Healthy Thoroughbred

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LoseDrawWin

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Hi there,

I wanted to ask how much it costs to keep a healthy thoroughbred day in day out?

Take this down to the bare basics, strip all the training costs, insurances and give me the details on how you could keep a young thoroughbred happy and healthy for 12 months.

What would be there normal daily diet requirements?
 
Well mine is an ex racer who only needs grass in summer and in winter grass hay or haylage and he gets one feed a day- small scoop calm and conditioner or just chaff depending on work load. He is bare foot. He does require rugging in winter and i stable him but he would live out fine with same diet as above.
 
Horse Racing trainers then charge £20,000+ P/A to get them fit?

Are you seriously telling me that's ethical when work riders and grooms are on minimum wage?
 
LoseDrawWin said:
Horse Racing trainers then charge £20,000+ P/A to get them fit?

Are you seriously telling me that's ethical when work riders and grooms are on minimum wage?
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To be fair - they don't charge just to get them fit. They charge to keep them in the lap of luxury, to use their hard won expertise to train them, and to produce them at optimum condition/fitness for each race they run.

I don't pay juniors a busting lot to do bits of work for me - yet I charge a fairly decent daily rate for the services of my business. Does that make me corrupt? I don't think so. I worked hard to achieve the level of experience I have, and I charge accordingly. The people who work for me will learn plenty and get more experienced - then they can earn/charge more. That's the way the cookie crumbles!
 
Training fees will include farrier, decent feed, all day to day care and exercise etc etc you cant compare keeping a tb as a 'riding horse' to keeping a tb as a racehorse!

I have 5 ex racers now (mentallist, had 2 a month ago:o) And keep them relitavely cheaply...touches wood

Farrier, fronts on 2 and 3 trims- £130 every 6 weeks
Feed- £100 pcm for all 5, happy hoof, fast fibre and pony mix
Hay, bedding, livery included in work

Extras like wormers,jabs,teeth,back etc

Decent quality rugs and keeping on top of repais cost me the most!
 
EKW said:
An in training tb requires so much more attention to detail and looking after than your average Joe Bloggs tb doing normal things.
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Very true. A racing TB is an athlete at the peak of fitness, where as a TB on grass livery going for hacks at the weekend is not (even if it's the same horse having been given a new career).
 
I also don't know any trainers that charge £20k+ per year training! If they are they must be winning every race they enter to deserve that price tag!

On average training fees are £1200 for basic training - food, stable, bedding, work time etc. On top you get vet's fees, farriers, gallop fees, race entries and transport fees. So make it roughly £1500 a month minimum. Horses are usually in training for 8-9 months a year on full fees and the other 3months are usually spent "on holiday" so have reduced fees.

So no where near £20k a year.
 
They vary massively on how much they cost, some are much better doers than others, and it will depend on how much work it does. One of ours is currently basically on grass, plus limited feed,and shoes every 5 weeks.
Also, 10 months at £1500, is 15k, plus farrier, vets, gallop fees and your at 20k.
The reason a lot of staff aren't paid very well in racing is simple. Its very labour intensive, and the yards are expensive to run.
 
LoseDrawWin said:
Hi there,

I wanted to ask how much it costs to keep a healthy thoroughbred day in day out?

Take this down to the bare basics, strip all the training costs, insurances and give me the details on how you could keep a young thoroughbred happy and healthy for 12 months.

What would be there normal daily diet requirements?
Click to expand...
The question you asked was how much it costs to keep a young horse in a field not a racehorse in training, if you have an agenda, you are really best to bring it to the fore rather than have others drag it out of you.
It is the sort of first post we get on here from people who are "anti" something.
I pay £35 per week for a field and a stable, and £5.00 for hay in winter. I also feed him "extras" and have routine veterinary treatment, and loads of other things to pay for.
 
zaminda said:
The reason a lot of staff aren't paid very well in racing is simple. Its very labour intensive, and the yards are expensive to run.
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I disagree, I worked in racing for a few years as a stable lad, and had my wages in my hand with nothing to pay, the young lads went to dances and such like most weekends, sometimes the tickets were £80 a shot, they were only 19 to 22 years old and had a great life. Pub every night, free food and accommodation.
You don't expect £25K per annum in a job with so little stress and so much training, and they don't need GCE's or a degree in poo picking.
Responsibility is earned and you will find the senior staff may be quite young.......... for example the travelling head girl may be regularly driving several £50K horses and supervising three staff when they go to races.
This sort of responsibility can often come before age 25, ie seven years as stable staff before senior management promotion.
I think you will find they are better placed than the checkout staff at Tesco.
 
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OP is this a follow on from your post about leasing a racehorse?

If so then like others say there's a big difference in training a racehorse than just keeping a healthy one ticking over!

Which is it that you're after doing? Then maybe people can give you the right advice.
 
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