“The Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs” (steeplechase) was held in Maryland this past Saturday. Here, according to the stewards, is some of what happened…
Race 2: “Silver Prospector fell at the 9th fence. The attending vet reported that the horse sustained a tendon hematoma but was otherwise OK.”
Race 3: “Garrison Forest fell at the last fence. The attending vet reported that the assistant trainer for Leslie Young refused to let her examine or treat the horse.”
“Refused to let her examine or treat the horse.”
Race 5: “Marcel Magic was problematic at the start. The horse would not line up with the rest of the field and dwelt when the flag was dropped. As a result, [he] will not be allowed to run where parimutuel wagering is involved until he starts without incident at another meet.” In other words, the 5-year-old Marcel is on probation.
Then this in the final race of the day: “In a rather bizarre sequence of events, Presence of Mind fell at the 14th fence. The horse got up, but right into the path of Potus, who collided with Presence of Mind and knocked him over. Made to Be Lucky then stumbled [‘collided,’ said the race chart] over these two. The Red Fox fell at the 15th fence. Dr. Patternote reported that Presence of Mind, despite appearing to have a leg injury, actually suffered a heatstroke. Made to Be Lucky had a stifle laceration.”
So, Presence of Mind – who is 10 years old – fell then was hit by two other horses and suffered a heatstroke, to boot. Yeah, how “bizarre.” The stewards then concluded their report with this: “The course was in beautiful shape and the going was perfect. This is a well-organized race meet and makes for an excellent beginning to the fall season.”
Vile stuff, folks.
Thank you, Rose! It’s a no-brainer that veterinarians know full well what a horse needs; that horses need cooling out after being run for any distance! But two miles over jumps, and falling?Give me a break. No veterinarian could be stupid enough to not know cooling the horse out is mandatory, not optional! Any veterinarian that stupid would not qualify to be licensed and working in the equine industry.
An examination by the veterinarian to determine what type of treatment the horse needs could very well include a cold water bath and walking as part of the examination and treatment in the case of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which are not exactly the same.
But according to Leslie Young, she and her Assistant Trainer, Designated Responsible Person, knows more about the fact that the horse needs cooling out than the Veterinarian knows. That’s special.
I’m positive that the State Regulatory Veterinarian would disagree with Ms. Young’s assessment that her Assistant Trainer, Designated Responsible Person, knew more about what the horse, GARRISON FOREST, needed than the Attending Veterinarian.
I am certainly not buying that line.
Exactly spot on, Joy and Rose! That was my first thought also! Why would the horse need cooled down or hosed off first? So, if it falls over dead or is hopping lame, you can say, “gee I guess there’s an injury?” Or “shucks, guess that was bad after all?” What a stupid train of thought.
Leslie Young’s assistant trainer needs to make better decisions because prioritizing a bath/cool-down for the horse over a vet exam after a fall is wrong.
Just because the horse appears to be uninjured does not rule out an internal issue such as bleeding…after all she (assistant trainer) is not a veterinarian.
I believe the following is true: 1) that refusing to let the veterinarian examine the horse is on the record because that is what happened, 2) that it is a violation of the rules to refuse to let the veterinarian examine a horse that fell during the race and was not able to finish the race due to falling at the last hurdle (in a two-mile hurdle race carrying at least 140 pounds of jockey wielding a whip), 3) that there could be a fine for this violation of the rules, and 4) the trainer may not change the original record of the stewards; that the original record will stand.
But why be concerned enough about the welfare of the horse that fell when you had two other horses in the same race that crossed the finish in first place and second place.
Oops! GARRISON FOREST fell and Did Not Finish the race. How did GARRISON FOREST get off the track? Did he walk? Or, was he given a ride in the ambulance or whatever contraption they use to haul a horse off the track at Shawan Downs? Evidently, not ambulanced off since no veterinarian was allowed to examine the horse before being “cooled out”…
Leslie Young…
“Any good horsemen [sic]” would 1), not increase their horses’ risks of injury/death by demanding they participate in what you demand your equine slaves participate in (for your paycheck, no less) and 2), WOULD seek immediate veterinary care for a fall like what your horse experienced. NO horse needs a bath first to have a veterinary evaluation for potential injury nor does the horse require “cooling out” in order for the veterinarian to begin his/her assessment. That said, just how overheated WAS your horse that your assistant refused the vet’s attention at that time? – extreme heat exhaustion certainly does require immediate attention…I know I’d covet my horses’ vet in attendance during that critical period.
