Point to Point - Is it always like this?

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Cathey

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Iv been to the P2P at Chaddesley corbett twice, both times on Lady Dudley Cup day (i think!) and have seen 3 horses put down.

So my question is......is this the norm? or have i just been unlucky? im starting to feel like i jinx the horses as it always seems to be the ones i have money on! Im planning to go again over Easter but dnt think i could stomach watching another have to be put down :(

I know this is part and parcel of racing and that some accidents are to be expected, especially seeing as this is more amateur, but this seems a little extreme.

Opinions please :)
 
The last time I was at a P2P was about 20 years ago and a horse broke his front leg, on the flat, just in front of me and my 2 small kids, then went on to jump the next jump on 3 legs - he even stayed upright!
But I never went to one again.
 
Cathey,

I think that you (and the horses) have just been really unlucky.

Over the years I have been to dozens, hundreds, of P-to-P's, as a spectator, and groom and, yes, horses have been pts, but certainly not at every meeting, or even every other one. Perhaps I have been more fortunate, but the good days certainly outnumbered the bad. I've known more horses pts, or die, due to accidents/heart attack in their fields at home, hacking or out hunting than on a race course.

If you really enjoy the day then give it another go maybe:)
 
I've been to several point to points & have never seen any serious injuries but everytime my OH has been to watch the cross country part of a 3 day event a rider has died - he doesn't go anymore!
 
I have been to 3 this year and at one a horse had to be PTS because of a broken foreleg. And i went to 5 last year and saw one PTS. Part the problem with PTPs seems to be that there are some seriously professional people whose horses are well prepared and fit and then some others that are clearly un fit, and appear to be clueless why they are there. The one that broke its foreleg recently was on its first time out. It was a lovely big horse, but big in a gangly youngster way. It looked rather confused about everything, had not been clipped so was sporting rather a thick coat. It managed on circuit of the track- then snapped its foreleg below the knee. Very very sad.
 
This is why I don't really like PTP - too many horses die. I probably only go to one a year (free ticket!) if that, and I agree that usually there is a fatality. I used to go to a lot in my younger days and it didn't really register but gradually got more and more upset by it.

I have a friend who is married to an ex whipper-in. He never goes to PTPs now as he found it too traumatic, particularly trying to cope with the sobbing grooms and owners.
 
Bah! so sad. But this happens on the XC circuit, SJ .. etc etc as Enfys said it even happens at home, just generally you don't have crowds of spectators watching horses munch grass :(
 
I went to my first Point to Point a couple of months ago and thought exactly the same, two were put down on that day. The first one we were stood up on the hill and saw it break its foreleg, the second one thank goodness I didn't see but you could hear the rest of the crowd gasp. I have to say it put me off going again. I was supposed to go and watch a friend from the yard who had one of his horses entered last week, but I just couldn't bring myself to go. :(
 
I agree about the unfitness etc of some of the horses, but of the ones iv seen pts they looked the pick of the paddock. One was half brother to a big name chaser (who i cant remember!) and was on his first start, and really looked the part. Such a shame as he seemed to be really enjoying it.

maybe its the course, it runs downhill into the final fences where most horses seem to come to grief, or maybe i have just been very unlucky.

Il give it another go, and keep my fingers crossed!
 
you have been really unlucky! But yes, a downhill finish with tired horses will have a far higher number of fallers than an uphill or flat finish. If you struggle with the possibility of it happenening again, choose to go when the ground is good rather than soft or heavy, horses wont be quite so tired jumping.
 
I'd say you've just been very unlucky. I usually go two or three times a year and haven't seen any shot yet. My mother worked on a PTP yard for five years and they didn't have anything injured at the races whilst she was there either. In fact the only serious injury they had was when she broke her back!

I have seen more horrible injuries on xc day than at any race meet.
 
I think you were unlucky its not like that alll the time just the same as any horsey event, and i have certainly never seen any unfit unclipped or horses not capable, lets face it even at big race meets you can see novice horses that run green.

Even the peole who only have one horse are very prepared and put alot of work in to thier horses, i think because it is not in such a grand setting as some big tracks and point tracks dont have such good facillities people think its very amueterish this isnt really the case, or not where we are and we are up in the north.

In fact i think alot of the people who point would be a bit insulted or find it slightly amusing at some of the comments made i mean thier not a load of hairy horses dragged out of the field alot of work goes in to it and alot of the chasers start on the point tracks to give them experience.

And you would shudder at what you pay for a horse who has won a few points,my dad has runners and has rode them himself as a veteran jockey only stopped by recent cancer but he hopes to be back his horses are trained properly and he takes the whole thing deadly serious.

I also think it seems not as professional as you get alot closer to all the workings of everything where as at bigger tracks alot of it is behind the scenes.

Go and give it another try its great fun and i am sure the they are welcome of your support.
 
Yes it happens , but not that often. But contrast the life of a point to pointer with a dressage horse . Just how many of them spend their life in pain with upper suspensory problems etc until they are quietly shot. Or broken down showjumpers who perform week in week out. Again their end is not public. At least a point to pointer gets some fun in life, hacking out, galloping, hunting. Its not nice at all ,when a horse has an accident in a race, but there are far worse ways for a horse to go.
 
Have to agree with above poster thier are worse ways for a horse to go many horses love racing, and if you arent up to it is not forgiving its unlikely you could drag on in pain.

To race the body is under alot of pressure problems come to the surface fairly quickly, as said my family points horses are well cared for and we are probably one of few but have all the retired ones still terrors.

Even my dad says he would like to be killed on the race track because he loves racing sadly he will fail his medical before this will happen, but dont assume because its not top flight racing the horses arent trained or looked after properly.

We even have flapping flat racing up here amatuer flat racing the horses are well trained looked after and travel from all over the country to race at meets after the common ridings.

Even though may be classed as amatuer is on the pro edge we have all the banned jockeys riding and the up and coming ones same as horses rising up and down the ranks.

Have another look you will see its much the same as the big tracks in terms as accidents etc.

Yes i am a supporter.:)
 
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