|
|
 Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
  
Location: the high desert | Is it common for a QH racehorse to get a little sore while racing?
Edited by Iwish 2014-01-29 9:42 PM
|
|
| |
|
 
| YES ... like any horse or person that has exerted itself ... the exercise tears down muscle tissue that needs to be rebuilt with light exercise such as a walker after the race to remove any lactic acid in the muscles, some bute and a good bathing. Next day walker for an hour to walk off any stiffness or soreness. Medicated mud is a common used item too. along with wrapping legs for drawing out inflammation at trainers digression ...
The more out of shape the more sore they will be and possibly injured.
Typical racing schedule is every 3-4 weeks if proper race is written and it gives horse time to rebuild muscles, get on the muscle and peak for the next race ...
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-01-23 2:02 AM
|
|
| |
|
Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| Yes - like any other athelete. |
|
| |
|
Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. |
|
| |
|
 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though.
Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races. |
|
| |
|
 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Barnmom - 2014-01-23 1:07 PM Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races.
Yikes! I wouldn't want to get that vet bill! I couldn't justify to my owners having to inject that many joints for one race on one horse. They would have a cow!
|
|
| |
|
Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Wow I didn't know race horses got injected that often. Well this particular horse was injected a couple times in the fetlocks becuase he was a little sore but it didn't do any thing so they didn't do anymore injections, raced him a few more times then they retired him. This owner was very conservative with the horse because he truly cares for his race horses and didn't want to ruin him. The horse only ran 11 times. Didn't run his first race till well into his two year old year 2008, raced a few times in 2009, couple times in 2010 then couple times in 2011 then that was it. |
|
| |
|
 I"m Jealous!
Posts: 1737
Location: Benton City, WA | I would suggest getting a thorough lameness/pre purchase exam with flexion tests and possibly xrays. Racehorses are in general more likely to have chips.
As far as racehorses getting injected- it totally depends on the trainer/owner. Many of the trainers around here, several of whom are personal friends of mine (admittedly not big money tracks) use nothing but bute and leg wrapping to manage their horses. If possible, it is nice to buy through a trainer that you know and trust. |
|
| |
|
  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | barrel_racing_angel - 2014-01-23 2:29 PM I would suggest getting a thorough lameness/pre purchase exam with flexion tests and possibly xrays. Racehorses are in general more likely to have chips.
As far as racehorses getting injected- it totally depends on the trainer/owner. Many of the trainers around here, several of whom are personal friends of mine (admittedly not big money tracks) use nothing but bute and leg wrapping to manage their horses. If possible, it is nice to buy through a trainer that you know and trust.
Wow yes, what she said. I have a few friends in the business and have never heard of a horse getting that many injections. If I was an owner I would be miffed. We bought a stud off the track that raced to 5 and he was bumped hard out of the gate in one race. They injected that shoulder once and he was good to go. I had him started on barrels and then sold him to Canada. To my knowledge he has never needed another.
Some trainers must be injection happy freaks. It would behoove them to condition better and hope for no bumps out of the gates. |
|
| |
|
 Saint Stacey
| total performance - 2014-01-23 12:27 PM Barnmom - 2014-01-23 1:07 PM Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races.
That's why they use straight cortisone. It keeps the cost down.
When my folks still had horses on the track, the trainer thought they were insane when they insisted on the injections having HA as well because of how expensive it is. But they wanted horses that still had joints after racing. |
|
| |
|
Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | So once a horse has been injected do they always need to be done? |
|
| |
|
Saint Stacey
| Iwish - 2014-01-24 5:32 AM So once a horse has been injected do they always need to be done?
Depends on the joints. Hocks, maybe not, depending on how quick they fuse. Knees shouldn't either. Ankles should be okay too.
If they are doing stifles and navicular, then usually once those start, they never seem to stop. Or that's been my experience at least. |
|
| |
|
Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Ah I see. Hmm.... not sure what I want to do. |
|
| |
|
Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | Iwish - 2014-01-24 9:59 AM Ah I see. Hmm.... not sure what I want to do. If the owner is being honest with you, then I wouldn't worry too much about the ankles being injected a couple of times.
