Brought home new OTTB, horse I rode at the track!! UPDATE with info about lameness

[GallopGirl]

When I started riding for the trainer I currently ride for, I was drooling over this big grey mare she had in training. She is a distance horse and never had any real speed, but could wear out the rest of the field and always finished in the money. She is a true professional at the track and a great horse to gallop. She like to pull, but was always incredibly honest and tried so hard. She also had legs of steel. We never had to do anything to her after her works. She was always completely sound, not to mention just a gorgeous mover.

I told my trainer I wanted to buy her when she was done racing, but she said that wouldn't happen any time soon since she was still making money. Well, about 2 weeks ago, they decided they were done with her racing career. Today I went to go pick her up!!!!! She's now at home in the barn where I keep my other horse. Here are some pictures of her settling in. It was a little dark, so the pictures aren't great.

http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady2.jpg

We're going to take her out for her first ride tomorrow as a hunter/jumper instead of a race horse, so I'll post more pictures when we do that.

We also got another horse out of the deal. When I was riding at Golden Gate yesterday my trainer brought back in a chestnut mare who'd been at the farm for a while because in her works she wasn't showing any speed. So they were bringing her back to try her again and worked her 3/8ths out of the gate and was just horrible. No speed and was just showing us how much she hated being a race horse, so we threw her in the trailer too and brought her home. She was practically free, but very cute. We think we've found her a home, but if anyone's interested in taking a look at her, PM me. She's basically a giveaway. I hope I don't get in trouble for saying that. Trainer just really wanted her off the feed bill.

http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/LClassyMadame.jpg

I'm just so excited to have one of my favorite horses to gallop at home with me now!! I can't wait to start working with her!! :D:D

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

Congrats! She has some nice horses. We are good friends and neighbors. I did foal watch at the farm this year for her on Saturday nights and there are a few there I'd love to bring home as well. :D

[Sassenach]

Congrats!!

I'm a sucker for grey mares and the chestnut is ADORABLE :)

[Acertainsmile]

Good luck with her...I've retrained a few that I'd galloped and it is really rewarding helping them out with their new careers!

I have one that we trained and is now my forever horse.

I also love a pretty grey horse!

[MIAr@shaw.ca]

Oh send that lovely grey to my house!!!! She's a stunner!!!! Enjoy her! That's just wonderful that you get to ride her now!

[johnnysauntie]

Yay! They're fabulous. That grey mare is an absolute stunner.

We got a cutie from the track this weekend too. Her name is Lil Dove and we think she will be a beautiful children's hunter. Pix aren't great but her confo is really good:

http://woodend.wordpress.com/2008/04/26/hello-dove/

Luvs me those OTTBs! :D

[GallopGirl]

So, we did the first ride at home today, away from the track. I tried to use much of the same tack as what we use at the track, minus a saddle. To answer the obvious question, yes I do have a death wish. :D

The two new girls were turned out in the morning for a few hours, then again in the afternoon. They bucked and ran and leaped around for a few minutes, but then were just interested in the grass. We took the girls out into the arena and hand walked them around for a while after their afternoon turn out. They were both just great. They were a little wired at first, but relaxed right in as we walked them around. My beautiful new grey mare was an angel. She walked over a pole and even hopped over a flower box a few times as if it was old hat. After they were good and relaxed, I got on the grey mare. I didn't want to introduce a tree-ed saddle as she's only used to an exercise saddle, so I just hopped on. She was great. We walked around. Did some walk/halt transitions and some right turns (with much open rein). I was sitting a little like the hunch back on her as I was trying to save girlie parts from withers, but she really was great. No spooks, no issues. She was even more relaxed as we walked back to the barn. Here are pictures of her first ride!!!

http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady3.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady4.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady5.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady6.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady7.jpg

We did the same with the chestnut mare, and she was wonderful too, but it was getting darker and the pictures didn't really turn out. Just crazy because the chestnut mare just worked 3/8ths Saturday, and now Monday she's being ridden bareback around a hunter/jumper ring. Someone pinch me! I'm so lucky to have these fun girls to play with!! The chestnut will probably get picked up tomorrow, but the grey mare stays with me!!

