Racing on 60 Minutes, Sunday, November 12

[snaffle1987]

As much as I want to disagree with it; the fact of the matter is that it happens. And its heartbreaking and it is brutal. And yes, it makes people question their support of the sport. Seeing it in person or on video replay should make every horse-loving person question their morals.

And while I agree the breakdowns will never 100% be removed from the racing scene; there are many areas of the sport that need improvement to remove factors as potential causes. I think work is being done everyday to improve this but I also think there are other areas that do not get hardly enough focus.

[Laurierace]

Like what? I personally would love to be a part of changing things to help insure that no horse ever breaks down again but have no idea where to start. Am truly open to suggestions.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

@snaffle1987

there are many areas of the sport that need improvement to remove factors as potential causes.

This is what I was left wondering after the 60 Minutes episode. What other areas do you see that contribute to horse breakdown and deaths?

[Maythehorsebewithme]

Track surfaces? I don’t know if a study would help. Grasping at straws.

[Laurierace]

I guess I want to believe that has already been done but I don’t know that for a fact. Would be wise if they haven’t already done that.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

I believe I read somewhere that at the lower levels of racing, the horses can have incredible workloads–being forced to race more frequently than is desirable or healthy (I guess to earn money).

That doesn’t explain the spates of high profile deaths at elite tracks like Churchill Downs, Saratoga, or Santa Anita.

[MHM]

In case you missed it. FYI, they show three horses breaking down fairly early in the video.

Or you can read the transcript if you don’t want to watch the video.

Horse racing cleaning up its act with watchdog monitoring racetrack safety,...

[Fiesta01]

@Laurierace

Like what? I personally would love to be a part of changing things to help insure that no horse ever breaks down again but have no idea where to start. Am truly open to suggestions.

As a long-time OTTB owner and a devout lover of the breed, I have an unpopular and undoable idea (due to the “money always decides in life” rule).

Do away with 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds racing. First starts at 4 and classic 3-year races (Triple Crown, etc) changed to 5-year-olds. It wouldn’t prevent all breakdowns, but I would bet it would reduce them.

Unfortunately, the industry will never want to delay the returns (purse money, stud fees) on their “investments.”

[MHM]

@Fiesta01

Do away with 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds racing. First starts at 4 and classic 3-year races (Triple Crown, etc) changed to 5-year-olds. It wouldn’t prevent all breakdowns, but I would bet it would reduce them.

I think this would apply just as well to all horse sports, really. No competition before the age of four, other than in hand classes.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

@Fiesta01

Do away with 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds racing.

I agree so much with this–especially the 2 years olds. When my daughter’s mare had her foal, my daughter marveled at how baby-ish he still looked when he was 2 years old. He was gangly, small-ish, somewhat out of proportion, just an awkward doofus. She said, “Can you believe they race horses at this age?!”

Granted, he was a warmblood and they say TBs mature faster. But he had a good amount of TB in him, according to my daughter (I can’t remember the percentage she mentioned).

[MHM]

Especially since that in order to sell them as two year olds in work in the winter or spring, they are breaking them as long yearlings the previous fall. That is just really, really, really, really wrong.

[omare]

But I thought there was data suggesting that horses that ran as two year olds lasted longer–built more bone? It seems to be a balancing of building stronger bone ligaments etc. through work without causing stress fractures etc.
I am thinking if you did nothing with a horse until they were 4 years old you would have more break downs.

[ASB_Stars]

I’ve read the same stats, and I thought that I read that Bramlege supported the data?

Holding off until they’re four year olds will kill the industry. They need to get the horses “to the bank” much sooner than that. Pinhooking, which supports a whole group of people would be toast. No way the industry survives.

[omare]

Condylar fractures-the number one fracture affecting racing Thoroughbreds

This might be dated article but it is an interesting overview of how bone remodels (or does not if not given the opportunity :().

[Laurierace]

I used to think not racing at 2 and 3 was a good idea too but research has clearly shown that to not be the case. Older horses just can’t remodel enough bone to hold up to the rigors of racing if they miss that window

[Fiesta01]

@omare

I am thinking if you did nothing with a horse until they were 4 years old you would have more break downs.

Doing nothing vs racing are not the only two choices here. If you’re a sensible owner, develop them like you would your non-racing horse. Start them slowly and give them work appropriate to their development.

[Fiesta01]

@ASB_Stars

Holding off until they’re four year olds will kill the industry. They need to get the horses “to the bank” much sooner than that.

As I said, as all things in life, money always makes the decisions. Extremely sad when it involves living beings, but true.

[Fiesta01]

@Laurierace

I used to think not racing at 2 and 3 was a good idea too but research has clearly shown that to not be the case. Older horses just can’t remodel enough bone to hold up to the rigors of racing if they miss that window

How about limiting the number of races that a horse can be entered for? I get the impression that, at the smaller tracks, some horses are raced every week. Can bones be remodeled enough by training gallops as opposed to all-out racing so often?

[Maythehorsebewithme]

@Fiesta01

How about limiting the number of races that a horse can be entered for? I get the impression that, at the smaller tracks, some horses are raced every week. Can bones be remodeled enough by training gallops as opposed to all-out racing so often?

While horses at small tracks may race frequently, the big money horses race very few times. Example: Flightline, 6 starts; Arcangelo, 6 starts. I could find many more examples as it has become a cliche.
In contrast, look at a couple of 1940’s Triple Crown winners:
Whirlaway, 60 starts; Citation, 45 starts.

The big money is in breeding–get a couple of wins in big stakes and off to the shed. Or don’t win big races, just take a chance in the shed. Into Mischief (no Triple Crown races, 6 starts); Not This Time (no races past the age of 2, 4 starts).

Sadly, breeding to sell as opposed to breeding to race is where the money is.

[omare]

Here is statistics-average number of starts is much less now.
https://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=FB&area=10

Average distance and type of surface.
https://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=FB&area=20

Seems like one thing is do-able/accessible/affordable technology able to identify issues pre-disposing breakdowns. Right now I am not sure regular MRIs are that.