From Lauren:
Your Weekly “Why Does My OTTB (insert weird quirk here)?” Q&A
–
I sit here, damp around the edges, wet pony trial dripping onto my shirt, having just come in for a brief reprieve from another day of pouring Kentucky rain. That Elvis Presley song of the same name really didn’t do justice to the cold, dreary dampness that is liquid sunshine in the bluegrass. Neither here nor there, though. We are t-minus 11 days from the fables Mayan end of the world and, assuming we survive that, only FIFTEEN days away from Christmas. I hope you have all of your shopping almost done and hopefully it even includes something new with a set of hooves. Now that you hopefully have a newly minted OTTB in your barn, ask all the questions your mind can drum up, enjoy the latest reader quandaries over a tall Gingerbread Latte, and try to stay warm and dry out there.
–
I’ve had several Thoroughbreds over the years. All were off the track, but I didn’t get them directly off the track. I’m now planning to get an OTTB, directly (or nearly so) off the track. Should I go to an auction? Or use the CANTER type websites? Where do I find auctions? How do I find racetracks? Can I just go to the backside and ask if anyone has a horse for sale? (contributed by an EN reader Longing for Answers)
While auctions offer the lowest prices to be found on OTTB’s, you often are forced to buy with no knowledge of that horse’s history, soundness, or demeanor. Vetting is typically not commonplace and I really try to discourage anyone from buying any horse without vetting it first. It always seems that the free horses end up costing the most money in the long run, especially when it comes to keeping them sound. Auctions, especially those notorious for selling to killer buyers, are primarily located in New Holland, PA , Cranbury, NJ, and Sugarcreek, OH however auctions can be found in almost every state with enough sleuthing. Again, I do not recommend going this route but I certainly know of nice horses acquired in this manner as well. I do recommend websites like CANTER, New Vocations, The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, and The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center. One of the hazards of buying from the above organizations if you are not located near their home bases is that the buying must often be done sight unseen. I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing or ill-advised but extra precautions must be taken to ensure that the horse fits your needs from a soundness and personality stand point. Reaching out to individuals that are in the area (via COTH, Facebook, or the organization itself) is the best course of action when considering a purchase sight unseen. Also be aware that adoption may require the signing of a contract that may limit your ability to resell the horse. Again, I do not recommend going this route (sight unseen) but I certainly know of nice horses acquired in this manner as well.
There are several organizations that profit to one degree or another off of rehoming horses from auction such as AC4H and Camelot Horses Weekly. Proceed with caution when dealing with these organizations but they are a resource for finding cheap horses nonetheless. There are racetracks in almost half of the states and a map of their locations can be found HERE. Some racetracks will allow you to visit the backside in search of horses for sale and some will not. If you do, especially with trailer in tow, expect to be inundated with prospects and swarmed by desperate people trying to unload horses. This practice is really rather commonplace, especially if you know someone at that racetrack, and often produces great results but again, VETTING. IS. A. MUST. If the owner and/or trainer will not let you vet the horse or attempts to discourage your from doing so, there is a reason.
Another resource is your local CraigsList. Here in Kentucky, there are literally at least one hundred posts of horses for sale per day but a quick search of (your non-horsey location’s) CraigsList returns 31 results when the term ‘Thoroughbred’ is searched and 1500 results when the term ‘Horse’ is searched. There are even notification applications that you can download onto a smartphone that will alert you when new listings with those keywords are posted. Often, auctions will be posted on CraigsList as well or you can post a query about when and where auctions will be occurring and often get a prompt response. Really, great horses can be found in every nook and cranny of the horse world. Auctions do not necessarily only house broken down horses but be prepared to take a vet with you if you are serious about pursing this option.
Be advised that CANTER and similar organizations ARE NOT rescue operations. The horses that they list, unless otherwise specified, have simply lived out their usefulness as racehorses and are searching for new homes. Most are not in any sort of “danger” and are not destined to end up on a plate or in a can. Camelot Horses Weekly and AC4H are more ‘rescue type’ organizations as those horses are already at auctions where killer buyers are usually present. However, these organizations have often times already purchased the horses that they list and are reselling them for a small profit. Bottom line, the best place for an amateur to look for an OTTB is through a REHOMING organization (not to be confused with RESCUE) such as CANTER or New Vocations. If you are going to pursue another option such as actually at a track or an auction, I highly recommend hiring your trainer and vet for the day and having them advise you throughout the search process.
–
The other day I met a TB currently being boarded at my barn. She is being used as a broodmare because she isn’t sound enough to be in regular work. I was told she had been “pin-fired” on the track due to an injury. Both her front cannon bones had little hairless circles all over them. Is this a common procedure? I’ve heard of nerve blocks for people with chronic back pain, is it similar? (contributed by EN reader Curiosity Commons)
Pin-firing, or “thermocautery,” is a procedure that involves inserting a red-hot metal poker into an injured area, typically the “bucked” shin of a young racehorse, and thus creating a significant inflammatory response that is considered to speed healing negligibly. It is a practice that was as common place 20 years ago as the administration Lasix is today and it generally felt to be archaic, barbaric, and ineffectual and has duly fallen out of favor but does still happen from time to time. These days I see perhaps 1 in 100 young horses pin-fired and that is still too many but the old timers refuse to let some traditions die. However, AAEP’s official position on thermocautery is that it “may have therapeutic value for certain conditions in the horse. When applied judiciously and in conjunction with appropriate analgesia and aftercare, the AAEP considers the modality an acceptable form of therapy in cases that have proven refractory to conventional treatment.” Thankfully, most pin-fired horses have no long-term soundness effects from the practice. I would suspect that the broodmare at your barn was unsound for riding for another reason. While symmetrical patterns of scarring on the shins are often the biggest indicator of pin-firing, scarring can also be found on hocks, splints, and other bony areas. Hairless circles are not often seen and may indicate recent or incorrect pin-firing. Pin-firing does not have any analgesic effects and is often far more painful than the injury itself. Bottom line, pin-firing is, in my opinion, a bit of an eyesore but should not be seriously considered as a negative when looking to purchase or campaign an OTTB. However, in purchasing a horse for resale keep in mind that it may be off-putting to some buyers.
My retired OTTB eventer Skye Masterson (aka Victor) has always displayed an interesting ‘quirk’ especially at shows. Luckily, he always waited until his tack was off, but I recall many-a-time when we were walking over to check scores and all of a sudden I would feel a tug on the lead rope. Yup, there he was, happily rolling around in the only mud on the whole property, on the path to the secretary’s office. Lots of concerned bystanders would shriek “omg, is he colicking?!”, I could only laugh as he would stand up and have a shake, and then happily continue down the path, now a lovely shade of muck. Have you met other horses with this weird habit? (contributed by EN reader Laura Aird)
You are not alone. My Intermediate horse WILL act like he is colicking until allowed to roll after each and every ride. The groundsmen at the KY Horse Park hate to see him coming and aren’t thrilled about the footing damage that his always-present digging dance inflicts prior to his ceremonious flopping and rolling. Often, racehorse training centers will feature either sand pits or simply round pens with sand footing that racehorses will be led to after exercise to roll around. It is a common belief and one that I share that it is good for their backs and necks to spend a few moments non-vertical and be allowed to stretch and cavort as they see fit.
–
I do hope that some of my answers to the questions above been enlightening and even a little laughter-inducing. I encourage you (PLEASE! Even if you think they are stupid questions!) to send any further, horse-specific or general-knowledge questions to me via email ([email protected]) for more in-depth and on-point answer. The EN response has been great and I look forward to fielding more thought-provoking questions each week! Go Eventing and go gallop a former racehorse.
