Cross Breeds - Do you think the age of race horses should be raised.?

Do you think the age of race horses should be raised.?

I've heard people say that horses aren't quite fully grown at age 3. Maybe thats why so many horses injure themselves from being worked to hard at such a fragile age. I think it should be raised a year.

Public Comments

the kneeson horses legs arent totally fused until they are at least 4. this is why running or even being ridden at such a young age is so dangerous to race horses. its an abusive sport anyways and should just be banned all together.
I don't go to the races because I don't support what they do. I don't agree that the sport should be banned. I do believe that the age should be raised. It's strictly out of greed that they are raced so young.
Yeah, the horses shouldn't be raced until their legs are full grown and the bones are grown too. There feet are so fragile and with breeding they are only breed for speed. They are huge animals running on delicate legs and the bones aren't completely connected until they are at the age of four and five. I bet that causes more injury's in racing than anything else. Racing shouldn't be banned. They just need to take some precautions when racing, to make it safer for horse and rider.
i think a good age would be 5 most horses are sound by that age and mature. BUt no matter how old a horse is the risk is the same of them getting hurt wether they are in a pasture, jumping or on a track
Breeders need to be breeding sturdier horses. They look more and more fragile every year. Thouroughbreds are getting far too fine boned. That would not have happened had she had better substance.
Ahh, people who don't know racing don't tell you all the good parts. But Yeah their knees arent closed all the way but we always had a vet tell us it was ok to race them before we raced them. I would just like to say all the best horses I have owned have been started as two yr old. EDIT_Sobemurkey--You have never worked with a two yr old racing colt have you? Racing isnt any worse then cross country, three day eventing, Trail riding, And some forms of showing. Its not out of greed. Its about taking a young horse and molding him to his full potential. Its about the adreneline, and seeing the excitement in the colts eyes at the starting gate. Its about love, and trust. TBs arent gonna work if they don't trust you, it just doesnt work that way with them. So don't knock a sport til you try it!
Just ban two year old racing....Oh were it that easy
I definately agree the age should be raised. horses just aren't mature enough to physically handle such intense work at such a young age. unfortunately money plays a huge factor in determining when they race, so people are going to start their horses early so they can have a shot at the more lucrative 3 and 4 yr old races like the triple crown. until owners and trainers can make money racing their horses later they will keep pushing them to compete as babies. i would love to see a huge payoff for a race for 6 yr. olds. if they are allowed to mature a lot longer, they will better be able to hold up for years to come and will be able to make a lot more money in the future instead of breaking down on the track. i don't think any horse should be started until they are at least 3 and shouldn't be asked to do anything intense until 4 or 5. all we can hope is that all the recent bad publicity will encourage racing officials to make changes to make the sport safer for all involved.
I think they should just ban it all together. Its disgusting
well horses arent allowed to enter jumping shows under the age of four due to the knees and legs and bones not being fully developed. i believe the age should be lifted from when they start racing. sure start breaking a horse at two years old as long as its developed and ready enough. but dont race it till its atleast 4.
Yes, I believe the age limit should be raised before they begin racing.
I have a OTTB and he raced as a 3y/o and done fine no injury ect.....he is 17h which is a unuseal size for a race horse. I have mix feelings about the raiseing the racing age, but I dont think racing should be banned, thats like saying we should stop making cars because people get killed in them everyday....accidents happen!!
I traded a horse for a TB and she was great but, not as good as the Foxtrotter I had--not as calm. I don't have great knowledge but I do have some and my learning and from what I was told through the years is, a person can't really ride a horse until they are 3-4 yrs. old. A TB is bred to race and most have a short life in racing. Some find good homes and some are put to death. I don't think it would matter of raising the age of a race horse, I think it has to do with the training before a horse is put out in races. That mare did run the race of her life and she ran it to her best!!! She came in 2nd and that's better than first in my eyes.
