Horse Racing Research Articles

The development of simple addition problem solving in children: Reliance on automatized counting or memory retrieval depends on both expertise and problem size

In an experiment, 98 children aged 8 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 to 15 years solved addition problems with a sum up to 10. In another experiment, the same children solved the same calculations within a sign priming paradigm where half the additions were displayed with the “+” sign 150 ms before the addends. Therefore, size effects and priming effects could be considered conjointly within the same populations. Our analyses revealed that small problems, constructed with addends from 1 to 4, presented a linear increase of solution times as a function of problem sums (i.e., size effect) in all age groups. However, an operator priming effect (i.e., facilitation of the solving process with the anticipated presentation of the “+” sign) was observed only in the group of oldest children. These results support the idea that children use a counting procedure that becomes automatized (as revealed by the priming effect) around 13 years of age. For larger problems and whatever the age group, no size or priming effects were observed, suggesting that the answers to these problems were already retrieved from memory at 8 to 9 years of age. For this specific category of large problems, negative slopes in solution times demonstrate that retrieval starts from the largest problems during development. These results are discussed in light of a horse race model in which procedures can win over retrieval.

The Virtue and Vice of Complexity in Equity Risk Premium Prediction

When forecasting the equity risk premium, simple techniques generate results that are easier to interpret than results from more complex techniques. If complex techniques have better performance, does the virtue of superior performance trump the vice of lack of interpretability? This presumes simpler techniques underperform. Complex does not equate to superior performance. Old and simple techniques like discriminant analysis combine the virtue of performance with the virtue of intelligibility. This article performs a horse race among stepwise quadratic discriminant analysis, classification trees, regression trees, and ridgeless regression. Sometimes, accuracy can be sacrificed in favor of better out-of-sample Sharpe ratios. This article also shows that preprocessing data using rolling percentage ranks can be better than using either an expanding window or <italic>Z</italic>-scores.

A review of current chemistry, pharmacology, and regulation of endogenous anabolic steroids testosterone, boldenone, and nandrolone in horses.

Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (androgens). These agents promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects). Anabolic steroids have been illegally used for many years as performance-enhancing drugs in human, equine, and canine sports and as growth promoters in livestock reared to provide meat for human consumption. The analytical challenge to developing effective means of control within these fields has been exacerbated by the reported endogenous nature of some of these steroids. Anabolic steroids have been employed extensively in equine practice over the past 50 years. Their usefulness is largely dependent on subjective opinions, as only minimal studies investigating pharmacodynamics have been carried out in horses. Therefore, their use will vary markedly between practitioners depending on their personal experiences and pressures by trainers to use them. They form part of rational therapy in a variety of conditions. In addition to their use for increasing muscle mass, they are used to varying extents in the raising of yearlings and in the training and racing of horses with the view of improving performance. The use of these agents is prohibited in the horseracing industry by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), and Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Phylogenetic identification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses in Baghdad, Iraq

This study aimed to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses through hematological and molecular tests. The 16S rRNA gene of the Anaplasma phagocytophilum parasite was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), then sequenced, and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to explore "Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis" (EGA) infection in three important gathering race horses areas in Baghdad governorate, Iraq. Blood samples were obtained from 160 horses of varying ages, three breeds, and both sexes, between January and December 2021. Prevalence and risk variables for anaplasmosis were analyzed using statistical odds ratio and chi-square tests. Results demonstrated that clinical anaplasmosis symptoms comprised jaundice, weight loss, paleness of mucus membrane with petechial hemorrhage in the third elides, and edema in extremities; There was no tick infestation. The hematological test did not significantly reveal decreases in red and white blood cells and platelet count. Microscopically found 11 from 160 smears (6.88%) had morulae within granulocytes, PCR results of Anaplasma spp primers was 32 positive amplicons (20%), and molecular sequencing results of “16S ribosomal RNA genes” confirmed 21 horses (13.13%) infected by Anaplasma phagocytophilum for the first time in Iraq horses. The results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed compatibility values similarity 98.81-99.76% with worldwide isolates. Mares occurred not significantly riskier; also age and breed were not illustrated risks of any group. This study is the first molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in racehorses reared in Baghdad in Iraq. The outcomes of this study provide genetic data for early identification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection, treatment, and management of the illness in Iraq horses, as well as monitoring its transmission to the human population.

