Horse Racing - Heading for the finish line?

Before I begin, I want to note that I'm far from an expert about the world of horse racing. My involvement with racehorses has been after the track - letting them down, fixing what's broken and retraining them for their second careers. So if you are an "insider," I am particularly interested in hearing your take on all of this.

Joe at TB Friends was talking about how the racing industry is clearly tanking today. Well, it'd be hard to argue with that. A lot of tracks have closed or are rumored to be closing. The racing industry got a lot of bad publicity with the high profile Barbaro and Eight Belles breakdowns, and I think that has contributed to poor turnout at races - although even more important is the fact that the economy flat-out sucks and fewer people have money to risk betting on a horse race.

Given that these conditions exist, and are unlikely to change anytime soon, what is the future of Thoroughbreds and racing? Prices are down at the Thoroughbred auctions, though you will still see prices far higher than the average private horse sale. But what are these prices supported by? I've always thought it was a crazy industry, where you can buy a $500,000 yearling and two years later he's proven he can't win a race and you wind up selling him for $500 if you're lucky. Then there's race training, which to my understanding is incredibly expensive. I hear people whine all the time about how it just doesn't make sense for them to put $2000 of regular training into a horse to get it broke to sell when it won't even sell for that much. Well, isn't racing the same way? I don't know what the average cost of training is right now, but I remember years ago being told it was about $80 a day. Holy crap. That's a lot of money to gamble on a horse who - odds are - is never going to make your money back.

I assume - again, I'm no expert here - that all the losses are written off and that in the end, this is a lovely tax break for wealthy individuals who need to lose money somewhere and that's how the system survives. I am curious what the "break even point" is - how much does a horse have to win to break even on what you've paid buying and training him? (And yes, obviously it also depends on how long it takes to make that money)

But I also - just because I'm the suspicious sort - have to wonder if there isn't an element of fraud involved in some of these high-dollar sales. Some of you remember the Arabian horse market of the early-mid 1980s, when horses sold for a million bucks but, well, there were ten other horses and a beach condo in Maui discreetly thrown in on the deal. When that crashed, it crashed hard and a lot of people lost a lot of money - not to mention the horses who fell upon equally hard times. Does that go on in today's Thoroughbred world? Given how completely unpredictable racing performance is, how IS it that yearlings sell for six figures?

So let's assume Joe has a point and racing is tanking. I love Thoroughbreds. They're ultimately my favorite breed. They are unique in that they are a "major" breed that lacks one thing that ALL of the other major breeds have...a breed-specific show system. This has annoyed me for years. Sure, lots of Thoroughbreds compete in hunter/jumper and dressage competitions where breed is irrelevant but in recent years they have fallen out of fashion. Warmbloods are what's trendy now, and I read diatribes from competitors who claim no one will take them seriously on an OTTB. (Sure, some are just whiners whose horse isn't that great, but I also think there's something to their complaints)

I do think Thoroughbreds need their own show circuit. Let's start out with the fact that Thoroughbreds need halter classes! They really do. We pretty much ALL agree we're seeing a lot of track breakdowns related to crappy conformation - so in my never-humble-opinion, we need halter classes that reward excellent conformation. We need a Thoroughbred breed ideal that includes good bone and straight legs and a decent hip.

I'd also like to see performance classes where the Thoroughbreds go up against other Thoroughbreds - and only other Thoroughbreds. Just as Quarter Horses, Appies, or any other major breed you can name have the option of going up against just their own kind. The breed show circuits create value which protects the horse. They provide a way to make a horse more valuable and appealing to buyers. They create a way for owners to show off their horses, win prizes and sometimes even win money. They offer fun youth programs which help get young riders hooked on showing that breed - the customers of tomorrow. If racing is tanking - and it may well be - we need to create an alternative purpose to breed Thoroughbreds - and to breed good Thoroughbreds. Now would be a very good time to try to start a serious Thoroughbred breed show association.

So what do you think? Do you think horse racing is on its way out, or do you think it will rebound? Do you think you know what it would take for it to rebound? Do you think we need to create an alternative competitive circuit for Thoroughbreds or do you think it's fine that they continue to compete mostly at AHSA all-breed events? What do you think is the best course of action to ensure that a hundred years from now, people are still breeding quality Thoroughbreds for riders to enjoy?

Pictured is a blast from the past - an older Thoroughbred named By George I'm Late. I don't know how he did on the track but a couple of my lesson kids bought him a long time ago and they just loved him to death. He was one of the lucky ones.

