OLDER TB WASHING OUT

[BridledObsession]

Hi everyone. I'm looking for some ideas/opinions regarding how to handle a 6 year old returning to racing. We rescued him and rehabilitated him. He had EPM and has been off for over a year. He's in probably the best shape of his life now and running better workout times than were recorded in his earlier years. However, we entered him in his first race last weekend and he "washed out" while trailering and prior to the race. This is an extremely mellow and sensible horse otherwise, who it seems simply loves to race and gets worked up when he knows it's time. He'll get excited simply seeing the lights lit up on the track at night if we walk him outside the barn area.

We were going to walk him to the paddock before some races this coming week that he is not entered in, just to try and get him past some of the nerves. We checked with the paddock judge -- got the ok. In the meantime, another trainer suggested giving him a supplement prior to his next race to help him calm down. That seems counter-intuitive prior to a race.

Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[madelyn]

Paddock schooling, where he goes to the paddock while the entries are being saddled, might help quite a bit. If he washes out trailering, you will need to ship him in earlier and let him recover for a day or two prior. Calm and Cool or Quietex could help, but I'm not at all sure whether or not it would test.

[majxmom]

Schooling, schooling, schooling. But don't kid yourself: he knows what he's going for. I would lower your expectations. He might not want to do it anymore.

[louis finochio]

buy by by your horse some valerin from your Herb shop. 2 oz in am and 2 oz in the pm. this herb will make your horse relax and does not test positive.

[BridledObsession]

Majxmom -- In all seriousness, how would I know if he didn't want to do it anymore? I've been riding/showing all my life, but I'm new to racing. He seems so into it and excited rather than nervous. Since recovering from the EPM he's been a "go-getter" in everything he does and breezes with enthusiasm when working out in the mornings. But, being new to this, I don't want to misinterpret what he's trying to tell us. As for expectations, they're very, very low:) We knew he used to have some ability before getting sick and decided that after rehabbing him we'd be just as happy keeping him as a 4-H prospect for my daughter if he never got fit enough to race again. He's a sweet, sensible horse that we'd like to keep regardless --- it's win/win as long as he's happy and sound.

Thanks!

[ratherrapid]

bridled, this is just a wild guess, but, i'd be wary of heart complications giving any sort of sedative before racing. congrats for figuring out that you want to avoid "calmers" before a horse race.

I have an older race horse very similar to what you describe. He's naturally a nervous sort, loves his work, but the first two or three races of the season he washes out, and also expends himself with nervousness in the warm up and in the gate. As racing progresses he becomes more comfortable and the washing out ceases.

maybe another trainer will chime in, but, i consider this a small problem instead of a big one, and personally would go right on with the horse.

since u say ur new, i'll add that there may be different reasons for washing out, including legitimate fear of the race track due to injury or inappropriate preparation. my guess would be u'll figure out the cause as u go. good luck with ur horse!

[Foggytrip]

How far do you ship, and do you ship him alone?

[BridledObsession]

Thanks so much for your time and interest.

We shipped him once - 2 hour trip - by himself. Just entered him this morning for a race Tuesday night -- won't have to ship, just walk him over:) Hopefully, that will help.

[Laurierace]

A horse has to be calm and focused to run a race successfully. If he gets all worked up beforehand he is wasting precious energy that will be needed during the race. Obviously you can not tranquilize him as that would give you a bad test among other things, but you can definitely take the edge off. Every horse is different, you have to find what works with yours. I have a laser light that I use to stimulate accupuncture points for relaxation on some of my horses. Others I have a phermone nasal spray that supposedly smells like the phermone that a mare's udder gives off, giving them that just nursed, relaxed feeling. Some horses need ATCH, B-1, calcium. I like calm and cool or quitex as well. Its trial and error. I always put a lip chain on to take even the quietest horse over to the paddock, not only is it there if I need it, but it also releases calming endorphins. I have a stabilizer that I use on one horse that gets exceptionally nervous. I put it on before he goes to the paddock and he wears it right until he goes into the gate.

