Racehorses in training and turnout

[Mara]

I’m curious about this, as the image the general public has of the Thoroughbred racehorse is that it spends 22 hours/day in its stall. Or when they do get some “leisure time” outside, it’s hand-grazing only.

Are there any trainers for whom standard practice is to allow a few hours of turnout per day in either a small paddock or a dry lot? I can see not turning out in company - those hind shoes can do a lot of damage. But it does seem that regular turnout would make for a happier, easier-to-manage horse. I understand that turnout facilities at tracks and training facilities are generally limited, if they exist at all.

[Laurierace]

That’s why all the lucky horses are at places like Fair Hill. I am sure most every trainer would love to be able to safely turn their horses out for a while each day. That is not possible on the track. There isn’t enough room.

[MintHillFarm]

I know there are a few trainers at Belmont that have small chainlink fenced round pens. Better than no turn out at all.

When I had a couple of horses in training there, I bought a similar type round pen and set it up outside our barn area. It had about 6" of sand in it, and a
2’ high board all the way around the bottom. At least they could get out for a time and roll and enjoy the sun.

I would think those at training centers like Fair Hill may have access to more time out, though I am not 100% sure.

[Equilibrium]

That’s the nicest thing about European racing. Our racehorses are always turned out. They also get vacations during the year.

And ours are turned out in herds as well. So they do really get to be horses. I also worked for a trainer who had colts and geldings turned out together no problems at all.

It makes it nice when they come home for vacation and they can go straight out. Also when it’s time to reschool for other careers, you don’t have to worry about a let down period in which they get used to being turned out without trying to kill themselves.

Terri

[smilton]

It seems like it would be one more way for them to try and kill themselves. There is so much activity and cars, golf carts and trucks driving by to spook them into hitting the fence.

[Blinkers_On]

There are some tracks that we can set up pens at. But others that simply don’t have the space for it. It is lovely when we can let them out to sun themselves and enjoy the summer sun!
I have seen the odd track that has round pens built for several barns. Nice places to be.
Training centers are great for turnout. And many can and do train at training centers year round.

[Barbara_L]

Believe it or not, racehorses are used to the golf carts, vans, manure trucks, and garbage trucks–most don’t spook from them as they see them everyday and are kind of used to them.
I guess any horse that is feeling really sharp will prance and scoot for an excuse to get silly, but really, most Thoroughbreds are not THAT bad!

[smilton]

I know they aren’t that bad but it only takes once to ruin the horse. The one I brought home Sunday follows the lawn mower. I trail rode another 3 days after he raced. It just doesn’t seem worth the risk.

[Blinkers_On]

Though they are generally fine with passing “things,” or things even as simple as other horses or who knows what… I guess if Nashoba’s Key isn’t an example of the rare really bad ending that can be a result of a bigger pen and a horse not at a lay up facility for a holiday.

[Laurierace]

Horses at Penn National tend to get bombproofed, literally. Ft Indiantown Gap is right down the road and they are forever blowing things up over there. They would have fighter jets dogfighting above the mountain across the street. Giant helicopters flying directly overhead. Not sure exactly what it was but they would shoot off something that literally lit the entire side of the mountain up at night with a red glow. After the first day or so the horses never batted an eye at any of it.

[Meredith_Clark]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;4172209]
Horses at Penn National tend to get bombproofed, literally. .[/QUOTE]

Although Jay has his issues now…(related to training and pain) he was and always has been a “boobproof Penn OTTB”. Any crazy antics he pulls are totally premeditated; nothing phases him from the day he came off the track. I HATE spooky horses and one of the reasons I like him so much is his fearlessness. When I went to go look at him at the track his trainer pulled him out and trotted him up and down the main road that went around the backside. A car backfired RIGHT next to him and he didn’t even blink and eye.

HOWEVER… concerning turn out, he’s afraid of round pens. The summer I got him I went trail riding in Fair Hill and we took a wrong turn and ended up at the training center. The excitement and running horses didn’t upset him but a wrickety old run pen made him shake in his shoes! I guess he didn’t enjoy his “turn out” at Penn.

Oh! and my other Penn horse (now deceased) was stabled at a farm really close to the track. He got turned out anytime he wasn’t racing and it was great for him. He needed zero let down time and was one of the best horses I ever worked with.

[caffeinated]

There are some trainers at Charles Town who bring horses in off the farm to train, rather than stabling there. And a few others who I know rotate horses back to the farm every so often for a few weeks of rest and some turnout. It’s not daily, but not such a bad gig, really.

[Jleegriffith]

Caf- If I remember correctly I think Dixie was one that was trained off the farm which is one reason I he has always been so wonderful to ride out in the open.

Many of the farms in my area have training tracks so horses can train on the farm and then go to the track without ever having to live there. They also turn their horses out for a few hours a day.

