1 of 27,000
Attention horse world: A Thoroughbred racehorse was born yesterday in Kentucky.
Rachel Alexandra's first foal was born at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington, KY
While you ponder that momentous event and fawn over his famous pedigree (Curlin x Rachel Alexandra), stop and consider this: If this little guy doesn’t inherit his parents’ talent for speed, will he be looked after by good owners for the next 30-odd years of his life? Call me a downer, but the collective oohs and aahs and cute baby foal pictures that saturated social media feeds this morning were a reminder that only a small percentage of Thoroughbreds make it to the track, and an even smaller percentage become successful racehorses.
What of the adorable foals just like Rachel Alexandra’s first colt, that don’t cut it? Without jumping into the dredges of the horse slaughter debate (that’s Lauren Gallops‘ job), I give a nod to all the throwaway TBs of the racing industry that are somewhere out there right now. Many of them started life in a bed of thick straw on a beautiful Kentucky farm, too. Most of them will not go on to be racing superstars.
There are many good things happening in our industry that have given “throwaway” racehorses a better rap; the eventer Neville Bardos (former $850 failed-racehorse, current USEF Horse of the Year) and the Retired Racehorse Trainer Challenge are two recent examples. But it’s a long road coming before all 27,000 Thoroughreds registered with The Jockey Club annually in North America are cared for throughout long lives with happy endings. I hope little Curlin Jr. in the picture above goes on to win the Triple Crown. But if he doesn’t, I hope he lands with owners who will take on the commitment of horse ownership for the entirety of his life.
Just saying.
These are the archived posts of former Sidelines web editor Erin Gilmore's On the Line blog. This blog is no longer active.
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Well stated. Every breeder of every breed needs to ponder this. There’s no more place for “throwaways” to end up “out of sight, out of mind.” The talent of well-bred horses may not lay in the discipline they were bred for but that doesn’t make them throwaways. Just have to look a little farther to find where they’ll shine.
This is exactly the reason we started Take2Ranch – our first ottb was rehab’d and now going to his first show at Thermal – he will be with us forever. I for one can’t save them all but certainly wise these track owners would make the decision to find people like me and give them away if they prove not to be track material! We’d give them everything they could ever possibly want.
I’m not exactly sure what you’re getting at in this article. Are you saying that all Thoroughbreds are only good for racing, because that is far from the truth. I have know many that go on to do other “jobs” well. You seem to imply that all Thoroughbred race horses have to race at the Kentucky Derby level, which is also far from the truth. There are numerous small tracks across the country that race horses that aren’t the caliber of the Curlins or the Barbaros of the world. Also, why do people only hear of the bad in the racing industry, where are the stories of the horses that are treated better than some peolple’s children, the ones that are retired to pasture or better yet the one that go on to other “jobs” that they love? Thoroughbreds are no different than any other horse in this world who deserves to have an owner that takes on the commitment of ownership for life. I have an off-track Thoroughbred that is the biggest baby. He was saved from the “killer” truck which he was put on for a cracked ankle, some sorry SOB didn’t want the hassle of laying him off for 18 months for him to heal; which he has done and now shows no sign of injury. Chester was not born to run, but he has found a “job” that suits him. First, he was trained to be a roping horse, then we got him and now he is my kids’ 4H horse project and he loves it. There are what you call “throwaways” in every area of the horse industry; IE… Barrel horses that can’t cut the corners tight enough, jumpers that can’t jump high enough, ropers that can’t catch the steer, cutters that just don’t cut the mustard, pleasure horses that don’t carry their heads low enough, etc. Just sayin’
Everything you say is true. Being a reader of horse racing history, I will second what you said about many good things happening. Compared to what the industry was 100 yrs ago, even 50 yrs ago we’ve come a long way baby! There’s no reason to believe the improvements won’t continue. A big factor in that, I believe, is the increasing number of horse lovers who have taken an interest in the sport. As animal lovers, it’s tempting to turn our backs on the sport for ethical reasons. If we did, the sport would surely continue (bettors would see to that) but who would look out for the horses? I’m proud to say that I am one of many many fans I know who actively support OTTB rescues both large and small.
~ I noticed the 27,000 is down significantly from the 34,000 or more at the height of the TB breeding frenzy. That’s a good thing!