Horse deaths AW racing

[Clodagh]

Three or four today? Was it the heat or the going or just ‘bad luck’?
That’s appalling. Far too hot to race a horse.

 

[SantaVera]

definately too hot

 

[toppedoff]

No way I'd be comfortable getting on one during this heat, do racecourses not abandon for heat? I know they do for bad rain. I've been working this morning and was dying after an hour. Summer it is now apparently

 

[bonny]

No way I'd be comfortable getting on one during this heat, do racecourses not abandon for heat? I know they do for bad rain. I've been working this morning and was dying after an hour. Summer it is now apparently

I doubt very much it had anything to do with the heat, horses race all year round.

 

[toppedoff]

I doubt very much it had anything to do with the heat, horses race all year round.

Sorry

 

[bonny]

Sorry

Sorry about what ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Grim . On the all weather?

I doubt very much it had anything to do with the heat, horses race all year round.

And they die all the year round, to provide betting fodder .

Are they waxed surfaces? The going can change substantially on those in the heat. Or maybe it just is too hot for the horses to race.

Is it at multiple courses?

ETA Two dead at Lingfield, one at Southwell.

Popular trainer Mick Appleby 'devastated' as two horses die in separate incidents ten minutes apart

POPULAR trainer Mick Appleby has been left ‘devastated’ after two of his horses died in separate incidents just ten minutes apart. The Leicester-based handler, who has enjoyed a great y…

www.thesun.co.uk

Boarhunt, a four-year-old gelding, sadly broke down while challenging in the 1.55 7f sprint at Lingfield.

While Motawaafeq fell two furlongs from home in the 2.05 1m race at Southwell.

Both fatalities came on all-weather surfaces and Matt Chapman commented on a 'sad day' as he confirmed Arcadian Friend, trained by Sir Mark Prescott, had also died at Lingfield.

Appleby tried to sum up a truly heartbreaking few minutes when he wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that we have to post that we lost Boarhunt and Motawaafeq.

"Such sad news and we are devastated, so sorry for their connections."

Punters were quick to pass on their condolences.

One said: "Sorry to hear this, thoughts with all connected to the horses."

Another wrote: "What an awful day for the yard."

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I think the cut off for flat racing is 35⁰ and 31⁰ for jumping. But this can vary depending on wind as well as wash down facilities. Some tracks have very low water pressure so will be filling every available bucket, pot and pan for the horses before racing starts. Many now bring in the mosting fans and have covered or shaded areas for cooling down in.

Realistically running a flat race in the warm isn't going to affect the horse too much if it isn't a hot head in the first place. The race is over before the heat takes its toll. Jumping is very different though.

 

[bonny]

Grim . On the all weather?

And they die all the year round, to provide betting fodder .

Are they waxed surfaces? The going can change substantially on those in the heat. Or maybe it just is too hot for the horses to race.

Is it at multiple courses?

All at Southwell

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

All at Southwell

2 at Southwell, 2 at Lingfield.

Both tracks gave different surfaces. Lingfield is Polytrack which is sand, carpet fibres and rubber mixed together and coated with wax. Southwell is Tapeta which is waxed silica sand.

From the racing post reports 2 were limb fractures, 1 could have been bone, could have been tendon. The other is a question mark - weakened, pulled up quickly, fatally injured - this could be a number of things from bone to soft tissue damage to a heart attack.

 

[Merry neddy man]

Thank you elf for your as usual explicit answers.

 

[Birker2020]

That's 2674 horses now in 6022 days. Or to put it another way 162 horses that die every year, not including those in training - that figure is solely for deaths on the racetrack. And many think its 30% short of true figures.

What a tragic heartbreaking waste. I'm sorry I'm not trying to offend racegoers but if those figures were in any other equine sport it would be banned.

I think the stewards and vets do a wonderful job, it must be hard for them mentally to see such horrific injuries day in, day out.

RIP lovely horses
Southwell and Lingfield again. Something needs to be done!!! It can't be coincidence.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Southwell, Newcastle and Lingfield have higher figures because they hold more racing than any other courses. They have at least 1 all weather meeting a week during the summer and quite often 2 in winter and they also have National Hunt Racing during the winter months. They are duel purpose.

