Big 2 yr old races??

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Gander

Little league kids typically dont get euthanized on the playing field when they get injured. Horses can lose their lives and lets face it horses were born to run and eat grass, and when one gets injured at 2, typically never runs again. I say if parents are stupid enough to push their kids into sports at too early of an age, let them. Thats their decision. Horses dont have a mind of their own and are at the mercy of greedy people who only want to make mucho bucks. Its a shame and the correlation you are making between young kids playing ball and horses racing at 2 is a horrible one.

I agree Gander!
There were some studies done in Europe a few years ago that seemed to indicate that 2 year old racing was actually good for horses, I have yet to see them successfully replicated (the scientific necessity to "prove" any construct/theory/hypothesis). I do believe that at a time when the breeding industry was operating in a sane and rational manner, young horses were sound enough to withstand early entry into competitive racing...now days when we breed unsound sires from unsound lines to unsound fillies from unsound lines, we shouldn't be surprised when careers are shortened more each year!