestly there are people who race, breed, ride and bet on Thoroughbreds who love their horses too.
With all due respect to Ron McAnally and you, Linny, who didn’t cry over Go For Wand?
How about the tears for the blue collar horses whose joints have been tapped so many times that they are crippled by the time they are 8, with no chance for a second career?
That outsiders perpetuate a heartless side of racing is telling of an industry which has yet to effectively police itself from within. Racing at times appears to turn a blind eye to glaring faults.
Acknowledging what is wrong with racing doesn’t have to take away from all that makes it good!
Mimosa, anyone?
[QUOTE=Linny;6227679]
I am a handicapper, for a living and a horseperson for a hobby. I have stood at tracks and watched hardcore railbirds silenced upon seeing a spill or fall. Sure many only care about the bet they made but more than you would guess are effected by fall and injuries.
As for the article, they writer chooses to lump all horses “eased” with fatal breakdowns and that is a glaring error. If a horse is badly distanced and is “eased” it’s hardly the same as crashing to the dirt, never to arise. The article lumps horses taken from the course in 2+ mile steeplechase races with breakdowns. In the last week at Aqueduct and Parx I have seen past performances reflecting “eased” races followed by on the board finishes. Clearly the eased runers in those cases suffered no ill effects.
I have been the person who sits down next to a total stranger holding a halter, gently touching the stitching, running their hand over the brass of the nameplate, knowing that by now that horse is gone. That groom can’t muster the strength to go back to the barn or even get off that bench because the name on that halter will never again show up on the program. I have been the person who says “I’m sorry” only to have a stranger breakdown and cry like a baby on my shoulder.
I watched as no less than Ron McAnally cried in the winner’s circle with Bayakoa because he had seen what happened to his gallant rival Go For Wand.
Racing can be heartbreaking but the idea that it is heartless is perpetuated only outside its gates.[/QUOTE]
So, so true, and very well written Linny
Linny, thank you for your touching perspective. However, please read for comprehension. The Times analysis does NOT including horses that were “eased.” I bolded the imperative part for you. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The racing industry will have to do a better job policing itself or outsiders will do it for it. I think the recent announcement that raceday drugs will be banned is a huge positive step.
How The Times Analyzed Data on Horse Injuries
To assess how often horses break down or get injured, The Times purchased official data covering more than 150,000 race results from 2009 through 2011. The data are compiled by trained “chart callers,” and used to compile result charts that bettors use to evaluate horses. The Times searched the data for terms indicating that a horse encountered a physical problem: broke down, vanned off, injured, lame, euthanized, died, collapsed, bleeding or went wrong.
Although the chart callers can be stylistically different, they are taught to use standard industry terms and their descriptions constitute the official record.The Times approached the analysis conservatively, ignoring a number of terms – taken up, pulled up and eased, for example – that are often indicative of injury, but also can indicate that a jockey has stopped urging a horse on because it has fallen far behind. Some terms may have been overlooked because they were misspelled or abbreviated in the charts.
The analysis focused solely on thoroughbred and quarter horse races, and included only tracks at which 5,000 or more horses ran during the three-year period. This covered 94 percent of the thoroughbred and quarter horses that raced during that time.
I have been a fan, and attended racing much of my life - including a couple of years during my single days when I took my entire vacation in half days to attend the whole Saratoga meet - as a fan, and occasional bettor. And perhaps with some practical knowledge of horses as an experienced H/J rider and owner.
However, in recent years, I became involved in a racing partnership, and therefore have watched several now. What I see are more and more obnoxious gamblers filling the stands, many involved in these public partnerships - looking to get an “in” to increase their luck. Or who pound their chests looking for special treatment because of all the money they bet. Other than the true racing fans of the past…
There are now those who gloat they are experts, but who totally gloss over what happens to those increased numbers of horses that come and go, who are looking to move on to the next thing much more quickly, and who expect that someone somewhere has taken care of that last horse. And there are those with the responsibility of running these partnerships who do not follow through on their whereabouts, even when claiming to care. The same people are those who I’ve had disagreements with about studying the sheets, or consumption of stats, meaning much more than an observation of a horse does. There just seems to be a total disconnect from reality - which extends to the eventual outcome of a horse who is no longer running.
You certainly can’t generalize that most bettors don’t care, but those who don’t, certainly are more apparent to me now, as the main purpose is to move that partnership -that business - forward and keep on with the next horse.
Or perhaps it’s just that so many bettors are still, of course, dreamers, and would rather not know what really happens. Either way, I see it as part of the condoning of everything wrong that goes on with horse racing, as the slots and more increase, and the sport is just a sideline, rather than the main attraction. Certainly, again, the sportsmanship, is hardly there. That is the word that is most akin to care - and which should be heeded first.
Why are we even bothering to discuss whether or not the patrons at the races “care” about the horse? I personally don’t care if they care. I care that they have a good time at the track and want to come back and do it again sometime which is less likely if they are witnessing carnage right in front of them however.
CVPeg you really should consider finding new seats. It seems you are surrounded by some of the bad apples. No need to paint all the 'cappers with the same brush.
There are quite a few good,honest partnerships out there,you have to be savvy and shop around,do some research.
[QUOTE=CiegoStar;6228154]
Linny, thank you for your touching perspective. However, please read for comprehension. The Times analysis does NOT including horses that were “eased.” I bolded the imperative part for you. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The racing industry will have to do a better job policing itself or outsiders will do it for it. I think the recent announcement that raceday drugs will be banned is a huge positive step.
