faerie666
Well-Known Member
Hmm, not sure pies would travel that well, tinned stew might be better, or freezedrying, to save on weight and therefore transport costs.
Would be better for the environment too.
Failed Racehorses - Something needs to be done!!!!
- Thread starter lauraheads
- Start date
HLB
Well-Known Member
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Hmm, not sure pies would travel that well, tinned stew might be better, or freezedrying, to save on weight and therefore transport costs.
Would be better for the environment too.
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i will see you later then for a round up and a head count before loading them up
Hmm, not sure pies would travel that well, tinned stew might be better, or freezedrying, to save on weight and therefore transport costs.
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RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
But to cut the cost of rehoming - if there were an easy way of sending the message out to a larger group of people that certain horses had to go by such and such a date (eg 1 weeks time) that would be enough for a potential buyer to go and suss out the horse. I do not think this argument about the cost of keeping a horse running really applies.
As a previous poster said, the word about these horses isn't spread - it's too in-house, I guess partly because they want to keep the knowledge of this kind of wastage hush hush. But by keeping it hush hush, it increases the need for wastage.
I'm not a fluffy bunny, and I don't think 'problem' horses should be kept, but many of these horses aren't a problem at all. They just need a little time to mature, and can then go on to do great things elsewhere.
As a previous poster said, the word about these horses isn't spread - it's too in-house, I guess partly because they want to keep the knowledge of this kind of wastage hush hush. But by keeping it hush hush, it increases the need for wastage.
I'm not a fluffy bunny, and I don't think 'problem' horses should be kept, but many of these horses aren't a problem at all. They just need a little time to mature, and can then go on to do great things elsewhere.
*hic*
village idiot :D
If you send more racehorses out into a horse owning world that is already saturated with animals then (worst case) what will happen is that people will "trade up" to an ex-racer, putting their old hairy onto the market, prices for these will go through the floor as there are all these cheap ex-racers available and the hairies will go for meat . .
Then a significant proportion of the new ex-racer owners will find out that they have taken on more than they can handle but no-one will want to pay to re-habilitate an ex-racer that is difficult to deal with because there is a constant supply of new ones coming onto the market cheap.
Then a significant proportion of the new ex-racer owners will find out that they have taken on more than they can handle but no-one will want to pay to re-habilitate an ex-racer that is difficult to deal with because there is a constant supply of new ones coming onto the market cheap.
Stoxx
Well-Known Member
QR -
I haven't read the majority of other replies, sorry but I don't have time at the mo.
My take on this (racehorses have been in my family since I was born) is that more responsibility needs to lie with the owner. Once the horse has fulfilled the job the owner originally bought it for it should be their responsibility to decide what would be best for the horse. If it has retired due to a bad injury then perhaps the best possible option would be pts. If it has retired because it is too slow then perhaps the owner could pay for the horse to be reschooled and sold. I know for a fact that this costs considerably less than what they pay per month in training fees.
Ok, so they aren't getting anything out of the end result, but this is where the attitude needs to change. Not that my mumblings will ever do anything as racehorses are treated as a commodity. I've had this debate on various occasions with my own father.
As it happens I'm currently negotiating a deal with our trainer and my friend who backs and schools young sports horses, so that any horses that come out of training sound can go to her to be reschooled and then hopefully sold on to good homes.
I haven't read the majority of other replies, sorry but I don't have time at the mo.
My take on this (racehorses have been in my family since I was born) is that more responsibility needs to lie with the owner. Once the horse has fulfilled the job the owner originally bought it for it should be their responsibility to decide what would be best for the horse. If it has retired due to a bad injury then perhaps the best possible option would be pts. If it has retired because it is too slow then perhaps the owner could pay for the horse to be reschooled and sold. I know for a fact that this costs considerably less than what they pay per month in training fees.
Ok, so they aren't getting anything out of the end result, but this is where the attitude needs to change. Not that my mumblings will ever do anything as racehorses are treated as a commodity. I've had this debate on various occasions with my own father.
As it happens I'm currently negotiating a deal with our trainer and my friend who backs and schools young sports horses, so that any horses that come out of training sound can go to her to be reschooled and then hopefully sold on to good homes.
JM07
Well-Known Member
nice idea...BUT
How on earth do you re-home 1000's of ex-racer's
we are talking about 20 or 30 here....
why stop at racer's??
what about the Welsh ponies, the NF ponies, the 1000's of other breeds/types overbred...because it seemed like a good idea.???
Better they are disposed of than living life of misery....
