Dixie Chatter, Attila's Storm Out
 

From backstretch:

Dixie Chatter: Fever...

Attila's Storm: Ankle...

Fevers may continue to be a problem with weather shift...

fevers are not caused by weather.

The cynic in me says hmmm when I see post position 10+ scratching with a fever.. When a horse scratches for a fever, is this verified by the track vet or are we taking hte trainer at his word ?

This year's " fevers " appear to have been contracted at the draw.

What they need is more cowbell.

terrible news-i wanted to play both of these.

DRF...

Attila's Storm, Dixie Chatter scratched
By JAY PRIVMAN and MIKE WELSCH

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Attila's Storm, who was entered in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and Dixie Chatter, who was entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, were scratched from their respective Saturday races on Thursday morning at Monmouth Park.

Attila's Storm has a filling in an ankle, according to trainer Rich Schosberg, who said X-rays were inconclusive.

"I'm sure it's nothing major, but we're certainly taking no risks," Schosberg said.

Dixie Chatter came up with a fever, according to his trainer, Richard Mandella.

"It's not anything serious," Mandella said Thursday morning. "He had a little temperature last night, and it was 102 this morning. He didn't eat his feed. So we went ahead and treated him with medication and scratched him. It puts a little kibosh on the weekend."

Dixie Chatter traveled from California on the same plane as Cry and Catch Me, who on Wednesday was withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with a similar illness.

The stewards/track vets basically take the trainers word that the horse has a fever. Ive yet to see a track vet actually take the horses temperature to varify it. Some will want verification that the trainers personal vet has treated the horse with antibiotics..

that wench...probably a little too much smooching going on!

However rapid changes in temperature can cause stress related sickness in racehorses

Actually great news because you just saved money ...

In stake races the trainer can scratch for any reason up to 45 mins to post. Plus most state vets barely have time to do the job that they have let alone going around taking tempatures.

We had a horse colic Tuesday night and it was attributed to the drop in temperature.

so can shipping across the country in a poorly ventilated airplane ....and so can a bad post draw......but the temps merly exacerbate the stress which can cause immune disruption....the weather itself is not the cause, because a healthy animal wouldn't be bothered by swings in temperature.

this time of year it isn't so much caused by the temp shift as much as it is that grasses in the paddock begin to hoard fructan (to stay alive) which can cause a horse to colic....assuming the horse has paddock access....also as the weather cools many horses don't drink enough water, because they aren't sweating as much and can get themselves into trouble that way.

but there is a relation between weather and sickness though

I believe you get your entry money back if you get a vet to scratch you by the way...

there is a much bigger realation between stress and sickness than weather and sickness....and you know as well as I do that if these horses are sick it is likely shipping fever

I feel a little sick...

must be the rain. cause I know it isn't the stress.

take two bud lights and call me in the morning

I know for a fact that the warm weather causes spring fever...

What me worry?

Cold weather (or airplane rides) cause physically dried out airways due to colder and less humid evironmental conditions.

If your airway dries out, you lose your nice mucociliary defense system to carry crap out of your airways, and your nose/nasal cavities dry out and the cells are more susceptible to letting something in.

Even though the four arms of your immune system are working 100% and you are 100% healthy.

Humans can spray saline nasal spray during an airplane ride, horses can't. Drinking alot of water helps keep your airways hydrated, too - so horses that don't drink when the weather changes , or when they are on an airplane, or when they travel, are more suceptible to upper airway infections and colics.

As are humans, who often get "colds" after airplane rides, especially if they have dehydrated themselves with alcohol, and not drunk enough water while traveling. Being stuck in a contained space with new viruses and bacteria doesn't help, either.

The concept of "weak immune systems" and "stress compromising your immune system" is mostly an exaggerated TV ad thing to sell product.

Unless one has a serious immune disease, the four arms of your immune system are working fine. It takes an incredible amount of stress (cortisol release, etc) to disrupt that. You can have an excellent immune system and be 100% healthy and still get sick.

I'm not scratching anyone in certain places on their body ....

There must be something in the air today....zanyness is everwhere

;) Heh.

By switching to GEICO?

This horse is out 23 hrs. of the day and runs with 7 others. Plenty of pasture, coastal hay and water. No changes in food whatsoever. Less water consumption, maybe. Whatever it was caused a pretty severe gas buildup.

sugar overload (from high levels of fructan in the cool season grass) can cause serious gas colic....the simple sugars pass directly into the hind gut where they are fermented...I used to own a horse that colicked regularly when the seasons changed....it finally killed him when he was 22.