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Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: ‘Victory’ At The Thoroughbred Makeover Looks A Little Different For Everyone

The performances that make me smile the biggest and appreciate the retired racehorses and the trainers that care so much for them at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover the most are not necessarily the ones that win ribbons or even make the Finale.

Don't get me wrong: as the announcer of the Thoroughbred Makeover since the annual marquee event for OTTBs was first held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2015, I've been blown away by the talent that Thoroughbred sporthorses can show in new sports with less than a year of retraining after a racing career.

Like when Rosie Napravnik went into a gallop after a flawless jumping round in the eventing finale aboard Sanimo at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover to win the discipline. It was reminiscent of the jockey-turned-eventer galloping out after a flawless ride aboard Untapable in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Distaff, after which Napravnik announced her retirement from racing, only to embark on a new equine career, much like the OTTBs that she now rides.

Sanimo and Napravnik moved up to the Prelim level of eventing in 2021 with two top-three finishes that qualified them for the American Eventing Championships and a return to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Or when Carleigh Fedorka had a breathtaking dressage test to win the discipline at the 2015 Thoroughbred Makeover aboard Called to Serve, a horse ESPN's Gary West once described as “a bull in perpetual search of a china shop” because of his naughtiness during race training.

There have been countless other performances that bring out the immense talent of OTTBs, and I'm looking forward to more when I announce the 2021 Mega Makeover from Oct. 12 to 17.

However, at least as valuable to the goal the RRP has that the Thoroughbred Makeover is “intended to inspire good trainers to become involved in transitioning these horses to second careers” is seeing the rounds in each discipline where trainers create a positive experience for their horses based on where their training is, rather than pushing things to the max.

I smile when I see the barrel racer that trots the barrel pattern rather than sprinting all out. The rider pats the horse on the neck afterward. They both leave the TCA Covered Arena proud of their accomplishment.

I smile when I see the freestyle competitor recognize that their horse is overwhelmed by the atmosphere, adjust their routine, and the horse picks up confidence as a result.

I smile every time riders show gratitude for themselves and their horses that just making it to the Kentucky Horse Park is an accomplishment, regardless of where the horses are at in their retraining, because the Thoroughbred Makeover is only part of a long journey that the horse will hopefully embark on in a new life after racing.

Jonathan and Ashley Horowitz announce the finale of the 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover.

There is no doubt that the Thoroughbred Makeover is an elite competition, with $100,000 in prize money and top-level riders competing across ten disciplines on horses that will go on to be leaders in their new sport. In addition, what makes the Thoroughbred Makeover so special and important is that it is also addresses a cause that all professional sports now have to reckon with — the welfare of their elite athletes after they retire. Thanks to the RRP and the Thoroughbred Makeover, horse racing is moving in the right direction with this.

“Since 2015, the Thoroughbred Makeover has steadily grown into not only the largest Thoroughbred retraining competition in the world, but also the largest gathering of people with a professional interest in Thoroughbred aftercare,” RRP executive director Jen Roytz said. “Since then, we've seen more than 3,000 horses go through the process of transitioning from racing to their sport horse careers by preparing for this unique competition, and now we're seeing our Makeover graduates from years past starting to perform at the upper levels in their new equestrian disciplines.”

After coming together for a memorable week at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Makeover trainers, who have represented 46 states and four Canadian provinces, as well as England, can return to their hometowns and inspire others with what OTTBs can achieve.

“That's what works so well with the Makeover,” RRP program manager Kristen Kovatch Bentley said. “It manages to cater to not only the trainers who use the structure of that first year to prepare horses for careers in the upper levels, or take advantage of the visibility to market a horse for sale at the event, but for the one-time 'bucket list' trainers who are entering this competition with their forever horse. It's rare for one event to be able to bring together so many different facets of the industry in one week, but because everyone has had that same incredible experience of partnering with these amazing horses to undertake this transformative 10-month journey together, the competition becomes a celebration.”

The Thoroughbred Makeover inspired me to learn to ride, and my work with OTTBs has changed my life. My wife, Ashley Horowitz, and I currently run the Super G Sporthorses farm in Parker, Colo., where ten of the 16 horses on the farm are Thoroughbreds. Those ten were bred in seven different states.

“For those who don't have a background in or natural connection to equestrian sports outside of horse racing,” Roytz said, “this allows them to gain a deeper appreciation of not only what these horses can go onto accomplish after racing, but how much time, skill, effort, money and more goes into their care and training as they make this life-altering transition from racehorse to sport horse.”

I'm one of those people and appreciate that I now have gone from “talking the talk” as a broadcaster to “walking the walk” as an eventer on OTTBs thanks to what has inspired me at the Thoroughbred Makeover.

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Ask The Nutrition Experts: What Can I Do To Help My OTTB Gain Condition?

Question: My 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Caboose, is thin, actually thinner than he was when he came off the track a year ago (ribs on full display). He's turned out for 14-18 hours a day and receives the following ration: five flakes of grass hay, 7 lb (3.2 kg) high-fat grain, 3 cups corn oil, 1 lb (0.45 kg) balancer pellet, 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) of a flax/rice bran supplement, and other supplements (biotin, digestive support, and devil's claw). He's in minimal work. We've investigated dental problems and gastric ulcer issues. Any suggestions?

Answer from Kentucky Equine Research: From my review, the current diet should be supplying appropriate nutrition for weight gain, if not oversupplying key nutrients. When body condition scoring him, is the visibility of his ribs your main concern, or is he lacking condition in general (topline, flanks, etc.)?

A description of the pasture would have been helpful here, as good-quality forage can have a significant impact on the horse's overall health and wellness. Providing free-choice access to good-quality hay and pasture often provides a large portion of the horse's caloric needs. When weight gain is needed, providing free-choice access to hay is recommended, particularly in cases of limited pasture.

