The Plaguey Question
Can your new horse breathe? After 20 years in the business I'm convinced that breathing ability is the main factor separating thoroughbred racehorses. They can all run. Even the slowest consistently gallop 24 second furlongs. Racehorses, imo, separate themselves in the ability to take in air. You particularly notice the breathing when you are on the horse and galloping. A few of my horses have almost daily problems taking in air at the trot but the air intake problem disappears when they commence to gallop with their collapsing diaphrams forcing air in and out of whatever was blocking the thing at the trot. Then there are those horses with displaced palates, excess cartilage attached to their larynx and various other types of blockage which makes for what those in the business call a "windy horse". They make breathing noises when they gallop due to partial blockage of the air intake process. For what it's worth, these horses even if they can run, are uncompetitive because they are smart enough to avoid pushing themselves into oxygen debt from which they are unable to recover.
A seller who places a horse in an auction that he or she knows has a wind problem is perpetrating imo a fraud, and so is the auction company that permits such offerings. For myself, having spent $22,000 at Keenland and Fasig Tipton over the years on three horses with wind problems, the next time it happens there'll be a lawsuit and I'll enjoy watching them conduct cartwheels arse over face to keep the thing out of the papers. Two of my wind problems were sold by Allen Paulsen and Kenneth McPeek. Fair warning for inexperienced auction buyers--immediatley after the your purchase put 'em in a paddock and gallop them to determine any breathing problems.
Today would be navy day in determining whether my new yearling can breathe, for today he ran in a controlled environment at close range so that any breathing difficulty could be heard. At my farm I have a 75 x 75 yards paddock where I exercise my horses riderless in a circle. In this paddock I can drive them to near racing speed. Y today was driven around the paddock for the first time with the other three at moderate pace. First trotting and when the other's commenced to gallop Y forged to the lead, which lead lasted until a severe bite in the ass by a trailing oldster, at which time Y deadheaded to the barn in a straight line. Bless his heart, he then rejoined the exercise without urging from me.
Y trotted-galloped in this manner for about 10 minutes. He surprised me with increasing strenght today, and, voila, I heard not a single sound emanating from the windpipe-nose area. The final word on Y's breathing will come when he is driven at speed and distance, but, today's first test was promising. He seems to have been sold for $2,600 for some reason other than inability to breathe.
A seller who places a horse in an auction that he or she knows has a wind problem is perpetrating imo a fraud, and so is the auction company that permits such offerings. For myself, having spent $22,000 at Keenland and Fasig Tipton over the years on three horses with wind problems, the next time it happens there'll be a lawsuit and I'll enjoy watching them conduct cartwheels arse over face to keep the thing out of the papers. Two of my wind problems were sold by Allen Paulsen and Kenneth McPeek. Fair warning for inexperienced auction buyers--immediatley after the your purchase put 'em in a paddock and gallop them to determine any breathing problems.
Today would be navy day in determining whether my new yearling can breathe, for today he ran in a controlled environment at close range so that any breathing difficulty could be heard. At my farm I have a 75 x 75 yards paddock where I exercise my horses riderless in a circle. In this paddock I can drive them to near racing speed. Y today was driven around the paddock for the first time with the other three at moderate pace. First trotting and when the other's commenced to gallop Y forged to the lead, which lead lasted until a severe bite in the ass by a trailing oldster, at which time Y deadheaded to the barn in a straight line. Bless his heart, he then rejoined the exercise without urging from me.
Y trotted-galloped in this manner for about 10 minutes. He surprised me with increasing strenght today, and, voila, I heard not a single sound emanating from the windpipe-nose area. The final word on Y's breathing will come when he is driven at speed and distance, but, today's first test was promising. He seems to have been sold for $2,600 for some reason other than inability to breathe.
posted by rather rapid at
5:52 PM
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2 Comments:
Before buying stock at auction did you check the x-rays and vet reports to see how they scoped? What did your problem breathers scope & what did Y scope? It's at least rare (but not unheard of) for a yearling to scope an A or A- and still have breathing problems. Every auction keeps these at their repository for anyone to inspect before the hip goes ringward.
I did not check the repositories on Y. I was phone bidding from my office in KC. I did check all the hips beforehand and weeded out potential "dumps" and wind problems. I figured from his pedigree Y could probably breathe. in 1993 i scoped a filly at FT. Got her home and she was a roarer. she was in the next sale as a broodmare :) txs for ur comment. I'll have to educate myself on those scope ratings!
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