Common causes of weight loss in Off track thoroughbreds

Learn about some common causes of weight loss in off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) in this excerpt from the book Beyond the Track.

Insufficient calories: If a horse is not receiving enough calories via a combination of roughage and grain, he will lose weight, especially as his "race-fit" muscling disappears. Over the years at New Vocations, I have found that insufficient feed is the number one cause of weight loss in adopted horses.

Parasite infestation: Horses should be dewormed every 60 to 90 days, and at the track, Thoroughbreds are on a schedule to ensure this. While you should request information regarding the horse's last deworming when you buy or adopt him, it may not be available. As a precaution, it is always good to deworm a new horse to help avoid problems with condition as you begin retraining.

Heat: In a hot climate, or during the very warm seasons, a horse that spends long periods in direct sun will burn more calories than a horse that is in a stall, run-in shelter, or in the shade. If your horse is turned out all the time, it is important to provide him a means of shelter and shade. Inside a barn, fans can be positioned to help cool hot horses.

Cold: In regions that experience extreme cold temperatures, or during bouts of cold weather, a horse that is turned out with no shelter to protect him from wind, snow, and rain, will burn extra calories as he tries to stay warm, especially if he's wet. As in areas that experience severe heat, it is necessary to provide adequate cover from the weather. In addition, horses with thinner winter coats or those in the coldest climates may benefit from a blanket or rug.

Fighting insects: Thoroughbreds hateinsects. They tend to be thin-skinned and especially sensitive to biting flies and mosquitoes, so expect the weight to "melt" off your horse if he spends too much time fighting the bugs--inside as well as out. There are a variety of products available, including sprays, wipes, masks, and sheets, that can help keep your horse comfortable. And, scheduling turnout for the least buggy time of day is recommended.

Pacing the fence: Running back and forth along the fence line obviously contributes to weight loss. This can be due to initial anxiety about being turned out, boredom, horses in neighboring paddocks, or a lack of company in one's own. I explain how to avoid or deal with this problem further in Beyond the Track.

Sickness: One indication of illness or disease is weight loss. Illness also weakens the horse's defenses against sudden changes in weather and parasite infestation, which contributes to the problem. If a horse is in poor condition and seems depressed, off his feed, or otherwise unwell, have your veterinarian examine him to rule out an underlying problem.

Teeth: Horses may have difficulty chewing and consequently digesting their food if teeth are sharp or in poor alignment. Watch the horse eat and note if he drops a lot of food out of his mouth while he chews. Other indicators of mouth discomfort can include issues with the bit, head-tossing, or poor behavior. A veterinarian or equine dentist can check your horse's teeth and "float" them--file down sharp and rough edges that may be causing problems.

By Anna Morgan Ford

Tips for Ex-Racehorse Shopping Online

Buying or adopting an ex-racehorse off the Internet can look almost as easy (and just as tempting) as shopping online for a new pair of breeches. But, although candidates are offered at tempting prices--typically $1000 to $5000--the process is neither as easy nor as inexpensive as it first appears.

Are You Ready for a Racehorse?
"Horses coming straight off the track are not for first-time owners or beginning riders," says Jo Anne Normile, founder of CANTER, a nonprofit organization that posts Net listings for Thoroughbreds in 11 states. "These young horses have seen and heard everything but they don't know 'whoa' and they don't know how to make a figure-eight with a rider on their backs."

Most of the horses available through such sites have only had race training. That means they...

• usually don't stand still for mounting. Jockeys and exercise riders are boosted into the saddle at a walk.
• are taught to be competitive. To them, riding in a group means galloping at 38 mph and trying to get in front of everyone else. Until a racehorse has been fully retrained (a process that usually takes at least six months), he's likely to be excitable in group situations.
• are taught to lean on the bit when they run--and understand pulling on the reins to mean "go faster."
• aren't taught to stop or turn quickly. At the track, fast stops at high speed make for injuries.
• have raced to the left--and so are probably unbalanced to the right, particularly in small circles.
• are largely unfamiliar with leg aids. (Jockeys' knees are up by the withers.)

A racehorse just off the track will probably need three months or more to back off from extreme fitness and readjust his system from the high-energy grain regimen (plus any drugs he may have been on). Normal non-racing barn routine and daily turnout will be new experiences that need to be introduced gradually.

Additional challenges will be the mechanics of looking at and trying out horses in the track environment and, if you decide to buy a horse there, dealing with soundness issues typical of ex-racehorses.

Where to Look
Still interested? There are a number of Web sites specializing in ex-racehorse sales and adoptions, and they are not all the same. For example, you'll find:

• For-profit sites, such as Mix 'n Match, that arrange meetings between buyers and sellers and take a commission on sales. They may offer prospects still on the track and others that have come off the track and have already started retaining. (Usually the off-the-track horses can be ridden.)
• Nonprofit sites such as CANTER, which give trainers a forum to advertise their stock. Most horses listed are still at the track, but trainers may advertise horses "on the farm"; the site itself has for resale "on-the-farm" horses that were donated to it for fundraising.
• Nonprofit sites that accept donated (in many cases injured) horses from owners and trainers for "adoption" to new homes. Adoption sites usually charge a fee-typically between $500 and $2500-per horse; many require adopters to sign a contract restricting future use and sale of the horse. Examples include ReRun, United Pegasus Foundation and the American Standardbred Adoption Program.

Chocolatey Appaloosa stallion

Chocolatey

The 2005 stallion Chocolatey has been successful at the Appaloosa National and World shows and also on the Open circuit. Making an impact in western pleasure classes at prestigious events like the Southern Belle and Reichart shows, Chocolatey is a great ambassador for the breed.

He is a descendant of two Hall of Fame (HOF) stallions on both sides of his pedigree:
The Executive rose to prominence in the 1970’s with Lew Eklund and George Minic campaigning him and sired 301 registered foals who earned over 5000 points, 57 bronze medallions, one silver medallion and multiple championship titles. He was inducted into the HOF in 1993.

Bright Eyes Brother and the legendary Cecil Dobbin were one of the most influential horse-human pairs in Appaloosa history. Though Bright Eyes Brother only sired 146 registered foals, many of them excelled in show events and race, and three went on to be inducted into the HOF. He was inducted in 1988.
Owned by Noelle Schmidt of New Jersey, Chocolatey’s first foal crop hit the ground in 2009 and promises to be as talented and acclaimed as their Hall of Fame ancestors.

http://www.appaloosajournal.com/2010/08/chocolatey/