Michael
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Re: Michael
yeah , where are ya mike? we all want the low down from the horse's mouth!Ramona wrote:Anyone hear from him yet? Is our BANG okay?
Just back from Santa Anita, and the horse and I are still breathing and walking!
Bang reverted to his old achilles heal--bleeding--and the jockey wisely pulled him at the 3/8 pole. Rene Douglas was so exhausted from restraining Bang that he couldn't even help unsaddle the horse. By the time I got back to the barn Bang's bleeding had subsided (both nostrils), but apparently he almost collapsed on the walk back from the track from blood loss.
Bang bled just as badly about 18 months ago at Bay Meadows. His jockey's white pants were totally splattered with blood, and blodd was gushing from both nostrils and mouth. After a long stint in the hyperbaric chamber at Dr. Doug Herthel's clinin in Los Olivos, we sent him to New Mexico where he won 5 or 6 races without one incidence of bleeding.
The reason: don't know all the factors, but three stand out. 1) Bang's dam was a super fast (:20 4/5) filly whose career was ended by profuse bleeding. The apple didn't fall far from this tree: 2) Humidity--the higher the moisture content the more likely a horse is to bleed. Santa Anita is usually 40-60% humidity on an average day; New Mexico is 10-20%. 3) Stress--the large crowds, the higher anxiety levels, the bigger, stronger, quicker horses, and the deeper crowding all contribute to a horse's stress.
California racing (especially at Del Mar) is suicide for bad bleeders. Some trainers use illegal substances to contain it, but the clean ones, like my trainer, find ways to work within the law. In Bang's case, he will now spend 3 months or so with Dr. Herthel again, utilizing the hyperbaric chamber to expedite healing, then likely return to New Mexico for the new Hobbs Racetrack meeting in September. Purses there are supposed to be higher than at Sunland Park, so it's a great marriage.
This business is great. On my drive home I stopped off to look at the majority of my horses boarded in central California. To my surprise, I found a brand new foal born yesterday---big, strong, correct and terribly cute. God always finds a way to bring balance to life.
I really appreciate everyone's good wishes, both on this board and in private messages. THANK YOU.
Michael
Bang reverted to his old achilles heal--bleeding--and the jockey wisely pulled him at the 3/8 pole. Rene Douglas was so exhausted from restraining Bang that he couldn't even help unsaddle the horse. By the time I got back to the barn Bang's bleeding had subsided (both nostrils), but apparently he almost collapsed on the walk back from the track from blood loss.
Bang bled just as badly about 18 months ago at Bay Meadows. His jockey's white pants were totally splattered with blood, and blodd was gushing from both nostrils and mouth. After a long stint in the hyperbaric chamber at Dr. Doug Herthel's clinin in Los Olivos, we sent him to New Mexico where he won 5 or 6 races without one incidence of bleeding.
The reason: don't know all the factors, but three stand out. 1) Bang's dam was a super fast (:20 4/5) filly whose career was ended by profuse bleeding. The apple didn't fall far from this tree: 2) Humidity--the higher the moisture content the more likely a horse is to bleed. Santa Anita is usually 40-60% humidity on an average day; New Mexico is 10-20%. 3) Stress--the large crowds, the higher anxiety levels, the bigger, stronger, quicker horses, and the deeper crowding all contribute to a horse's stress.
California racing (especially at Del Mar) is suicide for bad bleeders. Some trainers use illegal substances to contain it, but the clean ones, like my trainer, find ways to work within the law. In Bang's case, he will now spend 3 months or so with Dr. Herthel again, utilizing the hyperbaric chamber to expedite healing, then likely return to New Mexico for the new Hobbs Racetrack meeting in September. Purses there are supposed to be higher than at Sunland Park, so it's a great marriage.
This business is great. On my drive home I stopped off to look at the majority of my horses boarded in central California. To my surprise, I found a brand new foal born yesterday---big, strong, correct and terribly cute. God always finds a way to bring balance to life.
I really appreciate everyone's good wishes, both on this board and in private messages. THANK YOU.
Michael
Flight, I do know that and a big part of me wishes that we had the same rule in the U.S. It certainly would reduce the number of bleeders who find their way into breeding programs. In the U.S., the opposite is happening--so many drugs (legal and otherwise) mask or temporarily relieve defects, and the recipients of all this build impressive race records which lead to further perpetuation of the flaws.
About 15 years ago, I owned 50% of a NZ bred gelding named TRACOSTA. He was by Sir Tristram out of a champion racemare. For the previous owner, he had bled twice and been ruled off. My partner said he thought he could fix the problem and so we bought the horse. Horse won several country races in a big way, then bled again at Flemington, so we brought him to California. My trainer (a family friend, now deceased, who had trained numerous graded stakes winners) told me the horse trained better than any horse he had ever trained. The morning before his first U.S. start, as he was breezing 3/8, Tracosta suffered a massive heart attack and dropped dead on the track. Luckily, the jock escaped harm.
