…does the injury have to be really bad? What constitutes when a horse has to get in the van?
I was looking at some racing comments and one of them (the horse DNF) said: “off a step slow, pulled up around the first turn and was vanned off after the finish” and of course this piqued my curiousity.
Thank you in advance for any and all insight! 
You can van any of them off for any reason. Its not like they would deny the request and say the horse isn’t injured enough to warrant the van. Sometimes they are vanned off for exhaustion or bleeding and aren’t technically injured at all.
I think that it runs a gamut from ‘not taking a chance of exacerbating what might be an injury’ right up to ‘life ending but not put them down on the track’.
Obviously, preventing further injury would be the main goal, along with getting the injured animal off the track as quickly as possible so as to not further delay the day’s program.
I agree, I’ve seen horses who have grabbed a quarter, taken a few funny steps and have been pulled up early in the race and vanned off.
Great! Thanks so much for your replies! 
I was hoping the van ride wouldn’t definitively indicate a severe injury to the horse because it was only 5 weeks until the next start, which is probably not enough time to let an animal fully heal from much of anything having to do with bones/joints or soft tissue. And now that I know it can technically be requested for anything, that eases my mind quite a bit. 
In 2004 I had a gutless gelding that we had done some “work” on. He was sound, but a PITA, heartless, cheating SOB. So I went out of my comfort zone and and got the horse’s mind on the game. He was entered in a two other than and we were gambling because the horse was so good going into the race. The gates opened and the rider pulled the horse up 10 jumps out. He is vanned back to the barn. I was somewhere between Very mad and worried. I ran back to the barn and my vet is already there. The horse is staggering as he walks And both of us are shocked! He jogged sound, but really weird. We were scratching our heads. Turns out he got torb in the ambulance as he was seriously keyed up, which was strange as well. He had to work to get off the list and won three in a row. Then was claimed and has continued to be very useful in several different barns.
There was nothing wrong with the horse. Sometimes “vanned” gives us an opportunity to run a horse cheap. Sometimes they are vanned for all of the reasons mentioned above. Oddly my husband LOVES to bet horses with “vanned” in their trouble lines. Often you get a price because people are wary of the soundness of the horse.
I personally hate the ambulance. The most clautrophobic place on earth !
[QUOTE=Blinkers On;3990316]
In 2004 I had a gutless gelding that we had done some “work” on. He was sound, but a PITA, heartless, cheating SOB. So I went out of my comfort zone and and got the horse’s mind on the game. He was entered in a two other than and we were gambling because the horse was so good going into the race. The gates opened and the rider pulled the horse up 10 jumps out. He is vanned back to the barn. I was somewhere between Very mad and worried. I ran back to the barn and my vet is already there. The horse is staggering as he walks And both of us are shocked! He jogged sound, but really weird. We were scratching our heads. Turns out he got torb in the ambulance as he was seriously keyed up, which was strange as well. He had to work to get off the list and won three in a row. Then was claimed and has continued to be very useful in several different barns.
There was nothing wrong with the horse. Sometimes “vanned” gives us an opportunity to run a horse cheap. Sometimes they are vanned for all of the reasons mentioned above. Oddly my husband LOVES to bet horses with “vanned” in their trouble lines. Often you get a price because people are wary of the soundness of the horse.
I personally hate the ambulance. The most clautrophobic place on earth ![/QUOTE]
OMG, Blinkers On, I bet your stomach was up in your throat! It’s crazy what some horses will do if they aren’t in the mood to work (I’m guessing that was mostly his problem?).
My friend helped to re-train a Hunter/Jumper that would start going around like she was 3-legged lame as soon as you got tack on her. Amazingly, she would be “all better” as soon as she was untacked. After calling vet, farrier, etc., etc. and being sure it was just attitude, my friend had a “Come to Jesus” meeting with her. Let’s just say she learned that tactic causes more trouble than it’s worth. :lol:
[QUOTE=ClassyRide;3990493]
OMG, Blinkers On, I bet your stomach was up in your throat! It’s crazy what some horses will do if they aren’t in the mood to work (I’m guessing that was mostly his problem?).
My friend helped to re-train a Hunter/Jumper that would start going around like she was 3-legged lame as soon as you got tack on her. Amazingly, she would be “all better” as soon as she was untacked. After calling vet, farrier, etc., etc. and being sure it was just attitude, my friend had a “Come to Jesus” meeting with her. Let’s just say she learned that tactic causes more trouble than it’s worth. :lol:[/QUOTE]
I got a horse like that for a dollar. Dead lame with tack on, sound as could be on pavement, dirt, grass you name it without. Took her to the chiro and had her rib put back in place and made $90,000 with her.
I’ve only had one vanned off. I was told he was vanned off because his stifle locked. It had never done it before, and would never again (only raced a few more times). I watched the replays and never saw it… All I know is I think that is only one of two horses I’ve ever had that were pulled up. Scared the crap out of me.
Yep, what Laurie said, the horse I am talking about has maid $160,260. Just to prove vanned isn’t all bad
Actually my horse never even made it to the van, she was scratched in the post parade. It made me nuts because I was her trainer and before that first start I had every vet on the grounds examine her, I spent half the day jogging her for vets. Totally sound, so I send her out to the track. LIMPING LAME, so badly you can see it all the way on the other side of the track. Owners were so disgusted as all the xray etc were perfect that they gave her to me for $1. At that time I had no idea what was wrong but figured I would turn her out until whatever it was healed. Finally one day I got smart and tacked her up without a rider and ponied her. DEAD LAME! So now I knew it wasn’t in the legs and the rest was history.
fascinating thread!:yes:
So Laurierace,
I’m curious. How did the former owners handle it when they found out what the problem was?
They were surprised but happy she has a good home. She was confirmed in foal yesterday.
[QUOTE=Las Olas;3992991]
So Laurierace,
I’m curious. How did the former owners handle it when they found out what the problem was?[/QUOTE]
:eek:
That’s exactly what I was thinking Las Olas. Surprised the owners didn’t think she pulled a fast one on them since she found the problem after she was given the filly… especially since she was the trainer before. Would have been different if they were owners of another trainer… Touchy situation. Glad everything worked out for the best, though.
This didn’t take a day to figure out. She was on the farm for months. I have trained for them in the past and since that particular horse so they know I am not one to rip them or anyone else off.
Good relationships like that are hard to come by. Seems there is very little loyalty left, so they must think very highly of you.
So, congrats that she is in foal too (who)??? I’m still trying to figure out who to breed some mares to and it’s getting late!
Lisa was confirmed in foal to Buddha. I am still waiting to hear about Jess, hopefully she is in foal to Stephen Got Even.
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