New insights into the depositional facies of the Early Eocene Rus Formation, Bahrain

Detailed geological field measurements combined with petrographic and mineralogical analyses of the Horse Racing Club outcrop, Bahrain, revealed new insights into the composition, facies distribution, and depositional settings of the Early Eocene Rus Formation, which is poorly constrained in Bahrain. The mineralogical analysis revealed that the rock-forming units are dominated by dolomite, dolomitic marl, claystone, and minor evaporites. The integration of field data and lab measurements resulted in the identification of thirteen facies that are grouped into five facies associations comprising i) lagoonal complexes, ii) sabkha complexes, iii) transgressive lag, iv) peritidal channel complexes, and v) barrier island and washover complexes. Combined paleocurrent analysis of field-observed clinoformal structures, lateral accretion surfaces, and trough cross-bedding indicate a NNW–SSE paleoshoreline trend with tidal channels trending dominantly towards NE–SW and NW–SE directions. The depositional facies model developed for the Rus Formation in Bahrain and within the surrounding region suggests that during the Early Eocene, two landmasses existed to the north and south of Bahrain, restricting the Neo-Tethys Ocean flow through a relatively narrow strait that was influenced by periodic storms. The results of this paper challenge the role of the Rus Formation as an effective regional hydrocarbon seal and, as such, highlight the need for a critical evaluation of the associated petroleum system potential in Bahrain and neighboring countries.

Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) adduct formation by mobile phase additives: A case study using nitrile functional groups containing selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs).

The formation of mass adducts is common during electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). However, the mechanism that leads to adduct formation is poorly understood and difficult to control. Multiplication of mass adducts at once will adversely impact the sensitivity of mass analysis and cause misinterpretation of the level of detection. Prior studies on selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) revealed an immense mass adduct formation in both positive and negative ESI modes. In this study, additives in the mobile phases are investigated as a potential means of controlling mass adduct formation in various SARMs. The first evidence of chloride adduct formation when SARMs are detected via ESI-MS has been reported in this research. A series of mobile phase combinations were tested in order to achieve the optimal condition for HPLC-MS. A comparison was also made between adduct formation on various grades of water used for preparing the mobile phase. A validation study using equine urine and plasma was also conducted to assess the suitability of the developed method. The results of this study will allow for a more accurate identification of SARMs, which will make it easier to investigate their illicit use in horse racing.

Return to Sport After Operative Fixation of Midshaft Clavicle Fractures in Professional Jockeys.

Clavicle fractures are the most commonly observed fracture sustained in professional horse racing. This study is the first to report on time lost from injury and functional recovery after surgical fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures in professional jockeys. Retrospective cohort study. Professional Horse Racing Ireland; Patients (or Participants): Professional Jockeys in Ireland with midshaft clavicular fractures managed with Open Reduction Internal Fixation. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors or Independent Variables): Operative fixation with Open Reduction Internal Fixation. Assessment of postoperative Quick Disabilities of Arm Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score and Patient Reported Outcome Measures assessing for associated complications and time to return to competition among professional athletes. Between 07/06/2013 and 29/09/2022, 22 patients met the predetermined inclusion criteria. Ninety-five percent of patients returned to competition at their preinjury level, one patient failed to return to competition for reasons unrelated to his injury. The mean time for return to competition was 68.14 days postinjury. Few complications were reported, whereas functional recovery was excellent across the cohort, with an average QuickDASH score of 0.85 (0.0-2.3). Plate fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures is effective and safe in the setting of professional horse racing. Ninety-five percent of patients can be expected to return within 14 weeks of injury. Patients returning at less than 7 weeks after injury had no adverse outcomes, suggesting a potential role for more aggressive rehabilitation postoperatively and ultimately, a quicker return to competition.

Comparison of muscle metabolomics between two Chinese horse breeds.

