Comments on: The Death of Dark Secret, 1934 http://colinsghost.org/2008/06/death-of-dark-secret-1934.html Thoroughbred Racing History Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: kathy http://colinsghost.org/2008/06/death-of-dark-secret-1934.html/comment-page-1#comment-20179 kathy Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:22:49 +0000 http://colinsghost.com/dotcom/?p=17#comment-20179 This is such a painful subject, love of horses and competition vs. accidents. As a child I wanted nothing but a horse and at the age of 9 in 1960 my parents bought me a horse. A pretty 15'3'' chestnut mare with no papers, but a dead ringer for an Anglo/Arab. When I turned her loose to 'play' she entertained everyone with her tail so high it actually was up over her back, red nostrils snorting and blowing and a really arched neck to a dished face so elegant, people often thought she was a stallion. She was my first horse, so I learned quickly to stay on and not be separated from her, for she would whirl away and strut her prancing and high suspended trot in the middle of the street, or where ever we happened to be, and I did not want anything to happen to her. Her other love? running. One day when my friends took off running on a trail ride I found out, she will run until she passes them all, then she will stop. Luckily it was usually not far. As cainhoy said there is nothing like it on earth. I kept my mare safe and unharmed, and I loved her like no other animal ever in my life. Today at 61 yrs, I can tell you if anything had ever happened to my horse is would have broken my heart. When ever a horse or any horses are injured I am deeply saddened, I know what it is in their hearts. This is such a painful subject, love of horses and competition vs. accidents. As a child I wanted nothing but a horse and at the age of 9 in 1960 my parents bought me a horse. A pretty 15’3” chestnut mare with no papers, but a dead ringer for an Anglo/Arab. When I turned her loose to ‘play’ she entertained everyone with her tail so high it actually was up over her back, red nostrils snorting and blowing and a really arched neck to a dished face so elegant, people often thought she was a stallion. She was my first horse, so I learned quickly to stay on and not be separated from her, for she would whirl away and strut her prancing and high suspended trot in the middle of the street, or where ever we happened to be, and I did not want anything to happen to her. Her other love? running. One day when my friends took off running on a trail ride I found out, she will run until she passes them all, then she will stop. Luckily it was usually not far. As cainhoy said there is nothing like it on earth. I kept my mare safe and unharmed, and I loved her like no other animal ever in my life. Today at 61 yrs, I can tell you if anything had ever happened to my horse is would have broken my heart. When ever a horse or any horses are injured I am deeply saddened, I know what it is in their hearts.

]]> By: valerie http://colinsghost.org/2008/06/death-of-dark-secret-1934.html/comment-page-1#comment-465 valerie Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:12:11 +0000 http://colinsghost.com/dotcom/?p=17#comment-465 Couldn't the Jockey have pulled the horse up when he felt him do the tendon? Would have saved his life, I have cured many a bowed tendon for the horse to still race. Couldn’t the Jockey have pulled the horse up when he felt him do the tendon? Would have saved his life, I have cured many a bowed tendon for the horse to still race.

]]> By: cainhoy http://colinsghost.org/2008/06/death-of-dark-secret-1934.html/comment-page-1#comment-21 cainhoy Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:45:00 +0000 http://colinsghost.com/dotcom/?p=17#comment-21 If your eyes don't well up after reading "Death of a Race Horse", you should check for a pulse. <br/><br/>I have struggled with this issue since I became interested in this sport in 1970 while in high school and I continue to worry terrible during every race that I watch, from claimers to Graded, for every horse and jock. When I used to ride hunter/jumpers recreationally on Long Island (would have remained the world's greatest horse country if Levitt and his ilk had stayed away), a friend of mine was thrown through the air and just missed cracking her head open on a massive oak. It scared the hell out of us both, but when we later raced eachother across open fields on the old Rockefeller estate at Potantico Hills in Westchester, the thrill of being on a horse at speed over open ground, pushed all those fears away. That's what horses and horse racing do to you. I can't explain the love, fear, excitement and devotion horses bring out, but I know that's why Revelations has Jesus and the angels returning on horseback. If your eyes don’t well up after reading “Death of a Race Horse”, you should check for a pulse.

I have struggled with this issue since I became interested in this sport in 1970 while in high school and I continue to worry terrible during every race that I watch, from claimers to Graded, for every horse and jock. When I used to ride hunter/jumpers recreationally on Long Island (would have remained the world’s greatest horse country if Levitt and his ilk had stayed away), a friend of mine was thrown through the air and just missed cracking her head open on a massive oak. It scared the hell out of us both, but when we later raced eachother across open fields on the old Rockefeller estate at Potantico Hills in Westchester, the thrill of being on a horse at speed over open ground, pushed all those fears away. That’s what horses and horse racing do to you. I can’t explain the love, fear, excitement and devotion horses bring out, but I know that’s why Revelations has Jesus and the angels returning on horseback.

]]> By: QQ http://colinsghost.org/2008/06/death-of-dark-secret-1934.html/comment-page-1#comment-15 QQ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:53:00 +0000 http://colinsghost.com/dotcom/?p=17#comment-15 What a wonderful excerpt! Thanks for bringing this to light. (And thanks, too, for pointing out that some really cool stuff can be found on -gasp!- microfilm at the library.) What a wonderful excerpt! Thanks for bringing this to light. (And thanks, too, for pointing out that some really cool stuff can be found on -gasp!- microfilm at the library.)

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