A Day In The Life Of A Work Rider - A Trip To The Races

[scats]

I am struggling with the double standards.
There are plenty of posts on here, my horse, naps, rears, bucks, bites when he is saddled, shakes his head and the rest of the long list.
The replies quite rightly are get a vet, dentist, saddler, physio etc etc
It would be cruel to carry on riding, don't ride till it is sorted, poor horse etc etc

and they are quite correct, it would be cruel to do so to an animal who is simply there for our pleasure. That person could cause further pain and discomfort to the horse. People are quite rightly very critical.

OTOH we have a horse who is knackered and tired, he could easily have broken a leg as he came down.
No outrage at all and people merely comment the write up is interesting.

As you say,, Marigold, poor horse.

Im quite conflicted because I think back to a few years ago when Andy Kocher jumped an exhausted horse in a class- fences flying everywhere. By some miracle the horse stayed on its feet. There was absolute outrage that it wasn’t pulled up. Yet it would appear that an exhausted racehorse that eventually falls isn’t seen as the same. It’s almost accepted.

I don’t always agree that a racehorse won’t run if it doesn’t want to. I think once the adrenaline is up, it will continue to run with the herd for as long as it possibly can.

I know that racehorses are treated well (in the most part) and that accidents can happen anywhere and horses can drop dead in the field, but I do find that welfare issues seemed to be more readily brushed over in racing.

Interesting insight into the job though Elf.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

If anyone wants to watch the race you can do for free on Sporting Life. You do need an account but it costs nothing.

You will see he was still galloping down to the fence he fell at, he wasn't excessively tired at that point, the fall knocked the stuffing out of him not the actual galloping or jumping.

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing...-novices-handicap-chase-gbb-race#video-player

 

[Orangehorse]

I Love your posts Elf. Very interesting.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

OK hands up which one of you has just messaged the yards fb page asking if it's me!?! ??? Yes I am one of 3 people with access to the yards fb page and I do most of the stuff on it but not all of it. The boss puts a fair bit of stuff on as well and Duffers does when away at big meetings but doesn't get involved in it in-between times ???

 

[stangs]

I know that racehorses are treated well (in the most part) and that accidents can happen anywhere and horses can drop dead in the field, but I do find that welfare issues seemed to be more readily brushed over in racing.

For me, it's that a) there's simply too much money in racing for there to be so many casualties (so the "oh but look at all these leisure horses suffering" argument is completely out of place), and b) I (I representing the general public) don't anything being done to reduce the number of fatalities. Getting top veterinary care after an accident is the bare minimum really, not something to use as evidence that racing is God's gift to horses.

Some of the people who complain about racing have no idea how to look after horses properly and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near an animal of any sort. But they think they know it all. Its the social media curse. Know alls come out in force without the knowledge to back up their claims.

Even if someone doesn't know anything about horses, their concerns as to the welfare of the horses are valid. I do not doubt that most people involved in racing love the horses. But it doesn't look that way when fatalities aren't uncommon and when, whenever someone raises a concern, the response is just "you know nothing about horses". How are people supposed to learn about racing if all they're told is "the horses love it, trust me" and "they're kept healthy so they're fine". Plus, on social media, I don't see the pro-racing side giving any objective evidence to support their claims either.

I would far rather live in a world where Joe Bloggs is concerned for horses' welfare than in one where no one gives a sh*t.

 

[nagblagger]

[QUOTE="Elf On A Shelf, post: OK hands up which one of you has just messaged the yards fb page asking if it's me!?! ??? Yes I am one of 3 people with access to the yards fb page and I do most of the stuff on it but not all of it. The boss puts a fair bit of stuff on as well and Duffers does when away at big meetings but doesn't get involved in it in-between times ???[/QUOTE]

Wasn't me...i'm not a member of facebook, i think i found you on the website, when you said you used to use your initials, but not going to ask to confirm cos like a bit of mystery....

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

[QUOTE="Elf On A Shelf, post: OK hands up which one of you has just messaged the yards fb page asking if it's me!?! ??? Yes I am one of 3 people with access to the yards fb page and I do most of the stuff on it but not all of it. The boss puts a fair bit of stuff on as well and Duffers does when away at big meetings but doesn't get involved in it in-between times ???

