I see in the media that bloodlines and commercial breeding is the blame to horses breaking down. The market has been aiming to breed horses with better conformation that is a big part that sells in the commercial market. Prepping horses for two year old in training sales to make a fast buck is something that needs to be looked at more than what mare we breed to what stud. Pumping up horses to make them grow faster than they are suppose to is something that needs to be looked into rather than blaming it all on pedigree.
Many people who own and train race horses do not have farms to lay up their stock and once a horse is used up that horse is often discarded. Bloodlines is part of the equation of horses breaking down but it is it the main part of the equation I do not think so.
Year round racing can be a detriment to some horses especially cheaper horses because often trainers get all they can get out of a horse until the horse starts not paying its way and that horse often winds up in the wrong hands like ending up at the sale in New Holland. We pay close to $300 to register a foal and maybe a horse should be inspected to be eligible to race based on x-rays and concrete evidence other than bloodlines. Cars are inspected and maybe horses should be inspected on a yearly basis in order to continue racing. It is just a thought. Horses can look sound and appear sound and a thorough vet check could be costly but can help in the prevention of break downs. Maybe a small percentage of the purses should go toward horse rescues. Many breeders especially the small time breeders are the back bone of the industry and to blame breeders is wrong. It takes alot of money to breed and raise a horse that is often sold for much less at auction as the breeding farms with theses stallions get richer and the average small time horse breeder gets more poor.
Good horses with non-commercial pedigrees are never really given a chance as they often have small crops and bred to less than stellar mares. Isn't it better to breed to a sound horse with a great race record that may not have the pedigree than to a broke down or unraced stallion with a much more commercial pedigree. Just do not go out on a limb and pay $50 million for a horse with not such a great pedigree that has a possibility to win the Triple Crown. Just a thought.
Keith
Blame breakdowns on the bloodlines
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Keith, you have covered the topic pretty well, but let me make a few generaliztions just from my observations.
1. Sound horses in bad hands will breakdown more often than sound horses in good hands.
2. Horses with unsound sires and dams will breakdown reguardless of who has them 80% of the time.
3. People want champions not ordinary race horses; therefore, they will spend $500,000 for a stud fee knowing full well that the offspring has a 50 50 chance of never racing. The financial and ego rewards out weight the down side of useless horses that are sent to Texas to sire more unsound race horses.
4. 2yr old racing is good for soundness when the horse comes first. It models stronger bones, it builds foundation, it teaches the babys how to race and take care of themselves.
5. Drugs are really not much of the problem. One study years ago proved that the use of Bute in Louisiana resulted in less breakdowns.
6. Horses can be pushed to reach three year bodies in 2 year olds, and that is a real cause of breakdowns. You can do it with steriods and feed and stall confinement.
7. Breakdowns result from 50% breeding, 30% nuture, 20% luck.
Just a few of my thoughts
1. Sound horses in bad hands will breakdown more often than sound horses in good hands.
2. Horses with unsound sires and dams will breakdown reguardless of who has them 80% of the time.
3. People want champions not ordinary race horses; therefore, they will spend $500,000 for a stud fee knowing full well that the offspring has a 50 50 chance of never racing. The financial and ego rewards out weight the down side of useless horses that are sent to Texas to sire more unsound race horses.
4. 2yr old racing is good for soundness when the horse comes first. It models stronger bones, it builds foundation, it teaches the babys how to race and take care of themselves.
5. Drugs are really not much of the problem. One study years ago proved that the use of Bute in Louisiana resulted in less breakdowns.
6. Horses can be pushed to reach three year bodies in 2 year olds, and that is a real cause of breakdowns. You can do it with steriods and feed and stall confinement.
7. Breakdowns result from 50% breeding, 30% nuture, 20% luck.
Just a few of my thoughts
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Laurierace
- Grade II Winner
- Posts: 1277
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:14 am
I agree completely that people want the "big" horse. They are doing a study at Texas A&M trying to find the genetic explanation for why some race horses race forever without any career ending injuries and some only run a few times if at all. I think it is a noble cause but a waste of time for the most part. If given the choice I think everyone would rather have a horse that runs three or four times and makes $100,000 before retiring due to injury than one who runs 50 times and makes the same $100,000 before retiring completely sound.
Laurierace wrote:I agree completely that people want the "big" horse. They are doing a study at Texas A&M trying to find the genetic explanation for why some race horses race forever without any career ending injuries and some only run a few times if at all. I think it is a noble cause but a waste of time for the most part. If given the choice I think everyone would rather have a horse that runs three or four times and makes $100,000 before retiring due to injury than one who runs 50 times and makes the same $100,000 before retiring completely sound.
Which one would you want to be your broodmare or stallion? I'm just the opposite, I hate putting a horse down, I've only done it once back in the early ninties and it still hurts.