Dave C wrote:photofinish wrote:
I think it is more a matter of hunter/jumper trainers/owners take the time to get the horse healthy and keep it healthy. Most race trainers/owners aren't interested in giving a horse more than a couple of weeks rest. We ran a mare awhile back who bowed both fronts before her first lifetime work, she ran well for a dozen races before having to be retired for other unrelated reasons. We had to give her a year off before bringing her back, and unfortunately, most race owners aren't interested in doing that. I'm trying to sell a 2yo gelding in training right now but even though the people coming to look at him like him, they want a horse they can run in 2 weeks not one that they are going to be able to run in 2 months if nothing goes wrong. Race track people just don't have the patience to deal with significant injuries to horses; racing has become a use them up and through them out game.
While I can't speak for everyone, I don't think racing overall has gotten that bad. We've always given bowed horses 9 months-12 months before putting them back in training on core lesions. 6 months on milder strains. Bows hold until they don't in racing. In some that is a year or so, in others they start having problems before they make it back to the races. Best advice I ever got regarding bringing a bowed horse back came from an old horseman who is the definition of "Sharp". He said "Sell 'em to a Bow man". There a re a few race trainers out there who are magicians with them, I know one who even runs his bowed guy in a partial gel-cast and does well. I hate them. I am, apparently, not a Bow Man! lol
