Mild Death is when your horse performs worse than the trainer, driver and public expect it to.
Moderate Death is when you're told your horse is probably not as good as the grand circuit horse you were first told it was going to be.
Severe and Chronic Death is when you have a top class horse and your odds on favourite for the Inter-Dominion and you get knocked over on the first corner.
Acute Death is what you feel like the morning after 6 bottles of red and two packs of cigarettes...................