EDDIE D. RIGHTS THE SHIP

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:18 am

A trainer told me that the jockeys of today are riding to far forward and they are putting to much weight on the front legs of our TB.

Thats why we are having many injuries on the TB front legs. This trainer was a jockey and said that the jockeys of years ago rode farther back to keep the weight off their front legs.

I asked Eddie Delahousse if this statement was true. Eddie said it is not true as the strongest point is the withers and the jockeys weight does not cause injuries as the jockeys ride right on the withers.

Eddie D. said that if the jockeys rode further back that the spine would not support the weight of the jockeys, and would throw the TB off balance.

Eddie D. is enjoying his retirement and I have enjoyed talking to Eddie when I see him at trainer Pat Gallagher's barn.

Kristie · Postby **Kristie** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:23 am

Sending my best wishes along to Eddie D. He was one of my favorite all time jockeys. Tell him his fans miss seeing him in the saddle, but we're happy he's in one piece and enjoying his retirement!

Intrinsic Worth · Postby **Intrinsic Worth** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:49 am

I believe many TB injuries are due more in part to cranking their heads to their chests durng their workouts. This makes them very heavy on their forehands and can lead to bone chips etc.

Whirlaway · Postby **Whirlaway** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:56 am

Do give my best wishes to Eddie D. and thanks for the inside info here. However, with all due respect, I don't know that I agree with Eddie D.

I was watching a race not long ago on TVG that was being run at Golden Gate Fields and at that time the competition was keen between the new apprentice jockey {can't remember his name} and Russell Baze; the apprentice was dead even in wins and was threatening to overtake Baze as the win leader. As I was watching the race the apprentice was nearing the last turn and as he did so he inched up on the withers ever so slightly and shifted his weight down and left as to counterbalance the centripetal forces of the turn; two more jumps and the horse broke down, I believe l/f cannon bone.

I believe it's a combination of things: the unsoundness of the modern thoroughbred, the fast and hard racetrack surface and the shift in weight.

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:32 pm

Eddie was the man! If he said it then thats enough for me. When he won the B C Classic on A.P. Indy he was perched like a crouching tiger and never even cocked his stick. Its funny Shoe and McCarron perched just like that too!

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:45 pm

Eddie D. has a mare by Allen's Prospect and bred her to Touch Gold.

Eddie agrees that their is to much line-breeding to (Phalaris) thats causing the unsoundness in our TB of today.

Eddie and I were talking about the TB with spindle legs caused by to many crosses of the same sire line. Eddie found an example of a spindle leg stallion in the stallion register and pointed it out to me.

When an outcross non-(Phalaris) sire line is bred to the Phalaris sire line, the Tb breeder would breed back to the Phalaris sire line to bring back the soundness in their offspring.

After Eddie D. retired + Pincay and Mc Carron the same our local jockey colony has moved back to the middle ages.

Ryeno · Postby **Ryeno** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:39 pm

Come on now peeps.......whats next.The jocks are now causing horses to breakdown?How do peeps explain how a horse in a western saddle (40-60 pounds) with a 150-200 pound person on their back going full bore on uneven terrain doesnt break a leg?I think this topic is way off.

Ryeno

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:08 am

I know the conventional belief today is that horses are breaking down because genetically they are less sound, but I have seen no study or research to support it. Does it mean bone density or tendon strength is significantly less than twenty years ago? Is conformation significantly inferior than it was twenty years ago? It would be good to see a study done.

The biggest soundness change is outside genetics IMHO. More racing, masking medications and hard tracks. The wet fast track is a significantly harder track for horses today than what they raced on twenty years or so ago.

Whirlaway · Postby **Whirlaway** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:27 am

Mr. Finochio writes:

A trainer told me that the jockeys of today are riding to far forward and they are putting to much weight on the front legs of our TB. Thats why we are having many injuries on the TB front legs. This trainer was a jockey and said that the jockeys of years ago rode further back to keep the weight off their front legs.

I just happen to be in the library at this moment and am once again going through the book by Laura Hillenbrand: SEABISCUIT: SPECIAL ILLUSTRATRED COLLECTOR'S EDITION, going through all those priceless pictures of the olden days of classic racing ... paying special note to where the jockeys rode and the position of the tack. No doubt about it, in most of the pictures the tack is well back of the base of the withers and the saddle is mid-back not far forward of the rump and interestingly the saddle straps, (I think called over and under girdles) are not vertical, rather tilted back, at 11:00.

Oh, for the olden days ...