With this in mind, five flakes of grass hay may not be supplying enough forage depending on the weight of the flakes and pasture availability and quality. Switching to a high-calorie forage, like alfalfa, would boost the number of calories derived from forage.

Another consideration is the amount of dietary fat in Caboose's diet, as you are feeding several high-fat feedstuffs (concentrate, corn oil, rice bran). Studies have shown a decrease in fiber digestion and utilization when large amounts of soybean oil were fed.

To simplify the feeding program but supply appropriate nutrition, I suggest reducing the number of feeds and supplements offered to just one or two. I would choose one energy-dense feed and feed that according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Because you are trying to increase Caboose's body condition, you will find yourself feeding close to the upper limits of those recommendations. It would not be unusual, for instance, to find yourself feeding 10-12 lb (4.5-5.5 kg) of feed daily or even a little more. Increasing meal size should be done slowly, over the course of 10-14 days.

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Offering a third meal will allow for smaller grain meals and will help maximize digestibility and feed utilization. Including a ration balancer is unnecessary when feeding 7 lb (3.2 kg) of fortified feed, resulting in overfeeding micronutrients.

Horses that struggle to maintain a healthy weight, despite receiving appropriate nutrition, often benefit from a daily digestive health product that supports optimal health and digestive function. EquiShure is one such product; it is a unique digestive buffer that features a protective coating to ensure its delivery to the hindgut.

EquiShure can help balance the support fiber digestion and potentially improve feed efficiency, ultimately resulting in weight gain. EquiShure can be fed along with your current digestive health supplement or you can consider using the total-tract digestive buffer RiteTrac as it contains both gastric support and EquiShure. Australian horse owners should consider these products.

For a horse in light exercise, this feeding rate is relatively high to not see improvement in weight and condition. Further consultation with your veterinarian may be needed to determine any underlying reasons for Caboose's elevated energy needs.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly

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The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Talking Thoroughbred Makeover

Just as there are “baby” races at the track, off-track Thoroughbreds have their own kind of competition restricted to newcomers — the Thoroughbred Makeover, scheduled for Oct. 12-17 at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington, Ky.

The event, offering $100,000 in prize money and consisting of 10 different disciplines, brings together Thoroughbreds that are in their first year transitioning from the racetrack to a second career.

Jonathan Horowitz, who calls the races at Colorado's Arapahoe Park, has been the announcer at the Thoroughbred Makeover since 2015. Since January 2020, he's been documenting his new avocation in a series of articles at the Paulick Report, “Horowitz On OTTBs,” highlighting the challenges and triumphs that come with working with off-track Thoroughbreds.

“I appreciate that it's not easy to do,” said Horowitz, who joins publisher Ray Paulick and editor in chief Natalie Voss on this week's Friday Show. “I appreciate that when you get it, it's one of the most rewarding feelings. It's a sport where … imagine if you're a basketball player and the basketball had a mind of its own.”

While Horowitz will not be competing at this year's Thoroughbred Makeover, Voss will be in the dressage ring at the Horse Park with her off-track Thoroughbred, Underscore (fondly known as Blueberry around the barn). She's a tireless advocate for giving ex-racehorses the best chance possible for a second career that can be just as rewarding for the horse as a trip to the winner's circle.

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Hagyard Partners with TCA in Race to Give

The “Race to Give,” an online giving and awareness program to support Thoroughbred aftercare was launched Wednesday by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA). RaceToGive.org is its website and central hub.

“2021 marks our 145^th anniversary of caring for the equine industry,” said Dr. Luke Fallon, DVM, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “These equine athletes have given us so much over the last century and a half. Our veterinarians created the Race to Give to demonstrate our appreciation. Leading an effort to support the critical area of aftercare in conjunction with other leading horse racing organizations was the right thing to do.”

The “Race to Give,” in its simplest form, is a fundraiser but also aims to inspire individuals and organizations to create teams and to challenge each other in fun and creative ways to raise money.

“The spirit of competition is at the heart of our industry,” said Ken Ford, CEO of Hagyard Pharmacy. “Hagyard's vision was to harness that spirit to not only raise money, but to also to expand the support of equine aftercare. By developing teams and then challenging each other, we could encourage a wider group of people to participate. Aftercare organizations which have been excellent stewards of our retired equine athletes have accomplished this through the generous support of donations from a concentrated nucleus of people in the industry. Race to Give is a new platform to encourage everyone who loves horses to donate.”

Additional organizations leading the campaign include the Thoroughbred Daily News, Keeneland, TVG, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Resolvet.

“Everyone understands how important aftercare is for our sport,” said Mike McMahon, TCA President. “It is exciting to see big names in our industry come together in year one. And I can only imagine how the list will grow in the years to come as other organizations see the impact and, frankly, how much fun it is to be part of this team of leaders.”

The money raised in the campaign this fall will be collected by the TCA, who will then distribute the funds to TCA-approved and TAA-accredited aftercare programs, where horses can be retired or retrained for a second career. A check will be presented to the TCA October 30 at Keeneland after the Fayette Stakes.

“Like many involved in the sport of Thoroughbred racing, Hagyard believes that it is our collective responsibility to protect the wellbeing of these horses we love that retire from racing and breeding,” added Dr. Fallon. “I echo everyone that is involved with “Race to Give” to please help us support these horses as they transition to their next careers.”

By launch morning, seven teams had signed up, including the Thoroughbred Daily News's Team TDN. To join our team or to make a donation, click here. Race to Give will maintain a leaderboard tracking teams' progress.

To make a donation, register to fundraise, or create or join a team please visit RaceToGive.org and follow us at #aracetogive.

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