Opinion Dogs and Horses - The Racing Thread

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One of the more dangerous places to be was also in the marshalling yard for the dry mares. They'd go out each day but were stabled at night .... with lights left on to get them cycling for an early service..... so I guess you try to imagine a hungry, horny, sleep deprived woman and the sort of reception you're going to get.

Well you took your life into your hands if you ventured into the yard they gathered in before going into the stables at night. It was bloody pandamonium. There were always a few dominant mares who'd chase and bite and kick the other ones who'd be trying to escape and you tried to stay out of the way whilst catching the ones you needed to. You needed eyes in the back of your head.

After a while, we just used to open the gate and they took themselves to their boxes. They seemed to know where they lived or should be and most couldn't get there fast enough to escape those few mad cows that wanted to bite and kick everything.

Good times.
 
Stallions were the ones I avoided. The old man had drilled this fear into me early days and with some justification. I was only young (6 to 8ish) and Sobig was the resident stallion. And he was a dangerous bastard. Electric fence round his paddock and the old man drummed into me that I should never ever go near him. And I didn't except during his autopsy.

He tried twice to kill the old man and was very nearly successful on one occasion. Had him pinned on the ground with his front knees in his box going for the jugular. Not sure how he got out of that one. The fear of stallions was cemented though.

Anyway he died of eye cancer of all things. Not sure I've ever heard of another horse meeting its demise from such an affliction.

The autopsy was carried out on the tray attached to the massey ferguson we used for feeding out. Guts everywhere. He was dropped in a hole somewhere afterwards and his name went up on the stallion box with other luminaries.
 
Stallions were the ones I avoided. The old man had drilled this fear into me early days and with some justification. I was only young (6 to 8ish) and Sobig was the resident stallion. And he was a dangerous bastard. Electric fence round his paddock and the old man drummed into me that I should never ever go near him. And I didn't except during his autopsy.

He tried twice to kill the old man and was very nearly successful on one occasion. Had him pinned on the ground with his front knees in his box going for the jugular. Not sure how he got out of that one. The fear of stallions was cemented though.

Anyway he died of eye cancer of all things. Not sure I've ever heard of another horse meeting its demise from such an affliction.

The autopsy was carried out on the tray attached to the massey ferguson we used for feeding out. Guts everywhere. He was dropped in a hole somewhere afterwards and his name went up on the stallion box with other luminaries.

I had a standard bred broodmare once
Without foal —— Bambi
With foal ——- Godzilla
 

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I had a standard bred broodmare once
Without foal —— Bambi
With foal ——- Godzilla
Animals and their instincts! We love 'em and all but heck me they're dangerous in certain circumstances. Good luck subduing 4-600kgs of blind panic, fury or protective instinct. Thank Dog Harold those days are over for me ... and probably you. I had a few lucky escapes .... most of the people I worked with did ... one didn't.
 
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I have one from last year year that still haunts me. Like Harold, I've got my rules that I don't break and betting in Qld is right at the top of the list. But ......

I placed a $1 20 horse all up across 3 states and 3 counties (I took it twice so i could cash one out if it looked promising). Australia (vic metro, sydney metro and qld country (wtf was I thinking), NZ and one in France (the last leg in a Grp 1 over there).

The runner in France was running overnight after the rest had gone round in this hemisphere. With one leg to go I had 18 out of 19. Which one do you reckon farked me over. The odds on shot at the Sunshine Coast!. Drew the ace in a 1200m race and then proceeded to miss the start by 4 lengths. Some choice words were spoken. It was the 6th leg so all I could do was watch in despair as the rest of them walked it in. TBF it was a mixture of wins and places but all up it came to $135k for 20 green ticks (twice).

I finished on 18 because the odds on in France got beaten a lip ...... but ...... if that mongrel thing had jumped on the coast and won, I would have cashed one of those multis out for 60kish and let the other one run. But more sensibly, I should never bet on the Sunshine Coast. My multi would have been 19 horses and 65ish as opposed to 20 and 130ish but I'd have had 2 live with one to run and would have cashed one out for 30K and done the other one.

What a game!

You’re all hopeless losers. If anything like this happened to me then it’s obviously rigged and I’d instigate a riot at headquarters, I’d appeal it to the courts, expose the corruption, question the processes and systems, and declare that I really did win.
Am I in the right thread 🤓
 
One of the more dangerous places to be was also in the marshalling yard for the dry mares. They'd go out each day but were stabled at night .... with lights left on to get them cycling for an early service..... so I guess you try to imagine a hungry, horny, sleep deprived woman and the sort of reception you're going to get.

Well you took your life into your hands if you ventured into the yard they gathered in before going into the stables at night. It was bloody pandamonium. There were always a few dominant mares who'd chase and bite and kick the other ones who'd be trying to escape and you tried to stay out of the way whilst catching the ones you needed to. You needed eyes in the back of your head.

After a while, we just used to open the gate and they took themselves to their boxes. They seemed to know where they lived or should be and most couldn't get there fast enough to escape those few mad cows that wanted to bite and kick everything.

Good times.

Pfft, that’s nothing I once had a donkey bolt on me on the beach at Blackpool. My life flashed before my eyes, all 5 years of it.
 
Pfft, that’s nothing I once had a donkey bolt on me on the beach at Blackpool. My life flashed before my eyes, all 5 years of it.
I had one do that on me at Piha. Took some people out on a horse trek through the dunes and along the beach (Piha is a very famous surf beach outside of Auckland in NZ). Anyways, it was like pulling teeth with these tired old nags on the way out .... been there done that a zillion times.

Came down the last dune and turned for home and this farking thing grabbed the bit and took off. It knew where home was and was looking forward to a feed. Hung on for dear life as we thundered down the beach. Zero control. It seems a lot faster on the beach too. Thank Dog this thing ran out of gas before I did. White knuckles .. yeah I had a few.
 
I didn't really want to mix the the 2 threads and if you turn away now you'll be spared.

Anyways, back in the day we had this mare on the farm called Repudiate. Good name that and I think from memory she left a couple of winners. Where am I going with this? Good question. I also have an interest in the US election and it occurred to me today that a repudiation of Trump by the electorate would be a good thing.

Sometimes, if the name is good, you just go with it.
 
Really interesting stuff Bloom 👍
My mates got a barrier rogue currently with an embargo.
Trouble is , it has too much ability to sack !
By Zoostar. They paid a fair bit for it.

Craig Williams as you say can talk, but what a great guy. Unbelievable how he can remember names !

Oliver , pretty confident sort of guy , bit of arrogance (but well earned )
I had the job of relaying a message from the trainer to him pre race in the mounting yard once.
As I started my spiel, he interrupted with “ I have been doing this for a while, I think I know what I’m doing “
Yep was hard to argue against 🤣

Love Craig Hewitt , funny humble character. Would be a great bloke to have a beer with 👍
I met Stevie Baster on a South Pacific cruise back in 98/99. Ripper of a bloke

You should have interupted Oliver King and told him if he was so good at this, why didn’t he ride Northerly out to the line the day Old Comrade rolled him in the Australian Cup….****ing jockeys….i was cursing him
 
Most of the people in the marquees next week will be lucky to see a race live. The horses are secondary to their social occasion.
I’m all for marquees and getting pissed at the races if that’s your go.
But to put them in the middle of the course,at the expense of actually being able to see the race, to me is bizarre
 

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Opinion Dogs and Horses - The Racing Thread

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