"Owning A TB Racehorse"- by Nancy McMinn

This is one of the best articles that I have found concerning TB Racehorses. I found it to be educational, and to dispell some of the misinformation that has been appearing on the internet, especially since Barbaro's tragic accident. I feel it brings a note of sanity and accurate information.

Posted with permission of The Mane Street ( original publisher)

Owning a TB Race Horse

Owning a TB racehorse is a different dimension of horse ownership for many people, one that may appeal to some.  In some ways, much the same as any horse ownership, but in others quite different. 

The first major difference is that economics does come into play, faster than it does with pleasure horse ownership.  To own a racehorse requires financial stability, and though there is a chance of earning money, even making a profit, this must not be the driving force of the exercise.  If it is, the horse will come to grief in time, and the owner will be disappointed. 

Less than 10 % of all racehorses cover their expenses. People who successfully own racehorses must enjoy the journey, enjoy watching an elite athelete trained to a pinnacle of perfection, speed and strength, performing to the best of his ability in the sport for which he has been destined, the result of 400 years of selective breeding.  Basically, happy racehorse owners must enjoy their horses, whether they win or not, must enjoy small training successes along the way, and visiting with their horses and feeding them carrots.  If an owner only enjoys the wins, these come sparingly and are not enough to sustain interest in the long run. 

Keeping a racehorse is substantially more expensive than keeping a riding horse.  Unless you can do some or all of the work yourself, professionals must be paid for care and training.  Often, owners can do some of the work themselves, perhaps winter care and turnout, sometimes early training.  Unless an owner has extensive experience at the racetrack, training, they can not train their own racehorse, it is not something that a neophyte can step into after reading a book.  Training at the track locally averages about $50 per day, and many horses will be in training for at least 6 months of the year.  This includes feed and training, and race readiness, but does not include vet bills, shoeing, shipping etc.  If a horse needs boarding in the off season or for lay ups, most establishments charge about the same as high end show barns, at least $600 per month.  Because of the financial investment owners have in their horses, and the easily "breakable" nature of young, fit TBs, only farms suitable for their care can be used. 

Most owners have a minimum of $30,000 invested into their horses by the end of their 3 yr old year.  By this time, an owner should know if they truly own a racehorse, or if they do not.  When it becomes apparent that the animal is not going to be an economic and financially viable racehorse, it is often sold on to others at a loss, either at the end of it's three year old campaign or soon after that.  Racehorse owners live in hope of someday owning a horse for whom this is not the case.

What happens to culled racehorses is of concern to those who like horses, and care about them.  While some people who are not involved with racing presume that all horses are heartlessly shipped for meat at this point, in reality this is not usually the case if other options are available.  Some horses are put down, or are shipped for meat, if they have been injured to the point of little chance of recovery, or to the point that they have no value to another owner. 

There are many other avenues of life for culled racehorses.  Not all are suitable for riding or show horses, but some are.  Mares with acceptable pedigree and performance records often go to the breeding shed to produce more racehorses.  Mares with acceptable conformation for other breeds are often used to bring TB blood into other breeding programs, including QH, paint, sport horses.  Some culled racehorses can continue racing, at venues where the competition is less trying, bush tracks, or with chuckwagons.  Some go home to their owners farms, and are kept as pets.     

Injury is a constant threat to racehorses.  It isn't a question of "if", but more a question of "when" and "how bad".  This is similar to any professional athelete, who is asked to perform to the limits of physical ability.  Racing is one of the most demanding equine endeavors, but it does act to select the cream of the crop through it's physical trials, to select the best lines to continue the breed.

Culling is often hard on the individuals who do not make the grade, but is necessary to keep the breed strong, selecting for sound, talented individuals to contribute their genetics to future generations.

The expected career of a racehorse is at least two years, a 2 yr old year spent training and fitting up, with perhaps a race or two, and a 3 yr oldcampaign of around a dozen races in most cases.  Most TBs are physically mature and strong enough to endure this program, and it is the training that they get at an early age that makes them strong enough to race without sustaining injury.  Some racing careers can last 8 or 10 years.  After the racing career is over, the horse is available for other disciplines. 

Racing training does not necessarily make a horse "hot" or "crazy", it sharpens his instinctive competitiveness, and this must be re-learned and toned down for most secondary careers, but usually this is possible to do by trainers with experience in this area.  If a horse has a "hot" nature, or is crazy before he enters race training, racing him will not make him any saner or quieter.  Such a horse may have difficulty making a change in career, and may not be suitable for other disciplines.     

So keep in mind that horse racing is another dimension of horse ownership, in which horses provide enjoyment and participation for their owners, much like any other type of horse ownership.  If a person is interested in trying this option, beware, it can be addictive.  The Queen Mother once said in an interview about her horse racing experiences, "It's about 80% disappointment, I think".  Yet we continue to try.

Cordova Farm- Performance Thoroughbreds and Half Thoroughbreds, Racehorses, Hunters and Jumpers.  www.cordovafarm.visit.ws

Nancy McMinn 2004 (c)