Wasn't me...i'm not a member of facebook, i think i found you on the website, when you said you used to use your initials, but not going to ask to confirm cos like a bit of mystery....[/QUOTE]

Ah but there are 2 of us on there with the same initials ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

For me, it's that a) there's simply too much money in racing for there to be so many casualties (so the "oh but look at all these leisure horses suffering" argument is completely out of place), and b) I (I representing the general public) don't anything being done to reduce the number of fatalities. Getting top veterinary care after an accident is the bare minimum really, not something to use as evidence that racing is God's gift to horses.


Even if someone doesn't know anything about horses, their concerns as to the welfare of the horses are valid. I do not doubt that most people involved in racing love the horses. But it doesn't look that way when fatalities aren't uncommon and when, whenever someone raises a concern, the response is just "you know nothing about horses". How are people supposed to learn about racing if all they're told is "the horses love it, trust me" and "they're kept healthy so they're fine". Plus, on social media, I don't see the pro-racing side giving any objective evidence to support their claims either.

I would far rather live in a world where Joe Bloggs is concerned for horses' welfare than in one where no one gives a sh*t.

So they reckon horses see white better than they see orange so as each track finishes it's jumps season their hurdles and bars in fences will be changed from orange to white which should, in theory, make them jump better.

To be honest I think racing is as safe as it can possibly be without sending them out indivually and timing them to determine the winner. There will always be fatalities and it is a part of the job we have to accept. We don't like it, it upsets us greatly but there is an element of risk to everything we do - horse and human - every single day. Just the same as anyone who sits on a horse puts themselves at risk every day.

In relation to the big festivals every single horse has to have veterinary paperwork sent it weeks in advance. Every single horse is trotted up by the vets the morning of their race. If a vet isn't happy the horse doesn't run. Not just jumps meetings but flat ones too. For the more bog standard meetings every horse has a vet trot up once a season on race day. They usually try to see them the day of their first run back from a break. Any horse that has had significant time off will be checked by a vet before they race that day - trot up, heart listened to, legs felt. A faller the previous time out will also be trotted up and checked the day of its next run. These are BHA employed vets that do this. Not our own vets at home.

Racing is the only fully open equine discipline. People notice the injuries and fatalities more because it is shown on TV every Saturday for terrestrial TV and every day of the week on the racing channels. I wouldn't know the statistics for the likes of eventing or dressage or jumping for injuries etc but the % is probably on par with racing per head of horses, the injuries would just be different and would more likely be soft tissue.

I agree there is far too much racing, too many bad horses racing and because they win a bad race they are then bred from. The beach donkey Derby surface has a lot to answer for in that respect. The same gene pool of sires was used for too long and only recently are studs trying to outcross rather than line breed which will hopefully improve the soundness of the horses in the long term.

As to why they break bones - that's anyone's guess. There is some scientific evidence to prove that a horse started as a 2yo - not necessarily raced but broken and ridden away for a few months, then brought in to gallop on as a 3yo is more likely to have stronger bones than a horse started at 4yo to run as a 4 or 5yo. They think the bone hardens better with work at a younger age. But that brings in its own problems with joints etc.

The soundness of racehorses is a giant rabbit hole with many tunnels leading off of it if you ever care to wander down it!

I know I do say this a lot too but every really should watch the Channel 4 program - Inside Nature's Giants when they disect a racehorse. You can still watch it on YouTube.

 

[nagblagger]

Ah but there are 2 of us on there with the same initials ?[/QUOTE]

Only one that drives a lot...??

 

[Peglo]

When I was younger I read a book called blind beauty (fiction of course) and loved the behind the scenes of racing aspect of the book. Really enjoy hearing about it in real life Elf!

I’m torn slightly with racing as the deaths really upset me. I went to Cheltenham and watched synchronised win the gold cup. My heart broke when he got PTS in the grand national.

on the other hand I have an ex racer. She wouldn’t exist without racing. She’s taught me so much about horses being slightly on the highly strung side and I’m so thankful for it. She’s very much a ‘if I don’t want to, you’ll struggle to make me’ kinda lass. But my goodness could she gallop. And she loved to gallop. I never needed to kick her on and a “c’mon then, let’s go” was all it took to up the gears. And I want another TB some day.

