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The Nation was shocked when Barbaro broke down shortly after
leaving the gate at the Preakness. I saw the repaired
fractures in TIME magazine. What I think happened is that
the sesamoid bone fractured, a common injury. As a result,
the fetlock collapses causing the pastern bone to explode
into multiple fragments, probably with the next stride or
two.
The last time the general public was exposed to a racetrack
tragedy like this was when the great filly, Ruffian,
fractured; the
injury eventually resulting in her death.
The news media focuses on great champions like these, but
what most people don't realize is that such injuries are
relatively common occurrences in horse racing.
Part of the cause is that we have bred athletic power into
our racing breeds far exceeding what nature requires for the
horse to
survive in its natural environment. All wild horses need to
do is outrun a big cat. We have selectively bred for speeds
that the
anatomy of the horse cannot always cope with.
In addition, we train and race them long before they are
mature. The immature are often capable of spectacular
athletic performance. Every time I watch an Olympics and I
see gymnasts as young as 13, 14 or 15 years of age, I wince
at the thought of the damage I know is occurring to some of
their bodies. I started a year of gymnastics at 17 years of
age, and I wasn't very good, but I still managed to do
damage that manifested itself many years later. Fortunately,
I was drafted into the Army at 18, which ended my gymnastic
career.
Half a century ago, when I was cowboying, "colts" were
started at four years of age or older. Once in a while, one
might be started as a three-year-old.
Despite some very hard work, barring accidents, those ranch
horses were still sound and working into their 20's.
I'm not opposed to racing. It's a great sport and has
motivated mankind to produce truly great horse breeds. But I
am opposed to any practices which contribute to premature
crippling of otherwise healthy horses.
Some years ago, the annual convention of the American
Association of Equine Practitioners (A.A.E.P.) was held in
Dallas. The same week, the national cutting horse futurities
were being held in nearby Fort Worth. Three colleagues from
Sweden told me that they wanted to see the cutting horses.
So, one evening, after the day of scientific lectures had
ended, I accompanied the three Swedish vets to Fort Worth.
After watching several horses perform, the senior Swede, a
professor from the vet school in Upsala, Sweden, said, "This
is incredible! It must take many years to obtain such
performance from a horse."
"But," I answered, "this is a futurity."
"I do not understand this word," he said.
"These are colts," I explained. "These are just
three-year-olds. "He looked
shocked, turned to his companions and explained to them
in Swedish and then said to me in English, "I have only two
comments: One, it must take great skill to be able to train
a horse to do this in so brief a time. And, two, what is
happening to their poor legs?"
Today, we have all sorts of futurities - reining, cutting,
barrel racing, etc. I have tried many times to get owners to
postpone
arduous training to give the colt a chance to mature. Most
of the time, I was ignored.
The lure of winning something or making some money was too
great to resist. My strategy when the owner insisted on
going ahead with training and/or competition that I felt was
premature was to say, "That's okay. You go ahead. What you
are doing is very good for my business."
Why is it that the protests against over-using young horses
come primarily from the people who profit from such abuse -
the
veterinarians? Is it because we best understand the trauma
being inflicted upon immature skeletons, joints, ligaments
and tendons? Just as I am not opposed to racing, if properly
conducted, I am not opposed to horse shows or competitive
equine events.
Horse shows, like all livestock shows, were conceived of
long ago to "improve the breed." They were designed to
demonstrate and reward the people who were doing the best
job of breeding, of selecting bloodstock, and of creating
superior bloodlines.
Unfortunately, human nature, vanity and greed have corrupted
the horse show industry.
We see grotesque caricatures of the original character of
each breed. Stock horses, the working ranch breeds, are
shown in Western Pleasure classes traveling in a manner that
would drive a working cowboy crazy. With lowered heads,
going in a downhill manner, these horses greatly magnify the
forces placed upon the forelimbs. Once again, good for us
vets. It produces income, but the horses suffer. The
wonderful Tennessee Walking Horse is shod and shown in
distorted gaits that can only be called "grotesque".
If it weren't for the frequent veterinary checks, which are
mandatory, can you imagine how many endurance racing horses
would die because of their riders' consuming desire to win?
I remember the early endurance races.
Saddlebred, with surgically distorted tails, and gingered
anuses, are exhibited with the pupils of their eyes dilated
with atropine.
How many people who sincerely consider themselves to be
"horse lovers" wean foals at three months of age, or even
earlier, which nature never intended?
How many horses, a gregarious species, spend their lives
locked in box stalls? How many horses in the U.S.A., like so
much of our human population, are damaged health wise by
excessive nutrition?
Such abuses exist in ever breed, every discipline, in every
equine sport. We need to step back and analyze what we are
doing.
One of my clients was a prosperous, educated couple. They
were very congenial, and they owned three Quarter Horses. One
day, they called me to come to their home to worm their
horses and check them over and booster their vaccinations.
When I arrived, I found only two horses, so I asked where
the third one was.
"Oh, he's in training as a reining horse, with ____________"
(a successful and notoriously brutal trainer who also
happened to be one of my clients).
I said, "Oh, I see."
Then the wife said, "We know how cruel he is to the horses,
but he wins!" I never felt the same toward those people,
again.
This same trainer (he's been dead for many years) once said
to me, "Doc, why can't you guys cut the tails on my horses?
Why do you make me drive 300 miles round trip to get my
tails done? "He was referring to the illicit surgical
paralyzing of the tail,
common in reining horses so they can't switch their tails.
ALL of the horses in his barn had their tails cut.
I said, "Were you ever beaten in a show by a horse that you
knew had its tail cut?"
"Oh sure," he said. "Lots of times."
"Well," I told him, "I didn't cut the tail nor did my
partners. We won't do anything against the association
rules."
This same guy, a world-class competitor, kept every horse in
his barn on Serpecil, a tranquilizer not approved by FDA for
use in horses. I have no idea where he got the drug, but
somebody was selling it to
him.
I believe that a conspiracy exists in the horse show
industry. The trainers are judges, and the judges are
trainers. Too often, they scratch each others' backs.
If Western Pleasure horses were shown as they were 50 or 60
years ago, a good amateur could turn out a champion. But it
takes a real pro to produce the freaks seen in today's
Western Pleasure classes. And, after the horse goes back to
the owner from the trainer and is no longer winning, it has
to go back to the trainer for a "tune-up". A few days before
I wrote this article, I got back from Bishop Mule Days, a
unique event I attend every year that has no equal anywhere
in the world. I had the pleasure of seeing Western Pleasure
mules that WERE NOT "peanut rollers".
The trend began some years ago, but the mule people balked
at it and ruled it out. GOOD FOR THEM! You see, to be a mule
lover, you REALLY gotta love horses!
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