First Time Owning or Training a Racehorse Experience

[karenkarenn]

Hello, I have always wanted to start a post about first time experiences as an owner or trainer. And I want to steer away from negative comments that lead to attacking others. I have heard horror stories about their issues from people here that makes me want to cringe
This post isn't just for people on this forum, this is for people who are guests or just starting out on this forum. I am hoping to connect with people, share experiences so that when one day someone decides to have their first time, they are well aware of what can happen. Good and Bad.
K

[winds]

I was lucky, I went to a Ag and Tech College for Animal Husbandry Horses before I got into the business. Then I went to a large privatly owned thoroughbred farm to get a better education. I got to see breeding, foaling, breaking, layups, and race prep.

The owner went to sales and bought some yearlings every year. I got to work with all kinds of conformations, and personalities. I then worked at Belmont and got to see the racing end of it. We had a really nice horse in our barn named Cox's Ridge. I rubbed Vanlandanham's dam.

After that, I worked for a small NY breeder in VA. He was based in Gainesville, VA then Middleburg, VA. I also worked for Paula Parsons, the farm trainer for Centennial Farms. I got to work with Rubiano then and some really good fillies too.

I saw good ideas, and mistakes. I learned from all my experiences. I ended my career as an assistant trainer having worked for Charlsie Cantey, A. Ferris Allen, Tony Dutrow ( as a hot walker/travelling groom ) and Dale Capuano.

I wasn't "brought up " in a claiming enviorment so working for claiming trainers did me in.

So I left the industry as a participent and dove in as a breeder. Since then my health had deterioated and I'm on disability now. So, I have to get out of the breeding end too. But, I loved my life and everything I learned. It's a great life.

All I can say is learn what you can from people. Take what they say and do and see if it "feels" right for you. Then take it and run with it.

winds

[karenkarenn]

Winds--- Sorry , what I meant was, share and explain those situations that were learning experiences so that all can look upon it and try to avoid it in their future. Or try to get to it in their future.
For example, I had a filly that ran at GGF, what I DIDN'T know is that the trainer didn't know to much about their hooves and let her heals build up, and up. I didn't know, because we visited her once and I just didn't look at her feet. She wasn't moving right or moving faster and it took a COMPLETE stranger to take a picture of her and put it on a website for photos for me to say, " Why I didn't catch that." I should have seen that. There is no way that that should have been let go for so long.

[Jeff]

You get what you pay for. Hire a trainer because his day rate is cheaper than everybody elses-you get what you pay for.

[gufman4]

My first experience as an owner started with a filly that previously had ran for MDCL15000 at Turfway Park and broke slowly ( if you want to call it slowly ) spotting the field 15 lengths. She ran 2nd that day beaten 15 lenghts. She was put on the starters list and could not regain her gate card. We bought her ( cheap ) and sent her to a trainer that is now the starter at a well known track. He had he jumping out of the gate and all was well. She was entered at Hoosier Park for MDCL5000. She had a good gate rider aboard and the gate opens and she .................................................... never blinks , flinches , moves and inch until....................................... they open the back of the gate and she backed out. Next stop FOR SALE. And to think i am still in this game.

[winds]

I guess I'm lucky. I'll try to keep thinking about it and see if I can think of something.

winds

[winds]

I owned a horse in partnership with Sam Huff and Carol Holden. He was a WVA bred. I broke him and galloped him. I knew how he felt on dirt and on grass. I wanted to run him in MD on the grass but I let a friend talk me out of it. He never broke his maiden, in fact he slabbed his knee on the dirt. Major mistake, not doing what I wanted to do with my own horse.

winds

[karenkarenn]

That's exactly it...


Those experiences -- those A HA moments.

[Joltman]

my initial experience began with a desire to do something DIFFERENT than what everyone else was doing because they were losing their shirts (or their owners were). Hired an interval trainer gal in La who got a race mare for me and brought her around well, til she shipped to LaD and a bad wrap job led to a bow and time off. She lost all her fitness and we were back to square 1. The trainer had personal problems and exited. I went through a couple trainers til finally getting a win at DeD. Fun times but nowhere near profitable. Lessons learned were priceless tho, in life as well as the business. Back in now, 20 yrs later, in a very different way.

jm

[Barcaldine]

I was raised on a three acre farm in southern California where I did all the feeding, etc. From odd jobs I saved $1800 and with it bought a mare at the January CTBA sale in Pomona. I sold her foal for $1000 and a year later sold her, in foal to a $2000 stud fee horse, for $13,500. This was huge money for a 17 year old in 1972. I was hooked on the money-making aspect of the business, much like the first time racetrack gambler who wins big becomes addicted. Unfortunately my subsequent purchase six years later lost money but I licked my wounds and learned from the experience.

[karenkarenn]

I thank you all for your experiences. I am SURE that people who are just starting and still learning are going to learn....
I hope that this thread continues..............