The raising and training of race horses

FuzzyFace · ‎03-15-2010

Justify's win of the Triple Crown yesterday, and coming just 3 years after a lengthy drought, makes me wonder what's changed.

Have there been discoveries that have improved the nutrition of these magnificent athletes?

Have they found new and better ways to breed and train them?

Maybe, even, better psychological and emotional insights into what makes a horse "tick" ? What do you think? I think it's no coincidence that we're having more champions--not just race winners but truly champion athletes--in the 21st century.

Anyone? Anyone?

PS: I don't know squat about horses so I'm coming at this with little or no biases.

Jaspersmom · ‎06-08-2011

I can't claim to be any expert on horse racing and I even have been to the racetracks a number of times. I'm sure horses like Justify are treated like royalty, but what about the others that are not? It's a cruel business and many horses suffer. Here is an article from a few years back.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/03/the-ugly-truth-about-horse-racing/284594/

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I can't imagine what they must go through with their 'training'.

I love animals, so I don't participate in any kind of animal cruelty sports (animal racing, circuses with animals, rodeos, etc), but I worry about all these poor animals at the hand of humans who just use them for making money. The animals don't have any choice.

HisElk1 · ‎09-29-2015

@chickenbutt wrote:
I can't imagine what they must go through with their 'training'.

I love animals, so I don't participate in any kind of animal cruelty sports (animal racing, circuses with animals, rodeos, etc), but I worry about all these poor animals at the hand of humans who just use them for making money. The animals don't have any choice.

@chickenbutt, I couldn't agree more; The animals don't have a choice. It's all about the $.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

Dog racing and horse racing are both cruel and inhuman "sports" . Both should be outlawed like rooster and dog fighting are .

pigletsmom · ‎11-21-2011

Horse that are racing are treated extremely well during training. Obviously they need to be "broken" as do all horses when they are young. Then they are intorduced to the track. Galloping or breezing. They are also trained at the gate. They take that very seriously and they have to get their gate card before they can race.

When they are racing, training is just going to the track in the morning for an easy jog. They can have a little harder oficial workout maybe one a week.The horses are treated extremely well. The backstretch is an awesome place. I am speaking of most tracks. There are a few tracks and their trainers that stink and I wont go off on that nastiness here.

I think it's hard to explain the fact that there are two recent triple crown winners. Justify hasn't even run much which is unusual. I think some years there just happens to be a standout. A number of the others on the TC trail are somewhat evenly mattched. And a number of them could mature and catch up.

It's also hard to compare to years past because horses used to race a lot more back then. I tend to think that's actually a little healthier for their bones. Sort of like wieght bearing exercise for people is good for bones. I know a lot of race horses in the lower levels that run a lot and for years.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

They break their legs---they're as good as dead.

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

Citation in 1948 was the last Triple Crown winner until the 1970s. Then there were three Triple Crown winners: 1973 Secretariat, 1977: Seattle Slew; 1978, Affirmed. After that it was a long stretch - 37 years - to 2015 and American Pharoah.

Justify has the heart of a champion. He began life as a feisty colt. He liked to ham it up for attention according to his breeder. Just to get through that mud at the Derby and fog at the Preakness - and then win The Belmont wire to wire! Wow what a race! He is an amazing horse.

Justify has a super impressive pedigree...his family tree includes Seattle Slew,. Secretariat and going further back : Native Dancer, Count Fleet, Nijinsky, War Admiral and Man O War.

Most race horse share similar ancestry, But only a few have a special spark that sets

them above the others.

pigletsmom · ‎11-21-2011

@CatsyCline wrote:
Citation in 1948 was the last Triple Crown winner until the 1970s. Then there were three Triple Crown winners: 1973 Secretariat, 1977: Seattle Slew; 1978, Affirmed. After that it was a long stretch - 37 years - to 2015 and American Pharoah.

Justify has the heart of a champion. He began life as a feisty colt. He liked to ham it up for attention according to his breeder. Just to get through that mud at the Derby and fog at the Preakness - and then win The Belmont wire to wire! Wow what a race! He is an amazing horse.

Justify has a super impressive pedigree...his family tree includes Seattle Slew,. Secretariat and going further back : Native Dancer, Count Fleet, Nijinsky, War Admiral and Man O War.

Most race horse share similar ancestry, But only a few have a special spark that sets
them above the others.

Such a bummer that his sire Scat Daddy passed away so young. He's produced some great horses. And I loved Scat Daddy when he was racing.

Kalli · ‎03-11-2010

Not a fan of horse racing. Seldom watch a race live from start to finish. I usually wait until I know there were no accidents and watch the replay.

I know little about the training strategies. I’ve read discussions where those involved in horse racing claim the horses are retired to a great pasture life after their racing years are done and then this is refuted by others who run across some of these animals at slaughter auctions with their lip tattoos forcibly removed so they can’t be identified and traced back to the original owner.