Do horses fall less often nowadays?

granger

granger

Senior Jockey
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I was thinking along these lines and would like to get people's thoughts

Anyone who has listened to me over the years will have a good idea that Moscow Flyer is my favourite horse of all time

He did have a slight quirk in the fact that his jumping wasn't always foot perfect

My next favourite chaser, Kauto. Also a brilliant leper but had the odd tumble

When I look at racing nowadays, the top horses just don't seem like they touch a twig let alone much chance of falling

I loved Sizing Europe too and never once did I think he was going to fall

Sprinter, Altior - never a danger of them falling. Could extend that to a tonne more of horses but they are the most high profile

Staying chasers are pretty much the same

So

Are horses now

More athletic
Better trained
Better nutrition
Better jockeys

Or have the standards of race tracks improved to an extent that better jumping is possible

Have the fences become too easy

Or am I just imagining it?
 
"I loved Sizing Europe too and never once did I think he was going to fall"

So you wasn't one of those people taking pot shots at me when I thought he'd win the Champion Hurdle and he broke down?

Or when I said he'd win the Arkle (dissenters laid him) and he won well?

Well, you are certainly not an aftertimer then, I give you that. :)
 
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Could be new safety measures in place, certain grounds and fence heights etc. The Grand National as an example is more of a hurdle race now.
 
Marb said:
"I loved Sizing Europe too and never once did I think he was going to fall"

So you wasn't one of those people taking pot shots at me when I thought he'd win the Champion Hurdle and he broke down?

Or when I said he'd win the Arkle (dissenters laid him) and he won well?

Well, you are certainly not an aftertimer then, I give you that. :)
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That champ hurdle cost me 12k I think. He would have absolutely sluched home
 
granger said:
Or have the standards of race tracks improved to an extent that better jumping is possible

Have the fences become too easy?
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Just last week Rory Delargy (I think) did a big piece on the FF podcast about how they have changed the birch in the fences at Haydock this year. They're not as firm as the old birch and therefore softer and I suppose easier to jump.

I've no idea how many other race tracks may have done similar, but I found it an interesting piece at the time and think it ties into your question here.
 
Ted Walsh has highlighted it in more sensationalist terms in the past

I didn't hear last weeks pod but Rory (formerly of this parish) is as good a pundit/analyser as there is out there
 
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According to the BHA and research conducted by the University of Exeter, yes.

Jumps fallers stats.jpg

Racecourses making their fences softer have helped but so too has the introduction of those "one fit" padded hurdles along with more stringent careless riding rules.

Apparently, they are looking at panel colours which will make the obstacles more visible to horses and help mitigate against equine colour blindness. To this end, I can only imagine that bypassing obstacles has also helped reduce the number of fallers.
 
Your last comment is indeed correct. They are shortly going to be changing all the orange boards to white. We have been notified that this will come into effect within the pointing field as well. Not 100% sure when and our secretaries have yet to be informed (am anticipating major meltdown from some at extra painting job this will entail but they will at least get paid for the paint! :lol: )
 
granger said:
Ted Walsh has highlighted it in more sensationalist terms in the past

I didn't hear last weeks pod but Rory (formerly of this parish) is as good a pundit/analyser as there is out there
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Rory was a prolific poster on TRF years ago, his posts were always worth a read.
 
The availability of schooling fences, flags and side panels and rails on training grounds has to be a huge help also.
WPM spoke a few years ago of schooling horses in fields with neither rails nor distance poles so when he went racing he had no clue as to what was what.
Added to that the top jockeys of the time, Carberry, Biddlecombe and Brogan spent their time off saddle "swinging out of chandeliers " so schooling was done on race day rather than at home in a lot of cases.
Everyone has heard stories of novice chasers seeing their first chase fence at the racecourse, let alone being schooled over one.
Try that now and you would be history in a short time.
 
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