Big Brown has Quarter Crack

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by pgardn

A horse prone to quarter cracks with
a genetic backgroud that shows a disposition
towards quarter cracks.

So we got to get those genes passed on
because he is worth too much...

Houston we have a market problem.

Besides the subject horse, what other horses in his close genetic background show a disposition to quarter cracks? Also, has it been proven that a tendency to quarter cracks can be passed along? I know that his line is filled with unsound horses, but I'm not convinced that quarter cracks can be passed along. If anything, Big Brown will have problems passing on any genes at all ... his sire had been documented as having fertility problems and Danzig didn't have the easiest of times either.

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Besides the subject horse, what other horses in his close genetic background show a disposition to quarter cracks? Also, has it been proven that a tendency to quarter cracks can be passed along? I know that his line is filled with unsound horses, but I'm not convinced that quarter cracks can be passed along. If anything, Big Brown will have problems passing on any genes at all ... his sire had been documented as having fertility problems and Danzig didn't have the easiest of times either.

I am much more convinced quarter cracks
can be passed on than speed and endurance.

If one were to ask any sane person who knows
anything about genetics to weigh the two against
each other (speed/endurance v. quarter cracks)
it would clearly be an anatomical developmental
flaw which a quarter crack is.

And I am not convinced a quarter crack must
be genetic either. But is more likely to be than
speed and endurance. Thats for sure.

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Besides the subject horse, what other horses in his close genetic background show a disposition to quarter cracks? Also, has it been proven that a tendency to quarter cracks can be passed along? I know that his line is filled with unsound horses, but I'm not convinced that quarter cracks can be passed along. If anything, Big Brown will have problems passing on any genes at all ... his sire had been documented as having fertility problems and Danzig didn't have the easiest of times either.

Northern Dancer.

It rears its ugly head here and there.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Northern Dancer.

It rears its ugly head here and there.

Northern Dancer sure didn't pass on his small size ...

I'm still not convinced about what can be passed along and what can't be. Northern Dancer can be seen in the pedigrees of close to 75% of racing thoroughbreds today. Seems pretty hit or miss to me, but I'm not a genetics expert.

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Northern Dancer sure didn't pass on his small size ...

I'm still not convinced about what can be passed along and what can't be. Northern Dancer can be seen in the pedigrees of close to 75% of racing thoroughbreds today. Seems pretty hit or miss to me, but I'm not a genetics expert.

A horse that has an anatomical issue
that is tied closely to cells constantly
in action producing new cells is not good.

And its like having a bad fingernail at the quick.
His hoof regenerates with fault lines, basically put.
The likelyhood of this being genetic is higher
simply because its not something far removed
from the genes.

Eye color is clearly genetic. It is a basic anatomical
developmental pigmentation issue. I think you would
agree that coat color is more closely
genetically linked than speed and endurance.
Quarter cracks have a much better chance of
being genetic for the same reason, just not as
closely linked as coat color.

Anyways. I just think that the value that was
placed on the horse is yet another illustration
of the frantic win thoroughbred market.

And Northern Dance is far removed. But when
this kind of thing shows up... And with all the care
taken when Dutrow took over. Insanity. But if
you got the bucks, you might get a big maiden
win in or maybe you get to the Derby with quarter
cracks.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Northern Dancer.

It rears its ugly head here and there.

Northern Dancer didn't have a problem with quarter cracks, as I recall. Ran 9 times at 2, 9 times at 3 before he bowed a tendon after the Queen's Plate, to the best of my recollection. Danzig had a tricky knee that limited his starts to three. Both of them were stretching it to be 15 hands. Hard Spun was ND/Danzig clone; Big Brown is nothing like them in conformation and his physical problem is nothing like theirs.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Northern Dancer didn't have a problem with quarter cracks, as I recall. Ran 9 times at 2, 9 times at 3 before he bowed a tendon after the Queen's Plate, to the best of my recollection. Danzig had a tricky knee that limited his starts to three. Both of them were stretching it to be 15 hands. Hard Spun was ND/Danzig clone; Big Brown is nothing like them in conformation and his physical problem is nothing like theirs.

Yes, he did. He suffered from quarter cracks in his left front, but they raced him with a rubber patch.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Yes, he did. He suffered from quarter cracks in his left front, but they raced him with a rubber patch.

