Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: A Optimistic and Profitable Expertise for Scout

My solely purpose for a horse’s first competitors is for the expertise to be constructive. All choices are made to maintain the horse snug and construct his confidence in us and this new life. Horses always remember their first time at something. It’s through the first encounter that they decide of whether or not a brand new exercise is sweet or unhealthy. If they’ve a number of good experiences initially after which one thing unfavorable occurs, they’ve a constructive basis to depend on. If, nevertheless, the primary expertise is unfavorable – or worse, the primary few experiences are unfavorable – then you should have loads to make up for and there’ll all the time be a nagging negativity related to no matter it was you have been doing with the horse. Sure, you may overcome a nasty introduction, however horses are prey animals and they don’t overlook unhealthy experiences.  

Whereas Scout might be competing in dressage on the Makeover, I all the time select a dressage present for the primary competitors expertise as a result of it’s organized and scheduled. There’s a trip time assigned, so you recognize when the horse will carry out. The warmup is extra predictable due to the trip occasions. The horses go separately into the competitors enviornment to carry out their check so my horse doesn’t should cope with the conduct of different horses whereas performing.

Scout went to his first present on Might 19, 2024. We arrived early to provide him loads of time to acclimate to the sounds and exercise on the farm. We braided him shortly earlier than it was time for him to heat up. Kristen rode him in two Intro courses that concerned stroll and trot for this primary outing. It was a hit as a result of Scout remained snug and relaxed. This enabled him to do as Kristen requested in each checks. We at the moment are seeking to one other education present in June and might be shifting Scout as much as Coaching Stage Two which is the check he’ll carry out on the Makeover. At this level I’m joyful to say he’s nonetheless on schedule for the Makeover.

We invested quite a lot of time making ready Scout for his first aggressive outing. He’s gone on at least seven deliberate outings the place we did every part attainable to extend his confidence in journey to new locations. We assorted the atmospheres, starting with very quiet and rising to busier, higher-pressure places as Scout progressed.

To date, we’ve stall rested Scout for six months, offered the fundamental coaching and bodily growth wanted for this new life, and now are making ready him for competitors. However there’s little or no likelihood his adoption price will cowl the price of his rehabilitation and re-training, so why are we doing it?

Apart from offering the absolute best care and retraining for each retiring racehorse that involves us, one in all Thoroughbred Placement Useful resource’s core missions is to create Breed Ambassadors. We perceive that every retired racehorse on the market represents its breed. Many exemplify causes somebody ought to by no means get a Thoroughbred and this hurts the racing business’s mission to provide the horses they retire from racing the absolute best life after they go away the observe. 

At present, preserving a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and placing the right coaching on him will value greater than the vendor can recoup. The identical quantity of coaching on a Warmblood will result in twice what a comparable Thoroughbred will deliver. Most individuals who work in Thoroughbred resales get them off the observe, trip them a bit, and promote them as quickly as attainable. These folks work onerous and lots of can eke out a dwelling, making a modest revenue for his or her work. The issue is just too few of those horses ever get the coaching they should reveal the unimaginable potential of the Thoroughbred breed and retired racers. With out this coaching, they can not reveal their true potential. Most upper-level trainers don’t practice Thoroughbreds – not as a result of they don’t like them, however as a result of they will’t promote them at a revenue. Once they do take one on, it’s often promoted as a beneficiant factor the rider/coach is doing, and never as a profit-making exercise. 

Each race breeder, coach or proprietor has horses come by their fingers that they know are particular. These persons are for essentially the most half skilled horsemen who see quite a lot of horses over time. This huge expertise permits them to determine the particular ones. A horse will not be a superb racehorse, however they know the horse has expertise. It could assist your entire aftercare system if homeowners and trainers would attempt to get these horses into the fingers of trainers or homeowners who’ve the means and need to develop them into constructive Breed Ambassadors as an alternative of constructing a fast resale. Success with these horses could have a trickle-down impact. Homeowners and adopters will search trainers who’ve expertise with retired Thoroughbred racehorses and this may improve their worth. There might be extra success tales and fewer failures as a result of the extra gifted and athletic horses are additionally those that want skilled coaching by professionals. 

Our work with Scout is meant to arrange him to be the best possible Breed Ambassador he may be and to get him within the fingers of somebody who will proceed to assist him shine. TPR is only one small group. It takes quite a lot of time and sources to supply accurately educated horses who can shine a highlight on how nice retired racehorses may be. They’re definitely worth the funding of coaching. It’s additionally the one means I can see to extend the worth of Thoroughbreds in a major means. We all know they’ve the expertise and sophistication to be on the high of the aggressive world, however they will’t get there with out patrons who imagine in them. 

The Jockey Membership helps many aftercare initiatives together with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the one accrediting physique in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which inspires the retraining of Thoroughbreds into different disciplines upon completion of careers. View all the initiatives supported by The Jockey Membership.