“To all the fellow trainers, volunteers, employees and vendors making the trip to Kentucky, good luck and have fun. Nessi and I will be cheering for you from home.”
“Don’t let one bad experience or occurrence ruin your outlook on the entire breed. These horses make incredible partners no matter what discipline or how leisurely you ride.”
“It is imperative that off-track Thoroughbreds are marketed correctly and efficiently to show that they are the right choice for the job or they will easily be bypassed for a more common selection.”
Off-track Thoroughbreds aren’t for everyone… but if you’re up for the challenge, the process can be rewarding. Meghan Lalonde outlines her reasons for riding an OTTB.
Every Friday, Horse Nation teams up with Ovation Riding to spotlight an individual or organization doing good work in the horse world. Today, we’re recognizing the National Thoroughbred Welfare Organization.
“‘Why should we spend so much money and time getting these horses out of Puerto Rico when there are so many that need homes here in the US?’ Well, these horses are from the States originally — they deserve to come back.”
“I had wanted to go so badly, and no matter how much I told myself that this show was just one step on the longer road, I was crushed, watching Jobber hobble around the layup paddock. We had worked so hard, and frankly I had been starting to feel that we deserved to go.”
New for the 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Retired Racehorse Project is presenting a free Makeover Master Class on October 7: watch four trainers evaluate off-the-track prospects and demonstrate introductory training.
“It’s not easy to admit, but very few of us are perfect horsemen.” Kristen Kovatch loses sight of her ultimate goal with her OTTB Jobber, but finds her way again thanks to the heart of her willing horse.
A one-of-a-kind halter worn by Triple Crown winner Justify and autographed by Bob Baffert and Mike Smith is currently up for auction with 100% of the proceeds to benefit Remember Me Rescue!
The award will be presented at the 2018 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover & Symposium in October to a professional horseman who responsibly rehomes horses off the track. Nominations are open now!
Grade I winner Ring Weekend has earned more then $1.5 million in 33 career starts, and now he has begun training for a second career in eventing with Phillip Dutton!
“The number of good guys so heavily outweighs the bad. I think we need to flood the world with these stories. Highlight the good guys and explain their love for their horses — win or lose, profit or not.”
You’ve done your research, bought your first OTTB and put a solid foundation of exposure and ground work on your horse: how do you move forward now in training? Clare Mansmann takes the OTTB relationship to its next level.
Retraining your OTTB for a second career after racing can be a rewarding process (plus a lot of hard work). Clare Mansmann details exactly what your OTTB might already know (spoiler: a lot!), and what holes in his experience you should expect.
Off-track Thoroughbreds are becoming increasingly popular as versatile sporthorse projects that are often fairly inexpensive — but finding the perfect partner can be intimidating. Clare Mansmann, an OTTB professional, brings us a new series to help you get started!
“The moral of this story, kids? None of us are too good for a trainer, even if that trainer can only come by once a month. Flatwork is flatwork — it doesn’t matter if you’re running barrels, chasing cows or training dressage.”
“Red taught me a lot of things as a horseperson, but he also put me on a hair trigger… The greatest lesson in patience so far in this retraining experience hasn’t been with Jobber or the weather — it’s been learning to be patient with myself.”
Kristen Kovatch and her OTTB Jobber Bill, after a winter of alternately struggling in snow or mud, finally surrendered to the weather and headed out for their first field trip together to an indoor facility.