Sedgefield is a horrible track. They have moved some of their fences and hurdles numerous times. But 2 of their deaths in 2022 were broken limbs in the same race which was a complete fluke. I watched the race, both horses went at completely different parts of the track. It wasn't the ground or the jumps as they both went on the flat between fences.

I'm surprised Uttoxeter is so high as it is a lovely track with nice fences well set out.

 

[Birker2020]

Southwell, Newcastle and Lingfield have higher figures because they hold more racing than any other courses. They have at least 1 all weather meeting a week during the summer and quite often 2 in winter and they also have National Hunt Racing during the winter months. They are duel purpose.

Sedgefield is a horrible track. They have moved some of their fences and hurdles numerous times. But 2 of their deaths in 2022 were broken limbs in the same race which was a complete fluke. I watched the race, both horses went at completely different parts of the track. It wasn't the ground or the jumps as they both went on the flat between fences.

I'm surprised Uttoxeter is so high as it is a lovely track with nice fences well set out.

Ah that's why they have higher figures.

That's quite misleading information then, because if you aren't in the know you wouldn't realise.
Can you image thinking about 162 horses though, each one that's lived and enjoyed its life, each one with a beating heart, each one with memories, thoughts, history and emotions? Its still way, way too much. I think its hard to get wrapped up in numbers and not consider the lives behind them.

Not suggesting for one minute you don't consider that every day, I understand you would be heartbroken the same as anyone at the death of one the horses. But its still very sad, and not something I can compute easily. You must be super tough emotionally. x

 

[Clodagh]

We used to work horses in Australia in incredible heat. They were more used to it I guess.
Sounds like it was all the surfaces then?
While horses like Desert Crown, retired to stud with a fracture, are used the thoroughbred isn’t going to get any more sound and resilient.

 

[tristar]

carnage

and its the young healthy and fit ones, and so bloody beautiful

then there is the horses that go home and get put down later

 

[reynold]

Not just the racing surface. It's similar to leisure/competition horses as well as racehorses. Trained too much (or exclusively) on artificial surfaces.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Not just the racing surface. It's similar to leisure/competition horses as well as racehorses. Trained too much (or exclusively) on artificial surfaces.

100% my old Vet said far more injuries caused by horses constantly worked on a surface.

Ironically all my hunters that have worked hard, on grass, loads of trotting and cantering on roads as whipped in and never saw an arena all stayed pretty sound into their early 20s.

 

[Birker2020]

then there is the horses that go home and get put down later

Yes I should think that's a lot too. Sadly those figures don't reflect those. Its my understanding that these figures published are just what happens on the racecourse that day.

 

[Birker2020]

100% my old Vet said far more injuries caused by horses constantly worked on a surface.

Ironically all my hunters that have worked hard, on grass, loads of trotting and cantering on roads as whipped in and never saw an arena all stayed pretty sound into their early 20s.

There probably are more injuries on a surface but these are deaths that AA report on.

 

[Clodagh]

But Charlie Appleby, who had 2 die, trains on grass, SFAIA.
I do wonder if the wax was too hot.

 

[Birker2020]

But Charlie Appleby, who had 2 die, trains on grass, SFAIA.
I do wonder if the wax was too hot.

I think you have to look at the position the horse was in the race, the weight of the jockey, the distance, the experience of the jockey, the age of the horse, whether it was hampered or not/position in race, how many ran, etc, etc, all this is shown in each horses report before you can make any comparisons or generalisations.

 

[Birker2020]

But Charlie Appleby, who had 2 die, trains on grass, SFAIA.
I do wonder if the wax was too hot.

Sorry I misunderstood what DitchJumper was saying, I thought the vet was referring to leisure horses trained on a surface, i.e. menage.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The majority of racing yards have surfaced gallops of some description but many do also work on grass as well as do road work. They don't spend all their time on a surface at all. Compared to some leisure riders who can't seem to cope if there isn't 4 walls around them.

 

[Clodagh]

Sorry I misunderstood what DitchJumper was saying, I thought the vet was referring to leisure horses trained on a surface, i.e. menage.

I took it as all horses. . No bother either way.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Sorry if I confused things. I was referring to leisure horses.