Leighton Farm
"Making the most of each thoroughbred."
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Leighton Farm "Making the most of each thoroughbred." |
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So you bought a horse off the track, now what do you do? Get as much information as you can from the trainer/seller. You'll need to know things like the dates and type of last vaccinations, deworming and dental. Find out what his diet/feeding program is. The amount and brand of grain and type of hay are extremely important to know. Some horses are used to getting a mash once or twice a week. An abrupt end to this could be devastating. Most horses receive electrolytes so it’s important you at least have salt readily available. Racehorses have been fed a high quality diet. They may have trouble digesting hay of lesser quality, at least in the beginning. Now is as good a time as any to mention that a popular treat at the track is peppermints. You may find your former racehorse is a peppermint monster. This is the time to evaluate any problems the horse may have with your vet. A bad appetite can have many causes. Stomach ulcers or bad teeth can be the root of this problem. Horses with bad teeth or ulcers may be nervous, have a poor coat or dull temperament. You can run a cbc to check the horse’s blood for anemia or other problems. Lots of retiring racehorses are body sore, this isn't a permanent problem and can be treated with bute and a rest period. An equine chiropractor could be very helpful also. If you don’t have your own trailer, it’s usually easy to find someone located at the track to move your new horse. The nature of racing is that horses move around frequently, consequently there are lots of people willing to ship a horse for a fee. You only have to ask the seller for names. When you get your horse to his new home you'll need to decide whether to let him down or begin some type of training. How do you decide which way is best? I personally treat all horses as individuals. I make this decision based on their temperament and acceptance of this new life. Let's first discuss reasons to let him down. I can make a solid argument for letting a horse down before starting his training. A rest period rests mind and body, including the mouth. You'll be totally re-schooling the communication with the horse’s mouth. Also, racehorses are fed much more than other disciplines. It's beneficial to get him off the “grain high”. Any aches or pains will take care of themselves with a little vacation time. Some of these horses have been in constant work for a long time. Turning the horse out is never a bad decision and if he has any physical issues, it’s the best option. Race training provides an adrenaline rush for the horse every day. There is an addiction to this and horses can suffer from depression until returned to some type of training. Part of the letting down process involves breaking this cycle. There are horses that need to keep working. They're not comfortable without a job. These horses may be unhappy turned out. They might even produce unwanted behavior to fill the void left by not having a job. Walking the fence, weaving or chewing wood, may not be old habits the seller failed to disclose. They may have developed because the horse needs something to do. Racehorses are used to the “attention” training provides. Many have a good work ethic and become bored and depressed with too much time off. They just don’t like being out of work. For this reason it may be wise to start some type of training schedule upon arrival to the farm. It may be very light and easy training so as to rest the horse, but keep him happy too. If you decide you're going to let him down, you need to decide on the length of rest period. Based on my experiences the length of time should be at least six weeks. You should also know that bone heals in 4 months, so if there's a question or hint of a problem you may want to give him the four months. At that time you can be assured that his mouth, soft tissue and bone structure are amply rested. If you're uncomfortable with the prospect of letting the horse down yourself you can easily find a professional to do it. After the horse is let down, he'll be relaxed and ready to start his new career. There are lots of farms that specialize in letting racehorses down for owners and trainers. This service is needed for racehorses that need a rest, have had surgery or an injury that requires time off. You can ask around at the track and get good referrals to farms that offer this service. Consider the type of facilities you have before making the decision to bring a horse from the track to the farm. You'll need a round pen or small paddock. He’s been trained to run, so he’s likely to run if you put him out in a large field. The turnout area needs to be in a quiet place free of activity. It's also good to have a stall for him in a quiet area of the barn, but near at least one other horse. The first thing to do is allow the horse to accept the new routine. Many horses will be nervous and unsure until they acclimate to this new schedule. Each horse is an individual and while most take only a few days to a week to settle in, some take much longer. Racehorses are used to being inside most of the time. They are