With their enormous muscle mass and athletic ability, horses are well-positioned as model organisms for understanding muscle metabolism. There are two different types of horse breeds-Guanzhong (GZ) horses, an athletic breed with a larger body height (~148.7 cm), and the Ningqiang pony (NQ) horses, a lower height breed generally used for ornamental purposes-both inhabited in the same region of China with obvious differences in muscle content. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the breed-specific mechanisms controlling muscle metabolism. In this study, we observed muscle glycogen, enzyme activities, and LC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics in the gluteus medius muscle of six, each of GZ and NQ horses, to explore differentiated metabolites that are related to the development of two muscles. As expected, the glycogen content, citrate synthase, and hexokinase activity of muscle were significantly higher in GZ horses. To alleviate the false positive rate, we used both MS1 and MS2 ions for metabolite classification and differential analysis. As a result, a total of 51,535 MS1 and 541 MS2 metabolites were identified, and these metabolites can separate these two groups from each other. Notably, 40% of these metabolites were clustered into lipids and lipid-like molecules. Furthermore, 13 significant metabolites were differentially detected between GZ and NQ horses (fold change [FC] value ≥ 2, variable important in projection value ≥1, and Q value ≤ 0.05). They are primarily clustered into glutathione metabolism (GSH, p = 0.01), taurine, and hypotaurine metabolism (p < 0.05) pathways. Seven of the 13 metabolites were also found in thoroughbred racing horses, suggesting that metabolites related to antioxidants, amino acids, and lipids played a key role in the development of skeleton muscle in horses. Those metabolites related to muscle development shed a light on racing horses' routine maintenance and improvement of athletic performance.

Which factor model? A systematic return covariation perspective

We examine which factor model best captures systematic return covariation by focusing on the economic implications for portfolio risk control. The pairwise variance equality test and the model confidence set procedure suggest that the Fama and French (2015) five-factor model, the Barillas and Shanken (2018) six-factor model, and the Fama and French (2018) six-factor model are the top performers for the factor model-implied minimum risk portfolios in the out-of-sample. When it comes to the minimum tracking error portfolios, the Barillas and Shanken (2018) six-factor model and the Fama and French (2018) six-factor model are the overall winners in the horse race.

147 Needs assessment: Evaluating interest in the Nebraska horse racing industry

Nebraska passed an expanded legalized gambling bill in 2020 allowing casinos at licensed horse racing tracks. As of January 2023, Nebraska has 5 operational horse racing tracks that have been approved for expanded gambling. As a result, a positive impact on the horse racing industry in Nebraska is expected. As the number of tracks, races, and casinos increases there is also a growing need for horses to compete. Since passage of the bill, there has been an increase in the number of mares bred (72%), registered foals (55%), and active stallions (38%) in Nebraska as reported by The Jockey Club in 2023. To determine individuals' current and potential level of interest in actively participating in Nebraska horse racing a 16-question needs assessment survey was made using Qualtrics to develop extension programming. The survey included quantitative and qualitative items and was distributed online through various equine related social media platforms and sent via email invitation to multiple listservs targeting Nebraska residents. Survey questions focused on basic demographics, current and potential involvement in horse racing, personal goals, and management topics related to Nebraska horse racing. Data was collected from 123 respondents who were approximately 70% female (n = 85) and 30% male (n = 36) and 33.8% of the respondents (n = 45) work in the agriculture industry. Respondents completed a 5-point Likert scale (1 = no involvement to 5 = extremely involved) over their current involvement in different aspects of horse racing. The top 3 levels of involvement were breeding mares (1.91 ± 1.38 SD), mare and foal care (1.80 ± 1.23 SD), and working as a groom (1.64 ± 1.23 SD). When asked about their goals most (23.60%) were unsure and 21.12% identified wanting to own a quality racehorse. The top 3 areas respondents were most interested in being involved in were breeding mares (15.12%), caring for mares and foals (14.63%), and 13.17% were unsure. Respondents ranked 14 horse racing industry related topics 1 to 14 (1 = most interested, 14 = least interested, lowest mean = most interested) based on their level of interest in learning more about them. Based on rankings, they were most interested in learning about racehorse care (5.39 ± 3.11 SD), Nebraska bred races (5.66 ± 3.83 SD), and racehorse nutrition (5.68 ± 3.16 SD). Participants indicated their interest in horse racing stems from family being involved in the industry. Respondents show interest in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. From these data, a conference is being developed to educate individuals on the topics identified with the goal of bringing more individuals into Nebraska horse racing.

