I'll Have Another wears them, as reported in the Washington Post:
On Saturday afternoon at New York’s Belmont Park, a 3-year-old colt named I’ll Have Another will be equipped with horseshoes, bridle and saddle as he tries to become the first Triple Crown champion in 34 years. He will, however, be without the equine Breathe Right strips that he sported while winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.More details at the Washington Post.
The white adhesive strips, stretched across the horse’s nasoincisive notch a few inches above the nostrils, are intended to help the animal breathe, run better and prevent bleeding of the lungs. Within the United States, they are banned only in New York...
In 2004, a cult following of the strips grew among Olympic riders of Three-Day Eventing (dressage, cross-country, show jumping). A horse wearing a Flair strip won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile. The U.S. Equestrian Federation asked Flair to provide strips for horses at the 2008 Olympics.
Well, thank you for explaining those strips on his nose. I had missed any pre-race commentary on them and forgot to look anything up afterward. I've been in the dark all this time wondering what the heck he had done to his nose.
ReplyDeleteI guess he won't be wearing them at Belmont if they're banned in NY.
ReplyDeleteDo they prevent horse snorring, too? :D
ReplyDeleteI'll Have Another was scratched from Belmont Stakes today: http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2012/06/trainer_ill_hav.html?p1=News_links
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ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the excellent episode of the BBC's "Inside Nature's Giants" where they dissect a racehorse. It's amazing what a few thousand years of selective breeding will do to the anatomy of an animal; in this case, everything is sacrificed for rapid movement of large volumes of oxygen.
ReplyDeleteBen, it is amazing. Their hearts are massive. Their bodies are meant for speed, but their legs and hooves? So fragile in comparison to other types of horses.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine going around a track on one of these great animals- I've only done short bursts of speed in a sandy wash on an older quarter horse, mindful of the fact that they are faster than a thoroughbred for a quarter of a mile. To see them give their all on sometimes muddy, slippery tracks makes me think that the jockeys are far, far braver than I will ever be.
I'm told horses can't breathe through their mouths, so it's important to keep their nostrils open, especially those of a race horse.
ReplyDeleteAlso, would it be too pedantic to mention that the title of this post isn't a question, and therefore should end in a period?
Nothing's too pedantic for this blog, Jerry. I suppose I could argue that the verb is implied (Can you) guess who wears...? But I think you're correct, so I've deleted the question mark (the convention of titles on this blog is not to close any of them with periods [except for ellipses]).
Delete"Nothing's too pedantic for this blog"
ReplyDeleteThat's why I like it here.