How on earth do you re-home 1000's of ex-racer's
we are talking about 20 or 30 here....
why stop at racer's??
what about the Welsh ponies, the NF ponies, the 1000's of other breeds/types overbred...because it seemed like a good idea.???
Better they are disposed of than living life of misery....
annunziata
Well-Known Member
My horse came from a the darley rehome and they only take certain horses from the stables this is due to soundness and weather they can mentally be reschool the others will be shot, if you want a free three year old hang around after the sales there are plently of people who give them away, this is something that has been happening for years and will not change if you can save one that is one more, TBH not everyone can cope with them they need a lot of work and time this is not for everyone
Penniless
Well-Known Member
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Racehorses are just the toys of the rich. When they break, they throw them away and replace them. It is prestige that matters here. Not economics. The prestige of standing in the winners enclosure. The prestige of telling fellow property developers that your horse has won £.....s. The horse is a disposable pawn in the game. Very sad.
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Please don't tar us all with the same brush! We breed and race our own horses and we certainly aren't rich! Certainly not the prestige, although we probably get as much fun at watching horses we've bred race, as anyone else watching their horse compete in dressage, sj, etc. In our case, it's a case of telling our friends how much we've lost in a year - certainly not the prize money. Ours certainly aren't disposable pawns - when they retire, they then have another career with us - hence we have 9 ex-racers (amongst others).
We also take in ex-racers direct from trainers to re-home and we're certainly not the only people to do this - and not at a profit either and prospective owners always get vetted.
We do get very sad though when we may pop along to watch a local show and see certain riders sitting on an ex-racer who seem to think that because they've got an ex-racer, it has to be a bag of bones! If we couldn't keep our own ex-racers after they've finished their racing careers, we would prefer to shoot them ourselves rather than end up in the hands of a "rescuer" who seems to think a horse that was used to having an 8 stone lad on board, being given the best of everything (in most cases) is then being yanked in the mouth by a person double the weight of a racing person.
As you know yourself, there are good and bad owners in every discipline - so please don't generalise.
Racehorses are just the toys of the rich. When they break, they throw them away and replace them. It is prestige that matters here. Not economics. The prestige of standing in the winners enclosure. The prestige of telling fellow property developers that your horse has won £.....s. The horse is a disposable pawn in the game. Very sad.
[/ QUOTE ]
Please don't tar us all with the same brush! We breed and race our own horses and we certainly aren't rich! Certainly not the prestige, although we probably get as much fun at watching horses we've bred race, as anyone else watching their horse compete in dressage, sj, etc. In our case, it's a case of telling our friends how much we've lost in a year - certainly not the prize money. Ours certainly aren't disposable pawns - when they retire, they then have another career with us - hence we have 9 ex-racers (amongst others).
We also take in ex-racers direct from trainers to re-home and we're certainly not the only people to do this - and not at a profit either and prospective owners always get vetted.
We do get very sad though when we may pop along to watch a local show and see certain riders sitting on an ex-racer who seem to think that because they've got an ex-racer, it has to be a bag of bones! If we couldn't keep our own ex-racers after they've finished their racing careers, we would prefer to shoot them ourselves rather than end up in the hands of a "rescuer" who seems to think a horse that was used to having an 8 stone lad on board, being given the best of everything (in most cases) is then being yanked in the mouth by a person double the weight of a racing person.
As you know yourself, there are good and bad owners in every discipline - so please don't generalise.
PeterNatt
Well-Known Member
The wastage of horses destined for the race horse industry or from the race horse industry is a total disgarce. Thousands of horses are disgarded by their breeders, trainers or owners. Many of those that become owners or part owners or members of syndicates have very little understanding or interest in the welfare of the horses and are only interested in the thrill of the race and their horse winning.
I believe that the solution to this issue is that every breeder of a thoroughbred should have to deposit into a central charitable fund a sufficent sum of money which would pay for the keep of the horse for the rest of it's average natural life. Taking in to account todays cost of keeping a horse that lives on average for 20 years I would suggest a sum of £160,000 per horse. This may effect the economics of the race horse industry but would do justice for horses.
I believe that the solution to this issue is that every breeder of a thoroughbred should have to deposit into a central charitable fund a sufficent sum of money which would pay for the keep of the horse for the rest of it's average natural life. Taking in to account todays cost of keeping a horse that lives on average for 20 years I would suggest a sum of £160,000 per horse. This may effect the economics of the race horse industry but would do justice for horses.
lauraheads
Well-Known Member
PeterNatt - Do you mean like a tax for every racehorse bred?
Christmas Crumpet
Well-Known Member
Sadly racehorses are the same as any other animal - they are bred to fulfill demand and if they are crap the chances are they will get shot.
