Why was Mac almost spun?

[Badger]

COTH coverage reported that Mac was held and had to be re-presented before passing the final vet. Then the FEI (http://www.fei.org/Media/News_Centre/News/Pages/summ.aspx?newsName=news-Olympic-Eventing-inspect2.aspx) said "Gina Miles' McKinlaigh was sent to the holding box to the dismay of the American supporters and, shortly afterwards, Australia's Sonja Johnson followed suit with Ringwould Jaguar. On returning to the inspection ramp, Gina had to undergo an agonising five-minute consultation between the Ground Jury and veterinary team before eventually getting the nod, while Sonja simply trotted her gelding once more before earning their approval."

Anyone know what was up with Mac?

[retreadeventer]

Badger. You need to buy a plane ticket and make hotel reservations for the next big event so that you can see for yourself what might or might not go on, then report back to us what you see and hear. Because none of us are there.
AND....ground juries examine horses for a myriad of reasons. Even at the training three day we look, examine, consult, and discuss horses as they are presented, some for 5 minutes and some just jog a step or two and we are satisfied. Have you ever watched a jog?
Doesn't mean a rat's patooty as long as they pass. Please post something cheerful on my Cheers thread!

[JER]

IIRC, MacKinlaigh has some kind of funky but harmless hind-end thing like shivers.

It doesn't affect his soundness but stands out at the trot-up.

[last laugh]

I rarely make this sort of post. BUT, Retreadeventer your response was pretty short. I am POSITIVE Badger has seen many a jog up - I think she was simply curious to know if anyone knew what the situation was. A fair question, I would say.

Secondly, I am sure that Badger would have been at the olympics in a heart beat if she could have. It certainly would have been a phenomenal experience.

[Badger]

Yep, just curious if someone knew more or had a link to a better article. Like this one explaining WFP's hold on the first inspection (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olympics/2008/08/parkmore_ed_trots_on_to_olympi.html).

Thanks, JER. I've seen Mac jog at Rolex before, but didn't remember that.

[bambam]

I believe I have seen Badger at the jog up at Rolex, so pretty sure she knows how they work. There was quite a bit of press coverage of WFP's jog-up hold and the reason why and it seems half the eventing grooms have blogs that talk about those kinds of details and so I think it is eminently reasonable to think that maybe someone here read somewhere what the issue was
if you want to be cheery retread, how about being nicer to people with legit questions? :no:
JER- I think I remember reading that bit about shivers somewhere too (might have been here though)

[wabadou]

IIRC, MacKinlaigh has some kind of funky but harmless hind-end thing like shivers.

It doesn't affect his soundness but stands out at the trot-up.
I'm pretty sure this was mentioned in a previous thread (one where the team was announced?). I can't imagine how much it must stress Gina at jog-ups...

[drsg4me]

My friends 3*** horse has old chips in his left hind fetlock which causes him to pick it up and set it down a little different than most horses. Not a lameness and doesn't cause him any problems, but it does look different.

I can't imagine how much something like that must have stressed Gina out at the olympics, after having such amazing performances and being in such good standings, because I know how stressful it is for us everytime she would jog up. We would hold our breath until it was over every singe time!!

Glad it wasn't a problem for Gina!!!!!

[NomdePlume]

I'm pretty sure this was mentioned in a previous thread (one where the team was announced?). I can't imagine how much it must stress Gina at jog-ups...

Yup. He gets held alot at the third horse inspection of FEI events. No biggie, got put in the hold at the Galway *** he won in the spring...

[drsg4me]

Even though I'm sure that she is "used" to this by now....I would imagine that it is still a horribly stressful experience everytime it happens!!
Every jog I have ever been in I thought I was going to throw up before it because I was so nervous and my horse always looked really good. I can't imagine how much that must stress her out!!! Wow....so so so glad that everything was fine with this jog!

[wolfmare]

I was thinking though... something retread said...Some one really should be a rep for the board at these things, like even the 2010 WEGs, okay, look, if you all pitch in a couple bucks, I will be glad to go (I know, I know, but some one here has to sacrifice) and I could text up to the minute info........maybe even send some pix...
At least think about, K?
:yes:

[asterix]

We would need some kind of serious competition to figure out who the best BB rep would be. I sense some cut-throat action ahead!:lol:

My coach was at the first jog (well, I'm sure she was at the last one too, but no missives from her for the last few days -- bet she'll have a lot to say) and said Mac looked a bit funky behind then too. Sounds as though it was normal for him and he certainly performed like a sound horse.

[DLee]

If he indeed has Shivers, that makes me like and admire him/them even more. My gelding had a severe case of it and I finally had to put him down this last spring. He was also a very big TB (17.1 and big bodied) and it was such a bummer. :(
So happy for Gina and MacKinleigh. :yes:

[Josey'sMom]

On eventing.com, "Mike's daily diary" mentions that a US horse was passed that was "clearly not sound" and they were all surprised by it. I won't quote the blog because he asks not to be reproduced, but I'm guessing the horse in question was probably Mac? I had a friend in college whose horse had stringhalt, also odd to see him trot. But he was sound for riding and it never seemed to bother him. However, if I didn't know the horse I probably would have thought he was lame with the way he moved his hind legs.

[Badger]

Thanks for pointing out the blog, I hadn't read it today and you do often get a different perspective from non-American sources.

[asterix]

On eventing.com, "Mike's daily diary" mentions that a US horse was passed that was "clearly not sound" and they were all surprised by it. I won't quote the blog because he asks not to be reproduced, but I'm guessing the horse in question was probably Mac?

Yep, I think that was it. Apparently he really didn't look 100% at the second jog .

[JER]

I saw this in the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-1044038/Cook-lives-dream-claiming-bronze-dramatic-Eventing-final.html):
A clear round by American Gina Miles on Irish-bred McKinlaigh, who sported an orange-sized lump on one leg and had only just passed the veterinary inspection, put her ahead on 56.1 but was followed by two more faltering riders.

Maybe that had something to do with it. (But then again, I wouldn't believe everything I read in the Daily Mail, my favorite let's-scare-the-masses newspaper.)

[LLDM]

On eventing.com, "Mike's daily diary" mentions that a US horse was passed that was "clearly not sound" and they were all surprised by it. I won't quote the blog because he asks not to be reproduced, but I'm guessing the horse in question was probably Mac? I had a friend in college whose horse had stringhalt, also odd to see him trot. But he was sound for riding and it never seemed to bother him. However, if I didn't know the horse I probably would have thought he was lame with the way he moved his hind legs.

Yep, I think that was it. Apparently he really didn't look 100% at the second jog .

Yeah, I got copies on some emails that said he was not, um, exactly sound at the jog up. But hey, anyone could get him to pass it was our crack crew! :rolleyes: Personally, I think it bites - if true. And bad enough he had one SJ round to go for a Team that wouldn't medal. But hey, let's do one more for a shot at an individual one. Gotta get those $$$$ bonuses!

I know that this crap has been going on forever. Really, I guess it has improved a bunch from the old military, "ride 'em 'til the drop" mentality in the early 20th century. But I would have hoped by now we would be doing much, MUCH better than riding lame horses at the Olympics.

SCFarm