 

[Fraggle bells rock]

Thank you elf for your honest opinion and views of an industry you know inside and out.
Please do keep up your stories of what to you is everyday life.

 

[Cragrat]

I too love your reports - the love you have for the horses, the knowledge of their quirks and idiosyncracies, whilst stillackowldging they are only there becuase they have to do, is heart warming and refreshing.

I briefly worked in NH racing many lifetimes ago, and it brings back happy memories.

To those who feel confilicted - Big Doug wasn't pushed over fence after fence whilst exhausted (unlike teh A Kocher episode). He jumped one, close to home, having shown the first signs of tiredness. EOAS has repeatedly told us what a headstrong numbskull Doug is - to attempt to pull him atthe poitnwould likely have been a worse disaster - though that is hard to explain to someone who hasn't ridden a horse like Doug, when their blood is up, even if tired. Very sadly he did fall, and immediately recieved the best of care, and was repeatedly checked the rest of that day, and will definitly be given expert, experienced care to help him recover. In this respect, this situation is very unlike other case on HHO where a horse is showing signs of pain/discomfort and yet is being ridden day after day.

The heartbreak and fear EOAS felt as she ran towards the fallen Doug came across so clearly in her report - it brought tears to my eyes as I read it. I won't say there is no one in racing who treats horses simply as machines - a certain notorious trainer springs to mind. There are people like that in every equestrian sport - those who want to win at ANY cost, and will push a horse beyond its limits just to get one more prize. Howeever, I truly believe that the majority are in it for the love of the horse. Yes, the horses are there to do a job, and yes that job can be fatal. Improvements are being made all the time, as in Eventing, to try to make it safer - but the harsh reality is that the element of excitement - the speed and exhileration, is what makes the sport so popular. And the horses do truly love to race - or they simply won't as has been said above.

My ex racer was extremely well bred, but just too slow. Watching his races is sad, because he tries so hard, but is so one paced he just can't keep up after about half way when they quickened away from him. But he is adorable character, and his owner kept him in training, way after he should have cut his losses, just because he loved him, and apparently the jockeys loved to ride him, even though they knew they'd never win. Even now he loves to gallop. It is a fierce joy you can feel in him, totallly different to having a gallop on a warmblood.

 

[Velcrobum]

The stewards at each course keep a very close eye on proceedings. ITV racing today had a piece about how the stewards operate with footage of stewards monitoring a race and they are very diligent. From the footage shown I am not sure I would be able to analyse 9 different camera angles during a race but they can and do replay as many times as they need to.They sanction jockeys every day, this is the BHA steward reports part of the BHA website https://www.britishhorseracing.com/racing/stewards-reports/#!?pagenum=1

 

[Supertrooper]

The stewards reports are really interesting

what’s the significance of them wearing red hoods?

also can’t see the reports mention any fallers?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The red hoods are the ones that have to be removed before the start of a race. The ears are made of rubber to dull noise to gelp keep the horse calm in the preliminaries. Black hoods stay pm the entire race.

 

[Supertrooper]

Thanks

Do fallers get investigated by BHA?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Thanks

Do fallers get investigated by BHA?

Only if the Jockey really is flogging a knackered horse home or there is interference which causes the fall.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Only if the Jockey really is flogging a knackered horse home or there is interference which causes the fall.

and the vets report lost shoes, loss of action, bleeding, injury and any comments for poor performance, hanging etc from the jockey, plus they will scope in the stables if needed.

 

[Orangehorse]

I read somewhere recently that a trainer(?) was questioning some medication that racehorses are given when in training that in his opinion could be leading to fractures during a race. I don't remember the time-frame, ie. from when the stuff is administered to when a horse gets on the racecourse, or what it is or why it is administered. Presumably it is being given to a horse for the best of reasons and the vet must have sanctioned it.

I am a big, big fan of racing and I've heard all the arguments for years, but for me, just watching on TV it does seem that there are more fractures during running than there used to be, on the flat rather than as a result of a fall.

I think that jockeys are more likely to pull up a tired horse now than in the past. I know that there is place money quite a long way down and they obviously want the horse to finish the race but I do think that the jockeys are more careful.