Interesting thesis which would seem to contradict the t-g sheets assertion that horses are much faster than they were years ago. It would be strange though to believe that horses, unlike all other professional athletes in all sports, have not gotten faster? I mean you take the Olympic gold medal winner\'s time in the 100 yard freestyle from decades ago and a good high school swimmer beats that today. Doesn\'t really make sense that they\'re not faster. In every sport the performance is so much stronger. Does it mean that I think Barry Bonds or Mark McGuire were better than Babe Ruth? Hell no. I think the athletes of the past were better simply b/c they didn\'t have all the innovations shall we say in training. The modern horse is much more frail, but there are so many factors that go into the equation. On thing for sure, the drugs weaken the animals. Look at all the complications in drugs in humans? 100,000+ people every year die from properly prescribed prescription drug interactions and side-effects. Why wouldn\'t it be the same with horses? I think humans and horses are a much less hearty breed. We couldn\'t compete with the people of past generations for toughness, though we\'re much stronger. Strength and performance are funny qualities to measure from one generation to the next. Take our soldiers today - they are so much better trained than any soldier from the past but could they fight in the conditions that say rev. war troops had to deal with? Can you imagine fighting without proper or any shoes during the winter? Freezing, with not enough food? It is a different kind of toughness, not always measurable.