And this is why people are scared to donate horses

So I've gotten a million e-mails about how Virginia Polytechnic is auctioning off some poor 18 year old Arabian gelding on GovDeals.com. He's up to $190 right now so hopefully he'll be out of the price range of Mr. Kill Buyer by the time the auction closes in 8 hours, but I don't blame people for being annoyed.

The horse's name is EZ Season Ticket and they are selling him as sound. Apparently they have been using him for some kind of nutritional research and now they are done with him.

I've worked at a post-secondary school and have some idea about how they run. There is a procedure for everything, clearly written down in manuals and reviewed with the lawyers. Is it really that hard to come up with a procedure like a rescue uses to find a home for a horse, complete with screening and a site visit? It's not tough to find this information online - I've made sure of that. As have others. Why do we continually see these horses dumped via means that make it impossible to check if the home is appropriate?

Apparently someone named Sheri Devouassoux competed him. I found a way to contact her in about 30 seconds, but I see from COTH that someone is already doing that - but hey, the auction ends in 8 hours. I'd like to see the other owners contacted and certainly the breeder if they are still around.

(Really, is anybody here going to be annoyed if you get a phone call asking you if you'd like to help a former horse? I'd be delighted, because even if I wasn't in a position to help, that phone call would give me the opportunity to get involved and try to find someone who could.)

If you know enough about horses to do research on them, shouldn't you be equally responsible for knowing enough about them to find them a good home when the research is over? Isn't that part of responsible science? If you want to look like you're a moral step above those lovely cosmetics companies that spray crap into animals' eyes and kill them when they're done with them (google "Draize tests" at your own risk), you'd better sit down and write up a more enlightened policy for rehoming your research animals.

P.S. Just remember - read your contract. NEVER assume that any school, program, etc. is taking your horse "forever." It is up to YOU to read the contract and write in a provision that the horse must be returned to you if no longer needed - and then YOU need to follow up regularly and ensure your horse is still there and doing well, because if people reliably read and referred to the contracts they sign, there would not be so many lawsuits!

The Razzies of Riding!

OK, I've meant to do this blog post for a long time!


How often do you see horseback riding on television or in the movies that just makes you cringe and even change the channel? It happens to me all the time, and it sticks in my head so strongly that I still remember the offenders years later.

Rachel Ward in "The Thorn Birds." For god's sake, take some lessons or get a stand-in. That poor horse's kidneys. Richard Chamberlain, OTOH, seemed to know what he was doing. He must have horses or at least ride IRL.

Those god-awful maxi pad commercials with the model galloping down the beach slamming repeatedly on the horse's back. I remember an interview with Mary Crosby (Kristin on "Dallas") where she referenced these commercials and shared her horror at what the poor horses had to go through. I always liked her after that!

Remember the "Young Guns" TV Series? I couldn't even watch the opening credits. Ack! Those poor horses! Bounce, bounce, high hands, elbows everywhere, yank, crank. Horrid!

Lately, we've seen some stellar examples on reality TV. Anybody watching the Real Housewives of NYC? The Countess's kid is a good rider but that Kelly girl? She gets left behind, nails the poor horse in the mouth and then is surprised and disgruntled when it stops and she flies effortlessly over its shoulder. I don't know who her trainer is (we only saw a back view) but you need to take her stirrups away and work on her base of support or she's going to get hurt a lot worse than she is already whining about. I can't find the Hampton Classic video where she goes ass-over-teakettle, but I found another video of her showing off her loose, swinging lower leg. Kelly whines in the episode about how "the horse threw me." OK, seriously, who here says that? We all say we fell off. We know where the blame belongs! Course I'm guessing Kelly is quite the blame-thrower, given that she got arrested this week for beating up her boyfriend. God only knows what she does to that poor horse behind the barn! Gotta say, there was a lot better riding on the RHW of Orange County - there's one little squirt on that show who is just a lovely little rider.


Reality TV also brought us the famous "Paris Hilton falls off a Horse" video. I love this, mostly because on the show, Paris was bragging about how she "rides all the time" and not listening to the guy who owns the horse. And then she screams like a fool when the horse starts bucking. She got exactly what she deserved here. As the owner said "He's a good horse but how would you feel if someone was bouncing on your back?" Exactly. That's why there are riding lessons.

Then there's Katie Price/aka "Jordan." I know there's a huge temptation to laugh hysterically at a huge-boobed glamour model taking up dressage, but from what I can see, Katie's riding doesn't suck. She clearly is working hard and taking it seriously. Do I think she'll make the 2012 Olympics? No, but I think I'd rather be her horse than Kelly Bensimon's. Assuming she didn't dress me up in her line of horsewear.

