Former racehorses in the Olympics at SHA TIN!!!

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by FGFan

ROR!!!!!!

Was it the gray one if so that is Marius, I meant to look up what he is.

It was a hard course.

OH yikes it's almost time....looking forward to tonight.

yeah I think it was him. He almost looks to have some draft in him when you look at his legs. Solid boy!

[Antitrust32]

I think Eventing is terrible... well not the jumping and dressage part but the cross country. On E-360 Last night (ESPN's show) they had a segment on eventing, 14 people have died during eventing (all in cross country and all by the horse pretty much flipping over the jump and landing right on the person) since 2006. I have no idea how that is allowed to happen without some major changes being made.

Supposedly, the Olympic Committee is the one who originally changed the cross country rules, making the courses much shorter but much more dangerous. The death toll is from since the rules were changed. I think its disgusting. But then again, whenever I watch a mother on tv having to talk about the death of her young daughter, I get outraged.

If I ever have a daughter and she wants to get involved in horse sports, I will say NO way Jose to everything except trail rides and dressage (eventhough I know accidents can happen then also). I have a friend who was a top Show Jumper and she was paralyzed from her waste down.. so I will not allow my future children to do that also!

[Sightseek]

I rode cross country so the eventing is my favorite....

Uncly Trust, I understand your objection to this event, but if you can't watch eventing how can you watch racing?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I rode cross country so the eventing is my favorite....

Uncly Trust, I understand your objection to this event, but if you can't watch eventing how can you watch racing?

What I dont understand, is if they know the shorter more challenging courses are providing his huge dangers to the horse and riders, why dont they change back to the old way of doing things??

I didnt really have a problem with eventing (granted I didnt know too much about it) til I watched that show last night. I had heard a couple eventers died here in Ocala a little while back, but I didnt realize how many people were dying.

The thing that bothered me was that some parents said their child's trainers would recommend moving up to these top levels and buying these big $$ horses, when the kid probably wasnt really ready for it. Then something happens and the kid is gone.

Also, some good suggestions were made, like changing the jumps on the the Xcountry course so they explode if a horse hits it (like made out of paper mache (SP?) ) so that horses cant flip over the jumps and kill the riders. At least made the jumps have those pins on it so the rails fall off like Show Jumping. If those ideas will save peoples lives I have no idea why they are not implemented. From the report last night.. it seems like the "top" guys in Eventing would be totally against these changes. That makes no sense to me.

I guess for horse racing, for my personal opinion, its grown men who know the risks (I mean its obvious that if you become a jockey to expect to break every bone at least once and have the risk of fatal injuries). These guys are doing this for $$ and they understand the sports risks.

I really dont know enough about eventing, but when young kids are dying that just makes me really upset. When you started Eventing, did you and your parents realize that you could die any weekend doing the sport? How much safer was it when the courses were longer and the jumps were more spaced out?

Now that they realize the risks these short, difficult courses are putting on the horses and riders, its time for them to make a safety change, whether it is making the courses long again and/ or changing the jumps so they give with the horse.

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

yeah I think it was him. He almost looks to have some draft in him when you look at his legs. Solid boy!

I looked him up he is a Holstein. I kinda wanted him to make a mistake too, but only because Gina would have gotten gold. If she wasn't in medal position I wanted Marius to win.

Trusty, I understand your position, but am kinda surprised. And this course only 9 riders fell off, no person or horse was injured.
Where was this ESPN? It's kinda like ESPN is becoming the mouth piece for the animal activists...hmmmmmm.


MY BIGGEST OBJECTION IS:

Why don't the horseys get a medal, only the rider gets one. How cool would that be for your horse to have it's own medal.

[Antitrust32]

Just at the Rolex event this year alone, two horses had to be put down and that Chimichanga guy was critically injured...

I love horses, dont get me wrong (and not in a sumitis type of way LOL), but when a person dies it affects me 100 times more than when a horse has to be put down. Just hearing 14 people died since these rule changes went into play really got under my skin.

The fact that nobodys doing anything to change that (how hard could it be to make the jumps safer - so they either explode when a horse hits it or fall off like show jumping) is what really pisses me off.

Now I realize why my company charges eventers a much higher insurance rate than other show horses...

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

Just at the Rolex event this year alone, two horses had to be put down and that Chimichanga guy was critically injured...

I love horses, dont get me wrong (and not in a sumitis type of way LOL), but when a person dies it affects me 100 times more than when a horse has to be put down. Just hearing 14 people died since these rule changes went into play really got under my skin.

The fact that nobodys doing anything to change that (how hard could it be to make the jumps safer - so they either explode when a horse hits it or fall off like show jumping) is what really pisses me off.

