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One of the brightest, most highly respected Thoroughbred industry figures is the former Farm Manager and President of Three Chimneys Farm - Dan Rosenberg.
In a recent column in the Thoroughbred Times he writes entertainingly of the vital chemistry and rapport that must exist between breeding farm and veterinarian. Dan cites many diagnostic techniques, surgical procedures, and medicines that have resulted in improving the conception percentage of mares, and also the mortality rate of foals. This is true, I am sure. And that is wonderful.
But his article prompts me to note that the problem is that too many of the mamas and the papas of those foals were essentially unsound of wind or limb to begin with (albeit maybe fast as hell!) so that often the foals that were created and brought to maturity are not able to stand the rigors of racing. In spite of great advances in the field of veterinary medicine, the breed has weakened and bears little resemblance to the hard-knocking horses of yesteryear.
The number of young horses - yearlings I'm talking about! - that have chip fractures or faulty breathing apparatuses is amazing.
A terrible conundrum is that during the time veterinary medicine has made dramatic advances to prevent ailments in the Thoroughbred breed, the breeding industry seems to have made even greater advances in producing attractive, blue-blooded, but shockingly unsound specimens. So we're not gaining on the problem.
Somehow we must slow this terrible trend.
This is Cot Campbell, and this is my view. |