The thing I can never understand is why, when there's a role that involves riding, they don't simply hire someone who already rides. Hollywood is full of people who are very competent equestrians. Gisele Bundchen rides jumpers. Christie Brinkley has cutting horses. Stefanie Powers plays polo. I hear that, despite the inevitable Star Trek jokes, William Shatner is actually a very good rider. So is Wendie Malick (who gets brownie points from me for being an anti-slaughter activist.) Same thing with Bo Derek - good rider and involved in anti-slaughter. Robert Duvall, William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones and Kelsey Grammar are all accomplished riders. Millions of people ride horses - when you put someone on film sucking at it, someone is going to notice!

So tell me - what television shows and movies have just made you cringe in terms of the riding (or general horse handling)?

Winter's almost over! Dust off those horses - and yourself!

I don't know about where you are, but here in Seattle we're actually seeing some sunshine and dry ground. From a rescue perspective, the grass is starting to grow and the # of "dumps" should decrease as horses become cheap to keep again...let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief!

So it's time to get out there and do something with those shaggy horses, and it's also a good time to do something to help out horse rescues. Sometimes you can do both at once! Here are some examples of what's going on in different areas - feel free to post more to the comments.

I got an e-mail about a rescue in British Columbia that's putting on what sounds like a really fun event for rescued horses! Greener Pastures is having a Standardbred Games Day on April 26th in Langley. At 6 classes for $35, it's a fun day that won't break the bank and it supports Standardbred Rescue so if you're in B.C., think about heading out for some fun with your horse!

Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, another favorite of mine, is having a spring clean-up day on March 21st in Mount Airy, MD. So if you're local, go get some exercise - you know you need it before bathing suit season! - and help a deserving rescue.

For you Seattle area folks, Save a Forgotten Equine is having an art show and silent auction on April 5th in Tacoma.

Texans, check out LOPE's Benefit Horse Show on May 9th in Seguin. It's another budget-friendly competition with classes at just $5 each! Remember, most breed associations have an open show awards program in which you can earn points and compete for year end awards. LOPE got a great turnout last year, so I'm seeing a lot of potential points to be earned! What could be better than showing and supporting a worthy rescue?

Er, never mind - I think I found even better. Wine tasting and supporting a worthy rescue! You can join Days End Horse Rescue on April 9th in Clarksville, MD for an evening of dinner, drinks, and both a live and silent auction. For those of you who, like me, occasionally like to scrape off the layer of barn filth and get dressed up in something cute and look like a girl again, this event sounds like a golden opportunity!

More casual or looking for some exercise? OK, join Mid Atlantic Horse Rescue on May 17th in Chesapeake City, MD for their 5K run/walk and fun dog walk with doggie games.

Moving down to the Southwest, Equine Voices is having a tack sale and silent auction TOMORROW, March 14, in Tucson, AZ. Equine Voices has been in the news this week for their rescue of Solo Vino, a horse who was brutally beaten in the head (scroll down on their main page to see the story). Solo Vino is in the vet hospital awaiting surgery and so far, so good.

NorCal Equine Rescue in Oroville, CA continues to do regular euthanasia and gelding clinics and they can always use your help, whether that is a donation or a pair of hands ready to work. Check out their blog for the stories. It is sad to see the old Cushings mare who clearly had no chance, but how much more horrible would it be to think of her on a slaughter truck? Meanwhile, the cute little Arabian mare was saved thanks to the euth clinic and is available for a new home! Kudos to NorCal for providing a much-needed option for desperate horse owners other than the auction - and kudos to the owners for making the right choice.

For those of you in Colorado, Front Range Equine Rescue is holding an Equine Education Day on May 16 at Latigo Trails Heritage Centre (13710 Halleluliah Trail, Elbert/Black Forest), 9 to 5. They will have vendor booths, guest speakers, demonstrations, used tack sale, food, door prizes and hay give-away. Admission is free so check it out!

---

Friday Featured Rescue - Mini version! Yes, today's FFR is a little guy, rescued by Jamie Cheslock of Oregon along with many, many of his little friends from a breeder-gone-bad situation.

