Gary Stevens Breaks Collarbone and Pletcher Fined $200

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I'm not sure if you can or should compare a human athlete with an equine one.

But take Jahvid Best - the best running back in the Pac 10 last year. He gets a concussion and they don't even let him practice .. let alone play or even suit up for a single game for the final 8 weeks of the season.

As hard as this horse (he's the 1A) hit the top of his head on the gate less than a week prior to his workout - I'm pretty surprised he didn't get a concussion.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I'm not sure if you can or should compare a human athlete with an equine one.

But take Jahvid Best - the best running back in the Pac 10 last year. He gets a concussion and they don't even let him practice .. let alone play or even suit up for a single game for the final 8 weeks of the season.

As hard as this horse (he's the 1A) hit the top of his head on the gate less than a week prior to his workout - I'm pretty surprised he didn't get a concussion.

horses have incredibly thick skulls and incredibly small brains...they shake off stuff that would have a human in the hospital. i would be far more concerned with a neck or back strain after something like that, than i would a concussion.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

horses have incredibly thick skulls and incredibly small brains...they shake off stuff that would have a human in the hospital. i would be far more concerned with a neck or back strain after something like that, than i would a concussion.

I see.

My grandfather eventually died from basically grazing his head on a harmless looking table when he fell backwards. He seemed perfectly fine at the hospital and they made it sound like he was only kept for precautionary reasons. The next days he's in a coma - and dead maybe ten days later.

It seemed like a pretty vicious shot to the head that horse took... but I really don't know anything about horses with that kind of stuff.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I see.

My grandfather eventually died from basically grazing his head on a harmless looking table when he fell backwards. He seemed perfectly fine at the hospital and they made it sound like he was only kept for precautionary reasons. The next days he's in a coma - and dead maybe ten days later.

It seemed like a pretty vicious shot to the head that horse took... but I really don't know anything about horses with that kind of stuff.

Was he on blood thinner medications? My grandfather died exactly the same way except he fell out of bed. Was fine the rest of the day. In a coma and gone the next.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Was he on blood thinner medications? My grandfather died exactly the same way except he fell out of bed. Was fine the rest of the day. In a coma and gone the next.

He took a ton of pills everyday for as long as I can remember. Was still very sharp mentally into his mid 80's and drove everywhere - constantly bitching about how bad others drive.

He and his company's workers built over a hundred houses in Erie. He retired at about age 50. That's basically how my father was able to get such a big stable of horses to train in the 70's and 80's - even though he probably never touched a horse in his life prior to getting his license.

Gramps always wanted to teach me how to build. I never got further than pounding nails into a board.

[paisjpq]

I didn't see what happened and I am viewing this on my phone so its tiny...the back of the head is vulnerable in a horse...otherwise they are tough bastards.

Sorry bout your grandad...not sure they compare though.

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I see.

My grandfather eventually died from basically grazing his head on a harmless looking table when he fell backwards. He seemed perfectly fine at the hospital and they made it sound like he was only kept for precautionary reasons. The next days he's in a coma - and dead maybe ten days later.

It seemed like a pretty vicious shot to the head that horse took... but I really don't know anything about horses with that kind of stuff.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

Sorry bout your grandad...not sure they compare though.

Thanks. I hear ya, they most likely don't.

Maybe the horse might compare with the best running back in my high school growing up - he died on July 4th from a heroin overdose. The people who's house he died in tried to convince everyone it was from training for a triathlon.

[jimmy the T]

imagine that someone on the saratoga racetrack without a license. i wonder if they did a green card search this year??

[Payson Dave]

There have been three nasty incidents during training hours right at the wire this meet... a Benzel, a Hennig, and a Pletcher

[Riot]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I'm not sure if you can or should compare a human athlete with an equine one.

But take Jahvid Best - the best running back in the Pac 10 last year. He gets a concussion and they don't even let him practice .. let alone play or even suit up for a single game for the final 8 weeks of the season.

As hard as this horse (he's the 1A) hit the top of his head on the gate less than a week prior to his workout - I'm pretty surprised he didn't get a concussion.

Trouble is that few owners would pay for the CT or MRI of the skull to see if anything is there ($2K). Then, if you see something in the imaging, but there are no neuro signs, and the horse is acting normally, it will be hard to convince the owner/trainer to give the horse a few months off in paddock

Need to wait for the necropsy results. Could be something completely unassociated (aneurysm, etc)

[paisjpq]

Plus the nearest mri (unless I'm mistaken) is almost 3 hours away...adding to the hard sell on a clinically "normal" animal. But its not like Winstar is a cheapass organization...if warranted they would probably pay for a scan. So one has to assume the horse acted right.

Originally Posted by Riot

Trouble is that few owners would pay for the CT or MRI of the skull to see if anything is there ($2K). Then, if you see something in the imaging, but there are no neuro signs, and the horse is acting normally, it will be hard to convince the owner/trainer to give the horse a few months off in paddock

Need to wait for the necropsy results. Could be something completely unassociated (aneurysm, etc)

[TouchOfGrey]

DRF|Stevens vows to quit riding after latest injury

“That’s it for me,” he promised. “No mas. It’s been a long time since I hurt like this, and it reminds me why I don’t do it for a living anymore. I’ve been working horses on and off since the spring. It’s how I like to get fit, and for entertainment purposes, too. But all that’s going to discontinue.

“So I’m burning all my jockey stuff,” Stevens said. “The helmets, the flack jackets, everything – then put the ashes in urns, and maybe sell them on eBay.”