I am not sure if anyone is aware that it was Newmarket sales last week and prices were down 50% on last year. A load of foals that weren't sold were left at the sales and shot because there was no demand for them. Sadly breeding takes forward planning and last year things were rosy esp. in the racing world. Now things are not so good and people cannot afford them.
I am proud to hold my head up and say I have a rehomed ex racehorse that I got straight from training and he has a home for life despite being a complete a*se out hunting on Sat! My parents also have racehorses in training and they have done for over 10 years. Every horse of theirs that leaves training for one reason or another is carefully rehomed with friends or friends of friends and all seem to have flourished in a variety of different careers. My parents would never send anything to the sales or have it shot because their horses are their babies and they would do anything for them to have a good life which just goes to show that there are good owners out there who don't just care about the winning.
I am not sure if anyone is aware that it was Newmarket sales last week and prices were down 50% on last year. A load of foals that weren't sold were left at the sales and shot because there was no demand for them. Sadly breeding takes forward planning and last year things were rosy esp. in the racing world. Now things are not so good and people cannot afford them.
I am proud to hold my head up and say I have a rehomed ex racehorse that I got straight from training and he has a home for life despite being a complete a*se out hunting on Sat! My parents also have racehorses in training and they have done for over 10 years. Every horse of theirs that leaves training for one reason or another is carefully rehomed with friends or friends of friends and all seem to have flourished in a variety of different careers. My parents would never send anything to the sales or have it shot because their horses are their babies and they would do anything for them to have a good life which just goes to show that there are good owners out there who don't just care about the winning.
OWLIE185
Well-Known Member
Yes a tax for every thoroughbred bred.
Booboos
Well-Known Member
I completely agree with the people who suggest that owners/breeders/trainers have to take responsibility for these animals.
I grew up in Greece where there are literally thousands of abandonned cats and dogs, free to roam the streets full of diseases, hunting for food and waiting to get run over by cars. I was so happy to see that in the UK everyone takes responsibility for their animals with indescriminate breeding strongly discouraged, welfare societies taking over when people cannot cope, etc. Breeders of small and easily identifiable populations of dogs often take responsibility for the entire dog's life, so that if a dog is abandonned by its owner the breeder takes it back in. Why couldn't a similar system work for horses? You chose to breed it, then you are responsible for breeding an animal that will have a useful life for someone (so that you can find someone to look after it) and if circumstances change you have to re-home it.
I grew up in Greece where there are literally thousands of abandonned cats and dogs, free to roam the streets full of diseases, hunting for food and waiting to get run over by cars. I was so happy to see that in the UK everyone takes responsibility for their animals with indescriminate breeding strongly discouraged, welfare societies taking over when people cannot cope, etc. Breeders of small and easily identifiable populations of dogs often take responsibility for the entire dog's life, so that if a dog is abandonned by its owner the breeder takes it back in. Why couldn't a similar system work for horses? You chose to breed it, then you are responsible for breeding an animal that will have a useful life for someone (so that you can find someone to look after it) and if circumstances change you have to re-home it.
LadyRascasse
Well-Known Member
unfortuanlty you can't save the world, i don't agree with shooting them, but there are so many organisations out there but there is only so much money. i have 2 exracers myself and would have another one because i love them,
the watcher
Well-Known Member
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Yes a tax for every thoroughbred bred.
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Owlie = a nice thought, but as horse breeders the UK is tough enough at the moment if we are competing with Europe and the rest of the world, to hit breeders with a punitive tax (no matter how well meant) would overnight destroy the TB breeding programmes that have been developed over many years in this country.
We need to toughen up and be less fluffy about this. Yes there are too many TBs, yes the excess may well be shot because there isn't a ready market for them, but wastage is part of any breeding programme unfortunately. The only difference is that when the Europeans overbreed warmbloods - they either go off to be salami or they are sold to the UK as riding horses - while we scrap our own homebred horses.
Go figure
Yes a tax for every thoroughbred bred.
[/ QUOTE ]
Owlie = a nice thought, but as horse breeders the UK is tough enough at the moment if we are competing with Europe and the rest of the world, to hit breeders with a punitive tax (no matter how well meant) would overnight destroy the TB breeding programmes that have been developed over many years in this country.
We need to toughen up and be less fluffy about this. Yes there are too many TBs, yes the excess may well be shot because there isn't a ready market for them, but wastage is part of any breeding programme unfortunately. The only difference is that when the Europeans overbreed warmbloods - they either go off to be salami or they are sold to the UK as riding horses - while we scrap our own homebred horses.
Go figure