| Tips on viewing, purchasing and caring for ex-racehorses | |
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How
to View and Purchase a Check with an organization in your region for details specific to your area of the country.
Thank you to Canter for sharing the material for the helpful tips. Please note that referral services do not guarantee the condition of the horse at any time. The buyer and seller carry full responsibility for the sale, transportation, care, and soundness of the horse. Bringing a Horse Home from the Track Things You Should Know This information is designed to help you in the rehabilitation and retraining when purchasing a Thoroughbred directly off of the track. The first thing that you will notice leading your new horse to the barn is that it will seem more like having a balloon on the end of a string than a horse on the end of a lead shank. Often this is the case. When bringing a former racehorse home, the surroundings are new and your horse is still feeling in peak condition from the effects of his conditioning and training received at the track. Listed below are some of the areas that we feel are important to discuss:
Weight Loss Weight loss and loss of appetite may or may not go hand in hand. The sudden change in diet and surroundings can cause any horse to lose weight. The high maintenance Thoroughbreds receive in training can result in weight loss. Their high strung disposition is the result of this conditioning and continuing on the same programs would be counter productive in settling a Thoroughbred down. The weight loss should be mild and for a short period of time usually no longer than this, the following factors should be considered: 1.) Rule out normal factors such as worms or teeth problems Loss of Condition and Hair Hair loss and loss of over all appearance usually are from changes in diet and exercise. When leaving the track ex-racehorses will have a change of metabolsm. The factors which can cause this are listed under weight loss. Aggressive Behavior Aggressive behavior usually can come from one of three things. The first being the obvious, if the horse is a stallion or just an aggressive individual. The second is anabolic steroids which can cause stallion-like behavior even if the horse is a mare. The third is encouraging aggressive behavioral patterns so that the horse will feel good about themselves and think that they are "king of the hill." These patterns are easily broken with proper training techniques. Physical Problems Horses who have physical problems can come in a wide range of major and minor injuries. It is best to do a veterinarian check before you purchase a horse off the track, if you have this option. If you do not, a vet check is a good idea immediately after bringing the horse home to eliminate "the guess work." Limited Training An ex-racehorse leads somewhat of a sheltered life. They live in a stall roughly 23 hours a day, only getting out for a short period of exercise. The barn, the racetrack, and anything that lies between the barn and the track is all they usually see. Most horses just get the basics when they are being broke to ride. The main concern is not to buck and to go around the track. When they learn to come out of a set of starting gates and run down the track, their training is over for the most part. The rest is just conditioning. Foot Problems Thoroughbreds in general have very thin walled feet. When a Thoroughbred runs on the track they wear a very lightweight aluminum shoe that usually has an extended steel toe-grab. The combination of the thin walls, a light non-supportive shoe and a large animal leads to several problems. The first is a thin shelly that makes it very tough to hold a shoe, which is a big problem because if you lose a shoe usually a good portion of the wall goes with it and there is nothing left to nail to. Next is the problem of run down heels. Because of the stress of running, and old theories of shoeing on the track, you often end up with a horse with no heels. This can lead to leg and gait problems in the future. After you get a horse from the track you should have a qualified farrier inspect the feet and tell you if they see these problems or any other problems. If the horse still has race plates on, they should be pulled immediately and trimmed or re-shod with flat shoes. A horse turned out with toe-grabs can cause severe injuries to themselves or another horse that they might be out with. In conclusion, Throroughbreds make wonderful sensitive and loyal show and riding horses. Even though some have huge obstacles to overcome, in the end you will find they are worth the extra effort it takes to rehabilitate and re-train them. It is our hope that this information will help the future of many Thoroughbred and their owners. (Information provided by Rerun, Inc. of Kentucky & Second Chance Thoroughbred Adoption Agency of Michigan). RETURN TO 'NEW LIFE FOR EX-RACHORSES'
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