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Originally Posted by castaway01
I'm not excusing this but it was basically a bog of rain and mud today. They probably thought they were helping the horses and riders by not having them on the track a long time in the horrible conditions. The horse took a bad step. Maybe we shouldn't race in the slop and rain at all? I don't know.
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Fager Fan is correct. Shortened post parades are for the benefit of the human beings involved. (Horses do just fine in the rain.)
I stand by what I posted.
I've seen hundreds of abbreviated post parades over the years. Normally, they give the riders at least a few minutes to get in a warm up.
But today's R9 at Monmouth was an outlier. Here, there was no warm up. NONE.
Four horses walked from the paddock onto the track and made a left hand turn for the post parade. Four horses then made a right hand turn and were walked directly to the starting gate in front of the grandstand. 40 seconds or so of walking before loading began and they were sent on their way.
Three horses came back.
I'll close with this --
5 Things You Should Know About Warming Up Your Horse:
https://ihearthorses.com/5-things-yo...up-your-horse/
Quote:
A good warm up prior to your ride is important to your horse’s health. Here are 5 facts to consider the next time that you’re warming up your horse.
1. Cold Muscles Are Tight and Prone to Injury
Why do we put such an emphasis on properly warming up a horse? Because without a warm up, your horse’s muscles and ligaments are cold and tight. Muscles and ligaments which are cold and tight are more prone to injury – if your horse takes a funny step, the muscles and ligaments aren’t as ready to stretch and help the horse recover as they would be if they had been properly warmed up.
2. A Long, Slow Warm Up Can Help Prevent Injury
Giving your horse a long, slow warm up before every ride is an excellent way to help prevent injury during and after workouts. You should spend at least ten minutes giving your horse a gradual warm up before asking for any intense collection, but a longer warm up is always better.
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-jp
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