Re: RC: Re: where to get ex-racehorse arabs?

[Laney Humphrey <laneyh@mbay.net>]

Hi Tara,
    I have a Lang Park horse that I adore.  A good friend bought a wonderful
horse from Magness Arabians in Santa Inez, CA, sorry I don't have contact info
for them but I expect she'll also reply to your query.  Be aware, though, that
not all ex-racehorses make good endurance horses, especially the ones that have
been raced a lot.  What they go through on the track would ruin anyone's mind
and even the good one's require a lot of retraining.  Also, short sprints and 50
miles of trotting are about as opposite as possible so a super-specialized
(conformation, muscle type and mind) "racehorse" isn't necessarily going to be
able to handle the demands of the trail.  Oh, also keep in mind that racehorses
got started really early and have probably never set foot off a flat, smooth
surface until you go on your first trailride.  All the things most horses learn
about as babies and youngsters, these horses have never experienced.
    In other words, taking on an exracehorse is not for the faint of heart!
There are a lot of wonderful horses out there that are better bets than
exracehorses for most people.  Another friend found a wonderful horse in her
local "Auto Trader" magazine.  Yup, "auto" trader - it has a very small "pets"
section.  Keep looking, good horses are out there.
Laney