Slightly OT: Can Thouroughbred Racing learn from Auto Racing industry?

[Teej]

A few years ago when Dale Earnhardt tragically passed away on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 seemed to trigger all of the safety features we see in modern-day auto racing from the HANS device, softer walls to today's CoT cars.

I'm no expert in horses, I do like to watch it, but it seems to me synthetic tracks would in the very least be a start in trying to make that industry safer for the horses. It would be nice to see those people that talk about making it safer, come out and actually do something about it. My $ .02

[R_Mears_Fan]

The problem with synth is that, while it's easier on the bones, it puts a lot more stress on the tendons, and it causes more problems. I don't know if we'll ever see a perfect solution for that problem aside from not racing thoroughbreds any more and use stouter horses for the racing.

[Joe in LA]

The problem seems to be breeding based more than anything else. There is a lot of demand for horses with certain bloodlines that tend to produce fast horses. At least one of the most popular bloodlines is associated with leg problems. Fast, but fragile. Trainers and owners want horses that will win. Much like race cars, sometimes that means horses that aren't terribly durable. As horses run fewer and fewer races, and retire earlier and earlier in live, durability is not high on the owner/trainer list. WSJ has an article about this today.

[Teej]

The problem seems to be breeding based more than anything else. There is a lot of demand for horses with certain bloodlines that tend to produce fast horses. At least one of the most popular bloodlines is associated with leg problems. Fast, but fragile. Trainers and owners want horses that will win. Much like race cars, sometimes that means horses that aren't terribly durable. As horses run fewer and fewer races, and retire earlier and earlier in live, durability is not high on the owner/trainer list. WSJ has an article about this today.

Thanks Joe, think I'll google Wall Street Journal and see if it is over there

I thought breeding has alot to do with it. Those racing horses have awfully skinny legs to be carrying that much weight and to go that hard, that fast for so long.

I think I need to do more research on this before I comment further

[jonovision_man]

It's just a horse.

jono

[Teej]

Watching two shows from ESPN I have found out this much.
Both Eight Belles and Barbarro were descendents of Native Dancer so maybe the bloodlines is a little flawed. Horse racing commentator Randy Moss said that race day meds should be outlawed (again I don't know much about horse racing) horses are now bred for speed, not durability (horses now aren't as bulky as they were 30-40 years ago) FINALLY.... stats from over 40 years show that you 1.5 racing deaths out of 1,000 horses every year, the fact that 8 Belles and Barbarro were in major races that everyone watches is what brought out to the mainstream audience

[Teej]

It's just a horse.

jono

I really hope that was sarcasm?

[jonovision_man]

I really hope that was sarcasm?

It wasn't. It was one horse. We kill thousands of animals every day to eat that are treated to far less humane conditions and sleep just fine, why get worked up about one horse?

jono

[Teej]

It wasn't. It was one horse. We kill thousands of animals every day to eat that are treated to far less humane conditions and sleep just fine, why get worked up about one horse?

jono

OK, I get your point!

[Red Byrd]

A horse is a horse, of course of course.

[cheeseczar]

I saw a horse go down right in front of me at Louisiana Downs in the late 80's.

It's been that long since I've watched a race. I watched yesterday.

I'll never watch another one. It completely ruined my day. Check that...it ruined my weekend.

[Sea Fury]

A few years ago when Dale Earnhardt tragically passed away on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 seemed to trigger all of the safety features we see in modern-day auto racing from the HANS device, softer walls to today's CoT cars.

I'm no expert in horses, I do like to watch it, but it seems to me synthetic tracks would in the very least be a start in trying to make that industry safer for the horses. It would be nice to see those people that talk about making it safer, come out and actually do something about it. My $ .02

Next year Kentucky will require all entrants to be the newly-designed Horse Of Tomorrow. Dumber and uglier than past racehorses, they will be cloned, and identically fed and exercised. Everybody must have exactly the same horse. They will be the slowest professional racehorses on the planet. Horseracing fans are expected to lap it up like good little dogs.

[Joe in LA]

Watching two shows from ESPN I have found out this much.
Both Eight Belles and Barbarro were descendents of Native Dancer so maybe the bloodlines is a little flawed. Horse racing commentator Randy Moss said that race day meds should be outlawed (again I don't know much about horse racing) horses are now bred for speed, not durability (horses now aren't as bulky as they were 30-40 years ago) FINALLY.... stats from over 40 years show that you 1.5 racing deaths out of 1,000 horses every year, the fact that 8 Belles and Barbarro were in major races that everyone watches is what brought out to the mainstream audience

Per what I read, not only were Eight Belles and Barbaro descendents of Native Dancer, but the whole field was this year--Eight Belles just happened to have the most Native Dancer blood.

[Joe in LA]

Next year Kentucky will require all entrants to be the newly-designed Horse Of Tomorrow. Dumber and uglier than past racehorses, they will be cloned, and identically fed and exercised. Everybody must have exactly the same horse. They will be the slowest professional racehorses on the planet. Horseracing fans are expected to lap it up like good little dogs.

I thought they could go a little higher tech and use Carbon Fiber robot horses with SAFER barriers around the track.

[JohnMc]

I wonder if there are any horses around who are descendents of Trigger, Champion or Silver. Now those were horses.