Polytrack founder admits PROBLEMS

[karlskorner]

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38703

[bobphilo]

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38703

Quote from article:

"It has not been performing as we would like but, having said that, it is way, way better than American dirt tracks which are very rarely consistent. That’s the reason why there have been so many injuries out there."

[karlskorner]

I would NOT expect him to say anything different.

[robert99]

Story is confused about shear. Some USA polytracks do not have sufficient shear resistance, ie the material does not bind or "stick" together" so well and you get clouds of kickback. Foot rotation is not shear but it is a necessary injury preventative action for the toe to dip into the surface and the heel to rise - normally called "rotation". Unless the surface is rolled and water to be rock hard then there is plenty enough surface "give" along with the rubber components to allow rotation. The track maintenance can control that but not any inherent kick back fault.

They got the bit right about the 3 +1 AW polytracks in UK and track inconsistency causing injuries.

[Robert Fischer]

Story is confused about shear. Some USA polytracks do not have sufficient shear resistance, ie the material does not bind or "stick" together" so well and you get clouds of kickback. Foot rotation is not shear but it is a necessary injury preventative action for the toe to dip into the surface and the heel to rise - normally called "rotation". Unless the surface is rolled and water to be rock hard then there is plenty enough surface "give" along with the rubber components to allow rotation. The track maintenance can control that but not any inherent kick back fault.

They got the bit right about the 3 +1 AW polytracks in UK and track inconsistency causing injuries.

I agree with some of the article although there is bound to be some self promotion in such a situation.I have noticed through observation that Keeneland was of a higher quality than Turfway surface and that the composition was different.
Turfway had/has?? a problem with excessive kickback, and then seemed to add a "binding?" agent as you mention which may well have caused the breakdowns and complaints of the material "balling up" and sticking to he shoes to the point some trainers were using lubricants on the outer horseshoe...

[bobphilo]

I would NOT expect him to say anything different.

Agreed, but since you posted the article with an emphasis on PROBLEMS, I thought it was fair to quote the author’s conclusion.


It also happens to be correct, regardless of who says it. The fatal breakdown rate on synthetic surfaces (.9 per thousand) is less than half that that of dirt tracks (1.9-2.0 per thousand).


http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/130-04292007-1338262.html (http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/130-04292007-1338262.html)


Also interesting is how the problems that American tracks have with Polytrack seems to be related to the monkeying that the maintenance people do with the track to make it more “dirt-like” to satisfy the anti-poly people. Despite less than optimal care, it’s still safer.

Bob

[beertapper]

what about issues related to horses breathing in this stuff over the long term? has there been any long term study of the effects in the UK?

[bobphilo]

what about issues related to horses breathing in this stuff over the long term? has there been any long term study of the effects in the UK?

Stuff has to be microscopic to get into the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs to cause pathology. As far as I know there's nothing pathogenic in synthetic surfaces and the wax coating makes the particles macroscopic, not microscopic.
Dirt tracks on the other hand are crawling with bacteria and other crap. That's why open fractures are so dangerous.

Bob

[robert99]

what about issues related to horses breathing in this stuff over the long term? has there been any long term study of the effects in the UK?

http://agcenter.ucdavis.edu/Announce/AgChallenges2003Abstracts/PDF/7Schenker2dust.pdf

In UK there are Health & Safety limits to respirable silicas for human workers. They set limits for 8 hour daily exposure. A horse may only be on the polytrack for 5 minutes a day and the polytrack particles are larger than those that are dangerous to lung function. Dirt track inhalation would be potentially far more risky due to kickback and smaller particle sizes which could lodge in and irritate lungs. As yet, no known polytrack problem to research, otherwise.