Re: RC: race track to trail

[Cowboymi@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/15/99 6:42:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
gwcarman@crosslink.net writes:

<< I am considering buying an Arab from the race track for long distance
 riding.  My farrier has given me the name of a local trainer. Tom feels
 this trainer has top quality horses and treats them well.  I have asked
 around and he seems to have a good reputation for being a good horseman
 and not abusing or overtraining, etc. his horses. When he has a horse
 he is ready to drop from his string of horses he sells them for $6-700
 dollars - just wants to find them a good home.  Sooo, my question is -
 what are your experiences in taking a horse from the track to the
 trail?>>
I bought a 9 yr. old retired Arabian race mare a year ago last spring. Ultra 
Dasch aka  Dash had placed in 27 of 31 races (only won 3 races) and retired 
sound. Please bear in mind that these are just my own observations with one 
horse. I paid quite a bit more ($3000) than you are talking because of Dash's 
race record and her bloodlines she is out of Sir Wm Tryczam. Her racing 
career is actually only breakeven in terms of the money she won, but looked 
real good to me when thinking of it in terms of speed and soundness over a 
long period of time and with alot of races. I think that the price you state 
this trainer wants for his horses is a steal, I believe he could get twice 
that in my area for sound ex racehorses from endurance people. I was looking 
for race horses who had run a lot of races and stayed sound as I intend to 
also use her as a race horse/endurance horse broodmare after I use her for 
endurance for a few years. I've also bred 6 mares to a race stallion owned by 
the trainer I bought Dash from. I know he wouldn't try to pass an unsound 
horse off on me or he'd risk losing future sales to me.
 I switched Dash immediately from a snaffle to a Vosal and started to teach 
her neck reining. This worked very well for me and I think caused her less 
confusion, I have poor hands at English reining. She picked up on plow 
reining immediately and neck reining with leg aids pretty well within a week.
Arab race horses work on voice commands mostly, absolutely no leg aids (the 
jockey's stirrups are too high) squeezing your legs to go faster has no 
effect lol :) I had to ask the trainer how to get her to go when I was riding 
her before I bought, you cluck to pick up speed, more clucks more speed, 
pulling back on the bit has no effect on them (they are used to jockeys doing 
this to maintain their balance), they know what whoa is but it doesn't mean 
whoa right away to them (a fast stop is not important at the track). Dash 
also didn't stand real well to mount when I got her, but this may just be 
her. Dash loves to go go go, she will trot in place or trot at a walk speed 
for the first hour if I don't let her run when I first get on her. She was/is 
a little spooky about things in the woods sometimes but not too bad.
She'll stand quietly forever while her shoes are put on which is great cuz I 
have Slypners on her & they do take longer.
When I first got her she was kinda stand offish to me, I think because 
racehorses don't get a lot of quality time, but she has improved a lot in 
this respect now.

<<is this a worthwhile venture or does it take sooo long to get
 them trail worthy that is is too time intensive. I would think I'd send
 it off to be reschooled for 30 or 60 days by a local trainer.  Thanks
 for opinions!>>
I found it to definitly be worthwhile and not time intensive at all. A big 
advantage of an ex racehorse is that they know what work is as they are used 
to it. They are also used to being around other horses, people, noise, & 
other track type of experiences.

Steven Whitsell
 


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