[Tiz]

You'll know he doesn't want to do it anymore, when he won't do it anymore.
I use calm and cool, but honestly don't know if it works at all. Maybe the best calming agent is a calm, smiling handler. Relax and have fun, it's contagious.

[wilf]

I see that you are in Grantville PA so you must be at Penn, if he is sound and fit then run the horse to see where you're at, but after a while will get back into the groove. If he continues to wash out then you can calm him in various ways that are legal,ethical and reasonable which will only be of benefit especially if he is also on lasix. Having been away for a while he may need a start or two and if you are green yourself then maybe he can teach you a thing or two. Best wishes anyway what is he called?

[majxmom]

Majxmom -- In all seriousness, how would I know if he didn't want to do it anymore?

Oh, there's no way to tell except by racing them and seeing how they perform. Many times a veteran campaigner will wash out on the first time back to the races after a layoff and then be ok after that. So you just have to try him--but as I said, with low expectations. But it seems to me more often than not that after you pass the 7yo barrier (of which you are a little short at 6yo), they simply won't perform at any level after a long layoff regardless of previous class. For instance, last year I bought a gelding that had been a Gr.III stakes winner in Keeneland. He had retired apparently sound after a few inexplicably bad starts. A couple of years later, the owner died and there was a mixup with the heirs, and the horse was sold as a riding horse. Of course, he was immediately sold again by the people with the pants on fire that bought him from the executor and put back into training, and then run for $3200, where he ran last again. He seemed sound, and should have been able to wipe the floor with those dinks. He just didn't have a competitive fire any more. Happy ending: I bought the horse as an agent for the original family, who retired him again and he is living as a graded stakes retiree should, in a green pasture on the farm where he grew up.

[BridledObsession]

To us, he's a keeper no matter if his return to racing is successful or not. I can honestly say he seems into to it -- perhaps too much so at this point:)

We are at Penn and have been repeatedly looking for a race there....unfortunately, it never ends up being run. Extremely frustrating. Now, it looks as though we'll be putting in for a race at Charles Town next week. First time out, he was there and it didn't go well. Since we were very well aware he had most likely already run his race before the actual race itself, we told the jockey not to push him if it seemed as though he didn't have enough left............sure enough, half way through (after going 5 wide through the first turn) he was tired. He came back sound and happy though.

His name is Kentucky Champ. If you look at his record, it's unclear when the EPM started to become a factor and now we're hearing he was sore for awhile in his hind end as well. Who knows? He's having better work outs now than he ever did, so we'll let him have another shot at something it appears as though he enjoys and see what happens. Since we're so close we could ride him home (we don't though;), we bring him back to the farm periodically to let him relax and do some cross-training.......seems to enjoy it but he's always ready to go back.

We'll have more horses racing over the next few years, so for better or for worse, Champ is helping us learn. He gets massages and tons of attention though, so I don't think he's minding too much!!

[BridledObsession]

OK guys.............I know we're talking small potatoes here, but I just had to update this and tell you our "older thoroughbred" finally got it together.

We had bad luck on top of bad luck and just couldn't seem to get it together. Last Wednesday we dropped him in class again and I was still not feeling optimistic. With everything we thought we knew about this horse, it was just making us feel like we were crazy.

This race was 5 1/2 and he was behind from the start. I could hardly watch, I felt so bad for him. Then, and I know it's a lowly claiming race, something happened. It clicked for him...........I don't know. He wanted it. He came from so far back the announcer didn't count him in until the very end. He won by a neck. I'm so flippin' proud of him

Not sure who said this recently, but they mentioned not betting on their own horse because they thought it was a jinx. For the first time, neither of us bet on him. I try not to think about it though because he went off at 20 to 1. Just my luck!! lol.

Oh and by the way......his pedigree is so so, but maybe Louis wants to check it out, because this was something like his 34th start and he's as sound as they come, EPM and all. Tough little guy.

Gotta go have some drinks, dinner, etc. BDW, I know you think you have women figured out, but guess what..............I'm always looking forward to the "etc" part........ (Maybe even more than him!)

[Linda_d]

Congrats on the win!

He's done better for you already than the infamous The Green Monkey has done for his connections!