Seems much less activity on this forum?

[bdw0617]

I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should be welcome here. Sorry you got a bad reaction, sprocket.

Speaking for myself, I no longer have the time to painstakingly research mares and stallions, and matings. I believe if I can't positively comment, I shouldn't answer..

I also believe that those that are not really knowledgeable about those things, the "peanut gallery", should not be warning off newbies.

actually, just yesterday, I know a guy who wants to learn how to handicap. His father has recently passed and he has come into a LOT of money and wants to start learning how to play the horses.

Moral issues aside, as could see how someone could say that doesn't sound like a good combination, I figure if i don't someone else will and at the very least, let me make sure that the guy gets good info doesn't get taken advantage of beucdase he's a good guy. I'm not the morality police, if you want to spend all your money at the track, what are you gonna do? anyway, i told him honestly to keep his money. i don't need it, I honestly just get joy out of bringing new people to the game and if i can show you how to somewhat wisely wager on horses, than i feel i have played my part.

so, yesterday comes along, and he goes to the track and puts everything i have told him so far to use, i also gave him a few horses that i liked. and yesterday was oine of my "white hot" days. i destroyed santa anita execpt for the big cap. Anyway the guy comes out like 700 bucks ahead yesterday. and you know i'm happy for him. I made money too. that's great. I'm glad he had a positive experience.

so i wake up today, and there are like 3 emails in my inbox all form him "who do you like today".. and in the middle of my post i'm like wait.. hold up. i have things to do. like a lot of things to do. Now i'm looking at races I normally would not look at because you want to play something and now you aren't even trying to figure out what am doing or how to go about doing this you just want to use me like a dirty slut for my pics lol. i feel used lol. anyway, i said look, from here on out you are going to have to pay for my time. it's not even about the money, seriously it really isn't. but at the same time, my time is more valuable than free. I have things that i do in a normal day that generate me income and if you want me to replace those income generating activities with helping you out, me helping you out (from here on out) needs to be an income generating event.

so in that sense, i can see where people like, sysonby or others with a vast amount of wealth can feel nagged, you login to a site you see 5 or so request "hey help me please! i'm broke btw!" you don't want to be a nag and you don't mind helping but I mean, within reason.

i guess what i am saying is if you are going to "request" for advice, at least, do your own due diligence on your end before you come to the board and ask for advice because i can imagine what research on something like that entails. at least make it easy and non time consuming for people to help you as much as you can. some people don't know any better, but alot do and just don't bother.

[sprocket]

Thanks for your responses ,really both than and now, I say this because now I understand the quality of what I'm breeding is not going to really mean that much to the breeding as it relates to racing, just that I might get lucky. I am racing at Tampa from a training center in Ocala, I'll add this works at this level because I have a partner to share expenses, he brings the expertise to train,I actually muck,hot walk, van etc. all excellent activities for my heart surgery of 7 years ago, and we have found a trainer of our age to saddle for a percentage. Crazy group, but it works and we can all enjoy a sport we enjoy, the breeding I have always wanted to do with the previous mentioned goal in mind with farms in both states I can cover much of the expenses although big on a day to day basis[less impact]. I would like to improve my mares over time thus my interest in sire lines and how they relate' soundess, size, temperment, comformation, this is the type of information I look to as I'm not up on current sires but am trying to learn, that be said, I've decided to breed the two mares this year to Vineyard Haven and Teuflesberg, both big boned horse with what I thought correct conformation and horse that looked like they were quality runners that defintely should improve my mares. Again all need not be in the top five or ten percent of this sport to have fun,and as long as I can break even as a hobby with the racing and make a little with the riding stable I'll hang around and pick up bits of wisdom from those of you that have done this for so much longer. Best, Tom

[Joltman]

There are a lot of guys and gals hanging around here like you. And yes, the game sometimes works out and the little operation hits the big time. Wishing you the best -

jm

[Sailor Kenshin]

I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should be welcome here. Sorry you got a bad reaction, sprocket.

Speaking for myself, I no longer have the time to painstakingly research mares and stallions, and matings. I believe if I can't positively comment, I shouldn't answer..

I also believe that those that are not really knowledgeable about those things, the "peanut gallery", should not be warning off newbies.

Since I will likely never own, train, or make high-roller bets, many of the responses on this thread have made me feel as though PQF should hang a sign on the door, "Elite Members Only."

People don't go where they're not wanted, and they CAN tell.

[Shammy Davis]

Sailor Kenshin wrote:

Since I will likely never own, train, or make high-roller bets, many of the responses on this thread have made me feel as though PQF should hang a sign on the door, "Elite Members Only."

People don't go where they're not wanted, and they CAN tell.

You been a great participant on this board. Your posts are thoughtful. You show up frequently and that is more than can be said for a majority of the other 88K members. The participation on this site has been in decline for several years. No doubt there is more than one or two reasons. There are great many racehorse oriented sites on the internet so I expect as has been mentioned before users go where they are most comfortable.

There is much to learn in the equine industry. Everyone has to start somewhere. Horseracing has been and is today a closed guild so to speak. It has a language and business sense all its own. If those of us involved with horses, by our actions and word, are chasing newcomers away from participation, then we all lose.