13 Detection time following administration of cannabidiol applied as an oral emulsified solution in Thoroughbred horses

Cannabidiol (CBD) is now classified as a controlled medication by the International Equestrian Federation and Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, therefore detection and withdrawal times are meaningful for use in competition horse exercise recovery. This study aimed to determine the detection time of CBD and its main metabolites, 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol (7-OH-CBD) and 7-carboxy-cannabidiol (7-COOH-CBD) after 2 doses of a CBD solution. The solution was a 4 mL oral emulsified solution that contained 250 mg of CBD in a medium of organic coconut oil. A convenience sample of 8 healthy Thoroughbred horses with a mean age of 3.6 ± 1.5 years and weight of 446.0 ± 16.2 kg was used. Horses maintained their normal daily training to replicate practical use in competition horses. A detailed physical exam was performed by a veterinarian on d 1 before the first administration of the solution. Horses received the first administration of CBD at 18:00h on d 1, followed by the second administration at 06:00h on d 2 to mimic a post-competition recovery protocol. The dose was given orally by syringe under the horses’ tongue. Blood samples were collected on d 1–10 from the jugular vein. Urine samples were collected on d 7 by free catch. Concentrations of CBD and each metabolite were measured using liquid chromatographyand tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in an analytical pharmacology laboratory. Descriptive statistical analysis was completed using R version 4.2.2. The limit of quantitation (LoQ) of CBD is 0.10 ng/mL in serum and 0.25 ng/mL in urine. The LoQ of 7-OH-CBD and 7-COOH-CBD is 0.10 ng/mL in both serum and urine. On d 7, serum CBD was 0.054 ± 0.03 ng/mL, serum 7-COOH-CBD was 3.525 ± 2.28 ng/mL, and serum 7-OH-CBD was not detected after d 1. On d 10, serum CBD was 0.041 ± 0.02 ng/mL and serum 7-COOH-CBD was 0.788 ± 0.56 ng/mL.On d 7, urine CBD was 0.013 ± 0.02 ng/mL and urine 7-OH-CBD was 0.083 ± 0.01 ng/mL. Concentrations of 7-COOH-CBD were not detected in the urine on d 7. Due to the variability in cannabinoid products, these results may be specific to this product formulation. Variables that will cause differences in clearance time include the manufacturing process, pellets or oil formulation, emulsion process, dose, and method of absorption. All 3 compounds had concentrations below the urinary LoQ and therefore not quantifiable in urine on d 7. Serum CBD was not quantifiable after d 7, serum 7-CBD-COOH was quantifiable on d 10, and serum 7-OH-CBD was not detectable after d 1.

Relative risk taking and social curiosity

We present an experiment providing (a) a horse race among different models combining social preferences and risk preferences, and (b) a test of whether agents are socially curious, that is wanting to know about the risk taking of others and the outcomes of their risk taking. We distinguish outcome driven models (that is, models where agents care about the earning outcomes for themselves and others) from action driven models (that is, models where agents care about one's risk taking actions relative to the actions of others). We embed outcome and action driven competitive preferences, inequality aversion, conformism, and social loss aversion, within a single theoretical framework generalized from Bolton and Ockenfels (2000). We find that competitive preferences models best explain investment decisions in our setting, with almost 50% of subjects influenced both by their co-participants’ actions and outcomes. Social information is sought 90% of the times when it is free. When it is costly, it is sought 30% of the times if the information is instrumental for one's own investment decision and 10% to 20% of the times if it is not. Competitive preferences can help explain social curiosity.

