your personal guidance...

tammysinnett · Postby **tammysinnett** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:34 am

scenerio....sold colt....he went to a very good trainer...trained with two other colts...he was always the faster of the three...he raced as a two year old Chicago level....showed second race with a small trip at the beginning....third race(two weeks later) broke fast and clean running in top three jockey pulled up felt he started to travel funny..brought in seemed hot so brought him to barn to rest slipped at paddock and saying it is a bow in the back leg.he has rested starting to cool down....I have choices and always take responsibility for my foals.....1st choice take him bring him home rest take him back to the training his late three year old year put him in to race at lower level would this give me the race horse that would cover his expences and not jeoparidize his health give me my first race horse that we could enjoy?? 2nd choice give him to my niece who is 6 who would put him in HJ training, share a lease on him with another girl to help or should I just let him go ......

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:06 pm

On a bow, it will take a year off to heal. If he's a 2 year old TB it will be probably four to six years before your niece and he are ready for each other.

tammysinnett · Postby **tammysinnett** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:14 pm

yes it is a dilema....he is a three year old as of 2010, gelded. He could come home and my cost well you all know the cost at home anyway like you said Madelyn when he went back to training we probably wouldnt get him on the track until his late three year old year. Do you think the cost I would inherit ever be able to be covered if I did bring him back to the track not looking to make money but if a chance to stay even maybe I can convience my hubby or do you think I am headed to the horse poor stage and should just let him go?? If they took him for my niece she wouldnt be riding as you said for a good three years so he would be leased by the trainer for others with more experience to ride and let him age a little...Its hard when you raise a foal...your heart gets in the way....I am reaching out to you all because I need to be brought to reality. thanks they tell me as far as the track he is a big guy lots of heart minds well and is fast out of the gate for his size...

Crystal · Postby **Crystal** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:25 pm

Do you think your trainer will really want him back after knowing he bowed in back and would need a years' lay up and probably 90+ days back into trainer to run as a bottom claimer?

How many races do you think he'll have to run just to cover his expenses?

Do you think he would even hold up in training?

"IF" he gets to the races, not a trainer would touch him even in a claiming race. So chances of him getting claimed are slim to none.

So on the other side of the fence.. does this H/J trainer think he'll hold up in jump training? Or would he/she just train him for flat/trail riding??

Personally, I would give him away (once he's healed) to someone who just wants a pasture pet/trail ride.

tammysinnett · Postby **tammysinnett** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:41 pm

thankyou so much same thoughts I had but I didnt want to fall back with should have would have etc....thankyou for bringing me to the reality of it all.....anyone want a free horse :wink:

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:23 pm

The niece is a big fat hell no. A loaded gun might be equally unappropriate for a six year old. I respect your decision to stand by your own however. Bring him home and heal him up and decide then what is best for him. It does take a year. Get an ultrasound if you haven't already to you have a baseline to judge your progress.

ak1 · Postby **ak1** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:21 pm

Laurierace wrote:The niece is a big fat hell no. A loaded gun might be equally unappropriate for a six year old. I respect your decision to stand by your own however. Bring him home and heal him up and decide then what is best for him. It does take a year. Get an ultrasound if you haven't already to you have a baseline to judge your progress.

Laurierace...the niece does not sound like a bad idea. She stated that the horse would be leased to a trainer to train/use until the niece and the horse both get older. It sounds as if the horse would receive proper training to transition to his next career during that wait.

Personally, I would bring him home, have your baseline diagnosis done and let him heal. As you progress along the healing path, then I'd make decisions as to what fits best.

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:19 am

let him go..

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:13 am

ak1 wrote:
Laurierace wrote:The niece is a big fat hell no. A loaded gun might be equally unappropriate for a six year old. I respect your decision to stand by your own however. Bring him home and heal him up and decide then what is best for him. It does take a year. Get an ultrasound if you haven't already to you have a baseline to judge your progress.

Laurierace...the niece does not sound like a bad idea. She stated that the horse would be leased to a trainer to train/use until the niece and the horse both get older. It sounds as if the horse would receive proper training to transition to his next career during that wait.

Personally, I would bring him home, have your baseline diagnosis done and let him heal. As you progress along the healing path, then I'd make decisions as to what fits best.

Well sure I guess the niece is a great idea. In the 10 years it will take for her to mature to the point she can actually handle the horse her parents will have invested close to 100k in training and board. By then they can go straight to the olympics. Its a freaking 6 year old child! Do they let her play on the freeway for fun?

martha c. green · Postby **martha c. green** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:17 am

Laurierace wrote:
ak1 wrote:
Laurierace wrote:The niece is a big fat hell no. A loaded gun might be equally unappropriate for a six year old. I respect your decision to stand by your own however. Bring him home and heal him up and decide then what is best for him. It does take a year. Get an ultrasound if you haven't already to you have a baseline to judge your progress.

Laurierace...the niece does not sound like a bad idea. She stated that the horse would be leased to a trainer to train/use until the niece and the horse both get older. It sounds as if the horse would receive proper training to transition to his next career during that wait.

Personally, I would bring him home, have your baseline diagnosis done and let him heal. As you progress along the healing path, then I'd make decisions as to what fits best.

Well sure I guess the niece is a great idea. In the 10 years it will take for her to mature to the point she can actually handle the horse her parents will have invested close to 100k in training and board. By then they can go straight to the olympics. Its a freaking 6 year old child! Do they let her play on the freeway for fun?

Laurierace is right on this one.

tammysinnett · Postby **tammysinnett** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:23 am

You are all so great to bring me to the Light :lol:

its so weird how sometimes your heart can really take over brain matter! You all have given me some really good suggestions and thoughts on the matter...appreciated. You know its so weird if I would have read this post from someone else I would have come up with the same, but since it was a horse I raised and grew attached to well I guess the ole DREAMER movie got to me....and fogged my vision. Thankyou everyone, good luck to you in 2010. I will still be looking for the one to get to the winners circle.......

Joltman · Postby **Joltman** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:40 pm

hi tammy

Tom Ivers had a book out on bowed tendons that had a bit of a following. Might be worth picking up.

take care

jm

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:05 pm

Did he bow, or was it said that he bowed? Get a solid diagnosis, if you haven't already, and then decide.

Your 6 year old niece needs a plug for her first horse, not a young Thoroughbred. She'll be more likely to enjoy horses if she doesn't get terrorized right off the bat.

Cree · Postby **Cree** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:39 pm

I am 30, with plenty of racehorse experience. I have an OTTB gelding, he's 10, and I would NEVER let a kid on his back. Of course, he is a big boy and raced over 70 times, and all horses are different...but still...a child on the back of an OTTB frightens me.

KBEquine · Postby **KBEquine** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:45 am

Cree wrote:I am 30, with plenty of racehorse experience. I have an OTTB gelding, he's 10, and I would NEVER let a kid on his back. Of course, he is a big boy and raced over 70 times, and all horses are different...but still...a child on the back of an OTTB frightens me.

While I DO think six is too young for an OTTB, I do know lots of kids -- more like early teens -- happily riding OTTBs.

We bought a mare who had a Smart Strike filly & a Victory Gallop filly already running. When the 4 y.o. Smart Strike filly stopped showing up in races & works, I met someone associated with her former trainer & inquired - turns out she'd been given to his niece & was her Pony Club mount - and the person from whom I inquired was the little girl's mother. I asked about the filly's personality & was told, "Of course I trust her - that's why I let my daughter ride her!"

I wouldn't make a blanket statement either way, though, on the suitability of OTTBs for kids' mounts. Depends on the kid & depends on the horse.