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

[maryanne@ratbusters.net]

I'd agree with Susan, I think, after seeing what happens with the Arab racehorses in Egypt. They start them later, but the training and the veterinary care aren't the best. You can get some great horses from the track and some real freaks, but what is really hard to tell is what has been stressed to the point of later breakdown. My soundest horse is a 25 yr old mare that probably came from the track (slow, I would think, and not the right mind set), went to rental stables at the pyramids, was trained to jump, dance, who knows what before I got her to play with my kids. But she's never really been stressed by me either. We drive around looking at some of these beautiful Arab cart horses that put 40 to 50 km a day in every day pulling produce and stuff around. More than one rider has fantasized about buying one for endurance, since they've certainly put in the LONG, SLOW distance....but you can bet your life on navicular or something of that line. I wouldn't give such great odds.

Maryanne Gabbani



 IMO, the refugees from the
> track physiologically might make good prospects *if* they survived the early
> race training without injury to bone, tendon or ligament.  From the data
> I've seen, I think those individuals are fairly few and far between.