Totilas injured while breeding

Not much doubt where the writer of that article sits. I've no particular opinion one way or the other, but pretty biased and critical reporting to my eyes.
Horses will be horses, not machines unfortunately. They aren't the first or last combination where things don't go to plan.
No nation or rider can depend 100 percent on a single horse.
 
The fact that Schockemoehle and team keep coming up with reasons why Totilas won't be able to compete is ridiculous. When Totilas was with Gal, to my knowledge, he was never unfit for competition. The second he crossed the border, "bad luck" has followed him. Makes me think he's in the same situation as Frankel; he's won everything, and is worth more in stud. So sad.
 
Gal rode the horse in roller too, and maybe having such a heavy competition schedule as a young GP horse has led to his soundness issues now.

Who knows!!
 
TheMule said:
Gal rode the horse in roller too, and maybe having such a heavy competition schedule as a young GP horse has led to his soundness issues now.

Who knows!!
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my thinking too ..... I wonder too, if, when you have a horse with such extravagent (sp) action , the horse is able to stay sound in the long run ...

although to be fair, it was the rider who was ill for the Olympics not the horse's health issues
 
I remember seeing photographs of this horse in heart bar shoes befor he was sold. So his feet were pretty much knackered then.
It's the same with all these things, the horse has to be fit to compete in dressage or else disaster follows.
You cannot keep these horses in glorious isolation and not expect them to break down.
I don't think we will see much more of this horse, pity.
 
Another one who doesn't think we'll see much more of this horse unfortunately. Either he's worth more in stud to his owners or as FairyB says; he's burned out. Such a shame.
 
Pale Rider said:
I remember seeing photographs of this horse in heart bar shoes befor he was sold. So his feet were pretty much knackered then.
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I was just thinking that. It's all too easy to blame one or the other when imo the whole lifestyle is probably the cause of this tragic horses' problems. I dread seeing his name tbh as I have a feeling it will always be bad news. :(
 
It's too simple to be critical of the horses care and treatment once he left Gal.Totilas was at the top of his game and may well have peaked physically.I agree with the poster who suggests the efforts of reaching the top at a fairly young age may have affected his soundness,combined with the efforts involved in semen collection.Perhaps we can look forward to his progeny in future competitions.
 
There is a world of difference as to how this horse went for Gal and then for Mathias afterwards. Gal rides in quite a relaxed style - almost legs off where as Mathias Ruth is more of the older way which is more "on" all the time (watch different videos to see what I mean). Its like when you watch Carl Hester v some of the top german riders.. it is now a completely different style. It could well be that Totilas prefers the way he was ridden as that was what he was used to. I saw him at Windsor in the world championships and one thing that really really struck me was, despite the big occasion and atmosphere, when Edward Gal walked that horse out of the arena, Totilas was calm and relaxed, stretching out his neck. You simply see a far tenser horse with Mathias and in some videos, they have stopped to take the horse out. Now maybe this is a maturity thing, maybe he is breaking down, or maybe he just isn't happy with his new routine having been used to working in a certain way.

I have a close friend with an old fashioned warmblood. He has been trained upto GP and was imported. Now her other older horse was more of your all rounder so she has ended up always putting his interests ahead of her dressage horse. Dressage horse has never settled into ordinary life and was at his best in a highly regimented, little turn out or hacking yard. Then he was at his most relaxed and co operative. Unfortunately, that routine most certainly did not suit the other horse.. horses for courses..
 
Surprise, surprise.
And his stud fee for this year is..........€8000 excl. 21% Btw (vat in English) and if the mare doesn't scan in foal you still have to pay €4000 excl. vat.
I have always said and still do that he is not worth it.
 
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