Am I asking for trouble: racehorse with gate issues

[fivestrideline]

Not sure what board this belongs on but I figured eventers have more experience with OTTBs than most.

Anyways, I’m shopping for a project (still lol… life got in the way for a bit) and my budget is “fresh OTTB or baby”. I’ve found a few prospects but one I noted had gate issues on all of its very few starts. I assume it was retired for this reason. It’s a big horse, so I’m sure there’s a story there, but I already have one bad loader and really don’t want another. Am I asking for trouble even considering this one? Are gate issues usually indicative of some claustrophobic tendencies or just a quirk? I’m happy to make the trailer a good experience but I really don’t want to start from behind the starting line (lol) as it were. I have a MASSIVE 2H straight BP, FWIW.

Edited to fix wording.

[NaturallyHappy]

We got a 17.3 H gelding from the track years ago. He was big and slow and had trouble at the gate. He was a wonderful horse and we never had trouble loading him in the trailer.
I’m sure others will be able to better advise you, but this horse was a dream and very kind. It took him so long to get out of the gate, I think I could have outrun him.

[RAyers]

Racehorses travel from track to track. I would not equate a starting gate issue with a trailer loading issue. They are not connected.

[punchy]

I don’t think so. I’ve had bad gate horses who were no problems loading and fine gate horses who were not good at loading. So generally I don’t think they are great indicators of each other. IME the gate problems have more to do with anxiety racing, rather than a dislike of small spaces. Good luck!

[fivestrideline]

This is good to hear. My troublesome loader came off the track as well and seems to only be willing to get side load/back in rigs or open stock trailers. We’d wondered if the “gate-like” configuration of rear load straight stalls was part of the issue but I’m glad to hear it might not be connected! (As far as future horses go, anyways. Problem Child has a lot of other issues regardless ).

[Highflyer1]

I don’t think it’s generally a trailer issue. I do think it can mean that there’s a mental or physical issue that can impact him as a riding horse though. It’s just hard to know-- is he just difficult to load in the gate or does he freak out? I’ve seen horses that had this problem go on to be difficult at the ingate and the startbox, but I’ve also seen some that were okay. And I’ve seen a couple that had such severe mental or physical issues that they weren’t safe to ride. Did he stop racing because he lost his gate card?

[Texarkana]

I would not automatically assume the two will be connected.

When racehorses have loading problems, it’s because the 2H bumper pull trailering experience is totally new. TB racehorses coming off a major track almost never travel in 2H BP trailers; it’s all large vans or large gooseneck head to head trailers.

[beowulf]

My late horse was given to me for free because of gate issues as a 2 y/o. He was disbarred from the track after being dangerous in the gate. He was one of the best horses I’ve owned to date.

He was never claustrophobic, was never a problem loader (except for the day we got him), was never unkind, and was very honest. f you like everything else about this horse, set something up.

The gate is not very pleasant. It amazes me that any race horse goes into them more than once.

An ancient photo of my guy in early 2000s.

[fivestrideline]

@Highflyer1

is he just difficult to load in the gate or does he freak out?

Both. “Fractious” in the gate and “refused to load” were repeat taglines in all the races. The horse also didn’t break well or seem interested in racing once it DID load - I’m not sure if it lost its gate card or the connections just called it and retired the horse.

The horse seems to be spectacularly green for discipline riding but has been a happy trail horse since retiring. It has a jumper way of going and a big stride and is very easy to handle in the barn (as far as I can tell) but seems to have some spooky quirks like the mounting block and other typical Racehorse Eating Arena Stuff. I guess (like any horse) it could simply be inexperience - but it could also be something worse like neuro or eye issues or whatever.

I do generally like the horse - but shopping on a budget is EXHAUSTING to the point I start seeing warning signs where there are none. Hence this thread!

[Arzny]

My best loader lost her gate card and was subsequently retired. We have never had an issue loading her on any trailer.

[NancyM]

Well… I’m gonna say that it’s something that may be a problem. It depends on exactly what the horse has done in the starting gate to get itself barred. If it is a flipper, that may indeed be an issue you may be wise to avoid. And if they do get barred, that is often the reason why.

It means that when and if the horse becomes tense, upset, over something when in tight quarters, it HAS, in the past, flipped itself. That is , thrown itself over backwards. It takes a certain type of “crazy” for that to happen, and in order to get barred they usually have to do it more than once. Consider it a type of claustrophobia, it doesn’t just go away. You may well never attempt to load the horse in a starting gate again in it’s life, but there are other instances when a horse may well be keyed up and ready for action, yet can’t leave right away. A horse who still retains the urge to “sign off” and flip is still the same horse. Loading into a horse trailer is a much less trying ask than a starting gate at the track. Gate flippers may be just fine shippers, if the trailer does not trigger the same fear.

Less likely that the issue will manifest with a horse trailer (though it still might), more likely in a 3de starting box.
Or, the horse may be just fine, never a problem again. You just won’t know for sure. But then, you never do know in advance, for sure, one way or another.

Yes, I’ve had a family line of gate flippers. Not all of them were, some were lovely horses, very talented and smart. And fast. But the ones who were bad in the starting gate, I would not have sold as a riding horse prospect… Too dangerous. And the option of flipping or doing other completely uncalled for panicking behaviour was always a consideration for them, in tight restricted areas where claustrophobia would arise.

A gate flipper has an uncontrollable fear of tight spaces, where they can not be free to move. It’s a true phobia. They feel trapped, and the fear makes it so that they can not THINK rationally (as much as a horse can think rationally). Then they flip and hurt themselves, and thereby increase their fear. So it can be a hard situation to rectify. And may result in serious injury to both horse and/or rider.

[fivestrideline]

This all sounds like my current guy. His answer is BACK and UP and I have zero doubt he’d flip himself if pushed.

That said - the one I’m looking at doesn’t seem to have flipped, seeing as it did eventually load and break from the starting gate in all races. It just wasn’t happy about it nor wanted to do much racing afterward.

[NWreader]

I had an OTTB with gate issues. He was fine in the trailer, but would inconsistently panic when going in/out of the stall and through the pasture gate. He never refused to go, but would panic and bolt through the perceived enclosed space. It got better with time but was never fully over it.

[eventingmania]

My experience is the gate stresses them out more than walking into a trailer. Normally the race situation in itself is more stressful than to just walk into a trailer and travel.