karlskorner
04-27-2007, 12:45 PM
As Joe T says " 50 percent of the races are out of your control "
From TB Times 4/26/07
Determental effects of toe grabs outlined to commissioners
by Frank Angst.
At times, Bill Casner paused to let the startling statistics connecting toe grabs on the front horsehoes of Throughbreds led to catastrophic injuries.
Casner, who heads the committee on shoeing and hoof care that was formed out of the Welfare and Safety of Racehorse Summit in January, allowed the stats to tell the story during much of his presentation to the Association of Racing Commissioners International on Tuesday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
According to the committee, the odds of catastrophic injury incresed 1.5 times in horses wearing toe grabs on their front feet. Casner, co-owner of Win-Star Farm, said horses with 4-millimedter toe grabs are 6.5 times as likely to suffer suspensory injuries and seven times as likely to suffer condylar fractures.
When toe grabs are increased to 6 millmiters, those injury rates jump to 15.6 and 17.1.
Those stats came from a 2004 study of horseshoes characteristics. Citing such evedince, in Februatry the Califorina Horse Racing Board banned front toe grabs higher than 4 millimeters. Casner encouraged the regulators to adopt similar rules or ban front toe grabs all together in each of their jurisdictions.
Casner presented slides that documented how front toe grabs adversely effect a horses's stride by failing to allow the foot to slightly slide forward in contact with the track, as is normal to cusion impact. The toe grabs also adversely affect the foot as the horse pushes back off the foot during the stride.
The changes to the stride create added pressure on the bones and tendons in the horse's lower let.
Darrell Haire, of the Jockeys Guild, added that besides catastrophic breakowns, toe grabs also can cause spills when horses clip heels.
"It used to be when horses clip heels, you'd hear the shoes hit and that would usually be it " Haire said, "Now you hardly hear anything and those toe grabs get caught in the other horse's shoe and you have a big spill. It's one of the scariest things than can happen" ( end )
From TB Times 4/26/07
Determental effects of toe grabs outlined to commissioners
by Frank Angst.
At times, Bill Casner paused to let the startling statistics connecting toe grabs on the front horsehoes of Throughbreds led to catastrophic injuries.
Casner, who heads the committee on shoeing and hoof care that was formed out of the Welfare and Safety of Racehorse Summit in January, allowed the stats to tell the story during much of his presentation to the Association of Racing Commissioners International on Tuesday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
According to the committee, the odds of catastrophic injury incresed 1.5 times in horses wearing toe grabs on their front feet. Casner, co-owner of Win-Star Farm, said horses with 4-millimedter toe grabs are 6.5 times as likely to suffer suspensory injuries and seven times as likely to suffer condylar fractures.
When toe grabs are increased to 6 millmiters, those injury rates jump to 15.6 and 17.1.
Those stats came from a 2004 study of horseshoes characteristics. Citing such evedince, in Februatry the Califorina Horse Racing Board banned front toe grabs higher than 4 millimeters. Casner encouraged the regulators to adopt similar rules or ban front toe grabs all together in each of their jurisdictions.
Casner presented slides that documented how front toe grabs adversely effect a horses's stride by failing to allow the foot to slightly slide forward in contact with the track, as is normal to cusion impact. The toe grabs also adversely affect the foot as the horse pushes back off the foot during the stride.
The changes to the stride create added pressure on the bones and tendons in the horse's lower let.
Darrell Haire, of the Jockeys Guild, added that besides catastrophic breakowns, toe grabs also can cause spills when horses clip heels.
"It used to be when horses clip heels, you'd hear the shoes hit and that would usually be it " Haire said, "Now you hardly hear anything and those toe grabs get caught in the other horse's shoe and you have a big spill. It's one of the scariest things than can happen" ( end )