7 July 2007

Polytrack Causing Health Concerns

I wouldn't volunteer to have this stuff get into my nose or mouth. Would you?


From Ponyplayer.ca March 30th of last year:

There may not be any health concerns caused by particle inhalation yet, but what happens if horses start getting sick and/or die from it? They haven’t used PolyTrack enough here for any usuable data to be collected. And there have been scattered reports of inhalation sickness for some horses to date.


The polytrack has now resulted in a new blinker that helps prevent the kickback from going in the horse's eyes. Anyone following the sport in Ontario is well aware of Emma-Jayne Wilson's mask. And anyone who has been up close to her after a race will notice how much fibrous material winds up on that mask.

I'm not a vet, but I have to think that poly material winds up in the jockeys and horses, and for how long? Who knows.

I watched an allowance race the other day. 7 horses going a route of ground. 2 horses were eased on the wire. Is the track extra tiring? Or does the poly interfere with breathing during the race? Or is it a combo?

I wonder if Woodbine will be forced to get rid of it. Note to David Willmot: don't replace it with asbestos.

Polytrack is starting to remind me of the Simpson's monorail episode:

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