What are your thoughts?

[rosie fronfelen]

I am wondering about the horrendous number of deaths and PTS at both race meetings and PTPs? I am sure its getting worse.As much as i love Cheltenham i am dreading it-do peoplev think its lack of fitness or lack of good breeding, or both?

 

[JosieB]

Or maybe the fact they are ridden and raced so young?

 

[Allover]

Or maybe it is an unfortunate run of bad luck?

 

[Double_choc_lab]

Do the statistics prove this? I was just wondering that as you can now view all race meetings via ATR and Racing UK is it that we see many more of the tragedies. I must admit I'm aware of what appears to be more NH fatalities but I do watch quite a lot on the telly. I do love my NH racing but Cheltenham and the National are almost a "I have to watch but don't want to" scenario.

 

[Double_choc_lab]

It would also be interesting to look at the stats for fixed hurdles versus the noraml "flippy" hurdle as a lot of the fatalities seem to be at speed over the normal hurdle.

 

[AmyMay]

do peoplev think its lack of fitness or lack of good breeding, or both?

Poor riding?

 

[Kenzo]

I think it's a mixture of everything, that is what makes the sport so competitive, training and pushing a horse to its limits, sometimes beyond, death is the price that is paid but I like to think that when these things happen, lessons are learnt, when a trainer/owner/jockey and all the other people who have put a lot of time, money and hard work into a horse, I'm sure they are pretty gutted to say the least, well I know I would be.

It happens in other equestrian sports, just that the sheer volume of horses in the racing industry is greater than others, so you are going to have more injuries and fatalities.