Need people's opinions!

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Patrick1994

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What do people think on the racing of younger horses? 3 year olds, and the fact they are put into training as 2 year olds.
The impact on them physically and mentally.
Do the winners go on to be winners, does it improve their career or put it at risk?
Does the racing industry make enough money out of these races to make it worth putting horse's welfare at risk?
Why is it the only discipline that allows horses to compete before the age of 4?
 
OP, do you have a horse or do you ride at all?
Only asking, as most of your posts to date are a little provocative & the last few have been about young horses.

If you just want to stir up things, perhaps you ought to find a different site?

Apologies if I have mistaken your posts for something else tho............
 
I own my own horse and currently work on a yard, the reason for that is because I'm currently studying a degree in Equitation Science and have choose this as part of an assignment, so would like to know people's opinions on the subject. Didn't realise there was actually people who just post on here to stir up things, sorry I probably should have explained myself but really didn't think there was much harm as only asking for opinions :S
 
My understanding is (and this was further confirmed watching something on the Morning Line a few weeks ago) that they are backed at about 18mths and essentially will be racing before they are 2. What I am not clear about is whether the 18mths is based on the racing date of birth (ie 1st Jan) or they actual horses age? If based on 1st Jan birthday then those being backed could be 12 mths old.

Watching The Morning Line, those bought at yearling sales were sent to a yard to be backed and this was done within a matter of weeks.

I do think it's ridiculous in this day and age that we feel the need to race (and ruin) so many horses so young and then half are on the scrap heap and destroyed (healthy but just deemed 'useless') before they even hit 3 years old.

There are far too many being bred basically and the one simple reason behind it is MONEY. I am not really a fan of flat racing for this reason. I feel flat racers are just seen as money and that's it. If they don't do well then get rid. Jump racers it seems a lot more about the love of the sport and the horse in general.
 
ladyt25 said:
My understanding is (and this was further confirmed watching something on the Morning Line a few weeks ago) that they are backed at about 18mths and essentially will be racing before they are 2. What I am not clear about is whether the 18mths is based on the racing date of birth (ie 1st Jan) or they actual horses age? If based on 1st Jan birthday then those being backed could be 12 mths old.

Watching The Morning Line, those bought at yearling sales were sent to a yard to be backed and this was done within a matter of weeks.

I do think it's ridiculous in this day and age that we feel the need to race (and ruin) so many horses so young and then half are on the scrap heap and destroyed (healthy but just deemed 'useless') before they even hit 3 years old.

There are far too many being bred basically and the one simple reason behind it is MONEY. I am not really a fan of flat racing for this reason. I feel flat racers are just seen as money and that's it. If they don't do well then get rid. Jump racers it seems a lot more about the love of the sport and the horse in general.
Click to expand...

You don't happen to know when you were watching it, and whether I'd be able to pick up a link for it anywhere? Would really like to see that!!
It's so difficult because the thing that tends to both me is that there are studies going on about the physical damage that this does to them, which of course is a massive issue. But it is also mentally, I think of all the yearlings, two year olds and sometimes even 3 year olds, they would never be ready to go and do anything like that, they need to be a horse. I know some of these horses are bred for it but surely you can't always breed the mentally and the physical qualities.
 
Really sorry I don't know when it was, it could have been before or after Christmas!? I think it was one of the weeks either side of the episode they were showing the heart monitoring following Sprinter Sacre's heart incident? Tried to look on The Morning Line for you but not sure how. I found it quite interesting though.
 
i worked at a national hunt yard where the average age of the horses were between 4-12 we did have a few younger but those were mainly in the process of being backed. we did have a few ex flat horses and i have to say that you could tell the difference between the ones backed as yearlings and the ones backed at 3/4. they tended to be more "scratchy" and stiff in their movement. they race as 2 yr olds because they are ment to be at their fastest at this age. im not saying i agree with this.

you do get a few ex flat horses though that turn out to be very "floaty," balanced and flashy in the way they move and it doesnt seem to have effected them negativly at all. that being said many of our ex flat racers had to have extra warm ups and most also swam to help with their movement.
 
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