"Rudy came from a site that had over 30 miniature horses along with several cows, pigs and chickens. All of the animals were emaciated, covered in lice and full of worms. We spent several months working with the owner and the local law enforcement to get the conditions improved but ended up taking 27 of the horses to my rescue and adopting them out. Rudy is one of the last miniatures that hasn’t yet been adopted. He is a very sweet little guy but a little shy. Rudy is a stallion and will need to be castrated; his adoption fee of $200.00 goes directly towards the cost of his surgery which will be done here before he goes to his new home. He has some mild dwarfism characteristics and locking stifles but none of these affects his health or ability to function like a normal little horse. He is looking for someone to take him home and love him for the rest of his life."

Rudy is a little bit west of Portland, Oregon and would love to find a home. E-mail Jamie if you would like to meet Rudy!

Way to go, AQHA!

This is freaking awesome!

"Is there an American Quarter Horse in your past or present for whom you’d like to provide a “forever” home? With the new Greener Pastures program, you’ll be able to indicate on a horse’s registration certificate that should that horse ever become unwanted, unusable or simply ready for retirement, you will – if possible – assist in finding him or her a suitable home. The program is free, completely voluntary, does not imply that a buy back or exchange of money will occur, or that a horse is guaranteed a home because sometimes situations can and do change. You can list yourself on up to five horses. If you need to list yourself on more than five horses, please contact AQHA’s customer service department at (806) 376-4811. Essentially, the Association will act as a clearinghouse by tracking Greener Pastures-enrolled horses and AQHA members who have indicated the desire to help."

Log on to AQHA using your usual login and under the Member Services area --> Business Services you'll see a link for Greener Pastures enrollment.

Let's see every other registry follow suit - if you have another kind of horse, ask YOUR registry to start this program today! And if you ARE an AQHA member, take the time to write them a thank-you note for instituting this important and much-needed program. This really makes me, as an AQHA member, feel better that they are actively seeking better solutions than slaughter. I'd be happier if they took an anti-slaughter stand, but hey, it's a step in the right direction.

Long process, my you-know-what

So it looks like everybody is making excuses for Kenny Price from yesterday, saying that rehabbing a starved horse is a "long process" that takes six months or more. The vet who examined them seems equally clueless, apparently believing that throwing them out on the overgrazed pastures you see in the pictures and throwing some hay at them is adequate care.

What a crock of shit.

I guarantee you, I could have any horse in that field looking normal or close to it in 2 months. And so could many of my readers. Yes, it involves a little more care than throwing them out in a group, but if you are the Animal Control Supervisor, shouldn't your care level be the gold standard?



Here's a pic I'd like to show you all. It's been up here before, but I think some folks in Alabama need to see it again. This is an elderly horse that a friend of mine took in to rehab. The dates are 100% accurate. (Click to see the whole pic if the blog cuts it off for length)

(P.S. For those of you from yesterday that think A.C. officers are evil, she's an A.C. officer. I've had the bad experiences, too, but please try to remember that many people get into this job because they do love animals. Trust me, the person who euthanizes the dumped pet is a hell of a lot more of an animal lover than the phony, crying "oh my god, I love him so much" asshat who dumped him in the shelter because of a new apartment/boyfriend/baby/whatever lame excuse.)



Back on topic - Here's a 16 hand Saddlebred cross.

First picture is April 1st. Second picture, below, is May 3rd. Same year. In ALASKA, where they were still experiencing some subzero temps during that time period. (That's for those of you who think that horses just won't put on weight in severe cold. Yes, they will, but they need a lot more calories to do it.)



So, what would I do differently based upon what I've read about how the Price horses are cared for?



1. Separate them for feeding! Emaciated horses need to get all of their food and some are going to be slower eaters than others.



2. Have they had their teeth floated? If the teeth haven't been done or if they're unsure of the condition, I'd switch them immediately to some kind of quality hay pellets soaked in water. You can use orchard grass, timothy or alfalfa but you want to soak them very well until they are the consistency of oatmeal. Make a meal that a horse can slurp up no matter the condition of his teeth. Then you feed that pretty much free choice - I would do 2 scoops 4 or 5 times a day. I'd be out there early in the AM and last thing before I went to bed with mush for those horses. You do that and I guarantee you, it will not take six months to get results.



If they're sure the teeth are good, then free choice QUALITY hay. That does not mean local grass or whatever the low-end stuff in Alabama is called. Up here, we basically have hay that costs $6-$7 a bale and hay that costs $15-$18 a bale. I wouldn't think of feeding a starved horse the low end stuff. It's not going to do them any good. I've heard a lot of "OMG you can't feed them rich hay!" panic but trust me, unless all the hay you have is emerald green third cut alfalfa, you're not going to somehow kill them with hay that is "too good." I think it's fine to provide some cheap hay as something to nibble on between meals but if you are trying to fatten up a horse, I'd be throwing them 3 flakes twice a day (or two flakes 3x a day if your schedule permits) of something that pains you every time you have to write a check for it. Nobody ever said rescue was going to be a cheap hobby!



