[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Why is that, JIM?

There's such a thing as ANTICIPATION in sports. If you allow for the possibility of something to happen, then you can be prepared for it when it does. Baseball players do this, for example, expecting certain pitches in certain counts. YET, this doesn't happen in horse racing? Of course, here's a sport in which jocks just can't seem to learn from their mistakes: witness the high number getting repeatedly PINCHED on the rail, going into the turn, because they're too stupid to either GUN and get the proper inside position, or take back just enough to be clear on the turn. That's why the SHUFFLE BACK is just about the most common trip note there is. (I can understand that the horse is unable to comprehend the power of DRAFTING but the real question is whether some of these jocks do, running up on heels the way they do.) Makes sense, then, that they WOULDN'T anticipate a horse stumbling at the break and thus not be prepared for it and get dumped on their ass. Thus, UNLESS a horse goes down on the break, a jock really needs to be able to stay on it.

how would one prepare for a stumble in such a way as to prevent them from flying off? what keeps a rider on a horse? nothing! if it stumbles or balks hard enough then you will be sent airborne whether you anticipated it or not.