How The Times Analyzed Data on Horse Injuries
To assess how often horses break down or get injured, The Times purchased official data covering more than 150,000 race results from 2009 through 2011. The data are compiled by trained “chart callers,” and used to compile result charts that bettors use to evaluate horses. The Times searched the data for terms indicating that a horse encountered a physical problem: broke down, vanned off, injured, lame, euthanized, died, collapsed, bleeding or went wrong.
Although the chart callers can be stylistically different, they are taught to use standard industry terms and their descriptions constitute the official record.The Times approached the analysis conservatively, ignoring a number of terms – taken up, pulled up and eased, for example – that are often indicative of injury, but also can indicate that a jockey has stopped urging a horse on because it has fallen far behind. Some terms may have been overlooked because they were misspelled or abbreviated in the charts.
The analysis focused solely on thoroughbred and quarter horse races, and included only tracks at which 5,000 or more horses ran during the three-year period. This covered 94 percent of the thoroughbred and quarter horses that raced during that time.[/QUOTE]
Please read for comprehension: I even capped some parts so maybe it will help you to learn what a chart writer does. It has already been explained to you numerous times.
And again, The article is basing it’s data on a man’s opinion of why he thinks a horse was lame,vanned off etc. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY. HE IS GUESSING.
Eased,pulled up,vanned off,bled,lame, IT DOES NOT MATTER. HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THE HORSE IS INJURED.
Do you read any of the replies or do you just keep shoveling out the bs?
quack quack
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6228021]
With all due respect to Ron McAnally and you, Linny, who didn’t cry over Go For Wand?
How about the tears for the blue collar horses whose joints have been tapped so many times that they are crippled by the time they are 8, with no chance for a second career?
That outsiders perpetuate a heartless side of racing is telling of an industry which has yet to effectively police itself from within. Racing at times appears to turn a blind eye to glaring faults.
Acknowledging what is wrong with racing doesn’t have to take away from all that makes it good!
Mimosa, anyone?[/QUOTE]
How about the tears for all the Eventers that are tapped prior to each event? I hate to point at other disciplines but really,it is no different in the Sport Horse world. There are good and bad trainers in both.
Are you so out of touch that you don’t know of all that racing is doing for the sport? Try reading some of the links that have been posted.
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6228021]
How about the tears for the blue collar horses whose joints have been tapped so many times that they are crippled by the time they are 8, with no chance for a second career? [/QUOTE]
Yes, this DOES happen.
BUT- it is NOT as common as it is cracked up to be. Most trainers can’t afford to have their joints tapped and the majority are too good of horsemen and too good of people to do this. It happens, yes, but not every small time “blue collar” trainer is clueless and heartless.
The point was that the regular patrons and lifeblood of this sport (well, prior to slots & racinos) won’t be turned off it by the sensationalism of the NYT article.
[quote=lifesabreeze;6228545]Are you so out of touch that you don’t know of all that racing is doing for the sport? Try reading some of the links that have been posted.
[/quote]
Better yet, how about you bring up my posting history from over the years here and read that.
You’ve taken offense to my stance here, but today’s re-running of the Dubai Gold Cup is a perfect example of money taking precedence over concern for equine welfare, granted in this instance it involved decisions made by the horses’ connections rather than bettors.
Now I know you like to twist my words, so let me make it perfectly clear that I am not accusing anyone who opted to participate in the re-run of being heartless.
You also think I’m out of touch, so please, explain to the outsiders how it is that running a horse in essentially two races in one day is not placing a priority on purse money over the horse’s physical well being?
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6228698]
The point was that the regular patrons and lifeblood of this sport (well, prior to slots & racinos) won’t be turned off it by the sensationalism of the NYT article.
Better yet, how about you bring up my posting history from over the years here and read that.
You’ve taken offense to my stance here, but today’s re-running of the Dubai Gold Cup is a perfect example of money taking precedence over concern for equine welfare, granted in this instance it involved decisions made by the horses’ connections rather than bettors.
Now I know you like to twist my words, so let me make it perfectly clear that I am not accusing anyone who opted to participate in the re-run of being heartless.
You also think I’m out of touch, so please, explain to the outsiders how it is that running a horse in essentially two races in one day is not placing a priority on purse money over the horse’s physical well being?[/QUOTE]
I agree with you on the rerace but that did not happen here and I have no idea why that was done. Do you really think that is the norm for horseracing? Rerunning a race? I thought you stated you knew this sport?
Haven’t you said you were a hotwalker and galloped a few on a farm once? You also stated you were an Eventer. I have asked what your sport is doing to stop injuries/breakdowns and drug abuse.
I have no idea why you feel the need to keep stating how racing is doing nothing to remedy these issues. No outsider cares as much as those in the sport about these issues.
Nobody into racing will be turned off, due to the article, because the information in the article is false and/or very misleading.
All those involved with racing already care about and are working on solving the issues brought up that are correct. This has been happening for quite some time now in racing. It is a new era for racing. All horse sports are looking closely at their product now. All horse sports are there because someone is making money off of the sport.
I get why the ARA group points fingers, but I do not understand how someone involved with Sport Horses feels they have a right to point a finger without fixing their own chosen sport first.
Perhaps you are not involved and haven’t been for some time so now look at all horse sports as full of evil? Sure seems like it. The comment about a race being rerun suggests that. Do you really believe that is commonly done? It is the FIRST time I have ever seen that.
A fact of which I am well aware. I currently have 2 OTTBs in my barn that I purchased from a well-respected trainer of primarily blue collar runners. He even comes and visits them from time to time.