The American story of apomorphine: between mistrust and remarkable discoveries (P4-3.006)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To review the history of apomorphine in the United States of America (USA) and the stigma surrounding it, taking into account both its medical and non-medical uses <h3>Background:</h3> Despite extensive and worldwide evidence of clinical efficacy and safety in the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and despite being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as both an injection (2004) and a sublingual film (2020), apomorphine is currently not available in the USA as a continuous subcutaneous administration infusion (CSAI). In October 2022, the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter for the new application as a drug infusion device. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> Nonsystematic database (MEDLINE, NCBI, PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Internet Archive) search and screening of online American newspapers archives (Newspapers.com®) with the search terms <i>apomorphine</i> and <i>apomorphia</i> (1845–2022) <h3>Results:</h3> Following its European synthesis in the mid-19th century, apomorphine was successfully and extensively used by American clinicians from the 1870’s onwards, in the management of both pediatric and adult patients. However, its unsubstantiated inclusion in the Harrison Narcotic Tax Law put a major stop in its clinical use. Despite these limitations, the USA was the first country to conduct clinical trials using apomorphine for PD in 1951. Apomorphine non-medical use, including abusive practices (vomiting punishment) in boarding schools and hospitals (1900’s), truth serum (1920’s), tranquiliser gun or race horse drugging (1970’s) have surely contributed to damage its reputation. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> It is difficult to explain the residual stigma surrounding apomorphine in the US without considering the intertwining of the medical &amp; non-medical worlds, the long-lasting effects of “fashion” or reputation, as well as the political and economic context. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Auffret has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of France Développement Electronique. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Britannia. Dr. Auffret has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Britannia. Dr. Auffret has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Britannia. Dr. Auffret has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Aguettant. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from Association France Parkinson. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from Homeperf. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from LVL. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from University of Rennes 1. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from Aguettant. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from Linde. The institution of Dr. Auffret has received research support from Plateforme Nationale pour la recherche sur la fin de vie. Dr. Auffret has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care. Dr. Lees has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Britannia. Dr. Lees has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Speaker with Bial Pharma. Mr. Verin has nothing to disclose.

Multi-object tracking for horse racing

Multi-object tracking has been extensively studied in pedestrian behavior analysis and vehicle analysis, but has yet to be well extended to the more challenging horse racing scenarios. This work makes the first attempt to systematically analyze challenges for horse racing tracking problems, including occlusion, trajectory staggered, often switching of cameras (i.e., angles of views), and blurred sprint caused by horse competition. An augmentation-based multi-object tracking method (GMOT) is proposed to solve the above-mentioned challenges. The auxiliary classifier generative adversarial network is adopted in GMOT to augment the horse racing data to enhance target detection and re-identification results. Horse racing videos recorded in day and night scenes are both tested in our experiments. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields good results.

The role of mental health in online gambling decisions: A discrete choice experiment

People with mental health problems are more likely to experience problems due to gambling, an intersection of two sources of social disadvantage. However, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear. Analysing if choices while gambling differ for people with mental health problems, and whether these differences involve characteristics linked with gambling harms, can improve this understanding. Evidence on this is limited because most studies rely on survey questions or aggregate data which are either self-reported, unlikely to allow for identification of separate features of gambling options, or do not observe the full set of options people are choosing between. Discrete Choice Experiments can circumvent these issues by observing the gambling environment and individual's gambling choices.This study uses a Discrete Choice Experiment to analyse people's choices while gambling, and if these differ for people with mental health problems. Participants were offered a series of 6 choice sets representing online gambling on horse racing; each presented two hypothetical horse races, both with eight horses, differing in the information they provided. Participants chose which race (if any) and horse they would bet on. The choices were modelled using mixed logit models.People with mental health problems had (i) a lower preference for betting on races with information about horses’ recent form and (ii) preferred betting on horses with higher odds. (i) Could indicate that they put less thought into their bet, a sign of gambling as an escape. (ii) Could indicate that they are more risk seeking. These are two gambling characteristics linked with problems due to gambling and are plausible mechanisms by which people with mental health problems may be more likely to develop problems due to gambling.