Now I realize why my company charges eventers a much higher insurance rate than other show horses...

Oh, who was watching E60??

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Scav

Oh, who was watching E60??

me

My TV is usually only on sports channels... unless there is a good movie on!

What do you think Scav, we'd make a good couple?

[Sightseek]

I think Uncly is going to wrap her kids in pillows before sending them outdoors.

[Antitrust32]

No drivers license till 18 also!! LOL... You should see how worried I get just about my dog, Bugsy, right now... I'm scared to see how I'll be as a parent!

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

The fact that nobodys doing anything to change that (how hard could it be to make the jumps safer - so they either explode when a horse hits it or fall off like show jumping) is what really pisses me off.

Whoa - that's totally false

There have been massive changes in eventing over the last 20 years that have made the sport and jumps remarkably safer.

That includes eliminating and changing many of the types of jumps that induce rotational falls, adding frangable pins to the jumps, veterinary checks, course design, etc.

In fact, the eventing community just met in here Lexington the beginning of June to further discuss safety and make more changes.

Do you know what one of the biggest problems is compared to 20-30 years ago? Relatively inexperienced riders. Riders that have not grown up riding ponies bareback at a gallop with a halter in a field, riding to hounds as children or teenagers, riding cross-county (hacking and jumping for fun) as a kid and young adult for years, learning how to fall, learning how to ride at speed over terrain over solid fences.

Riders today ride in rings.

And horses that are being bought up to upper levels without years of experience at solid fences and riding cross-country (same thing - foxhunting, bashing around for fun over ditches and hedge fences and through fields, etc) behind them.

Or, horses simply not really having the scope to be at a level (most injuries and falls are happening at LOWER levels)

Look at the biographies: look at the ages of the riders, look at the horses and their experiences - NOT what it was 20-30 years ago.

The best eventers used to take years - years - to bring a horse up to Olympic capability. They would talk of a promising horse "maybe" being ready 6-8 years from now. And they would NOT put them there if they were indeed limited as to being a lower level horse.

Now anyone with enough money buys a horse, and a trainer, and goes for it.

The sport is trying to get more qualifications written into the rules (regarding advancing through levels) so people cannot readily put themselves and their horses at risk, but of course those very people are fighting it.

There's really alot going on, and has been. It's quite unfair and untrue to say, "nobody's doing anything to change that".

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Riot

Whoa - that's totally false

There have been massive changes in eventing over the last 20 years that have made the sport and jumps remarkably safer.

That includes eliminating and changing many of the types of jumps that induce rotational falls, adding frangable pins to the jumps, veterinary checks, course design, etc.

In fact, the eventing community just met in here Lexington the beginning of June to further discuss safety and make more changes.

Do you know what one of the biggest problems is compared to 20-30 years ago? Relatively inexperienced riders. Riders that have not grown up riding ponies bareback at a gallop with a halter in a field, riding to hounds as children or teenagers, riding cross-county (hacking and jumping for fun) as a kid and young adult for years, learning how to fall, learning how to ride at speed over terrain over solid fences.

Riders today ride in rings.

And horses that are being bought up to upper levels without years of experience at solid fences and riding cross-country (same thing - foxhunting, bashing around for fun over ditches and hedge fences and through fields, etc) behind them.

Or, horses simply not really having the scope to be at a level (most injuries and falls are happening at LOWER levels)

Look at the biographies: look at the ages of the riders, look at the horses and their experiences - NOT what it was 20-30 years ago.

The best eventers used to take years - years - to bring a horse up to Olympic capability. They would talk of a promising horse "maybe" being ready 6-8 years from now. And they would NOT put them there if they were indeed limited as to being a lower level horse.

Now anyone with enough money buys a horse, and a trainer, and goes for it.

The sport is trying to get more qualifications written into the rules (regarding advancing through levels) so people cannot readily put themselves and their horses at risk, but of course those very people are fighting it.

There's really alot going on, and has been. It's quite unfair and untrue to say, "nobody's doing anything to change that".

Great post, Riot.

[Antitrust32]

The special on ESPN portreyed eventing in a totally different way. Its not like the deaths and injuries are not happening at the top level. This years Rolex was horrific. Ya'll can say whatever you want, I'm just saying, if I ever have a daughter.. the only way she'd get involved in Eventing is over my dead body.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/135159.html

http://hitsusa.com/blog/330/horse-jumping-death/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...try-event.html


these are just some of the top articles that come up when you search for "horse eventing death" on Google. All considered very good event riders.. I didnt keep clicking too depressing.


I could go on and on with the articles. **** that ****.