very comfortable with it. They don’t appreciate flies biting them or the sun making them too hot. They don’t like to be cold either, they're used to that comfy blanket. Cut your new horse's grain way back and supplement with plenty of hay. I’ve found timothy alfalfa cubes to be great for putting weight on without a "high". It’s a good idea to deworm monthly for the first three months with different dewormers. I always have their teeth checked by my dentist before riding them. I remove the horse’s racing plates. Toe grabs, outer rims, stickers and jar caulks all increase the traction of the horse. There is a price for increased traction. It stops the natural movement of the horse. Without these shoes, your new horse will likely move better and avoid unwanted soundness issues. Although thoroughbreds are notorious for sensitive feet, remember most of these horses have had four shoes continuously for years. On top of that they are accustomed to perfect, manicured footing. Think of the first time you go barefoot in the summer and equate it with the result you may see for a few days after pulling their shoes. Even if I put regular front shoes on, I pull the hind shoes when they come to my farm. I expect to see some foot soreness for at least a few days. Occasionally, I am prompted to put the hind shoes back on because their feet just aren’t ready. Even riding cross country with four shoes will toughen their feet. There is an art to turning a racehorse out, especially in the beginning. I believe in turning them out as soon as possible when they arrive at the farm. I like the horse to understand why he’s there. Instead of creating anxiety by keeping him in while he wonders why he's there, I prep him to go out in the round pen, even if it's for a few minutes. If you're going to turn him out on grass, make the transition slowly and carefully, as most racehorses haven't had grass for quite awhile. Grass is a good distraction though and can make it easier to get the horse to settle down. Ask the trainer if the horse has spent any time on the farm recently. S ome racehorses do get regular turn out on the farm. Beware of the sun. Since they're in most of the time, racehorses will get a terrible sunburn if put out all day with no shade. When you do turn them out, particularly in the beginning you'll
want to protect their legs and feet. Talk to your vet about using a mild tranquilizer when first turning him out. This can keep the horse calmer and avoid unnecessary injuries. I start by giving acepromazine orally 40 to 50 minutes before the planned turn out. In my particular situation, if they are coming from Bowie, I give it to them there and by the time they reach the farm they are ready. The acepromazine just takes the edge off and when given orally, I have found that it doesn’t make them as uncoordinated as when given by injection. Once the tranquilizer takes effect, I put them in one of my round pens, making sure there is a horse in the pen beside that's calm and won't add to, or encourage the new horse to run. If possible choose the horse you’ll be turning him out with for the first time in a field. That way they’ll already be familiar with each other. I do not believe in letting them sniff noses. They’ll do that on their own when turned out together. To me, allowing horses to sniff noses with a fence between them is just asking for an injury. Their nature is to sniff, then squeal and strike. With a fence in between them, they hit their knees or even get a leg hung up in the fence. Not to mention the possibility they’ll injure you. Although many times they do run a bit, it is much less enthusiastic. I do not leave the horse unattended and if he becomes agitated or too boisterous, I bring him into the barn. Horses learn very quickly that if they run, they’re going back in the stall. That is, if you bring them in EVERY time they start running. Every horse is different, but generally in the first few days they don’t spend more than an hour out. I gradually increase the time out and keep a close watch. Don’t allow a lot of activity around the horse while turned out. Horses being ridden, tractors, lawn mowers and even cars driving in and out of the farm are all possible catalysts to get the horse running and carrying on. The more quiet you keep the atmosphere, the more likely the transition to turn out will be successful. I gradually wean him off the acepromazine, usually within the first week until he doesn’t need it any longer. When the horse is being turned out in the round pen for 4 or 5 hours per day without incident, I make the transition to putting him out in a field with another horse. Preferably a small size field with no trees or solid objects in it. I turn them out first in the morning when no other horses are out. This way if they do start running, it’s not encouraged by horses in every other field on the farm. They stay out as long as they behave. Developing the habit of coming to you when it's time to come in is important. It’s best to call the horse and wait until he comes to you rather than going out in the field or round pen to get him. When he does come to you, reward him generously with pats or some kind of positive attention. Horses that pace back and forth along the fence usually want in. They are not used to being