Pulled shoes problematic in SA

ONE of the country's most respected farriers Robbie Dawson admitted horses pulling shoes on their way to the start in South African racing was a real problem but added it was difficult to know why it was so prevalent out here.

The problem was highlighted on Saturday at Kenilworth when two horses pulled shoes on the way to the start of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and this contributed to a 25 minute delay.

Dawson said Simon Curtis, possibly the most renowned horseracing farrier in the world, had inspected the style of plating on a visit to South Africa and had confirmed it was pretty much the norm.

Dawson

Dawson has in fact been the on-course farrier at both Bath and Ascot racecourses in the UK during his career and as one who has a deep passion for his chosen profession he has a vast knowledge of global plating methods and habits.

In SA horses are normally fitted with alumite racing shoes after their final bit of fast work, which usually happens about five days before the race.

These relatively soft material shoes do not withstand much abnormal frictional force.

A hoof catching an edge of a shoe usually meant it would be pulled off and even just an awkward step could cause the shoe to shift position.

Dawson pointed out that something could go wrong anywhere between the yard, the float, arriving on course, parading and going down to the start.

The different walks of life in racing all watch the sport from their own frame of reference and farriers pay particular attention to the pre-race preliminaries.

Dawson said about British racing, "It is beautiful to watch them going down to the start."

He was referring to the British habit of simply cantering the horse smoothly down to post.

He reiterated the cause of the problem out here was unknown and was at pains to not lay any blame.

In fact, he said he had often found himself questioning his own abilities and wondering whether he could have done something different when seeing a horse he had shod pull a shoe.

However, in surmising possible causes, he pointed out the pressure jockeys seemed to be under to get their horses down to the start as quickly as possible in South Africa.

There was a consequent lack of smoothness in achieving this aim.

Jockeys are often seen with their feet out of the irons and the horse's head over the rail, which causes the horse's legs to go all over the place.

Freshing and spinning

Horses are seen freshing and spinning as they come out of the chute.

Horses also seem to go down at all sorts of different paces.

He added, “Watching horses going down to the start here I am sometimes surprised there are not more horses pulling shoes.”

He added some horses were predisposed to lifting shoes due to their fractious temperaments.

In SA, due to the relatively fast ground and the use of false rails, our racing is generally canter-sprint in nature and speed work is predominant, while in the tougher going conditions of the UK long, slow work is prevalent.

The horses in the UK are consequently easier to switch on and off and are generally less on edge.

Dawson pointed out that more horses appear to pull shoes on the way to the start in SA than in the race itself and he said a survey to see whether this was indeed true would be interesting.

In the USA horses invariably go down with ponies and and with their heads being held to the side, so their stride is not always smooth.

However, Dawson pointed out they go down relatively slowly and, furthermore, horses out there are usually shod on the day of the race.

He pointed out the SA habit of shoeing horses a week before the race was not unusual.

Quest For Fame

He revealed during his stint in the UK his farrier team had shod Quest For Fame a week-and-a-half before his victory in the Epsom Derby and they had also shod Sanglamore a week-and-a-half before he won the French Derby.

Dawson has often fitted special shoes to try and solve issues with a horse's feet and he has also tried a special plating method for the polytrack in an attempt to create more “slide” for the horse.

However, he said he invariably ended up going back to the basics.

He concluded by saying he is adamant the plating methods in South Africa are generally no different or inferior to anywhere else in the world.