If you don't know me, let me tell  you I'm a horse nut.  Wanted to BE a horse when I was 5 years old.  Religiously watched the Triple Crown Races every year (I remember seeing Secretariat win all three back in '73).   And as glorious as it is to watch those fine steeds battle it out for the finish line, I didn't realize until recently that while they look "all grown up" at 2 and 3 years old, their bones haven't finished growing.  Fast forward to a few years ago when I bought Spot. A beautiful chestnut thoroughbred, registered with the Jockey Club (you can see the tatoo in his mouth), looked beautiful under saddle, but something was very "off" when riding him.  Lo and behold the vet said he had a permanent suspensory ligament injury.  That's code for "pasture ornament."  So now he's relegated to a nice paddock with some sweet companions.  I know he gets bored and wants a job, but his body can't support that.  All because of racing when he was two.

It's said that 2 horses per day in The States suffer career ending breakdowns.  I've always thought the racing industry should move to wait until they are 5 or 6 year olds before starting out of the gate...that this would cut down on injuries.  But there was a study at the 10th International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians that suggested that "catastrophic injury rates are higher in 4 & 5 year olds than in 2 & 3 year olds."  I don't have any more info on that, and on a gut level, I don't believe it.

If you're a fan of the HBO show LUCK (Dustin Hoffman plays a crime boss that wants race track action), you're probably OUT OF LUCK due to several horse injuries requiring euthanasia.  Interesting article: http://www.b985.com/ap/ap/entertainment/hbo-racing-drama-luck-hit-by-3rd-horse-fatality/nLR9Y/

With all this said, I'll be the biggest hippocrit and plant myself in front of the boob tube the first Saturday in May to watch the breath-taking, magnificent run for the roses.

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