Re: RC: where to get ex-racehorse arabs?

[DESERTRYDR1@aol.com]

Sorry, I just have to get into this.  First, arabians don't race until their 
three years old, and with some of the smaller stables, they may even be four 
or five before being put on the track.  I replied off the list to Tara and 
told her of some friends in the Spokane area that have very nice race horses, 
that incidentally I am going to look at this weekend.  These horses are heavy 
Crabbet bred, have excellent bone and extremely nice dispositions.  They have 
a total of about 15 horses, including three stallions the last time I visited 
them (one was gelded this fall, hoping to keep his mind on his job).  You can 
walk out into the corral with any of these horses and handle them, pick up 
feet, etc without a halter. 

 I became friends with the owners at the track a couple years ago because 
they were really nice people who were very helpful to me when I was (still 
am) thinking about getting into Arabian racing.  They are old endurance folk, 
Tresa has more than  2000 miles from the 70's and 80's.  I have observed 
their horses at the track, in the paddock being saddled, and after the race 
on numerous occasions.  Some of them are a bit hot, about like my first 
endurance mare, who was 1/2 Polish and probably would have done great on the 
track.  Others are pretty laid back, eat good,and don't waste a lot of 
energy.  I fell in love with the gelding who used to be a stallion and wanted 
to breed to him for a while.  He is very correct conformationally, and has 
the sweetest temperament you will EVER see in gelding OR stallion. 

 So the answer to the question, as with any horse, is look carefully and ask 
lots of questions.  One advantage of an ex-racehorse properly conformed and 
with a good temperament and without injuries is that they have been 
conditioned, so you are not starting completely from scratch as you might 
with an ex-show or pleasure horse, or someone's pasture potato that their 
tired of feeding.  Endurance horses come from ALL backgrounds.  

In closing, let me remind you of a very successful horse up here in the 
Northwest this year named PK Whiskey, ridden by Dean Hoalst, who raced on the 
track until he was past 10, won LOTS of money, and is now regularly top 
tenning in 50's and a 100 or tew.  I watched his race career and won money on 
him for several years before he retired.  I have also seen him at home and 
spoken with his previous owner, who I think was also into endurance at one 
time.  jeri