The Most Dangerous Bit Of Racing?

[Rob Rixon]

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Hi All

Just as a means of getting you all thinking about what I consider to be the most dangerous part of Racing - the area after the finishing line.

Do you agree that most racing Whippets go down on the lure at the end of the race? They try their hardest to stop right over the lure when it comes to rest at the end of the race - this being irrespective of whether they are the only one there or whether two or more go in together. I have seen two Whippet pick-up a live rabbit at the same time and almost pull the animal into two parts as they struggle to stop. You may be lucky and have a whippet who does not go into the lure at the end, some run right over the lure, but I think this is rare.

This pile-up at the end in the source of racing injuries!

I've seen clubs try to stop the lure under blankets, carpets, etc. This generally confuses the dogs with some grabbing the blanket and others grabbing the lure. But the result is the same a pile-up at the end.

I've seen the lure stopped behind two bales of straw. Unfortunately this may result in dogs jumping the bales and twisting in the air to get down on the lure. Also I've seen lures run into pipes, but the dogs end up with their noses in the pipe and at speed this can cause a major problem.

I've also seen the lure pulled up 6 feet plus into the air. But I've also seen dogs jumping up to try and get it. The result is they land on the dogs below on the way down.

Changing the stopping area surface is another possibility - generally sand is used. However, stopping (and running) on sand has problems with grit getting into eyes, mouths and up into nails.

Has anyone got any ideas on how the end of a race can be improve?

o

 

[Trish]

would be good to lesson the impact but i personally havent a clue how that could be done

ive only had one heart in mouth race ending which involved one of mine luckily she was fine,heres the pic.

thought she had broke her neck :sweating:

 

[Judy]

Hi AllJust as a means of getting you all thinking about what I consider to be the most dangerous part of Racing - the area after the finishing line.

Do you agree that most racing Whippets go down on the lure at the end of the race?  They try their hardest to stop right over the lure when it comes to rest at the end of the race - this being irrespective of whether they are the only one there or whether two or more go in together.  I have seen two Whippet pick-up a live rabbit at the same time and almost pull the animal into two parts as they struggle to stop.  You may be lucky and have a whippet who does not go into the lure at the end, some run right over the lure, but I think this is rare.

Yes, I think most dogs that are chasing properly are trying to catch it and so try to stop on it. One of ours doesn't slow up much at all but habitually runs over the top whilst trying to pick it up and then immediately has to turn  back for it which can be scary.

This pile-up at the end in the source of racing injuries!

Not all of them but its an obvious area of danger

I've seen clubs try to stop the lure under blankets, carpets, etc.  This generally confuses the dogs with some grabbing the blanket and others grabbing the lure.  But the result is the same a pile-up at the end.

I hate that. Usually there are dogs who put there heads up just before the line when they see the blanket at the end and it very often changes the result. It doesn't prevent pile ups either. I think its sometimes, but not always, used to slow the lure quickly when there isn't enough run out. I'd prefer to see a shorter race if that's the case. Just my opinion.

I've seen the lure stopped behind two bales of straw.  Unfortunately this may result in dogs jumping the bales and twisting in the air to get down on the lure.  Also I've seen lures run into pipes, but the dogs end up with their noses in the pipe and at speed this can cause a major problem.

I've also seen the lure pulled up 6 feet plus into the air.  But I've also seen dogs jumping up to try and get it.  The result is they land on the dogs below on the way down.

I've seen these things but not at a pedigree racing club  (w00t)

Changing the stopping area surface is another possibility - generally sand is used.  However, stopping (and running) on sand has problems with grit getting into eyes, mouths and up into nails.

Has anyone got any ideas on how the end of a race can be improve?

o

Tricky one that. I think all the clubs already try their best to soften the pick-up area if they can. It will be interesting to see if anyone has any bright ideas but I think most thing have already been tried.

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[Joanna]

This year, one of mine has continually somersaulted on the lure (even at Ragley Hall after a 70 yd dash). I find it extremely nerve-wracking and just squeeze my eyes shut and hope and pray he will be OK. Actually, this really does't help, and I agree Rob, we SHOULD consider the end and perhaps, introduce a standard which educates about the benefits of a long run off with a gradual slow of the lure. I would 100% prefer a stopper pad scuff than a neck/shoulder/back problem.

I think sand/peat etc can make the stop too sudden, a skid on lush grass may de-acclerate the dog and prevent musculo-skeletal injury.

Just my thoughts, and I have one nutter on the lure and one who does a graceful circle and comes back to his Mum :lol:

 

[Louise_Simon]

It frightens me to death at the end, I also have one who goes in like a steam train

 

[naylorwhippets]

club racing can be scary when 30pound dogs go ploughing into the smaller dogs at the finish line, also if you have a fast dog and he ends up in the cons you can get problems because if he wins the cons easily the other dogs pile into him. this happened to one of my dogs this season and frightened me to death as i pulled my winded dog from the bottom of the pile.

 

[Strike Whippets]

It frightens me to death at the end, I also have one who goes in like a steam train

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Same here ......I have seen dogs injured at the pick up .....I must admit it shocked me after working with racing Greyhounds that we actually allow our dogs to stop like this .......I'm lucky though as apart from my one nutter (and we normally have at least 2 people down there to grab him), my others tend to over shoot the lure and come to me ........ We soften the end and peat it if the grounds been hard at Cotswolds......I also think its worse at opens where there's no H/C system .......nothing worse than seeing a slower dog who's been beaten by lengths hurtling towards an unsuspecting dog who's on the lure :blink: ........My personal opinion is that it would be better to rag our own dogs and get them to run to us and their fav rag/toy ......no pile ups, no bothering with the other dogs and even better my lot are great at recall LOL ....