I'll keep posting updates as we make progress.

[FuManSlew]

How cool for both of you. She is LOVELY! I was over at Golden Gate last month, caught the last 1/2 hour of works and I wondered if you were there. It was a last minute trip to go pick up my goat that I fell in love with. You bring home a horse I bring home a goat........go figure.

Enjoy your new ride!

[lrkrame2]

that is awesome!!

I brought home one the other day that we had as a 3yo but ended up going to a different trainer once we broke her. She won her last race of the meet last year ( Great Lakes Downs) and then they decided to quit her because of the racing situation in MI.. Pulled her out of a pasture on wednesday and took her on trial.. I can't believe how good she is... Haven't ventured outside yet ( our outdoor arena is a 1/2 mile racetrack).. but I'm planning on doing that tonight or tomorrow ( weather pending)...

.. You have guts of steel riding them both bareback! with my luck one of the little kids whose family lives on the farm would come busting through the gap in the arena and scare the be-jesus out of both of us and leave me sitting on the ground!:D

[johnnysauntie]

what a good girl that grey is! she is lovely, just exudes class and has such a classic hunter look.

[GallopGirl]

I've been having a ball with my lovely OTTB, Lady. We put traditional hunter type tack on her and rode around. She was perfect. She still hates to stand still, but is being such a good sport. Here are the pictures of her first ride under saddle.. walk, trot, halt, ground poles, and a small flower box. Definitely need to work on power steering, but brakes are getting much better.

http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady8.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady9.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady10.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady11.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady12.jpg

Today I took her out into a half acre grass turnout and hopped on her with just a halter and lead rope. She was confused at first and was walking around very quickly trying to trot.. thinking.. someone is on me, time to GO! But after a few minutes she relaxed and ignored the fact I was there and just munched grass. She's just such a great sport. There's no way I'd do this with any other freshly OTTB.

The bad news.... she might have some soundess issues. The vet came out to do the PPE, but she came up sore, so we stopped. The vet said it looked like her feet were sore and possibly the racing plates weren't fitted well and putting pressure in places they shouldn't be. So we pulled her shoes and she gets new front shoes tomorrow. I'm hoping that will solve any soundness issues. When he pressure tested her foot she was sensitive directly under the navicular and in the frogs and heels. I'm hoping bad fitting shoes would do that. Right now I feel so bad watching her gimp around barefoot. Can't wait to get the shoes back on her.

Have you all you deal in racing every day seen this type of foot soreness or is it usually a sign of something more serious? How often do the hoof pressure tests find a more serious issue than feet?

[LKF]

I've been having a ball with my lovely OTTB, Lady. We put traditional hunter type tack on her and rode around. She was perfect. She still hates to stand still, but is being such a good sport. Here are the pictures of her first ride under saddle.. walk, trot, halt, ground poles, and a small flower box. Definitely need to work on power steering, but brakes are getting much better.

http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady8.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady9.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady10.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady11.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jcrewgal8/Lady12.jpg

Today I took her out into a half acre grass turnout and hopped on her with just a halter and lead rope. She was confused at first and was walking around very quickly trying to trot.. thinking.. someone is on me, time to GO! But after a few minutes she relaxed and ignored the fact I was there and just munched grass. She's just such a great sport. There's no way I'd do this with any other freshly OTTB.

The bad news.... she might have some soundess issues. The vet came out to do the PPE, but she came up sore, so we stopped. The vet said it looked like her feet were sore and possibly the racing plates weren't fitted well and putting pressure in places they shouldn't be. So we pulled her shoes and she gets new front shoes tomorrow. I'm hoping that will solve any soundness issues. When he pressure tested her foot she was sensitive directly under the navicular and in the frogs and heels. I'm hoping bad fitting shoes would do that. Right now I feel so bad watching her gimp around barefoot. Can't wait to get the shoes back on her.

Have you all you deal in racing every day seen this type of foot soreness or is it usually a sign of something more serious? How often do the hoof pressure tests find a more serious issue than feet?