3. As to "grain is going to kill them and they're going to get re-feeding syndrome" - Uh, not if you use a little judgment. Stuffing them full of hay pellets and starting out with maybe a quarter scoop of Equine Senior in there and moving up slowly from there is absolutely not going to hurt them or create refeeding syndrome. No, obviously you do not want to start throwing gallons of sweet feed into a starved horse but it's ludicrous to say that you can't or shouldn't grain them at all.



4. I checked the weather in Florence, Alabama. Raining. 43 for a high, 34 for a low. Do those horses have waterproof blankets on? They are shivering off any calories they DO take in if they're out there unprotected. The pictures were taken on a clear day, so I don't know, but it's certainly a good question.



5. If they're not already, I'd put them on a daily dewormer like Strongid C. I'd also put them on probiotics to help them better utilize their food. Since they're not getting grain, I assume none of this is being done either.



These are all pretty simple steps to help a horse regain weight when he's in a debilitated condition. They are tried and true. They will work for you. Sure, there are horses who take a little longer to get looking good - like cribbers. But the only way it takes six months to get a skinny horse looking normal again is if you're doing a half-assed job of it, and if you're a vet and you believe that, you must have gotten your DVM out of a Cracker Jack box!

So who are the good guys, anyway?

I get a lot of e-mails asking me what the best way is to identify a good rescuer or equine organization. While I've posted an article about how to find a horse a truly good home (there's that link I left out a few days ago), I think most of us, myself included, assume an animal is reasonably safe once it's in the hands of local animal control. I mean, it might go to auction, but it won't starve to death.

Or not.

A few days ago, in the middle of an escaped pony drama, some ladies came upon the horses you see here. And more. I'm not posting the picture of the dead ones.

Now, at this point everybody knows what to do when you see horses like this, right? Take pictures - which the ladies did - and call animal control!

Er, um, slight problem with the second part: The owner of the horses is an animal control officer. Actually, he's the A.C. Supervisor. Joy.

Yeah, you heard me. Fortunately, these were smart ladies and they did the smart thing, which was run screaming to the Sheriff and the D.A. The D.A. promptly turned it over to the State Vet to investigate and that is where we are at today.

Now, to answer your first question, no, I don't think these horses were newly rescued, although that's certainly what these asshats, Kenny and Aleshia Price (he's the A.C. officer) have to say. Witness the usual round of "but we're a RESCUE" excuses: http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=9974888&nav=menu62_4

Aleshia even has an excuse for the two half-eaten dead horses on the place. She says they shot them (I assume they have some argument for why this was needed) and left them there to distract those wily coyotes from their live horses.

"We felt the carcasses could not be seen by any house or anywhere," Aleshia Price said. "There are a lot of coyotes. We felt humane to let them feed on something than attacking our horses."


OK, how often does a coyote attack a horse? We had tons of them when I boarded in Topanga. They are skittish creatures and never came near a horse. The funny part is, even Aleshia's husband knows this much - I found an article where he talks about them killing cats and small dogs. Yes, that is exactly what they kill. It is not necessary to leave them a buffet of rotting horse to keep them away from your live ones! You just didn't want to pay for disposal. I wonder if we will, indeed, find a bullet in those carcasses - or if they starved to death?

Kenny likes the media, normally! He is usually all too happy to give interviews about how they just want to educate people and help! Um, Kenny, charity begins at home - I think your horses would have liked some of that help. Particularly the dead ones. It's one thing when you see people in desperate straits with skinny horses - and you know that I think you should give them away before it gets that far. But this guy is (a) EMPLOYED and (b) EMPLOYED TO PROTECT ANIMALS! Where's the hay money going, Kenny? Beer? Drugs? Does Aleshia have an addiction to the Home Shopping Network? What exactly is the problem here, and did you think your property was invisible and no one was ever going to see this?

I hope the D.A. throws the book at him AND his b.s.-spewing wifey. Surely, even in Florence, Alabama, you can hire a better A.C. officer. I recommend one of the folks who turned him in!

E-mail for the D.A. Remember, short, sweet and profanity-free is what makes the point. Spewing invective like you're on the Internet makes people hit the delete key and ignore what you have to say.