Like Patrick stated, take it up with the individuals who wrote and released the report if it’s all a lie – funny thing is, having been rescuing racehorses for 25-plus years – 10 of those years spent every weekend on the backside, seeing the exploitation & the horses’ cruel daily existence up close – I know it’s fact.
That said, I don’t need to see more horses standing at the stall doors of your shedrow/barn, suffering the isolation & confinement the horses of this industry endure.
Yes, Marie, we do already know only too well the fact that horses are used as pawns in a type of Russian Roulette in this inhumane so-called sport. Yes, jockeys have been injured and some killed but, as human beings, the jockeys have a choice. The horses are born into this type of slavery of being exploited as four-legged gambling chips.
It is not horsemanship to put a horse’s life at extremely high risk of injuries and death.
“Nonsense”, Leslie? I don’t have to go see your stable. I saw plenty at the 5 tracks where I have been.
There is a reason I am here, supporting Patrick and Nicole’s hard work, and not hanging with the folks at the steeplechases.
Leslie Young, if you want to prove anything, send Horseracing Wrongs the full video of how the horse named GARRISON FOREST fell at the last fence/jump and what happened afterwards.
Thank you for the invite to your stable but I will have to decline for myself. However, there may be others who live closer to wherever your stable is located (assuming the East Coast, not the West Coast) and might be able to take you up on your offer.
How did GARRISON FOREST fall and not suffer any injuries worth noting??? Also, can you please supply a valid report from the attending veterinarian on duty on the day in question???
You are the one being misleading. First, everything in the post came from the stewards, so take it up with them. Second, there is nothing about Garrison being injured or suffering from heatstroke; those were other abused animals from that day. Bottom line, injured or not, you exploit Garrison for personal gain. Full stop.
I am the trainer whom you all are discussing. This is absolutely not true. Out of context and slanderous. The horse was evaluated by a veterinary (Dr Witwer) before he left the grounds. Dr Patternot, Dr Witwer were very busy as was my staff so it hasn’t been communicated properly. My assistant trainer asked the first Vet Dr Patternot if she could kindly wait till the horse was finished being bathed and being cooled out properly. There were absolutely no soundness or heat stroking issues walking back to the stable area. If there was anything that looked like the horse was in need immediately of veterinary attention it was have been done immediately. Any good horsemen would agree to let the horse be cooled out first and then examine. So for those of you passing judgement on my or my assistant without proper facts are the problem not only with equine sports but our nation in general. Stop listing to fake news or agencies who can’t report fairly and accurately. Absolutely insanity how many people take one piece of the pie and run with it before they do their home work.
I personally invite anyone who follows this nonsense to contact me directly. I will welcome you to my racing stable and see for yourselves how our horses are looked after and treated. Thank you!
In California, there is a law against refusing, denying, or failing to get veterinary care for a horse that needs it although that law also states that it is a violation to maim and kill horses.
I have to believe that there are laws against animal cruelty, animal abuse, and animal neglect in Maryland as well.
The mindset of these people masquerading as “horsemen” (including women) is so unbelievably morally depraved. To say that this steeplechase and gambling event is a good start to the season is enough to make a person vomit if you have any sense of right and wrong.
Where is the follow up report that the assistant trainer of GARRISON FOREST was even slightly punished in some way for refusing to let the attending veterinarian examine the horse???
Where is the report that Leslie Young was also issued some form of punishment for being the one responsible for allowing this egregious mistreatment and neglect of a horse that fell in a steeplechase race???
How much money do these abusers of horses get paid for this egregious mistreatment of horses???
I did not know that you could refuse to have a veterinarian look at your horse during a race or steeplechase. That’s very disturbing. What were they afraid the doctor might find? And if the horse sustained an injury, why wouldn’t they want to know? These people are beyond cruel.
All the above is normal for the barbaric Steeplechase. My disdain for these events has no boundary and the regulars know that as well.
It really is barbaric. Hard to believe this is still happening in our time. We should have moved past this centuries ago.