[SEPowell]

Twenty five years ago the three different trainers I worked for turned their horses out everyday and often rotated track horses to the farm so they could benefit from turn out. The lucky turf horses got to train on the farm as did the jumpers. I know that many jump trainers continue to follow this system. I remember a groom taking a broom to a few jumpers because they were so caked with mud from turn out. :lol:

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Don’t forget that police horses and dressage horses and many upper level show horses also do not get what you’d call regular or extended turnout. And some quarter horses and plenty of gaited horses. Not unique to the racetrack - really, I’d say the track is the only horsekeeping place that you literally canNOT get access to real turnout (more than round pens, I mean.) But many of those breeds CHOOSE not to turn out. Most race trainers would indeed turn out if it was possible.
Not to fuss or cluck, but it pains me when people say negative things about the care and feeding of tb’s on the track. Most are - rightly - treated like royalty. The trainers do hte best they can.

[Calamber]

Hunter’s, where are “most” of the horses turned out in the United States? Maybe at the upper levels of the economy where people have the ability/time/money. Most trainers do not have access or are willing to turn them out unless they are injured. You need to see more of the real world.

Not to say that there are not more horses kept up such as dressage (worse than the TBs since the TBs at least get to go out and stretch their limbs without being put in a “frame” for most of their exercise time), police horses, horses working in the city, etc. I do not think the OP meant to diss the TB world, no need to get defensive, it is what it is, they are working horses, and many people do not/cannot give them the layup time, reconditioning time that they need. I wish it could be more like Ireland but alas, not quite so many horsemen and women who have access to the beloved safe turnouts.

Laurie, I guess bombproof takes on a whole new meaning of the word at Penn. They do this here also with the stables/fields of 200 horses near the master jet base at Oceana, I wonder how these horses are not deaf! I would really prefer not to live under this noise myself and will thank God, soon be out of here.

[jenarby]

A lot of trainers in my area train off the farm and do turn their horses out for a while. We are fortunate to have grassy paddocks to do so on our farm. Some go out over the winter for breaks as well on full turn out. Just depends on the situation.

[Mara]

[QUOTE=Calamber;4175294]
Hunter’s, where are “most” of the horses turned out in the United States? Maybe at the upper levels of the economy where people have the ability/time/money. Most trainers do not have access or are willing to turn them out unless they are injured. You need to see more of the real world.

Not to say that there are not more horses kept up such as dressage (worse than the TBs since the TBs at least get to go out and stretch their limbs without being put in a “frame” for most of their exercise time), police horses, horses working in the city, etc. I do not think the OP meant to diss the TB world, no need to get defensive, it is what it is, they are working horses, and many people do not/cannot give them the layup time, reconditioning time that they need. I wish it could be more like Ireland but alas, not quite so many horsemen and women who have access to the beloved safe turnouts.

Laurie, I guess bombproof takes on a whole new meaning of the word at Penn. They do this here also with the stables/fields of 200 horses near the master jet base at Oceana, I wonder how these horses are not deaf! I would really prefer not to live under this noise myself and will thank God, soon be out of here.[/QUOTE]

You’re correct; I definitely didn’t make the post to diss the TB world! I really believe that, had I grown up somewhere other than Georgia - someplace that actually had SOME sort of racing activity, that I’d have ended up in that world.

My post was from sheer curiosity. I appreciate the variety of answers, and it’s nice to see that turnout is more of a practice than I had thought.

[MardiGrasTimeStable]

Since we’re training off the farm - yups our guys in training and conditioning are getting turn-out. As much as we can give them with the heat we’re having. They are also getting their workouts in the evenings for right now instead of in the morning, and getting their turnout in the morning until noonish and then in under fans during the heat of the day. We haul into a training track to work the gates, but other than that our guys will only be seeing the track this year for official workouts and if they are racing.

We’ve only got 1 stabled at the track right now, and even he gets to come home for a few days of turn-out now and then for a break. (and may even be home for a month this next trip if his owners decide they want him closer to home for awhile ~ but we haven’t mentioned that to the guy who has him).

For us we notice happier horses, and I’ll freely admit the main guy we’re shooting to have ready for the fall season is not only training better than he ever did on track, he is also a lot more stable and fun to work. For starters he just needed a year off to come back ready to work. My excercise rider was kidding the other day about could she go ahead and borrow him for a horse show whenever he’s not racing (hahaha) but he will hack out on a loose rein until you collect up those reins and then he is all business. So he’ll be ready for a second career when he’s done at the track this time around.

[PineHillFarm]

[QUOTE=smilton;4171951]
I know they aren’t that bad but it only takes once to ruin the horse. The one I brought home Sunday follows the lawn mower. I trail rode another 3 days after he raced. It just doesn’t seem worth the risk.[/QUOTE]

If these poor horses actually got turned out, they wouldn’t have so much pent up energy which is the real reason they tend to hurt themselves. PLease don’t blame the horse. It’s the humans who make them stand in stalls. I used to put mine in stalls. Now that everyone has plenty of T/O, They are calm & quiet, ready to go right out of the field. No lunging, ect. to get hem quiet enough to sit on.

Anyone ever ask, “What would make my horse happy?” Instead it’s “What is more profitable & easy for me”