Considering how much he ran in his career (15 times before the Preakness) they couldn't have been the more severe sort. Maybe because he was littler (less weight) the damage was less and the patch was sufficient.

I am on a crusade to revive respect for the little horse (under 16 hands). Hyperion was little, Northern Dancer was little, Round Table was little (Shoemaker on his back looked a normal-sized jockey!), Tom Rolfe, Arts and Letters,... In the two great 3yo rivalries of my lifetime - Affirmed/Alydar and Easy Goer/Sunday Silence - the smaller horse came out on top. Give me a neat, balanced 15.3 horse over one of these bulky 17-handers without the ankles to hold them up, anytime.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Considering how much he ran in his career (15 times before the Preakness) they couldn't have been the more severe sort. Maybe because he was littler (less weight) the damage was less and the patch was sufficient.

I am on a crusade to revive respect for the little horse (under 16 hands). Hyperion was little, Northern Dancer was little, Round Table was little (Shoemaker on his back looked a normal-sized jockey!), Tom Rolfe, Arts and Letters,... In the two great 3yo rivalries of my lifetime - Affirmed/Alydar and Easy Goer/Sunday Silence - the smaller horse came out on top. Give me a neat, balanced 15.3 horse over one of these bulky 17-handers without the ankles to hold them up, anytime.

I'll take 15.3 hands any day of the week, but I would consider that more an average size than anything else. Maybe 16.1 or 16.2 is more the norm nowadays. Wasn't Northern Dancer like 14.3 or something like that? He was definitely a little guy.

[Cannon Shell]

"Big Brown, who will be seeking the coveted Triple Crown in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), has a "slight" quarter crack on the inside of his left front foot, trainer Rick Dutrow said May 25."

from bloodhorse

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

I'll take 15.3 hands any day of the week, but I would consider that more an average size than anything else. Maybe 16.1 or 16.2 is more the norm nowadays. Wasn't Northern Dancer like 14.3 or something like that? He was definitely a little guy.

Oh, yeah, 15.3 would have been average for a long time. I think many folks would be surprised at how "small" some of the great heros of the past actually were, like Count Fleet, Seabiscuit, Citation, War Admiral, Bold Ruler, etc. were. I have stallion registers from the late 1960s and early 1970s wherein stallions were listed at 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, although some of the 15.0s may have been stretched a bit ( 14.3 sounded too pony-like). Nowadays if you can't say 16h (on tip-toes), you don't list a height. The fashion for big horses has gotten out of control.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Besides the subject horse, what other horses in his close genetic background show a disposition to quarter cracks? Also, has it been proven that a tendency to quarter cracks can be passed along? I know that his line is filled with unsound horses, but I'm not convinced that quarter cracks can be passed along. If anything, Big Brown will have problems passing on any genes at all ... his sire had been documented as having fertility problems and Danzig didn't have the easiest of times either.

Boundry had terrible feet. I know firsthand because I once helped his blacksmith patch a quartercrack on his foot.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Boundry had terrible feet. I know firsthand because I once helped his blacksmith patch a quartercrack on his foot.

Thanks ... I was seriously asking because I didn't know. How often do you see quarter cracks in thoroughbreds nowadays, Chuck? Would you say it's more common or is Big Brown in the minority of the breed for having these sorts of hoof problems?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Thanks ... I was seriously asking because I didn't know. How often do you see quarter cracks in thoroughbreds nowadays, Chuck? Would you say it's more common or is Big Brown in the minority of the breed for having these sorts of hoof problems?

Quarter cracks mostly are due to conformation and the horse not striking the ground evenly. A horse with weak feet would be even more prone to get them which seems to be the case with BB. I dont think we see them any more or less in the last 20 or so years. We do have much better ways to deal with them though. I dont think it or feet has anything to do with him running down in the Preakness. That is probably also confirmational, he does seem to have pasterns that are a touch long.

[Danzig]

so, he didn't run down due to quarter cracks, but his conformation issues are the probable cause for both the cracks and the running down...thanks for answering.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Danzig

so, he didn't run down due to quarter cracks, but his conformation issues are the probable cause for both the cracks and the running down...thanks for answering.

conformation is the cause for most of the negative things in race horses

Danzig is hating on BB like I am with Denis of Cork.

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

conformation is the cause for most of the negative things in race horses

I have been told that bad conformation magnifies weaknesses
that are already there... yes or no?