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Here at Double D
Acres we rehab and train Thoroughbreds on our farm. On a personal
note I have worked with Thoroughbreds since the early 80's at both
the track and the farm.
THOROUGHRED RACE HORSE TO RETIRED RACE HORSE
~ Janine White ~
Article by Janine
White
It never fails that several times a year I get a
phone call from an owner who has acquired a Thoroughbred off the
track (either private sale or through a paddock sale) and they are
at their wits end with the animal - usually to the point they just
want me to take it off their hands. I think in all fairness to the
animal we need to discuss why this happens.
An off the track Thoroughbred is not a horse for an inexperienced or
timid rider, definitely not for a beginner. At Double D Acres we do
not sell our Thoroughbreds to beginner or inexperienced riders.
These horses are not broke - as a normal horse person considers
broke - when they come off the track or off the farm. Just because a
Thoroughbred is 9 years old and has had a race career since the age
of 2 or 3, once you get them home and attempt to ride them I assure
you they are worse than 'green-broke' in most cases. If this is not
the case with your OTTB, consider yourself very fortunate, or as I
call it - lucky! You have to be prepared and you must have the
knowledge required to 'train' your horse. With trust, confidence,
time and proper training, they can have a very successful future off
the track.
Our horses have gone on to make trail horses, endurance horses,
hunter under saddle, low level jumpers and barrel horses once their
careers are finished at the racetrack. One of our horses I am
training currently here at the farm I will train as my next barrel
horse if he does not 'make a living' on the racetrack.
If you have any interest in a Thoroughbred off the track, give us a
call and we'll be happy to assist you with any questions you may
have. If you have a horse you are having problems with, give us a
call as well. I take very few training horses in for clients but I
do currently have a couple of openings. Call me to discuss your
training needs and for prices 314-435-0742.
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Here are a few of the OTTBs my wife and I have worked with.
These are pictures of a
4 year old Thorougbred that we adopted into the barn that had bowed
tendons on both fronts. I used this package and he responded quite
well. I started with a 3 degree wedge shoe and every third shoeing
I would drop down 1 degree and he recovered quite nicely. He is now
at his new home in Southeast Missouri.
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