Comments | hasfartogo: Called the folks.

hasfartogo

Called the folks.

May 19, 2008 12:06

My mom is ok but a bit overwhelmed by the cost of getting a new place set up after selling off all her furniture for the move to the retirement residence. I had to laugh when I told her that Pilmico Racetrack has a website if she wanted to know the time of the Preakness. It was no record breaker because they are trying to keep Big Brown fresh for ( Read more... )

horses, family, horse racing, rant

Comments 6

elainegrey May 19 2008, 16:23:31 UTC

Do you think running them a little *older* would be safer? The bones stronger?

Probably ... hasfartogo May 20 2008, 13:33:59 UTC

... unfortunately most horses have such a short career that the owners try to get as much out of it as possible. And some are handicapped by the fact that they aren't really 3 years old when they run the race, all horses are given January 1st as their birthday for racing purposes. And some are raced a little too hard before the Derby as 2 year olds. But a good analogy would be that teenagers should not do sports because their bones are still developing ( ... )

Re: Probably ... elainegrey May 20 2008, 14:01:43 UTC

I feel the same way about some of the child athletes in tennis and gymnastics, although there it's not just bones but minds.

It seemed to me that some race thoroughbreds that didn't make racing stock went on the steeplechase circuit. I would guess there's more risk in that world.... but it's not so much the risk that bugs me but that it seems thoroughbred racing starts so young.

I guess part of it was that when i was young we got a young Morgan who was trained to harness but not saddle with the admonition to wait a while longer before training him for riding. Let him get to four*, let him get strong. Of course, this horse lives to eat, not run, and has been our family's pet for thirty some years....

* it couldn't have possibly been four. I don't know how that got in my head, but we only kept him in harness a year it seemed. Three maybe?

Re: Probably ... hasfartogo May 20 2008, 15:55:58 UTC

Yeah, different breed of horse and different expectations. You'll see that in hunter classes too, they usually don't hit their stride till 7 years old and up and can keep going till 15 years with good care. And some of the heavier Thoroughbreds end up as jumpers sometimes too. And people forget the Thoroughbreds carry at the most 135 lbs during a race, not a lot of weight really.

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