Will they release her vet records to you?
I have seen LOTS of terrible shoeing at the track. Bad feet will make joints sore especially if the horse is wearing toe grabs. Just something to think about if you like everything else about the horse.
Edited by Barnmom 2014-01-24 10:13 AM
|
|
| |
|
 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I bought a 3YO in 2011 who had 9 outs on the track split between her 2 YO and 3YO year. I didn't PPE her, and she was sound when I got her. I injected her hocks once as a 4YO and nothing else… Then when she was 5, she started running sore so I had another lameness exam done on her and injected her hocks one more time. Didn't really improve anything. So anyway by the fall when I started vet school it occurred to me to radiograph her stifles for the chance of an OCD. She really wasn't LAME so I was thinking training/behavior at that point. Meanwhile, she was at my trainer and she was trying to work her through it as well, but she thought I had already ruled out her stifles. When I said I hadn't, she said take her home NOW and get them looked at. Vet found a big OCD chip her in stifle. We had the surgery to remove it, and she's recovered great. She will make her first run tomorrow.
Anyway, point being.. the OCD really can't be attributed to running on the track. More often than not, its a combination of heredity combined with nutrition as a foal, with other unknown factors thrown it. They can start to develop before they ever are broke to ride, or they can develop later. So, I wouldn't be scared to get another one off the track. The surgeon and my follow up vet both said she won't require any more or less stifle maintenance than a normal horse, and she shouldn't have to get injections BECAUSE of the stifle. They said if she ever does need stifle injections, it will be because of her job, not because of anything with her surgery.
|
|
| |
|
Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | I just asked if they would be willing to release the vet records to me. Im over thinking this I think lol. I have never bought a OTT horse before and you hear about all the terrible things that go on behind the scenes at the track and it makes me rather weary. The good thing though is I have heard from a few people that this owner is a good one. |
|
| |
|
 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | total performance - 2014-01-23 1:27 PM Barnmom - 2014-01-23 1:07 PM Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races.
Wowzers.....me neither! Nor do I want to own that horse in my barn after he's done at the track. Reminds of a story you and I were told recently about the frequency of bursa and coffin joint injections and the result it had on the foot of the horse. No thanks....there's a better way. If a horse is that sore, they shouldn't be going down the race track IMO. |
|
| |
|
You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | Iwish - 2014-01-24 1:07 PM
I just asked if they would be willing to release the vet records to me. Im over thinking this I think lol. I have never bought a OTT horse before and you hear about all the terrible things that go on behind the scenes at the track and it makes me rather weary. The good thing though is I have heard from a few people that this owner is a good one.
how many outs has the horse had? |
|
| |
|
Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Herbie - 2014-01-24 1:32 PM total performance - 2014-01-23 1:27 PM Barnmom - 2014-01-23 1:07 PM Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races.
I had forgot about that story! A horse that needs that many injections just to get down the track doesn't need to be there. |
|
| |
|
Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | total performance - 2014-01-24 1:55 PM Herbie - 2014-01-24 1:32 PM total performance - 2014-01-23 1:27 PM Barnmom - 2014-01-23 1:07 PM Iwish - 2014-01-23 12:49 PM stupid phone, it did not post the rest of my question. Thank you barrelhorseUSA for that indepth answer. I know that they will get sore since they are exerting themselves so much in one race but is it a common thing for them to be injected because they are sore? Im looking at a horse that the owner had injected a couple times in his front fetlocks because he started getting a little sore. No injury or swelling in the fetlocks though. Racehorses get injected ALL the time. If the horse you are looking at has only had her fetlocks injected a couple of times she is either pretty sound for one coming off the track or she has a crappy vet looking her over.
There are quite a few trainers that will routinely inject 10 or more joints on a horse per race. Which is why it ts very important do do a PPE on OTT horses, it is also helpful if the owners will release vet records for the last few races.
Exactly.....and any trainer or vet who in injecting a horse just to get them down the track, just because, or when it isn't medically necessary doesn't deserve a license or practice. We don't need any more Dr. Bursa Injections. ;-) Know what I mean...... |
|
| |
Folks on-line