As you know that it could be any number of things - she's on a different surface now, getting turned out maybe while the grass is wet and then dries out during the day so the hooves are expanding and contracting, or maybe it's an abscess? Stay optimistic. Get digital shots of the navicular and just get it over with so you won't worry.
Only a suggestion - if you have your farrier put clips on her shoes to be careful not to clench them down too tight. This adds pressure to the walls and will make her sore immedately.

[Reds-n-Greys]

No advice on her soreness, but just wanted to say...WOW, she is LOVELY!!!

What a lucky girl to have ended up with you ~ looking forward to more updates.

[findeight]

Don't "deal in racing" but have seen enough of them off the track to say what you got here is pretty common...go so far as to say all of them go thru some issues with their feet the first 6 months or so.

Have no idea why but alot of them blow abcesses repeatedly starting within a month. Others are just footsore on and off...some have corns and bruising on delivery that just doesn't show up until you start with a little more work.

So don't hit the panic button...yet anyway. Recommend that you do get some x rays though. Better to know now what you are dealing with and make the proper choices to get her back sound then to throw money at what may be wrong that isn't. Just shoeing properly and not as often as they seem to do at the track-and in more supportive steel, possibly with a little rim pad-plus some time and proper nutrition should get rid of the soreness as the foot grows out. Don't know anybody who has had any luck just pulling the shoes on those right off the track...maybe in a few months when you get some good growth back, not right now.

Most of them seem to do better if you just groom and handle them a little daily but leave them out and mostly alone. Let them down gradually and let their bodies adjust to the new routine. There will be some other bumps in the road ahead too, you can count on that.

It is not so easy going from a career where everything demands maximum effort and they stay in peak condition. We all think of their minds and forget it is quite an adjustment for their bodies as well.

Give her about 60 days off and out to let down then re evaluate.

[johnnysauntie]

OTTBs coming off the track are not used to uneven, hard surfaces. The track, the horsepaths, the entire area around the barns - it's all very hoof friendly. It's not uncommon to see them get a bit sore and they'll work through it. Having a good farrier see her will be a help.

She is a beauty! Wishing her a speedy recovery!

[CharingHounds]

That's wonderful.
I've fallen in love with a lot of horses that I galloped over the years but I finally got to take one home a couple of years ago when he was ready to retire and he's my dream come true. Time and turnout do wonders.
Good luck with her.
About the feet; I re-homed one off the track a few years ago that had terrible foot trouble though it wasn't discovered right away. Eventually, full pads in front proved to be the ticket for him and he was never lame or off when he was shod that way. The blacksmith said he had very thin soles...
Again, good luck with her - you look great together.
:yes:

[mintano]

Congratulations, she is a beautiful girl! I have two off the track myself. My mare who I got 4 years ago had HORRIBLE feet, she was so sore for a long time and was constantly pulling shoes because her feet couldn't hold the nails. Found a good farrier and her feet are finally solid and can hold nails really well without breaking apart. I'd say get x-rays to be sure but I imagine she's just footsore and will get better with some good steel shoes on her. :)

[I'm EBO]

She's gorgeous and lucky to have you.

The first thing I thought when you mentioned her feet was an abscess. Soak the foot, wrap it for a few, and see what happens. Can't hurt.

[BasqueMom]

Got two OTTB's--they are joys! Have lots of fun!

[Simkie]

Have you all you deal in racing every day seen this type of foot soreness or is it usually a sign of something more serious? How often do the hoof pressure tests find a more serious issue than feet?The consequences of bad shoeing--long toes and low heels--can cause caudal heel pain that can persist for a VERY long time, unfortunately. This is something I struggle with with my OTTB.

What DOES work is a very good shoer that can back that foot up and keep the toe SHORT. Very short. As short as possible.

Coffin joint injections with HA can also help resolve this sort of soreness.

Durasole will help with the soles and any soreness due to thin soles.

I use all of the above with my girl, and she looks very good. What you're seeing IS quite treatable. I hope you've got an excellent farrier!

[scpezold]

Such a sucker for a grey. Curently have 3 OTTB's and 2 of them are greys. Greys just stand out. Congrats on your new gal. She is lovely.