I do have one thought on the current situation. I do believe that the internet is impersonal and it is extremely hard for the reader of a post to understand the character and nature of a post when you can't be face to face with the poster or responder. Sometimes, and I'm guilty of this, we jump to conclusions that were originally unintended and that often makes posts and threads uncomfortable. An example would be a joking statement that is poorly written that comes off as disparaging. If you could see the grin in the writer's eyes you may realize the poster was kidding and not being demeaning. Sometimes the "emoticons" are helpful, but not always. A wink to one person maynot be the same to another.

It doesn't help either that the "king's English" is in a state of endless disrepair. Butt i em sure u all red eeh no this.

Everyone of us, I'm sure, has typed "a stupid sentence" or "replied in anger" or "been offended and dropped off the map," but this is a great website. Often an apology for a misdeed suffices when threads get out of hand. I've gotten well beyond the finger count on both hands in this category and I still think it is action that puts communication back into perspective when required. I've enjoyed this board from my initial post. I hope you and others will continue to participant and enjoy it.

[docjocoy]

I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should be welcome here. Sorry you got a bad reaction, sprocket.

Speaking for myself, I no longer have the time to painstakingly research mares and stallions, and matings. I believe if I can't positively comment, I shouldn't answer..

I also believe that those that are not really knowledgeable about those things, the "peanut gallery", should not be warning off newbies.

Since I will likely never own, train, or make high-roller bets, many of the responses on this thread have made me feel as though PQF should hang a sign on the door, "Elite Members Only."

People don't go where they're not wanted, and they CAN tell.

Gosh Sailor I'm surprised you feel that way. You hold your own on Louis" interminable thread and I enjoy reading your posts there since you usually respond reasonably and when I respond over there I'm usually fed up and angry.
There is nothing here on this board that says only horsemen need read or post and you seem at least as knowledgeable as some of the "regulars."

[docjocoy]

I do have one thought on the current situation. I do believe that the internet is impersonal and it is extremely hard for the reader of a post to understand the character and nature of a post when you can't be face to face with the poster or responder. Sometimes, and I'm guilty of this, we jump to conclusions that were originally unintended and that often makes posts and threads uncomfortable. An example would be a joking statement that is poorly written that comes off as disparaging. If you could see the grin in the writer's eyes you may realize the poster was kidding and not being demeaning. Sometimes the "emoticons" are helpful, but not always. A wink to one person maynot be the same to another.

Everyone of us, I'm sure, has typed "a stupid sentence" or "replied in anger" or "been offended and dropped off the map," but this is a great website. Often an apology for a misdeed suffices when threads get out of hand. I've gotten well beyond the finger count on both hands in this category and I still think it is action that puts communication back into perspective when required. I've enjoyed this board from my initial post. I hope you and others will continue to participant and enjoy it.

One of my favorite new threads is your "off the wall" thread/rant where you stand in the middle of the room and shout to the rafters.
Quite colorful. I was hoping others would take up the torch and use it also.
It can be a useful place to go when someone else feels like bashing.

[ratherrapid]

i personally enjoy insulting people over at Huffington Post, and lately on National Review and Politico at least when I'm able to dodge the censors.

[Shammy Davis]

Docojoy wrote:

One of my favorite new threads is your "off the wall" thread/rant where you stand in the middle of the room and shout to the rafters.
Quite colorful. I was hoping others would take up the torch and use it also.
It can be a useful place to go when someone else feels like bashing.

You need to thank Madelyn. It was her idea.

I'll keep bumping it up to encourage its use. I'm thinking it is my alter ego. One side is Imaginative Horse Care for the "good" and the other . . . Well if I get into trouble and can't control myself, I can always blame Madelyn. Moderators are the ones who should take the heat.

[clh]

sprocket - I sure hope you love your Teuflesburg foal as much as I loved the one we had. Aside from some of the issues he had, that colt was the prettiest foal I believe we ever had on our farm. Best of luck !!!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Sailor Kenshin wrote:

Since I will likely never own, train, or make high-roller bets, many of the responses on this thread have made me feel as though PQF should hang a sign on the door, "Elite Members Only."

People don't go where they're not wanted, and they CAN tell.

You been a great participant on this board. Your posts are thoughtful. You show up frequently and that is more than can be said for a majority of the other 88K members. The participation on this site has been in decline for several years. No doubt there is more than one or two reasons. There are great many racehorse oriented sites on the internet so I expect as has been mentioned before users go where they are most comfortable.

There is much to learn in the equine industry. Everyone has to start somewhere. Horseracing has been and is today a closed guild so to speak. It has a language and business sense all its own. If those of us involved with horses, by our actions and word, are chasing newcomers away from participation, then we all lose.

I do have one thought on the current situation. I do believe that the internet is impersonal and it is extremely hard for the reader of a post to understand the character and nature of a post when you can't be face to face with the poster or responder. Sometimes, and I'm guilty of this, we jump to conclusions that were originally unintended and that often makes posts and threads uncomfortable. An example would be a joking statement that is poorly written that comes off as disparaging. If you could see the grin in the writer's eyes you may realize the poster was kidding and not being demeaning. Sometimes the "emoticons" are helpful, but not always. A wink to one person maynot be the same to another.