Effect of different bedding material on redirected behaviour and vices of thoroughbred race horses housed in stalls

Frustration arising from lack of social contact and inconsistent training method, insufficient roughages, erratic management practices and different bedding material leads to redirected behaviour and vices in stabled horses. Further there was a need to assess the relation between behaviour and vices related to prevalence of many stereotypes and redirected behaviour i.e., weaving, tongue rolling, resting in the stable corner, soil consuming, wood chewing and cribbing. The aim of current research work was to establish the importance of bedding on behaviour of horses. Fifteen each of privately owned, mares and stallions were selected for the study. They were kept in the boxes in which they were observed for a minimum of four weeks. Recordings were made between 10:00 to 12 AM and 5:00 to 7:00 PM. There was an increase in the prevalence of abnormal behaviour (P&lt;0.0001) when the bedding type other than straw was used (P&lt;0.0001) and the amount of fibre in the diet was decreased (&lt;40%). Results showed that there were significant differences in other behaviours like resting in the stable corner (P&lt;0.0001), tongue rolling (P&lt;0.0001), weaving behaviour (P&lt;0.0001), yawning behaviour (P&lt;0.0001), wood chewing (P&lt;0.0005) and cribbing (P&lt;0.0008). No significant differences were found with soil (P&lt;0.558) and faeces consumption (P&lt;0.3251) behaviour. The amount of time spent on exercise and time spent outside the stable did not appear to be related to performance of abnormal behaviour and vices of horses. It was concluded that the providing adequate bedding material can influence the behaviour and vices in stabled horses.

Performance assessment of an equine metabolomics model for screening a range of anabolic agents.

Despite their ban, Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are considered as the most important threat for equine doping purposes. In the context of controlling such practices in horse racing, metabolomics has emerged as a promising alternative strategy to study the effect of a substance on metabolism and to discover new relevant biomarkers of effect. Based on the monitoring of 4 metabolomics derived candidate biomarkers in urine, a prediction model to screen for testosterone esters abuse was previously developed. The present work focuses on assessing the robustness of the associated method and define its scope of application. Several hundred urine samples were selected from 14 different horses of ethically approved administration studies involving various doping agents' (AAS, SARMS, β-agonists, SAID, NSAID) (328 urine samples). In addition, 553 urine samples from untreated horses of doping control population were included in the study. Samples were characterized with the previously described LC-HRMS/MS method, with the objective of assessing both its biological and analytical robustness. The study concluded that the measurement of the 4 biomarkers involved in the model was fit for purpose. Further, the classification model confirmed its effectiveness in screening for testosterone esters use; and it demonstrated its ability to screen for the misuse of other anabolic agents, allowing the development of a global screening tool dedicated to this class of substances. Finally, the results were compared to a direct screening method targeting anabolic agents demonstrating complementary performances of traditional and omics approaches in the screening of anabolic agents in horses.

Eli and Susannah Wiggill: South African Saints

Eli and Susannah Wiggill: South African Saints

Galloping through Culture: Horse Racing and Global History

Sinclair W. Bell, Christian Jaser and Christian Mann, eds., The Running Centaur: Horse-Racing in Global-Historical Perspective. London: Routledge, 2022. 216 pp. $160 (hb).

Some Reluctant Skepticism about Rational Insight

Abstract There is much to admire in John Pittard’s recent book on the epistemology of disagreement. But here we develop one concern about the role that rational insight plays in his project. Pittard develops and defends a view on which a party to peer disagreement can show substantial partiality to his own view, so long as he enjoys even moderate rational insight into the truth of his view or the cogency of his reasoning for his view. Pittard argues that this may happen in ordinary cases of religious disagreement—cases in which it’s a live skeptical possibility that one is misdescribing his insight, or not having insight at all—and therefore one need not be strongly conciliatory even in the face of peer disagreement. Yet Pittard agrees that one should be strongly conciliatory in cases of disagreement involving, e.g., visual perception and dim rational insight, since the sort of fallible, corrigible evidence involved in such cases may be counterbalanced by symmetrical evidence on the part of one’s disagreeing peer. We worry that there’s an inconsistency here. If it’s unreasonable to show partiality to one’s visual experience (or dim rational insight) in cases like “Horse Race” and “Restaurant Check,” it’s likewise unreasonable to show partiality in religious disagreements to one’s moderate rational insight, fallible and corrigible as it is.