What Kind of Hit Will Racing Take If Barbaro Dies?

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by eurobounce

All points of eating are good ones. But we all know the horse that is in racing condition is underfed to keep him fit and light on his feet. Horses will overeat if given the opportunity. If you think that race horses are treated like kings, try living the life of a horse for 1 year. Move into a room that is 10x10 and spend 20 hours a day there, be fed when someone tells you to be fed, be whipped when being trained and then come back to me and tell me how you like it. Sure most horses have a better chance in captivity but sometimes nature has to take its course.

Euro,
You and I have chatted before.
I'll tell you, horses are not underfed, nor are they overfed...if they are being closely monitored.
To have energy, the food must be put in and shoveled out later. In the real world, nobody will do anything to compromise any chances for putting out the horse's best effort.
Have you ever been on the backstretch? If you have, you might have noticed that they have fans blowing cool air when it's warm, feed supplements, on and on....
Heck, they're better treated than some of the folks that live in nursing homes.
Yes, there are heavy handed training methods. Some people get freaked and escalate difficult situations when the horse is just plain scared...and problems result. Just remember, most of the people that are around horses, day in and day out, know them pretty well...and the last thing they want to do is be cruel, mean, or inhumane to them. Most of these people love horses. If they didn't, they would have chosen a different form of employment.

Originally Posted by Downthestretch55

Euro,
You and I have chatted before.
I'll tell you, horses are not underfed, nor are they overfed...if they are being closely monitored.
To have energy, the food must be put in and shoveled out later. In the real world, nobody will do anything to compromise any chances for putting out the horse's best effort.
Have you ever been on the backstretch? If you have, you might have noticed that they have fans blowing cool air when it's warm, feed supplements, on and on....
Heck, they're better treated than some of the folks that live in nursing homes.
Yes, there are heavy handed training methods. Some people get freaked and escalate difficult situations when the horse is just plain scared...and problems result. Just remember, most of the people that are around horses, day in and day out, know them pretty well...and the last thing they want to do is be cruel, mean, or inhumane to them. Most of these people love horses. If they didn't, they would have chosen a different form of employment.

I would live to live on the backside if I could. You are correct in the feeding of race horses. My favorite part of the backside is how each stall has a cat. But none of the help would do anything to hurt the horses. I know a few years ago there were some people at River Downs arrested for beating horses with shovels on the backside. But I think that is the exception rather the norm. But, the life of a horse isnt that grand--imo.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by eurobounce

I would live to live on the backside if I could. You are correct in the feeding of race horses. My favorite part of the backside is how each stall has a cat. But none of the help would do anything to hurt the horses. I know a few years ago there were some people at River Downs arrested for beating horses with shovels on the backside. But I think that is the exception rather the norm. But, the life of a horse isnt that grand--imo.

Euro, it's a tough issue to wrestle; you're right. And I think what makes it so hard is that, in the end, we'll never really know what the horses think about it. We can read their behavior, their eating habits, etc. and infer from that, but we'll never really know for sure what they think.

DTS, I'm so happy to hear that you breed for soundness. That makes my day to know some people in the game still prize it.

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Euro, it's a tough issue to wrestle; you're right. And I think what makes it so hard is that, in the end, we'll never really know what the horses think about it. We can read their behavior, their eating habits, etc. and infer from that, but we'll never really know for sure what they think.

DTS, I'm so happy to hear that you breed for soundness. That makes my day to know some people in the game still prize it.

Very well said Genuine. I would love to get in the breeding game someday. I for one would try to breed for soundness as well. I think soundness is a key to horse racing.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Euro, it's a tough issue to wrestle; you're right. And I think what makes it so hard is that, in the end, we'll never really know what the horses think about it. We can read their behavior, their eating habits, etc. and infer from that, but we'll never really know for sure what they think.

DTS, I'm so happy to hear that you breed for soundness. That makes my day to know some people in the game still prize it.

Genuine Risk,
I'd be so happy to show off my babies to you!
If you're coming up to Saratoga, they're on the way (Catskill exit). Rt 23 west.
A little over an hour out of the way from 87N, but well worth it.
PM me if before you leave NYC.
I think you'd like them.
DTS

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Downthestretch55

Genuine Risk,
I'd be so happy to show off my babies to you!
If you're coming up to Saratoga, they're on the way (Catskill exit). Rt 23 west.
A little over an hour out of the way from 87N, but well worth it.
PM me if before you leave NYC.
I think you'd like them.
DTS

Thank you for the offer; that's so nice!!! And if I come up on the off-season would that be okay? I have a riding buddy who is as addicted as I to all things horse and racing-related and I'm sure would LOVE the chance to see your babies (and grown-ups).

I so badly want to get to Saratoga, but holy cow; the summer gets filled with things I have to do-- most of which are work-related.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Thank you for the offer; that's so nice!!! And if I come up on the off-season would that be okay? I have a riding buddy who is as addicted as I to all things horse and racing-related and I'm sure would LOVE the chance to see your babies (and grown-ups).

I so badly want to get to Saratoga, but holy cow; the summer gets filled with things I have to do-- most of which are work-related.

Genuine,
Off season is fine. Have a great (busy) summer.
DTS

[randallscott35]

A bump from July.

Have to assume the hit will be diminished since the breakdown is not in people's minds as much.

Hopefully we all avoid the cruelty articles that comes out of these things sometimes. It took a long time to recover the minor fan from something like the Ruffian incident.