absolutely... they horses should be FULLY developed before they should be allowed to race... just like you wouldnt have a 2 or 3 year old jumping 3'6" or barrel racing. they just arent ready for it. EDIT** im also an OTTB owner... and my poor horse has so many leg problems because of her racing career.. if you can even call it that... she has bumps, splints, windpuffs and soreness through-out her legs. she freaks when you go to touch behind the saddle when you ride cause she's afraid shes going to get hit.. and im sure some of you are thinking "why the hell did you buy her then.... if i didnt get her, she would have been sent to slaughter... and what kind of life is that for an athlete.. its like saying a baseball pitcher cant throw an 90 mph fast ball anymore, so just kill him. could you really euthanize this face cause its not good/fast enough? http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wmo82&s=3
thoroughbreds have be bred to be fast maturers , them are much more developed at 2 then a sport horse is.
yes they should be allowed to grow more i know i wouldn't have my two year old daughter run and work like that so why should a two year old horse have to
As if you even needed to ask! :) Absolutely, unequivocally yes. That goes for all disciplines. Horses need time to be kids, not to mention the fact that they are not done growing. Their minds and bodies are nowhere near done developing. I realize that many of these young horses do get good treatment, vet and farrier care, high quality feed, and so on - they have to have great care if they are to develop to their full potential, which is the whole point. But that doesn't excuse the fact that they are being worked too much, too hard. No matter how lightly the horses are trained, no matter how gently and considerately their trainers handle them, the fact still remains that the very act of racing itself is a huge strain for a horse of any age, let alone a 2 or 3 year old. The main problem I have with the racing industry is the enormous amounts of "throwaway" horses - the ones that are too slow or that hurt themselves and are promptly dumped. Yes, I realize EVERY industry does this, but racehorse breeding (as well as every other type of breeding) is essentially a gamble. You have no idea what you're going to get, even if you breed the world's two top horses. And to reiterate...yes, EVERY type of horse sport does the same thing racing breeders do. It's just that there is SO much money in racing, which means breeders can afford a lot more breedings. I think horse racing (in the US, anyway) has been romanticized so much that all logic has flown out the window. Thumbs down me for that if you want, but I feel it's the truth. The average American has been raised to believe that the Derby is this magical American heritage thing all about "the little guy winning" or how "dreams really can come true"...take your pick, the race commentators recite all of that crap before the start of every televised race. It seems that the only people who see the lunacy of working 2 and 3 year old horses so hard are horse people themselves. Wonder if that's because it's downplayed to the extreme...? On a happier note...an OTT TB was bought off a meat man just yesterday with Fugly Horse Of The Day reader donations....for anyone that donated, woo hoo to you! http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/05/eight-belles-is-dead-this-one-not-yet.html
I agree I think it should be 4 years old. Way to many young horses are dieing for no reason. Well for money and betting. Why do we have to prove who's horses are faster? Just like gray hound racing or (dog races) dont see the point. but then again some people dont see a reason for dog shows or agility (though we dont bet on the best bred dog or the agility shows) I dont know, I dont like horse racing but if we have it raise it a year.
Yes, fillies and colts are Still called fillies and colts because everyone knows that they are not yet fully grown and developed. I'm pretty sure that if you compared the working career of a horse started at age three to a horse started at age 4 or older, you would see, time and again, that the older horse would have fewer injuries and a longer career. Many of the people in the horse world are too busy looking at money, and how much others are winning with their fillies and colts.. and not enough time thinking about their young horses' development. Personally, I have a Great Dane who wasn't taken on long walks on hard surfaces, or any other hazardous activity for her joints until age 1... and I followed it to a t. It's not rocket science that the same would apply to horses!! EDIT: I LOVE the sport of TB racing, as well as SB racing (in harness) I would not wish them to dissappear, but a reform on some of their policies would be nice. As far as PETA's comments that the jockey was at fault, I highly doubt it. Not like they REALLY care.. where are they at other races where there is no real televised race? At home, schemong up new ways to get rid of domestic animals. I'm pretty sure that Belle wasn't the only horse to be injured/euthanized this year due to an injury at an event!!