How do you eliminate horses when handicapping? (Part 7)

By: Joe Takach

8----NEGATIVE EQUIPMENT CHANGES (continued from Part 6)

  

D----BLOWOUTS and STOPS

 

Much like barshoes, “blowouts” and “stops” are very negative pieces of equipment and the SCHTW is the only handicapping service in the entire country and most likely the entire world that keeps daily updated records on all users.  These horses are instant throwouts!

 

A “blowout patch” is a small piece of adhesive bandage placed on the inside of either or both rear knees that supposedly acts as a shock absorber.

 

If a horse is fitted with this negative piece of equipment, he’s hitting himself .  The “blowout patch” allegedly reduces the pain on impact, while attempting to protect the skin from getting cut and bleeding.

 

A “stop” serves much the same purpose as a “blowout patch”. 

 

These adhesive bandages are white in color and about the size of a silver dollar.  Once in a great while, you’ll see “rubberized” versions in black that have no adhesive backings and are held on with black electrical tape.

 

“Stops” are placed directly above either or both of the rear hooves. This is done because a horse repeatedly strikes his rear leg(s) just above the rear hoof as he runs.  It is foolishly hoped that this will “stop” the horse from cutting himself while absorbing the never-ending impact.  Thus they were named “stops”.

 

The adhesive white “stop” is frequently knocked off with the first couple of repeated strikes.  While the black rubberized versions often stay in place longer and once in a while for an entire race, the horse still slows himself down because cut or uncut, forcefully hitting yourself in the same exact spot over 100 times during a race has to hurt like hell!

 

Stay off these horses!

 

You might see an occasional winner affixed with these negative pieces of equipment, but they are only victorious against cheaper stock with even more serious problems----so don’t hold your breath.

 

E---SQUARE TOES

 

Square toed shoes (also known as Queen’s Plates) are exactly what the name implies.  The horseshoe itself is squared off at the top instead of being rounded as are normal shoes.

 

There are multiple theories as to the “why” of these very negative shoes, but I’ll spare you the laughable “trainerspeak”.  

 

The only thing you have to know about them is that in the MAJOR leagues, very few of these so shod horses ever get their pictures taken in the winner’s circle.  And if they do, it is at the bottom rungs of the claiming ladder when facing even more problematic runners.

 

In my DAILY SCHTW we list any horse fitted with Square Toes to alert out clients not to waste their time handicapping these constant losers!

 

I toss them right out with utmost confidence and so should you!

 

F---3/4 SHOES

 

¾ Shoes are also exactly what their name implies.  Instead of a normal full shoe, there is a portion of a hoof that won’t take a nail due to a quarter crack or tenderness.  These type shoes are nothing more than a half-assed attempt by a trainer to keep his horse running so that he can continue to collect his “day money”.

 

The proper thing to do is to allow the hoof to heal itself on the farm, but why should a trainer do the “right thing” for the horse when he can lie to the owner and keep running the horse into the ground?

 

That “day money” is very important to a lot of trainers and after all, it’s only another expendable animal----and horseracing is really about the trainers and their needs and not the horse, right????

 

¾ Shoes should be outlawed in racing, but when have the “powers that are” in horseracing ever done the “right thing” for the poor horse?

 

If you see a ¾ Shoe on any hoof of any horse in the paddock, toss him right out--------you’ll very, very, very, very, very rarely see them in any winner’s circle!

 

Luckily for my DAILY SCHTW clients, we list every horse running in ¾ shoes so that they can instantly toss them out.