Everybody expected it, including myself, and really wanted Big Brown to win the Belmont Stakes. It was not to be.
When Big Brown won the Preakness, I thought, "Here is a Triple Crown winner". Despite the turn of events, I still believe he was capable of winning. There will be a lot of controversy about this race.
One question that was raised was the use of steriods. Big Brown's trainer openly admitted to administering steriods to his star pupil. I do not believe for a second that the reason he performed so poorly was because he did not receive his monthly dose of the stuff.
I have been training horses for 30 years and do not know a single trainer who has not given some horse steriods at some point in time. I have given it to several horses and have not had a single one of them run any faster than they did without it. All it did for my horses was increase their appetite.
So why did Big Brown blunder in the most important race of his career?? Who knows?? He will be checked out from head to toe and back again. The real reason may never be known, except to the horse himself. Maybe his hoof was bothering him too much. Maybe he got mad about having to be checked so harshly going into the first turn and just sulled up. A lot of horses will do that - just get mad and quit. Or maybe he just didn't feel like running that day.
One big question that comes up every year is "Why can't a horse win all three races anymore?" I feel like there are several reasons for the lack of Triple Crown winners. One reason is the size of the thoroughbred crops. There are thousands more foals being born every year, which increases the chances of superior horses.
Twenty years ago, there were a handful of outstanding horses. Every year that number increases, making it more difficult for one horse to dominate. Many good horses skip the Kentucky Derby and/or the Preakness, leaving them fresh for the grueling 1 1/2 mile long Belmont. A fresh horse will beat a tired horse any day of the week and any horse who has to run three times in five weeks will be tired to some extent.
Just the stress of the race itself will take it's toll on many horses, regardless of how well they handle the situation. And like it or not, thoroughbreds just aren't as tough as they used to be.
Big Brown is the real deal. He is a class act and regardless of why he lost, he is still a champion.
I think there are more problem people than there are problem horses. Horses have to be taught everything we want them to know, whether it is to be a trail ride horse, barrel racer, or three day eventer. Race horses even have to be taught to run properly.
I come across articles all the time about "how to train your horse". I recently read one about teaching a horse to load in a trailer. It never ceases to amaze me the things some people come up with. Teaching a horse to load is one of the simplest things to do. What most people don't realize is that the horse isn't nearly as afraid of the trailer as it is the roller coaster ride it has to endure once inside the contraption.
I had a young thoroughbred that always loaded willingly and rode quietly until I allowed him to be trailered by someone else. This person drove as if he had no trailer attatched to his truck AND was on his way to put out a fire. Quick stops and rapid starts, not to mention the curves we rounded on two wheels. The horses were sweating and quivering when they were unloaded. A couple of them had cuts and scrapes. I now understood why this person had to back his trailer into a corner and chase his horses up into it. After that trip, my colt refused to load into ANY trailer. It took me months to get him load willing again.
I think every person who pulls a trailer should have to ride in their trailer while someone like the above mentioned drives around for a while. That way people can learn to appreciate what horses go through on their journeys. Loading a horse in the trailer is the easy part. Teaching people how to drive is where the difficulty lies.
I've also read numerous articles on how to "retrain" an ex-racehorse. From what I've read, most of these authors are complelety clueless about racehorses in general. Two of the most common myths are believing that racehorses only use their left lead and are taught to run when the jockey pulls on the reins.
If they were taught to run by pulling on the reins, how in the world would the rider be able to rate his mount during a long race? Better yet, how would he be able to stop this animal? Believe it or not, racehorses DO know how to switch leads. It is vital for them to do so during the running of a race.
Retired racehorses can be retrained to do just about anything. Before sending your ex-racer off for training, try to find someone knowledgable about the breed and the sport itself.
Horse racing, like any other sport, has it's ups and downs. There are moments of thrilling victories, agonizing defeats and devastating tragedies.
Everyone is well aware of the tragic breakdown of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby. It was a horrifying site to see, as was the breakdown of George Washington and Go For Wand in their Breeder's Cup races. No one has forgotten Ruffian.
As awful as it is, I believe that it would have happened regardless of what race they were in at the time. It just so happened that it was in a highly publicised event.
This always seems to overshadow the thrilling moments of the sport. Secretariat's awesome achievements in his Triple Crown victory and the duels between Affirmed and Alydar. What about Silky Sullivan's dramatic stretch runs? The list goes on and on.
The fact is that injuries of all kinds happen in every sport. How many football or baseball players are forced to retire early due to injury? The only difference between them and horses is that a human can understand that his leg is torn up and knows that he has to stay off of it. He can hobble around on crutches or ride around in a wheelchair until he has healed. Horses can't but only the severist of injuries requires euthanasia.
I applaud the Jackson's for their heroic efforts to save Barbaro. It wasn't about the money. They loved their horse and were willing to do whatever it took to save him. I would have done the same thing.
Now we come to the topic of "cruelty". I know that there are thousands of people who frown on horse racing. Thoroughbreds are bred to RUN. Just like a labrador is bred to retrieve or a pointer is bred to point. Not all thoroughbreds are successful on the track and there are a number of reasons for that. I have seen a good many of them that just don't want to compete. They'd rather hang out at the barn and munch on oats and hay.
Some of them give a hundred percent on the track but are lacking in ability. Others suffer career ending injuries before they get a chance to prove themselves on the track. How many people know that Somethingroyal failed to ever see the winner's circle? She was not successful as a racehorse but proved to be a dynamite broodmare by producing Secretariat and Sir Gaylord.
Racing is a sport, just like any other event where competitors go against each other. Injuries occur in ALL sporting events, whether it be racing, eventing, rodoes or human sports. Horses are athletes too. As long as athletes compete, there will be good times as well as bad.