 

[Smiffy@VeronnaV]

Now there's a thought, use ragging instead of a driven lure - I hadn't even considered that one! Why don't we persuade our clubs to give it a go over the winter and see what happens? And of course, we could always have our open bend and champs racing on a proper greyhound trial track couldn't we? 240 yd racing and 240 yd stopping distance. Brilliant! The stopping distance to TOO SHORT to make it safe racing under the system we have at present. Even when clubs actually have the length to do it, they never seem to maximise the stopping distance - the pull up is still pitifully short.

For a timed trial I watched the lure driver at the trialling track today, the dogs were accelerated to the first bend, slowed down for the first curve, accelerated out of the curve and down the back straight, and then slowed down for the final bends and straight and by the time they finished beyond the traps they were at a very fast trot. ( Did they collide? No they did not. Did they slam into one another? No, they did not. Sand in their eyes - you blow over their eyes, just as the greyhound trainers do; from the outside corner to the inside. Easy peasy!! :- "

 

[Mark Roberts]

Now there's a thought, use ragging instead of a driven lure - I hadn't even considered that one! Why don't we persuade our clubs to give it a go over the winter and see what happens

we could open the pitts up as well, i'm off to get me clogs out.

But being serious, ? I think you'd find a lot of dogs not running clean ie: barging ect due to not having the lure to chase.

 

[Joanna]

Now there's a thought, use ragging instead of a driven lure - I hadn't even considered that one! Why don't we persuade our clubs to give it a go over the winter and see what happens

we could open the pitts up as well, i'm off to get me clogs out.

But being serious, ? I think you'd find a lot of dogs not running clean ie: barging ect due to not having the lure to chase.

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LOL, clogs and pits! I think you have a point there Mark!

What is wrong with a long run off with a gradual slow. It stands to reason that at 20 MPH, less injury from impact will occur than at 30 MPH, that is basic physics. Incidently, I acknowledge there is risk, we all do, but we should be aiming to reduce the level of that risk, eliminating it is just a pipe-dream.

 

[Judy]

I don't think rag racing would work with our present dogs. I'm sure most of us have ragged our dogs up the field and find they put about 30% effort into it. I can't even use it to get the dogs fit! You certainly couldn't call it a race. And Mark is right, without a lure to chase there is a lot more playing going on. Our old Bandit never, ever ,ever so much as looked at another dog on the track but rag him up the field with another dog and he was terrible. Same with Ziggy. I'd never train a puppy to go with other dogs that way. I suppose the old rag racers were trained to it and they ran in taped off lanes. But the system was changed, presumably for a good reason.

 

[Strike Whippets]

I really don't know much about racing or that but rag racing would work with all of mine .....So I say bring it back LOL ......As a matter of fact Jacob doesn't even need a lure ......Twice during his career the lure lines snapped and hes carried on regardless :b ....bless not the brightest spark ........

 

[LVernon]

I have two that will overrun to come to me. I encourage that with gobs of snacks and a piece of fur in my pocket. Even if you can get a couple of them out of the scrum it helps for all of them. I have seen clips of a club that chucks old teddies out at the end of the race, a little something squeaky for everyone, to help spread out the finishers.

Louanne

 

[The Bruvs]

Personally where its possible? for the club concerned, the end should be watered when possible, i.e during the breaks and prior to race comencing, the wetter the finishes the better, I would rather the dogs havemud on them,instead of discolated toes which we've experienced this season?

There seem to be a lot of injuries this year compare to last year, i.e toes and shoulders?

 

[Rob Rixon]

Interesting to hear about the dislocaled toes, as our Laika Angel dislocated a rear foot toe at Ragley Hall - we assume at the finish. I put it back and we didn't race her for three weeks - although I did walk her and she did have some free running.

We raced at Stanborough's Peters Green track at the weekend and had no trouble.

I'm not sure about the watering of the finish - soft going should help but can it be proved that less injuries occur in wet weather.

 

[Strike Whippets]

I have two that will overrun to come to me.  I encourage that with gobs of snacks and a piece of fur in my pocket.  Even if you can get a couple of them out of the scrum it helps for all of them.  I have seen clips of a club that chucks old teddies out at the end of the race, a little something squeaky for everyone, to help spread out the finishers.
Louanne

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What a great idea .....My lot would be made up if they won a teddy each

 

[The Bruvs]

The thing is he had to have one pin-fired, but all is looking well at presant, I don't want another season next year like this one for injuries

 

[Strike Whippets]

I had a dog dislocate her toe at the pick up .......I popped it straight back in, gave her 12 weeks off with only a daily short lead walk and massaged and flexed it twice a day .....She missed that season of opens but we were lucky she ended up sound ....

 

[BlueNoise]

Great idea with the teddies but arent they like kiddies ? Bet they would all want the same one (w00t)

 

[Strike Whippets]

LOL ....It is a great idea isn't it .......I think we might give this a go at Cotswolds :thumbsup: .....There used to be a Greyhound that raced at Swindon years ago that got a teddy at the end of his race ......Roger used to carry it back from the pick up to the paddock as pleased as punch :wub: