For those of you involved in horse racing...?

Question

I saw on sports center today that they're trying to make horse racing more safe for the horses...

How are they planning on doing this?

I can see the why's, but not the hows. From what I've seen, horses can be slowing to a walk and break a leg, I'm not sure that it can really be prevented without cutting racing out all together.

Answer 1

Like bwj1963 said they are starting the conversion to poly-track which is suppose to be a safer surface.  They are also working to resolve controversial medication issues.  Another solution is to deal with the breeding practices because some say there are inherent weaknesses in the bloodlines that lead to dangerous defects.

According to USAToday

"- Synthetic racing surfaces: New surfaces have been installed in nine tracks across the country, including Keeneland and Turfway Park in Kentucky, and initial results are considered promising in reducing the catastrophic bone fractures.

- Breeding soundness into thoroughbreds, rather than speed. "We've crept to a less durable horse," said Larry Bramlage, a prominent equine orthopedic surgeon from Lexington. "... Now a horse's value as a stallion is determined principally by how brilliant they were in a few events, not how many years they ground it out."

- Medication regulations: After years of study, debate and compromise, state racing commissions have begun to agree on nationally uniform regulations that control what drugs with legitimate therapeutic use can be in a horse's system in any amount for racing. Now the debate is turning to the use of anabolic steroids in horses, both for racing and at sales."

I don't want to say sometimes accidents happen, but even the most well trained athlete can fall to injury.  I've seen many human track athletes break their leg, but with humans breaking a leg is repairable, humans can rest, lay down, know to not use it.  Horses on the other hand even with the best medical treatment sometimes cannot get over a bad break.  

What most don't realize is how well kept most racing thoroughbreds are.  They get the best grain and hay, the best supplements, the best vet care, the best farrier care, they are top trained athletes so the three suggestions above about looking at the breeding, changing the track surfaces, and looking at the drug regime might be a start in the right direction.

Answer 2

most tracks in california are now....poly-track

it's much softer than traditional dirt...

Answer 3

polytracks are a good start but if a horse is going to break down, it will breakdown whether on polytrack, dirt, or turf.  horses break down in fields just running, so it dont matter if they are racing or not.  they have already found fewer injuries happen on polytrack. but that is not the only answer. one thing they dont want to talk about is having fewer racing days so our horses have a rest during the winter months.  i have seen horses that were good runners and never left the track for 2 or 3 years and then get worse at running because the trainer wont give them a break from training.  do you remember seabiscuit in the movie where they turned him out so he could learn to be a horse again?  well all horses need rest from training and having fewer racing days would be a sure way to give all the horses a break.  drugs are another problem which you can be ruled off for.  most good trainers do not use drugs but nutrients in a horses feed that help them.  believe you me, the horsemen do not want anyone giving drugs to a horse because it gives them a bad name and could hurt the horse.

dr beebee of lexington has come up with a formula called ocd which is given to the mare in her feed when she is in foal which helps the bones develope better.  they have had good results with it so far.  we know dr beebee and he is having a hard time keeping it in stock.

these are some of the few things they can check on to start but who knows what they are going to come up with.  they have some really good horsemen on the committee so hope they can help our horses and better the racing industry.

Answer 4

It's an animal not a human. People like it so they don't mind killing a horse or two to win a bunch of money. just like dog fighting these are animals not humans. this world has grown more worried about animals than humans.

Answer 5

They can change the dirt track to what is known as "polytrack".  The racetracks that have already switched to it have seen a MAJOR decrease in injuries.

For an analogy, the difference is like you running on grass, compared to you running on a track.  The support on the track is better, whereas in the grass you could hit a hole and break your ankle.

Answer 6

they going to run mules instead of horses