I guess what I learned from this lesson is that horses with chronic pulmonary disease may harbor even greater defects which can lead to death. This horse had never been diagnosed with a heart problem, yet likely bled so badly in his final workout that it triggered the fatal cardiac arrest.
About 15 years ago, I owned 50% of a NZ bred gelding named TRACOSTA. He was by Sir Tristram out of a champion racemare. For the previous owner, he had bled twice and been ruled off. My partner said he thought he could fix the problem and so we bought the horse. Horse won several country races in a big way, then bled again at Flemington, so we brought him to California. My trainer (a family friend, now deceased, who had trained numerous graded stakes winners) told me the horse trained better than any horse he had ever trained. The morning before his first U.S. start, as he was breezing 3/8, Tracosta suffered a massive heart attack and dropped dead on the track. Luckily, the jock escaped harm.
I guess what I learned from this lesson is that horses with chronic pulmonary disease may harbor even greater defects which can lead to death. This horse had never been diagnosed with a heart problem, yet likely bled so badly in his final workout that it triggered the fatal cardiac arrest.
So happy to hear from you Michael. I'm sure all of us watching Bang, were cheering for him and hoping he would "kick booty" for the little guy. I'm just happy he is alive and will hopefully respond to treatment. I'm also happy you had a brand new foal to brighten, which I'm sure was a gloomy day for you. Take care...
Michael
That would have been a big shock to you. Had a look at the female family and Jocasta's girls have done well.
I didn't realise that bleeding is an actual genetic trait.
I do know that most horses bleed to some degree however did not link heart conditions with bleeding.
We really don't have that many bleeders (per capita) over here. Certainly not higher profile ones anyway.
I did however hear of a good sprinter collapsing during trackwork a few months ago. Reports said that he had a massive heart attack yet a friend of mine heard that it was a massive bleeding attack.
Might need to go and do some more reading on thehorse.com.
Sometimes this forum opens up more questions than answers.......
That would have been a big shock to you. Had a look at the female family and Jocasta's girls have done well.
I didn't realise that bleeding is an actual genetic trait.
I do know that most horses bleed to some degree however did not link heart conditions with bleeding.
We really don't have that many bleeders (per capita) over here. Certainly not higher profile ones anyway.
I did however hear of a good sprinter collapsing during trackwork a few months ago. Reports said that he had a massive heart attack yet a friend of mine heard that it was a massive bleeding attack.
Might need to go and do some more reading on thehorse.com.
Sometimes this forum opens up more questions than answers.......
I have seen some material in the major TB mags suggesting that bleeding is related to both a hereditary tendency and to environmental factors such as excessive exposure to respiratory irritants like dust, but I'm certainly no expert on the subject. Wonder if the apparent increase in bleeders among horses has anything to do with the same things that have created an increase in asthma cases among humans?
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
Michael I know this is a dump question,but I have to ask... Lasix?. Glad bang is going to be OK. I thought for a second he was the horse who broke down..Whew.. It seems that every time Racing is on National TV a horse breaks down its amazing.. It happens on a percentage basis 10 times as much on TV as it does in real life!
Michael, I was away looking at a couple of stallions on Saturday so I missed the race but I'm so glad Bang came out of it okay. <whew!>
I'm looking forward to him coming back to New Mexico so that maybe I can see him run in person. The new track at Hobbs (*ahem*...believe they're going to call it ZIA!
) should be a good one and I'll definitely be there a few times this fall to help support their inaugural meet.
Meanwhile, wishing all the best for Bang's R&R.
Laurie
I'm looking forward to him coming back to New Mexico so that maybe I can see him run in person. The new track at Hobbs (*ahem*...believe they're going to call it ZIA!
) should be a good one and I'll definitely be there a few times this fall to help support their inaugural meet.
Meanwhile, wishing all the best for Bang's R&R.
Laurie
So many pedigrees...so little time. (C)
Michael,
The humidity angle is a big factor. We are constantly battling it on the East Coast due to our changing conditions. I have seen many a California horse bleed when coming in for stakes at Saratoga. We have day-to-day problems where if the conditions come up bad, we're in trouble. High humitity does seem to make it worse. If you find anything that works, let me know.
The humidity angle is a big factor. We are constantly battling it on the East Coast due to our changing conditions. I have seen many a California horse bleed when coming in for stakes at Saratoga. We have day-to-day problems where if the conditions come up bad, we're in trouble. High humitity does seem to make it worse. If you find anything that works, let me know.