Breeding and Race track injuries

Question
Hello, I am curious as to whether thoroughbred breeding practices can lead to racetrack injuries?

Answer
Hi Bekah:

Yes; thoroughbred breeding practices can indeed lead to racing  injuries and general unsoundness.  For example, repeatedly breeding horses with thin and brittle bone structure would likely produce offspring with the same attributes, and this would undoubtedly increase the overall unsoundness of the horse population.  That being said, the causal effect of unsoundness in these instances is sometimes overstated.  

The conundrum here is that the fastest horses often have less-than-ideal confirmation.  And although they are likely to produce similarly frail offspring, people will still pay top dollar for those racing prospects.        


Brad Adler
www.superthoroughbred.com