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Howell: The High Maintenance Moniker Is Unfair — And Untrue — For OTTBs

While off-track thoroughbreds (OTTBs) have gained increasing popularity among amateur and professional sport horse riders in recent years, there are still some who avoid them. Allison Howell, a 2016 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover competitor, writes in The Plaid Horse that one of the reasons is that people sometimes perceive the breed to be “high maintenance” which she finds unfair.

All performance horses are high maintenance, Howell says, but she notes that for OTTBs to have homes prepared for their needs and successful second careers, their owners must be honest about the horses themselves – including how they are both similar and dissimilar to other breeds. Retraining a retired racehorse can take a lot of time, effort and talent, but in many ways, they are just like every other breed of horse.

It's not unusual for upper-level athletes to have custom tack, long and involved grooming sessions, alternative therapy treatment and many other methods to keep them feeling their best. Few horses, no matter their breed or discipline, thrive in a heavy training program with just minimum care, Howell says – Thoroughbreds are not the anomaly in this respect.

Yes, it sometimes feels like a fresh off-the-track horse is a ticking time bomb between disasters … but truly: what horse isn't?” she writes. “If you think about all the people you know who have experienced heartache right before a show, clinic or big event, I think you'd find that it happens to every horseman, in every discipline, with every breed.”

Webinar Addresses How To Help At-Risk And In-Transition Horses

Join the American Horse Council (AHC) on Thursday May 27, 2021, at 1 p.m. EST to learn about some of the many resources available to help owners, horses at risk and horses in transition.

Ashley Harkins, Program Director for the United Horse Coalition will demonstrate the UHC Equine Resource Database, explore safety net programs available nationwide to help owners in need of assistance, share the UHC's COVID Resource site, and reveal new initiatives planned for 2021.

The mission of the UHC is to advocate responsible ownership through education. One of the many facets of this mission is to inform owners about assistance options, not only during the pandemic, but in any type of hardship.

Included in the discussion will be Emily Stearns, Program Manager of the Equine Welfare Data Collective (EWDC). The EWDC is a program of the UHC to collect, analyze, and report data on at-risk equines, those in transition, and the multitude of equine welfare organizations working diligently to help those in need.

The webinar will conclude with updates coming from UHC Members A Home For Every Horse (AHFEH), the ASPCA/Right Horse Initiative, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) about some of the programs and initiatives they have been working on to help owners, at-risk horses, and horses in transition.

Non-Uniform Saddle Sweat Patterns May Indicate An Issue

The way a horse sweats under his saddle can indicate if he's wearing well-fitting or ill-fitting tack. If the horse has his saddle and pad removed after exercising and his coat has odd-shaped sweat patterns, something may be amiss.

A horse wearing a saddle that has too-tight tree points will often have less sweat or dry spots over his withers where the saddle is pinching him. Sweat glands are unable to function normally if too much pressure is placed on then.

A horse wearing a saddle that has a too-narrow gullet may experience significant saddle shifting, causing it to wobble from side to side. When the saddle wiggles or slips, the gullet can sit too close to the back and spine, increasing the pressure on a horse's back. This pressure can cause edema or transient, fibrous nodules around thoracic vertebrae 13 and 14.

To determine if a saddle fits, it can be helpful to watch a tacked horse move both with and without a rider. A saddle may slip because of the way a horse's back is shaped or because the saddle has uneven flocking. Another common reason for saddle slipping is hind-end lameness that affects how the horse's axial skeleton moves, reports Dr. Sue Dyson.

Dyson estimates that 87 percent of horses with hind-end lameness also experience saddle slippage, often to the side of the lame leg. Once the lameness is addressed, saddle slippage significantly decreases.

It's easier to see if a saddle is slipping if the horse is working on a circle, rather than a straight line. Saddle slipping is not always caused by a crooked rider, but a rider often becomes crooked when riding an uneven horse.

Indiana Grand Donates Funding, Materials To Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Inc., located in Zionsville, Ind., provides an essential service to many children and adults with disabilities in Central Indiana. Equine-assisted therapy gives these individuals the opportunity to participate in activities that complement daily routines and standard therapeutic services. Indiana Grand Racing & Casino began a three-year partnership with the organization in 2020 and recently provided a $10,000 donation along with 20 tons of materials and a new drag for the indoor riding arena.

“While doing a site visit to Morning Dove in 2020, we noticed the indoor arena had some dips and was in need of additional footing for the riding classes,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Indiana Grand. “We specialize in dirt appropriate for riding services, and it was an easy fix for us to donate 20 tons of material utilized on our racing surface so Morning Dove can earmark the funding directly to the individuals who participate in their therapeutic riding services.”

A team of three Indiana Grand individuals, Dillon Simpson, Justin Gabbard, and Austin Johns from the Track and Backstretch Maintenance crew, spent the day at Morning Dove to prepare and spread the indoor riding arena with the additional materials. The end product will provide more cushioning for the horses, riders, and assistants that walk alongside the horses during therapeutic sessions. In addition, Indiana Grand donated an arena drag to help keep the surface smooth for future classes in the enclosure.

Like a lot of organizations, Morning Dove was affected by COVID-19 restrictions last year. However, they worked diligently to get the services back to their clients last June and, with additional security and safety protocols, have continued their work.

“Ninety percent of what we do is outside, so being able to provide this to our clients and their families was crucial,” said Brad Schleppi, Executive Director at Morning Dove. “This is their outlet, and approximately 15 percent of our kids are immune-compromised, so we took extra precautions for the safety of everyone to ensure they were back enjoying their equine therapy.”

Sessions for clients come at a price tag of $150 per hour, which includes the assistants, horse care, equipment maintenance, and facility upkeep. However, due to donations, clients are only charged $45 per session thanks to support such as the $10,000 contribution from Indiana Grand.

“We are very appreciative for the continued partnership and support by Indiana Grand, because it gets kiddos on horseback,” added Schleppi. “For many, this is their social and physical interactions for the week, and thanks to organizations like Indiana Grand, we are able to continue these services to those who depend on Morning Dove for a major part of their routines.”

In addition to the funding from Indiana Grand, Harrah's Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind. has also committed to a three-year agreement with Morning Dove for $10,000 annually.

For more information or to assist Morning Dove, go to their Website at www.morningdovetrc.org.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing will be conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. In addition, six all-Quarter Horse racing dates are set on select Saturdays starting June 5 at 10 a.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.

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