Horses only have about 10-15 seconds of anaerobic metabolic energy reserve they use during the massive energy push-off of the start. Breaking through the gate aggressively means they have used that up (as it is not replaced instantly), and have to go to aerobic metabolic energy creation vs. their peers at the start. Yes, a disadvantage, more pronounced in sprints.
The vets normally - should - check eyes, nose, mouth for bleeding and broken front teeth (common), look at the knees for laceration, etc.
Edit: I watch alot of Australian racing, and the vets take out horses at the gate constantly, very readily, compared to the US. They also back them out of the gate and look at them alot more, if the horse goes off in the gate, for example.
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"Have the clean racing people run any ads explaining that giving a horse a Starbucks and a chocolate poppyseed muffin for breakfast would likely result in a ten year suspension for the trainer?" - Dr. Andrew Roberts
Last edited by Riot : 01-07-2012 at 02:12 PM.
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