Yeah, it’s been rough in the equine sporting world lately. Eight Belles gets put down on the track at the Kentucky Derby. Big Brown’s cracked hoof might’ve had a thing or two to do with his career’s skid to the finish at the Belmont. Of course there’s the saga of Barbaro’s untimely demise after a catastrophic fracture in a Preakness two years’ prior to this. And there’s always Christopher Reeves’ accident to consider…
Nope. It’s not been pretty. We’ve talked a big game here and on other blogs about how we wish the horse sporting industries would take a stand…move towards the kind of safety measures that would spare these athletes unnecessary harm…advance solutions that might well save equine sports from widespread condemnation and the shame of demise via public censure.
That’s why your favorite Olympic sport (mine, at least) has taken matters into its own hands by convening a forum on rider/horse safety. As published in last month’s JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) the equine eventing world has been investigating new ways to keep riders and their horses safe with new tools to limit casualties.
Jumps that break down in novel ways and sanctions against riders deemed to be racing recklessly. These are the new trends in the sport we call the three-day event. The cross-country portion is notoriously the most dangerous, what with all those exciting leaps that must be made over shockingly rock-stable wooden barriers and their attendant, watery lengths.
New methods of jump construction have limited the danger. Flagging reckless riders works, too—in the civil world of equine eventing, at least. But what about the thoroughbred racing arena? Is there anything worthy of these widespread reforms when it comes to two year-old T-breds on the track?
Honestly…not yet. Lots of big talk. Lots of hand-wringing. Lots of convening of fancy, high-flying panels poised to discuss the issues on their “merits.” And lots of “here’s hoping next season starts us afresh of injuries.”
But, truth be told, nothing’s going to happen come next Kentucky Derby without serious scrutiny leveled against [and sizable sanctions affecting] thoroughbred racing’s muckety-mucks. For now, given the inadequate direction grated them on the part of racing’s superiors, it appears they’re still betting on racing fans burying their heads deep in the sand.
Add Comment11 Comments
I love eventing, too (watching it, that is!), but it's plenty dangerous. In the UK, a rider was killed over the weekend, in a competition that also had Princess Anne's daughter Zara in it:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2534363/Rider-kill...
Emma Jonathan was 23.
Gina Spadafori August 14th, 2008 09:15:00 AM
I think there are also big problems with letting people compete beyond the competance of the person and/or horse, and in some events utterly inadequate supervision of the jumps and other hazards. Injuries in three day eventing seem to be spiking again and it isn't just a problem with the jumps themselves.
emily August 14th, 2008 11:24:00 AM
I am more optimistic about Thoroughbred racing than you are, being a regular reader of the Blood Horse and having followed the Congressional hearings. Controlled studies are being initiated comparing various track surfaces to figure out what the safest surfaces are. Tracks are increasingly banning slaughterhouse buyers and their proxies from their premises (my local track, Suffolk Downs, did that this summer). California has banned all steroid use, with all horses tested after every race and suspension as the penalty for trainers, and all other states are expected to fall into line by the end of the year. Given that the Breeders Cup is in Santa Anita this year, California's ban will have a strong effect at the highest tiers of racing. The management of the Breeders Cup itself has declared the trainer of any horse testing positive for steroids will be banned from the BC for a year, and three violations would result in a lifetime ban from BC events. They will also be testing ten days before the races as well for blood doping and milkshaking. These are some of the richest and most prestigious events in racing, and a trainer would be crazy to risk expulsion. At the annual sale of yearlings at Saratoga this year, there was increased demand for steroid testing, and in a very good sign, zero horses tested positive (not all horses were tested, but the testing represented a strong random sample). So I think some messages have really gotten through.
Although I think the racing industry at this point has very good will about making changes, I agree that people have to pay attention to racing to keep the pressure on, and that anybody interested in racing for its own sake or the animal welfare issues implicit in racing needs to keep writing racing commissioners, the appropriate senators and congresspersons, and whoever else you can think of to keep these issues in the spotlight. Otherwise no matter how good the intentions, proposed reforms could easily fall into the bureaucratic chaos that is the racing industry. At the same time though, if we want improvements (like track surface, for example) to be based on sound science and not panicked guessing, it will take *time* to find out what is in fact best for the horse's (and jockey's) welfare.
regina August 14th, 2008 12:29:00 PM
As a PS, Big Brown's Triple Crown bid definitely hit the skids at Belmont, but his career didn't--he won the Haskell Invitational against decent competition two weeks ago :-)
regina August 14th, 2008 12:59:00 PM
Ii heard an interesting comment while watching the Olympic eventing. Horses participating in eventing must be 8 years or older and don't hit their best performances until 12 to 16 years.
Moira August 14th, 2008 02:18:00 PM
Right after I hit the "publish" button on this today I read about the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) new push to end the practice of "soring." I thought it might be a neat postscript to this entry.
According to the AAEP, which issued a white paper on this earlier this month:
"Calling it one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline, the American Association of Equine Practitioners today issued recommendations for eliminating the abusive practice within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry known as soring. Soring is the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait in horses for training or show purposes."
The white paper: http://www.aaep.org/press_room.php?term=2008&i...
Here's another area within the wider equine industry where vets and others are taking a stand.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 14th, 2008 03:02:00 PM
It costs money to keep a racehorse and feed it until its limbs can withstand racing. Probably why everyone is slow to act on this. Some horses here are saddle trained at 2 years old, but not worked hard until much later. In fact some are saddle trained, turned out in a pasture for a year with an older horse, and then brought back into work after that. The pasture is hilly and low in feed so the horse naturally exercises himself.
Robin August 14th, 2008 08:40:00 PM
The data on when to flat race horses really does read as pretty equivocal to me. Eventing requires not only a fit horse but a damned smart one that can cold-read complex and bizarre looking jumps. That might be some reason why older horses do better at it.
emily August 15th, 2008 10:16:00 AM
out requiring that horses reach physical (if not mental) maturity prior to racing? Proof of this can be seen by taking x-rays of the limbs. There are gaps which close (between bones) upon maturity in the knees.
I had x-rays done of my draft cross before starting her under saddle to ensure that her knees were closed.
jen August 16th, 2008 07:00:00 PM
DVD To Blackberry Converter
erwtewr August 7th, 2009 02:24:20 AM
Thanks for your sharing.Maybe you are interested in Abercrombie and Fitch.
AF September 20th, 2009 01:14:18 AM
Add Commment