So, You Think You Love Horses?

Some Reflections on the Nature of Horses and Man

• Kentucky Derby

  [Horse Racing] The Kentucky Derby is an American Grade I stakes race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1 and a quarter miles. It is the most famous of American horse races and the part of racing's triple crown. Its winners are among the best known of horses by the general public. The other two races of the triple crown are the the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. The Kentucky Derby was first run in 1875 and continues to be the oldest continuously held major sporting events in the U.S. and the oldest Thoroughbred stakes race held in the same location since its inception. For a long time Kentucky lagged behind states like New York as a racing center, but a concerted effort to develop its racing industry succeeded admirably. The name Derby was borrowed from a British race of the same name that dates from 1780 and is still run. The name is taken from the Earl of Derby, who was a sponsor of the original English race.

• Kissing Spines

  [Veterinary Medicine ] The term "kissing spines" is the common name given to impingement of two or more vertebral dorsal spinous processes in the back. Spinous processes are the bony projections off the rear of a human's spinal column, which in a horse project upwards and slightly backwards and serve as an attachment point for muscles and ligaments. A horse might be asymptomatic, but more commonly has a sore back. That can result in back muscle tightness, bucking when ridden or discomfort on being mounted. Orthopedic surgery on the spinous process can be very effective and allow the horse to be comfortably ridden again. Humans can also rarely experience a similar problem.

• Kur

  [Dressage and Vaulting] A kur is a routine consisting of a freestyle movements at the discretion of the rider (rather than prescribed) that is set to music. The horse moves in time to the music exhibiting the grace of its various dressage movements. The word kür is of German origin and indicates a courting. I suppose the rider is courting the judge and thus a freestyle. Provided that I enjoy the music, which is often classical, I find watching kurs very aesthetically pleasing. The 1963 film Miracle of the White Stallions depicts the director of the Spanish Riding School, Alois Podhajsky, performing what amounts to a kur for General George Patton.