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Re: [RC] Standardbreds...& part... - Jon . Lindermansomeone asked about adopting std breds: New Vocations race horse adoption in Laura and Columbus, OH and there new branch in MI adopt out alot of std breds (www.horseadoption.com). This family, the Morgans, have owned and raced std breds for many generations. I recently saw some nice nimble looking young mares on their site who were either lightly raced or unraced. Dot who runs the organization is a no BS person and if she says the horse wasn't raced shes not selling you a bill of goods. Lightly raced means lightly raced. We race pacers and although I hate generalizations of any breed of horse (too dumb, too crazy, bad hooves, etc) they are by and large a nice breed of horse. Although most are dark bay, they do come in a huge array of sizes from beefy monsters over 16 hands to some speedy little oness down around 14.3. Some are long and rangy, others burly and stout. Pacers do trot, sometimes very nicely, but trotters do not pace & contrary to the origins of std breds, not any horse that meets the standard can not compete. It is a breed. Horses off the track have been handled daily and w/all the gack used: doverchecks, knee, ankle, and tendon boots, tongue ties, head poles, murphy blinds, tie downs, cruppers, etc, they can be pretty desensitized to alot of commotion. They seem to retain their conditioning pretty well. That is to say once you teach them something they seem to remember it. Somone asked about breeding and longevity. Yes they have longevity & I am no expert on conformation, but they have their issues w/hocks, OCD's, etc. I think you have to consider that a horse w/100 starts on the track is not altogether an uncommon std bred to find at auction or thru a rescue/adoption agency. 100 starts means 100 fast miles on anything from a rock hard frozen track, to a sloppy track, and God forbid the whack em and smack world of the summer fair racing circuit. That horse may have gotten 100 doses of lasix, pre-race banamine, and then oodles of zan tac or gastroguard to combat the ulcers form lasix and banamine or bute. Hock injections w/depo are as regular as the sunrises for std breds because its cheap and gets them back on the track earning their keep. So yes they are hardy and sturdy and never really seem to complain, but then don't kid yourself into thinking they made all those trips around the track w/out paying a price. Not so many bowed tendons as arthritic issues w/hocks, stifles, and ankles. Probably not a bad idea to find a younger horses who were just too slow to make it to the track and suffer the wear and tear of racing. There are alot of those out there. Jon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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