Do race horses break down because they are so young, most started as barely 2 year olds?

Question

I am an experienced horse person with 6 of my own. I ride competitively in dressage and have also jumped. I wouldnt think of breaking my horses before they are 3 or long 3 year olds. We race TB's at breakneck speeds as babies. Compare to stress fractures in gymnastic kids of 12 and 13? Food for thought???

Answer 1

Race horses break down because race horses are bred to have longer legs for higher running speed, via length of stride. As a result, they lose the stability, and agility that wild horses have with thier shorter more stocky legs, which are well ballanced for traveling over shifting terrains such as plains, or more rocky environments.

Having that much bulk sitting ontop of what amounts of 4 tent poles amounts to a lot of stress on the lower parts of the legs. Shortening the legs however changes the center of gravity, and the stress can be more evenly distributed.

If all the breeders were to introduce some wild horses to the gene pool, after a few generation we'd see a breed of slower race horse, but with a drop off of fatale injuries, and perhaps even losing the need for horse shoes. I would also guess that having shorter more stocky built legs would make them more equipped to deal with a single leg break, as the other 3 legs would be more perpared to deal with the heavy load.

Answer 2

no young horses break down because the trainers push the horse too much too quick, i no for a fact, the age does not matter the hosre should be broken in as a yearling

Answer 3

I believe it is the different construction of the race tracks; concrete bases vs. packed dirt.

Answer 4

Yes, they are ridden way too young and asked for too much too soon. The richest races are for 2 year olds so it will not change till the money is on 4 year old races.

It is pretty simple, it costs dollars to raise a horse for a year. There is a finiancial pressure to get those horses on the track making money asap.

Answer 5

No.  Check out the statistics at this link.

http://scrollsequus.blogspot.com/

This is a site full of statistics and information on racehorses that have broken down, you will be shocked at the number of horses of all ages that are listed here.

Genetics also plays at least some part in the breakdown of racehorses. When you compare the pedigrees of Eight Belles, Barbado, and Ruffian, you quickly find common linebred ancestry descending from Native Dance...to quote "rNative Dancer's line has a tragic flaw. Thanks in part to heavily muscled legs and a violent, herky-jerky running style, Native Dancer and his descendants have had trouble with their feet. Injuries have cut short the careers of several of his most famous kin, most notably Barbaro, a great-great-great-grandson who was injured during the Preakness Stakes and was later put to death.'.  Eight Belles also was closely related to Chelokee,

Chelokee injured 5 2 08

LOUISVILLE, Ky. _ Michael Matz, trainer of ill-fated Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, had another standout injured on a major racing stage this afternoon when his Chelokee suffered a fractured right front ankle during the running of the Alysheba Stakes on the Oaks undercard.

Later I saw another news bite that claimed that Chelokee was said to have just a very bad sprain.

Answer 6

They break down due to fragile legs. Almost all of their body weight is put on fragile legs. Obviously, horses weigh more than humans. Just think of the fattest person you know and imagine them having anorexic legs.

Answer 7

there is a corolation between track surfaces,age and breakdowns   but everything is being done by owners and trainers of the horses to diminish the breakdowns on the track  i ran horses for 16 years and never had a horse break downin europe they run on the turf and they have break downs