"Relatively more horses die or suffer, kept in backyards or farms, of incompetent owners, than in horse racing. Many of these horses were claimed to be "rescued" from racing. Prove me wrong! When a horse dies, or is injured on the track, it's out there for the whole word to see. Responsible tracks log breakdown percentage, but the backyard horse person doesn't, especially when things happen from neglect. Horse "rescuing" needs to start in some people's own backyards." #horseracing
Recently this post on a thoroughbred horse trainer's Facebook page received a lot of attention. There were mostly positive comment regarding this bold statement. Although it didn't go without notice from people who have an axe to grind with horse racing. I tend to agree with this statement. Since thoroughbred horse racing is in the public eye and is heavily scrutinized by animal protection groups, horse racing is always under a microscope. I have found that horses with reputable trainers in any discipline, including racing, are well managed and taken care of. This goes for all kinds of animals. There are so many dogs and cats that are living in horrible situations, with horrible people, who have no business caring for anything, much less animals. This is the case with all breeds of horses as well. I have found, in general, that horses at the racetrack are among the best cared for animals of all. Remember that they must be fed properly and exercised daily in order to perform. Racing thoroughbreds are treated like top athletes and must be in the best condition and health possible to win races. Like in any business, there are bad apples among the honest, caring and hard working people. Race horses are groomed, fed constantly, have their stalls cleaned up to three times a day and exercises regularly. Many trainers have turnout for the horses so they can stretch their legs freely in a round pen. Some are even walked a second time in the afternoon when their stalls are being cleaned again. I think people have a bad impression of race horses because they sometimes find them in bad situations after they retire from racing. Most trainers, I know, make an exceptional effort to find good homes for their horses after they retire. The problem is mostly with the people who promise a good home to a "free horse" and realize an OTTB (off the track thoroughbred) can be challenging. These horses are fit and full of energy. They love to run and to this point, running fast in a circle is what they are best at and what they have primarily been trained to do. They need an energy release that they can't get in a show ring. Most backyard horse owners can't handle how high strung these horses are and the next thing you know, they change hands until they end up in auctions. These horses really need to be turned out and allowed free choice, quality hay, until the fat starts to take the place of the solid muscle that took years to pack on. You basically need to "unfit" the horse and build him back up to do what you will need him to do. Some horses come off the track and immediately do well in their new job or sport. A lot of thoroughbred race horse trainers cross train in the off season. Many will foxhunt, show jump or even trail ride during their down time. This makes them more appreciated for when they retire and owners know their retired race horse will have a better chance at a quality life if they are able to transition easier for their new owners.
The main problem with OTTBs is that usually they are given away for free and when there is no value put on the horse from the start, it makes it easy for the person who acquired the horse to take it to a meat auction for a little profit. There have been reports of people going to racetracks claiming they are looking for horses with a promise of a good home, when actually they are collecting horse to send to auction. The trainers think they are giving these horses to good people, only to find out they were scammed. Horses must be sold off the track for at least more than their meat value or there is no incentive to take proper care of them. If a person is unable to pay a minimum price for the horse, then they probably can't afford to feed or care for the horse properly in the first place. There are so many great stories of race horses who end up in the best of places and with the greatest of people. I will post great stories like these in future blog post.
There are a lot of people who use the term "rescued" when it comes to getting thoroughbred race horses off the race track. This can be very offensive the hard working people who cared for these animals. The majority of people who professionally train or care for horses do it because the love horses. It is devastating to see something bad happen to their horse just like anyone who has a pet. Everyday these people work closely with their horses, more than the average horse owner would, so it is understandable that they develop a close bond. I can understand "rescuing" a horse from a meat auction or from a terrible place, but when a horse comes off the track, it's most likely not going to be care for to the standards of a professional race track operation. People should be careful not use the term "rescue" when receiving an OTTB. On the contrary, they should be thanking the trainer and owner for trusting them to take as good care of that horse, as they did.
