horsesforlife

With the Preakness this weekend, the story of Eight Belles finds itself still in the news.  Having spent a good many years of my fifteen with horses, barrel racing and pole bending, I understand that injuries happen to both horse and rider.  I’ve read several articles on Eight Belles, though I did not get to see the race.  So far, there has been an outcry against the jockey for use of his whip, and the trainer has been accused of giving her steroids. Even the Triple Crown, the track, and the sport, has faced scrutiny.  If I had a say (which I don’t),

1.     I’d remove whips from the track.  I’d do this not because of injuries to the horse, but because a horse that want to run will and I don’t buy the assessment that jockeys’ needs the whip for control

2.     I’d begin training horses for racing at three years old instead of one or two years old.  This will eliminate the possibility that age is a factor in injuries.  At four years old, horses are more developed. We do this in barrel racing.  In western pleasure, there are events that cater to two and three year olds.

3.     Finally, I’d access my breeding stock.  In every discipline, there are breeds and linage that are more prominent.  Definitely, check to see if Barbaro and Eight Belles had a common ancestor.

Are the jockey and the trainer at fault?  In my opinion, no.  Is this freak of nature?  Likely so.  Barbaro’s incident alone could be pushed away, but combine that with Eight Belle’s –It’s definitely time to look long and hard at the sport.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS