Are there rescue organizations for the steeplechase horses like there are for the flat racing horses? My husband asked me the other day, and I really didn’t know… but I figured someone here could tell me. They seem like such amazing animals that would have so much to offer after their racing career.
I don’t know but I’ll take a traliler full : ) Just send them up to me in WI, I do rehabs too!
Many of them end up hunting and eventing.
They have good minds,
Many, many of them are in the hunt field, the amateur Point to
Point Races, the Team Relays, eventing, field master races----
Don’t know of any official retirement places but I know of many
up here that live out their lives at home!
Lots of them train in the hunt field during their careers-----
There are a lot fewer of them than flat horses, and they tend to be older. Many of them do end up hunting and eventing, but they are often placed by word of mouth, or stay with the owner or trainer’s family.
Forgive me for ranting, but … geez. Unless you carry a horse out of a burning building, it ain’t a ‘rescue.’
But … that said, there definitely are NOT any ‘alms for the poor’ retired 'chasers. Without exception they go on to other jobs – indeed, for 99 percent of them, steeplechasing is a second career. They are, nearly universally, sound of body and mind (obviously, injuries happen, but …) and, nearly universally, very much capable of a third, fourth or even fifth career.
Typical scenario (I breed/train ‘chasers and have been involved for many decades) – horse runs on the flat at 2 and 3. Runs out of conditions. Goes ‘back to the farm’. Picks up foxhunting winter of the 3 yo (or 4 yo, or 5 yo, or whatever) year. Runs a couple times on the turf at the hunt meets (or point to points, or whatever) then over hurdles. Then, if effective over hurdles, stays there for … however long. Or, if he’s a better jumper/router, schools up for timber and runs over timber.
Then … the avenues are endless. ‘Retire’ as a foxhunter. Show jumper. Show hunter. Kids’ pony (I have 3 in my barn now who serve all of the above purposes.) And/or some go to the US Park Police or other mounted services. Stakes winner (on the flat, granted) John’s Call famously served as lead pony for his trainer, also a big-name 'chase trainer. Eclipse Award 'chaser Flat Top was lead pony for his trainer.
They are durable and sensible (mostly). This is why they run over fences.
If you’re looking for one, there are many on these boards who can help steer you to the right peeps, but, as said above, few are true, open-market giveaways, or even, really, sales. They tend to stay in the family or go to friends or known avenues.
[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;4811333]
Forgive me for ranting, but … geez. Unless you carry a horse out of a burning building, it ain’t a ‘rescue.’
But … that said, there definitely are NOT any ‘alms for the poor’ retired 'chasers. Without exception they go on to other jobs – indeed, for 99 percent of them, steeplechasing is a second career. They are, nearly universally, sound of body and mind (obviously, injuries happen, but …) and, nearly universally, very much capable of a third, fourth or even fifth career.
Typical scenario (I breed/train ‘chasers and have been involved for many decades) – horse runs on the flat at 2 and 3. Runs out of conditions. Goes ‘back to the farm’. Picks up foxhunting winter of the 3 yo (or 4 yo, or 5 yo, or whatever) year. Runs a couple times on the turf at the hunt meets (or point to points, or whatever) then over hurdles. Then, if effective over hurdles, stays there for … however long. Or, if he’s a better jumper/router, schools up for timber and runs over timber.
Then … the avenues are endless. ‘Retire’ as a foxhunter. Show jumper. Show hunter. Kids’ pony (I have 3 in my barn now who serve all of the above purposes.) And/or some go to the US Park Police or other mounted services. Stakes winner (on the flat, granted) John’s Call famously served as lead pony for his trainer, also a big-name 'chase trainer. Eclipse Award 'chaser Flat Top was lead pony for his trainer.
They are durable and sensible (mostly). This is why they run over fences.
If you’re looking for one, there are many on these boards who can help steer you to the right peeps, but, as said above, few are true, open-market giveaways, or even, really, sales. They tend to stay in the family or go to friends or known avenues.[/QUOTE]
And that is why I said send a trailer load my way:lol: Though you don’t happen to want an almost 30yr working student by the time I am healthy and back to 120lb do you:D I always said steeplechasing was the only real sport, though I guess I might be biased as my grandfather was a steeplechase jockey and then flat race trainer
I had 4 chasers come through the sale barn I worked at in college and I’d give my right arm for another one. I learned to hunt on one.
Here many of them end up doing a variety of discplines as would a flat bred horse. FWIW, more National Hunt bred horses are bred in Ireland than flat horses.
I have one who is now 15 and I got him when he was 9. Considering that vet advice was to put him down due to his injuries, it’s amazing he’s still with us. He has done just about everything for us here. We just placed a client horse with a lifetime home of hacking and being pampered.
They really are cool dudes!
Terri
Most owners do have the resources and the concern to find these horses homes after they are done running- and since they already jump and probably many have hunted, they are quite marketable- having said that, we have pulled three out of the kill pen, up to a year or so after they finished running- horses who were given to good homes and the good homes eventually tired of them or whatever and did not contact the original owners back (much to their dismay)
Lesson:Be careful giving horses away and have a contract, it may help, although a contract is only as good as the person who signs it…
ditto to many of them ending up in the hunt field and as eventers,I believe i saw on an HRTV show that McDynamo’s now retired and is a fox hunting horse…and I don’t know whether he raced on flat or over fences but I know With Anticipation now does fox hunting as well
just my 2 centsz!
Every once in a while; you’re out foxhunting and start chatting with a fellow hunter about their horse at a check…quietly of course! :winkgrin:…and you find out WHO the horse is and it just floors me. It’s a horse you knew and watched and followed his career from point to point to sanctioned. He might be the winner of some biggie race like the Gold Cup or something. And there he is…just standing there, looking around, like a normal horse and yet…he’s famous! Floors me everytime and in our area it happens a lot. Knew a MFH that hunted his Gold Cup winner for years. Retired him & buried him on his farm.
I love to kinda follow horses when I take a liking to them at a PtP. I’m also a fan of certain trainers/barns…Like Kinross, a local owner/training farm. I’d take any reject of theirs anytime. And you might run across a horse out hunting that’s just getting eligible for the PtP circuit and you like him and follow his career…neat! One of my favs is a racehorse that became a whipper-ins horse and is now steeplechasing and will go back to hunting whenever.
My rant is people who don’t recognize a horses amazing capacity for diversity in their jobs. Horses that get put in a category and are forced to stay there. But I digress!!!
Kinross just bought Researcher, the horse that won the Charles Town Classic last night.
I got to meet Hudson Bay last summer and I was smitten. What a nice horse. Will Phipps was using his as a pony at Saratoga.
[quote=Linny;4814308]
Kinross just bought Researcher, the horse that won the Charles Town Classic last night.
Is he going to continue to run? Did I hear correctly that his trainer passed away? I wasn’t sure if I was getting him mixed up with Uptowncharleybrown, or if it was just an awful coincidence.
Uptown’s trainer (Alan Seewald) died last week. I don’t think Researcher’s did. It looks like he ran for Kinross last night. Sounds like a very wise investment as the purse was $1m!!!
As for retired 'chasers, they are mostly owned by “horsemen” in the true sense and many are ridden regularly by their owners. Many hunt during the off season and and well versed as riding horses long before they retire. Most 'chasers live a life much like show/pleasure horses, unlike the mjority of flat racers.
[QUOTE=Toadie’s mom;4814480]
Researcher’s previous owner passed away recently, hence the reason for the sale. He will be pointed to a flat race, possibly the Stephen Foster, but they did buy him with fences in mind for the future.
According to Researcher’s new owner and trainer, he will come to the farm tomorrow (Tuesday) and begin his new career as a 'chaser.
I can’t imagine this will hold (!) but that’s what they said.
[quote=iloverocky;4814819]
Ok, that’s what I heard.
I brought one home from work, after he was done racing. He had done a few schooling shows, hunter paces, but he needed to go and do something. LOVELY horse, I took him cross country schooling, jumped the whole Training course first time out. Big, sound, pretty, easy going, fantastic front end over fences, and the best part is, he’s seen it all. Our old WS has him now, I gave him to her 3 weeks ago, they are so happy together! I have a good feeling this is how you get a retired chaser, being the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
As others have said, many do go on to hunt, or race with owners, or event, or just retire to the farm when done. What I wouldn’t do to be able to event 2 or 3 chasers I know. I wouldn’t mind being in the right place at the right time if/when a certain little chestnut gelding I adore retires
I think not all, but most of these horses have a life that have so many people in it, for so long, that someone close up already knows the horse well and is so excited to be able to have the horses upon retirement, there for there isn’t a need to network them, like flat track horses.
One minor correction,
With Anticipation has been retired from hunting.
He is turned out by Mr. Strawbridge’s second farm and grazing at leisure with a “Who’s who” of retired chasers.
See pic here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3740059&id=528382758
~Emily
