Riding 2 year olds?

I have a horse that raced as a two year old, he was wired on high energy feed, eyes on stalks, spent all day in the stable unless he was on the walker or being exercised. Do I think that is an acceptable life for a two year old?

Absolutely not, and please no one try and say if someone came on this forum that their two year old Warmblood had no turnout, was fed high protein feed and in a huge amount of work no one would say anything.

Just because it's 'normal' in the racing industry does not make it right, I do not care how many horses go on to race into their teens or how many 'welfare' cases there are outside of racing. Every day I see Thoroughbreds with some sort of anxiety induced behaviour that was picked up when in training. I'm fed up of hearing how well looked after they are, horses do not WANT to be tucked up in a stable going on the walker daily, however well fed they are. Sure they're not your standard welfare cases but I don't agree that they are all happy horses. They are taught to conform, there is no room for self expression or enjoyment. That's no life for a horse, never mind a young one.

Of course there is good and bad in everything, and I don't doubt that some race horses have a very different life when in training, not only that but horse racing is not the only equine sport where the standards of horse care are pretty similar. But the thread is about young horses in racing.
 
Like the vast majority of flat horses my mare was broken as a yearling, raced at two with some success (won about £13k) went sour. She is the soundest horse I've ever come across. Never a day lame sick or sorry.

Also it's not something they do to every horse. Huge horses are often left and kept and backed at three to go jumping. Also if you go to tattersalls book 1 in October, some of those yearlings look like 5 year old warm bloods, they are a fast maturing breed.

Do I agree with it? Probably not, but it's not a case of racing everything at two, it doesn't happen. I work in the industry and would muck rather nursery year be at three and classic year at 4, but racing can be very very stuck in its ways!
 
MrsD123 said:
Obviously you've never worked in racing.
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Actually I have, so please don't jump to conclusions, I have also worked in Eventing and Showjumping, and feel I have seen enough to base an opinion on.

As I say though there is good and there is bad in everything, and I have equally been to some nice places. I don't deny that the grooms love their horses and do their very best for them.

I was generalising, purely because if I didn't it would of been a very long reply, but my over all opinion is that no, riding two year olds whether it's racing or not isn't right. And the lifestyle the horses have I don't feel is particularly pleasant for them. However I do understand that logistics on the big yards does generally mean it would be impossible for every horse to have daily turnout, plus the risk of injury etc, but ultimately it's the animal that suffers for that. Of course that doesn't only apply to the racing industry, but as I said the question was about horses in racing....

Just because I do not share the same opinion as you MrsD does not mean I know more or less than you, so please don't profess to be the only person able to have an un-biased opinion on this thread, because to me it seems quite the opposite.
 
I've personally found that outside the 'hubs' of newmarket/lambourn/middleham/malton turnout is pretty normal. I know Rob Cowell is specialises in sprinters turns his out all the time, Nigel Twiston-Davies get a fair amount, even imperial commander was going out nearly every day if not every day for several hours in the run up to his big runs, with other horses, and if they fought or dicked about, oh well that's horses, then of course there is Simon Earle who's racehorses get more turnout, and a higher fibre diet than most horses in this country i should imagine.

Even in Newmarket Rae Guest has paddocks (albeit small ones) to put the horses out a few hours every afternoon. Venetia Williams all get turned out regularly, daily if the owner requests it. Kevin Ryan turns out, Tony Carroll is quite big on turn out and 'herds' and things. Those are the ones i can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many many many more.
 
EmmyMD said:
I've personally found that outside the 'hubs' of newmarket/lambourn/middleham/malton turnout is pretty normal. I know Rob Cowell is specialises in sprinters turns his out all the time, Nigel Twiston-Davies get a fair amount, even imperial commander was going out nearly every day if not every day for several hours in the run up to his big runs, with other horses, and if they fought or dicked about, oh well that's horses, then of course there is Simon Earle who's racehorses get more turnout, and a higher fibre diet than most horses in this country i should imagine.

Even in Newmarket Rae Guest has paddocks (albeit small ones) to put the horses out a few hours every afternoon. Venetia Williams all get turned out regularly, daily if the owner requests it. Kevin Ryan turns out, Tony Carroll is quite big on turn out and 'herds' and things. Those are the ones i can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many many many more.
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As I say, there is good and bad :) my horse was not turned out when he was training.
 
Having come from a family involved in racing I'm not going to into the ins and puts but I will say that every race yard is different. Done favour turnout, some don't, I know ex racers who adore being out and at grass and who thrive on it, I also know some who don't like being out and cannot transition to it. Despite the trainers trying them out at grass and new owners trying to turn them away to grass for a while. It all depends on the horse.

I wouldn't ride one of my own horses at two as they are for riding and longterm use, not for racing, which some people need to remember is a short career only a few exceptional individuals go beyond 10 or 12 racing. Also people need to remember that it wasn't they long ago that over 14 was considered old for a horse.

As someone has already said I prefer to control what I do with my own horses not get myself in a stew about what others do with theirs, might not agree but none of my business and the racers aren't exactly starved, beaten and miss treated.
 
pipper said:
Again I agree - but I just wondered why more fuss isn't made by the HHO members, that always seem to jump on a post that has any little mention of something that isn't quite 'correct'. Its only my musings.........just got me wondering.....
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I've seen it mentioned and discussed loads. There is definitely at least on research paper on the ossification of growth plates in all horses occuring at around 4 ... TB's do not mature sooner than other horses butit would seem the amount of work they do younger 'hardens' their bones faster.
 
I think they T.B.s probably do mature faster than Shires or Friesians for example, its nature and nurture.
The idea that by gradually increasing workload will model the bones seems to be accepted, also it will model the muscles and condition the ligaments, we all do this when starting all horses, we don't take them out of a field, slap a saddle on and go for a gallop.
 
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