turned out and they don’t like it. You can get most horses to stop this behavior in time. I think it’s best to turn them out for even just 10 minutes a couple times a day and then gradually increase the time as they settle in. I’ve found this works better than just allowing them to walk the fence for hours. There are horses that don’t do well in the round pen, and are fine once turned out in a field with other horses. When we start retraining, the first thing I work on is the ground manners. I don't insist until the horse is comfortable in the new routine. For me this falls into the category of retraining because each day I set aside a short amount of time when I work on cross tying, grooming, and picking the feet. Eventually I'll extend the time to include longeing and eventually riding. Many people, who get an ottb, think they've been handled only by men at the track who don’t care about manners. That simply isn’t true. Much of the workforce at the track is women these days. Although, there are bad grooms and handlers present, just as in any horse discipline, there are far more fantastic horsemen who passionately care about their horses. Much of the pushiness experienced when handling a horse fresh off the track is due to the fact we are training horses to compete with and beat one another. Confidence of the horse is a big factor and we nurture this. Pushiness is, many times a result of confidence. The feeding and training program places the horse right at the edge mentally. We take that into consideration when he displays unbecoming behavior. We understand how good he's feeling and the stress he is under. Horsemen don’t demand more than is absolutely necessary in the way of discipline. It is true that in many cases we let them “get away” with being rude. The racehorse is asked to be tolerant about so many things and we are willing to accept behavior that is not acceptable outside of racing. Large barns have a higher turn over of workers; so many times the manners aren’t the priority of the trainer, with so many other issues to deal with. There are some bad manners you'll commonly find in ottb's. Biting or snapping at you, when you walk by the stall is more often than not an attempt to get attention. I’ve found that by grabbing the halter and patting or scratching his head will quickly teach the horse to stop biting or snapping. What initially seems like a biter is actually a horse snapping in the air at me. I’m not suggesting you allow the horse to bite you, but keep in mind he’s been a routine where he snaps or bites, and the handler hits or punishes or plays with him. He gets attention every time he does this, so he does it often. I like to correct behaviors with passive solutions whenever possible. The horse learns to be gentle by being treated with gentleness. In a short amount of time the horse will stop looking for attention by biting and instead look to you for an enjoyable scratch. Vicious biters are very rare and must be punished immediately and quickly. If the horse is a biter because he is on Equipoise or some other hormone, in time it will be out of his system and the desire to bite will subside. Remember if you are uptight when handling your new horse, he will feel it and become uptight or nervous too. Don’t try to handle/train your new horse while he’s upset or nervous. Wait until he’s calm. It’s a good idea to turn your horse out before beginning the training session that day. Whether you are riding, longeing or working on the ground with him. You will find he is better able to focus on what you are trying to accomplish that day. Racehorses don’t have a long attention span. You need to realize their training sessions, including a bath and walking to cool out, last at most an hour, so keep in mind he may become fidgety or even unreceptive after a given amount of time. Just as with small children, attention spans can be developed. Gradual is the best way to do this. Pushing passed a horse’s attention span usually results in bad behavior. Don’t be tentative when handling or riding an ottb. Show the horse confidence, that’s what he’s used to. Always end on a good note and reward often. A pat or good boy is sufficient. If at any time you and the horse suffer a set back in his training, go a few steps back to what he was doing confidently. One thing to be aware of is exercise riders do not tighten the girth until they are on the horse, most of the time walking down the shed row. A horse newly off the track will resent the pulling tight of the girth before you get on. He may even snap at you in an attempt to tell you to cut it out. The best way to approach this is to put the girth on, but not snug and then gently bring it up a hole at a time over several minutes, to give the horse a chance to get used to this. Some thoughts on the way the bridle is handled at the track are worth mentioning. When the rider comes back from galloping/training the horse, he rides the horse right back into the stall. The hotwalker or groom is waiting with the halter and a shank. The rider gets off the horse, removes the saddle and then the bridle. The hotwalker or groom immediately slips the halter on the horse when the bridle is removed. This is what a horse off the track expects. When you get off your horse and then remove the