Racing in Ireland

[JennLM]

I tivo almost every horse program on RFD-tv and caught up watching some of them today.

One of them had racing in Ireland, Steeplechase and up to over 4 miles grass tracks. Some with hurdles, some not.

I had been wondering what their rate of horses breaking down was.

Then the guy they were interviewing was asked a similar type question and said they don't even start them until they are 4 and don't expect anything the first year.

I thought that was pretty interesting.

[Heidi]

Something I notice about European race horses, is they have manners and are comfortable with themselves. Very rarely do you see a European trained horse having to be led to the starting gate.

A lot of this is due to how the farms work in Europe. I don't think they are very large at all, I'm sure most don't have their own track to train on, so they must use the "Downs". I think the Downs are lieke public land used specifically for training and hacking. These horses are kept in 'yards' (stables) and must be ridden to the training area, so they must be agreeable and handleable. They do not have enough hired people and 'extra' horses to pony each horse to and fro for every training session. They all go out in groups together, usually with the trainer following in a Rover to give the instructions.

[pnalley]

Did you know that bulls bred specifically to be "prized bucking bulls" are not started bucking until they are 4?

Heck of a note how our thoroughbreds are started

[Cindy]

Did you know that bulls bred specifically to be "prized bucking bulls" are not started bucking until they are 4?


Not necessarilly true. Depends on the stock contractor. I talked to one at an event in Vegas last year where they had a competition of bucking "baby bulls". In this competition 2 and 3 year old bulls were sent out without a rider but were flanked and bucked for 6 seconds and judged on how well they bucked. I asked the contractor that I was talking to when they started bucking bulls (with riders) and he said there are some that start them at 2 or 3 but he prefered to start them at 3 or 4.