Now... just because a horse is young doesn’t mean it should be bubble wrapped and prevented from moving... good exercise, including running and playing in big wide open spaces is vital to physical development, just as it is for our own children during the growing phase. Some work under saddle during the growing phase of a horse is arguably good for them, the movement and ‘stress’ to the structure while they are still growing encourages them to grow even stronger. The debate is always about how much is too much. The powers-that-be will never raise the age these horses are raised, so the question may be moot.This was a good point. Self limited exercise is what we do with the setter puppies. They are not allowed to play with dogs older than them because they may try to keep up and overdo it. In dogs there are many recognized bone problems due to working a dog to early and to hard. Horse rely on their feet and legs so much more than a dog, you would think it would behoove (sp?) the racing industry to allow them to grow just one more year. Make the Derby something they have to Qualify for the year before, kinda like Westminster is in dogs or the Eukanuba Invitational. Make it for 5 year olds. The horse SHOULD be the #1 priority.
I had the truck radio on yesterday while I was watching the grandchildren (and cleaning out the weekend debris) and heard someone comment that "a contributing factor might have been that the horse was a filly running with the boys."
But it would seem to be a good idea to raise the age. I have a 3 y.o. filly up in the pasture and it's very apparent she's not fully grown yet. And I don't know beans yet about horses.