It doesn't help either that the "king's English" is in a state of endless disrepair. Butt i em sure u all red eeh no this.

Everyone of us, I'm sure, has typed "a stupid sentence" or "replied in anger" or "been offended and dropped off the map," but this is a great website. Often an apology for a misdeed suffices when threads get out of hand. I've gotten well beyond the finger count on both hands in this category and I still think it is action that puts communication back into perspective when required. I've enjoyed this board from my initial post. I hope you and others will continue to participant and enjoy it.

Thanks.

Yeah, I think that's why they invented

Those.

[Shammy Davis]

Yep. Those.

[sprocket]

clh, thanks for the reply, I liked the way he was put togeather and thought he would match this mare well, noticed his isssues but figured that related to racing and was part of the game, look to having something to run in three years, thanks again for the reply re: your foal. Tom

[Sailor Kenshin]

Sprocket,

I don't know where you're racing, but some of those so-called poorly bred horses running in LA are beating half million dollar horses shipped in.

I would think that most would agree that it would be far better to get a winning 10k claimer from breeding an inexpensive mare than pay $500k for one. Those races are necessary as they can't all be stakes.

I think that breeding race horses with a high residual value like yours is a smart move and I wish you much luck and success.

"As an asterisk to any studies regarding the breeding of Thoroughbreds, good horsemanship and luck have to be factored in. Cold, hard numbers are OK to look at and discuss, but there is more to the industry than just the facts." (Extract from The Blood-Horse)

I can see this being 'it'---owning, breeding, running horses at a small local track. Not so much about making big money, but a way of life.

It might even be fun. It's what I might consider if I ever won a lottery....

Back to the seems-like-fewer-people-here question:

I don't remember the moment when I fell for colorful horses, but in my first phase, I belonged to another large, heavily populated horse forum.

My eyes would literally pop whenever someone posted a gorgeously-colored animal (not usually a TB).


What drew me to this forum was one of the Color Corner threads, which I followed in silence for a while until finally posting. (I learned a lot, but I'm still confused about numerous terms.)

But I do get a real kick out of discovering an unusually-colored thoroughbred; and I still remember my embarrassment when I thought I found a new 'species'---when it was just a clip job.

To this day I squint at horses in the paddock: "OK, is that a skin disease or does that chestnut really have pink spots?"

[Shammy Davis]

The truth is that this website has become ineffective. The fact that some members have political agendas or are bad actors has nothing to do with the inactivity. Georgerz just likes to the stir the pot with his sniping and he knows it. From my point of view, it would be nice to know if Georgerz really knows anything about horses. He certainly doesn't know anything about human psychology.

If it weren't for Louis' ridiculous thread on "inbreeding" the traffic on the PA forum would be nil. Zero traffic abounds on just about every other forum. Buying & Selling and Horse Care get a few posts, but for the most part are dead. Racing, Handicapping, and International Racing are kept above water by Racing alone when the TC races get our attention. I don't get involved in Mating Advice much because I have my own thoughts on breeding programs and they are not readily received by most. I don't think it makes much sense to tell a prospective breeder not to breed. It makes better sense to point them in the right direction with evidence and information.

Even if you entertain the notion that some members don't play well with others, there is still enough information abounding daily in the horseracing industry to keep a couple threads busy everyday. The sniping and mud slinging on this website, IMO, is much less than the frenetic sniping activity on others. It doesn't take much for a member to reach liking or disliking another member based on a single post. I've never found the snipes unexceptable. I find them, and the mental jousting that surounds them, fun and I'm told it enhances by mental health, such as it is. I've found the "bullying" very unacceptable. There is a difference between a "wise ass crack" and "being mean" while chasing another member from thread to thread.

I think the website needs to be renovated. What few members that do continue to enjoy the board have built up relationships with other members on subjects of similar interest. On the PA board, the "speed gene" is interesting conversation and though I don't participate much, I do read the information. IMO, the entire website needs to be streamlined. It can't be everything to everyone. Journeymen horsemen/women and racing handicappers are as different as night and day. That is another reason why the Handicapping Board is of no interests and has little activity. Only a brain dead handicapper would want a betting tip from a horseman. If horsemen knew how to gamble, there wouldn't be casinos supporting the purses across NA.

Some have blamed the "inbreeding" thread for chasing members away. I now read Louis' thread, just out of curiosity. To be honest, I'm "linked out." I know of no other forum that has had as much information posted to it, and yet Louis, the author, has considered none of it. It is also addictive. It was for me. I believe that is due to the fact that the stupidity and volume of erroroneous information provided by the author is incomprehensible. The fact that he believes he is the sole authority on the subject is inane and that infuriates "thoughtful" people also. IMO, it is time to deep six the "inbreeding" thread. What ever credibility this board has had, is certainly assailed by Louis' thread.

Lastly, it is interesting to note the continued absence of Roguelet. It has been more than sometime since Roguelet has been active. That says a great deal about the direction of this website.