bridle yourself, you have to develop a new routine for the horse. Racehorses are used to having their legs worked on everyday. They get standing bandages in the stall and most trainers have specific leg preps before racing such as a poultice or a sweat. Many horses race and train in protective bandages. Consequently, you should have little problem with bandaging and leg work. Yes, it is true that lots of times racehorses are allowed to pull the hot walker around the barn. They carry on and play, and this too is allowed. The same horse is expected to knock it off when necessary. The reason for this is the horse is sharp and feeling good which is the goal. Some horses do walk quietly around the barn and still win races, but many more play and pull. Horsemen accept this because it is a sign the horse is feeling great and ready to win a race. We are trying to build the confidence and in the horse so he’ll compete with other horses and prevail in the end of the race, when he is most tired. When first teaching the horse to lead, do it the way he's used to, which is with the chain over the nose. Do not snap the shank, just the presence is enough for most horses. If you take it off too soon, he’ll likely not respect your wishes. Let me explain the proper way to lead a racehorse. There are several different techniques. I’ll just share one. Get a 30” chain lead. Put the end with the snap through the hole in the side of the halter by the nose. Then go over the nose and put it through the inside of the hole on the other side. Then go under the chin and hook the snap to the ring on the opposite cheek. While you lead the horse only shank him when absolutely necessary. When he is very strong and then go back to just leading the horse. Over time, stop putting the shank over his nose. Clip the lead shank under the halter in the usual fashion. When the horse misbehaves, snap the shank as if the chain is over the nose. You’ll be surprised how well it works. If needed, you can put the chain over the nose occasionally to refresh the horse’s response. Another helpful technique is to do transitions on the way to the paddock. Stop the horse and say “ho” each time he starts to pull you. Each time he stops give him a pat. Racehorses are used to getting a bath everyday the weather permits. Most like this and are used to being clean. They are however, accustomed to having one person hold them and another give the bath. This may cause the horse to be confused in the beginning when you give them a bath by yourself. A bit of patience to allow him to figure out it’s just a one man bath will answer any question the horse has about this new routine. Many racehorses haven't been in a wash stall, so keep this in mind. Although they are becoming more common at racetracks, there are many places that still don’t have them. Shipping is a normal part of racing. Horses are shipped to be broken, moved to the race track. Most of the time they ship on race day. It’s quite easy to transition this to shipping to school the horse or a show. Just keep in mind the horse will need a few trips to change his expectations. Racing is regimented and the horse has learned that shipping usually means excitement. As in any discipline, we have our bad shippers. This can be caused by the horse not wanting to be a racehorse which is easily cured when he realizes you are not taking him to the races. Provided he doesn’t mind the new activity. We also have our bad horsemen who mess up the horse’s traveling manners and these are probably the hardest to fix. Although, patience and encouragement will usually take care of the horse’s apprehension. Flat horses don’t cross tie, but stand quietly on a tie chain which is located in the back of their stall. Most of the time when out side of the stall one person holds the horse and another works on him, for example when getting a bath. If you're dealing with a small trainer, the horse may ground tie or stand while one person bathes or works on him. I always rode, bathed and walked out my own horses. Most racehorses have a very large vocabulary of words.
Remember they are handled 365 days a year and most of the time by more than one
person. Ho is universal for stand, stop. I don’t think I ever galloped a racehorse
that didn’t know what Ho meant. Most are taught walk, trot and canter when they are broken. Many horses know what easy means. Spoken is a very calm way, it means trust
me, don’t worry, its okay. Over, is used when cleaning the stall while the horse is in it, and also while
grooming or saddling the horse. Most of my horses stay on one side of the stall
while I clean it and then I quietly say, “Over” and they move over to the other
side. This is fairly common at the track. High pitched whistle, the shsssst sound and clucking are all used to tell the
horse to run in the stretch and out of the gate. Some horses will give you a big
response when you use these sounds because it means ACTION TIME to them. A soothing type of whistle, sort of like a singing asks the horse to pee. This is taught to them so that the groom may encourage the horse to urinate
after the race in the test barn. You can’t leave the detention barn until they
collect the urine for testing.
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Kimberly Clark 301-579-6898 |
