elise:) wrote:ThisMissJockey wrote:Bodom247 wrote:I don't think it's a big deal at all... most of the horses who are winning are winning because of age or higher stats, and I don't think the heart gene is strong enough to make a horse undefeatable.
I agree, in so many events people are aging their horses well above the rest of the pack which gives them an advantage and of course more wins. I was VERY impressed with everyone that entered pleasure because all of the horses are pretty darn close in age which really reflected the trainers and horses ability.
While I agree to an extent -- Like I don't understand why anyone would want their horse to hit optimum age in the first round. I also don't understand why you would start your horse two years below optimum age, when you could start it a year from optimum age and spend the entire course of the olympics within a year of optimum age. Anyway, in some of my events my horses are older than the others. But I had planned from the beginning to have my horses all start about just a year below optimum, so it's not like I just aged them up to be older once I saw other people's horses. I do feel a bit bad when my horses are some of the oldest in the pack (which has been the case with some of my events, while others, people seemed to start even older than I did), but I also feel like, it's what makes the most sense to me, so why wouldn't I start them there. I don't think it mean I'm cheating or a bad trainer(not that that's what you're saying, but I have seen others call it cheating), it just means that I put a lot of time into figuring out what i thought might be the best way to age my horses through the olympics. Perhaps I'll find out I was wrong though. Perhaps I'll find out, that it is actually better to have your horse hit optimum age during the last round.... who knows.
Sorry jockey, i love you girl and i know you weren't trying to be offensive, but I have seen other places where others have criticized the older horses in some events and I just wanted to speak up.
I completely see where you are coming from and I do not consider that cheating because you are still well below opt age. I am guilty of aging to keep up with others. What I mean is those that are a few turns away or even at opt so the entire first round they have constant placings. I guess I don't even really consider that cheating because cheating means having an advantage over someone that could not have that same advantage, which we could all age our ponies. Gesh, I don't even really know where I stand because it is all strategy! If you think about it those that age their horses at opt age will most likely make it through the first round but what about the other two? They will begin to decline when others are reaching their opt age.
Strategy, strategy, strategy! That's all I can say. You just got to find a medium and be happy with where you start and finish I suppose.
This is a learning experience for all of us and will have a better understanding come next year =] Lets just enjoy it!
