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Post by Sunnyhorse on Mar 24, 2008 18:13:26 GMT -4
Talk about horseracing, showjumping, and other professional equestrian pursuits here.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 24, 2024 1:41:58 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2008 22:11:39 GMT -4
I was a Pony Clubber back in the day. Love dressage and 3-day eventing. Hated the pony club girls - they were so mean!
Edited: Oops. I'm in no way a professional. I meant this for the amateur thread!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 24, 2024 1:41:58 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2008 1:34:54 GMT -4
I watch showjumping whenever I can, usually it is from Spruce Meadows. The only competitor I know now is Ian Millar. Back in the days of Big Ben, I used to do dressage and that spurred my interest in watching any equestrian sport.
Seeing polo played live is very exciting but my community is less horsey than it used to be and so these events are few and far between now.
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Post by Sunnyhorse on Apr 23, 2008 9:28:42 GMT -4
Ian Millar rocks -- he seems like a really great guy. (His wife passed away just a few weeks ago, unfortunately.) We used to watch showjumping every Saturday night on the Outdoor Life Network, until the people running it decided that they needed to cater to the NASCAR crowd and started running hunting and fishing shows nonstop. Boo! (We got rid of OLN.)
I attended a grand prix here a couple of weeks ago -- Alex Granato, who had a productive winter in Florida, won it on Mad Season. A couple of his other jumpers are staying temporarily at my trainer's barn. He and the other people from his trainer's operation are super-nice.
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Post by tabby on May 5, 2008 11:41:47 GMT -4
What's going on with Thoroughbred racing? Are the breeders f-ed up? Is it the way the horses are selected for races? I don't pretend to know much of anything about this sport, something seems very wrong to me.
Over in the Amateur Equestrian Sports thread, brindle posted about never watching a horse race again. I'm headed that way, too - I watch the Triple Crown races because, hey, pretty horses! Funny hats! Exciting races! But I can't bear to watch those beautiful animals get injured and die.
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Post by WitchyPoo on May 5, 2008 13:38:02 GMT -4
I've always been turned off by animal sports in general. I hate circuses. A dog show I can deal with but dog and horse races seem wrong. It must have been horrible to be there, witnessing her fall and then be killed. I feel horrible even thinking about it.
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pamster
Blueblood
Oh, PLEASE.
Posts: 1,785
Apr 2, 2005 19:31:58 GMT -4
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Post by pamster on May 5, 2008 16:36:02 GMT -4
I've always been turned off by animal sports in general. I hate circuses. A dog show I can deal with but dog and horse races seem wrong. It must have been horrible to be there, witnessing her fall and then be killed. I feel horrible even thinking about it. If I have to be in the same house when a horse race is on, I go in the bathroom and turn on the water until it's over so I don't have to hear it if anything horrible happens. And nobody better talk to me about it if it does! Horrible horrible horrible! |
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Post by lpatrice on May 5, 2008 21:49:18 GMT -4
Yeah this is animal cruelty at its worst if you ask me. They breed these poor horses, work them to the bone, and then kill them. I can't understand why horse racing continues to get a pass. Especially when I look at the big three, is it the hats? The money? If you ask me it is slightly more humane than dog fighting and that is not saying much.
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Post by kanding on May 6, 2008 11:31:12 GMT -4
What's going on with Thoroughbred racing? Are the breeders f-ed up? Yes, they are. As is the whole Thoroughbred racing system in the U.S. Horses are bred with only speed in mind. They are not bred to last. They start work at a very young age and their joints and tendons are stressed before they're mature. Most races are on dirt, not turf and the surfaces are hard, often made harder to increase speed. Most of the races are relatively short, so workouts and runs are intense and brutal. In Europe, Thoroughbreds have longer careers with fewer injuries because they start racing a bit later and often run longer, slower races on more forgiving surfaces. They are also bred with more bone and are generally sturdier. I think I've mentioned this here before when Barbaro was injured, but I have a American-bred Thoroughbred and the xrays of her feet are horrifying. There's next to nothing between the bones in her feet and the ground. Thank God she was never raced. |
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heyalice
Blueblood
Posts: 1,966
Mar 9, 2005 17:39:24 GMT -4
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Post by heyalice on May 6, 2008 12:28:25 GMT -4
They were talking about it on Pardon the Interuption last night and one of the things they mentioned is that both Barbaro and Eight Belles are both descendants of Star Dancer (I hope that is the right horse). The question was whether or not too much inbreeding is part of the problem.
I can't believe how upset I am about this.
Thanks for the clarification.
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