Too many injuries? Please weigh in with your opinion

[Toccet02]

A certain stable (this is true as of today) has 22 of 75 horses currently out of training with injury, or time off needed from tie back procedures/other breathing difficulties requiring procedures.

This is 29.33% of the stable not able to race right now.
This seems to me to be very high.

Stable is a public partnership with a wide range of horses from stakes horses to claimers.

what % of horses should there be or are there usually on the "disabled" list in a high/mid level stable, do you think?
Thanks.

[majxmom]

I'd be interested to know how many of those are from the breathing-problem procedures! If they have a lot of them, it sounds like they are trying to use a surgeon to make a slow horse run fast. Once in a while that can come up, but to have four or five would make me think that they pull that trigger a little too often.

I can think of a lot of reasons why 30% off might happen to you. A lot of two year olds in the barn, a lot of three years olds that started as 2yos, and this is their first break, older horses that were freshened for the upcoming summer season, etc. It does seem a little high. Are there some recent changes, like relocation to a new track, trainer change, etc., that might account for a rash of problems?

[Toccet02]

I think that 3 or 4 cases were trapped epiglottis type problems.


The 30% includes ONLY horses that are hurt or recovering from breathing issue surgery. Currently. I didn't even include those who are back to racing that have had problems in the past.

I specifically omitted horses that were 2YO that just haven't started yet, UNLESS they have an injury.

The changes I've noticed lately with this stable are
1) spending a lot more $$ on horses the last 2 years, and
2) They seem drawn to new unproven sires.

Staff, trainers, vets seem the same.

[zinn21]

Almost one out of three going to the sidelines seems pretty high but there are so many factors the could skew the numbers. It would be hard to criticize unless you looked at the entire group individually to determine if good horsemanship and management took place.

[ratherrapid]

the average 12 month permanent injury rate is about 40%. the stable referred to might be better than average. Most backstretches--50% racing--50% recovering.

[Toccet02]

good god.
Thanks for the info; but wow, that is just too high. That points to a real need for sounder breeding.