Games of Knowledge | Sports and Exercise

Games Guy | November 28, 2011

A racehorse trainer could tell the potential racehorse owner volumes about buying and owning a racehorse. The undertaking can be pleasurable and lucrative or heartbreaking, with not much to show in the way of earnings or a horse that is injured. A horse is a living being, and some things are unpredictable. But someone thinking about buying a racehorse must seriously consider seven points.

Do They Have Enough Money to Buy and Keep a Racehorse?

Even maintaining a jade that you just ride for the enjoyment of it costs quite a bit. A racehorse has a lot of requirements: food, shelter, and other specialists to take care of and train the animal. Permits and insurances must be obtained and paid for. Racehorses also have travel expenses as they move from one racecourse to the other over the season.

A Pedigree

The horse’s lineage should be known by the owner. Can I see the bloodline? Who’s the sire? Do you think we can find them and their ancestors in the General Stud Book? What are the names of the horse’s siblings, whether they are full or half? Have they performed well on this particular course?

The Horse’s Conformation

The great champion Seabiscuit was a horse with a strange, eggbeater action when he ran, but he did run despite. Different horses may not adjust for mistakes in a similar way. If possible, the potential buyer needs to see the horse run around several laps.

What Gender?

Does the owner want to see what a filly can do? Naturally, there are gifted fillies and there are certain competitions, such as those at Ribblesdale and Falmouth, in which only fillies compete. If the buyer is thinking about a gelding, will he be willing to give up stud fees if the animal turns out to be a champion? If your gelding is a champion, you can purchase one of it’s siblings, but it’s unlikely that the sibling will be as gifted.

Where Do They Want to Race the Horse?

Some horses do well on flat racing courses like Epsom or Doncaster. Other horses excel at National Hunt races, such as Cheltenham, or mixed race courses, such as Folkestone or Kempton Park. When the owner determines he wants to enter the National Hunt race they should make sure their racehorse trainer is ready to prepare for it. It’s a fact that there are horses that just don’t enjoy jumping and will not do it.

Will They Want to Maintain the Horse If It’s Not a Winner?

To say it differently, how can an owner justify the expenses for a horse that isn’t bringing in money?

What Do They Plan To Do With the Horse After Retirement?

The work life of a race horse will only last up to a few years. Even though it is true that a champion stallion has the ability to generate stud fees, and a champion mare has the ability to breed more horses, all racehorses cannot reproduce, and horses live as long as thirty years. Will the owner simply put them out to pasture, sell them to a horse-lover, an abattoir or some other concern, or donate them to a charity?

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Tags: Bloodline, Buying A Racehorse, Conformation, Epsom, Falmouth, Fillies, Filly, Food Shelter, Gelding, General Stud Book, horse, Owning A Racehorse, racehorse owner, racehorse trainer, Racehorses, races, Seabiscuit, Seven Points, Sibling, Sire, Stud Fees, Travel Expenses

Games Guy | March 11, 2010

Surviving the credit crunch is never easy, but when you have ponies and horses which completely rely on you for food, shelter and medical attention, every little bit saved helps.

It’s tremendously sad that many horses and ponies are given up every single, as owners struggle financially with the economy as it is, because of this there are presently many horses for sale.

Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Kent, knows all about looking after horses on a tight budget, having to rely purely on donations to help keep more than 40 rescued horses in good condition. She believes there are a few points which could help make owning a horse on a budget a little easier:

1. Many horses can live quite happily outside for the majority of the year, as long as there’s nurishment, water and a place to shelter available. Providing this is an acceptable option for your horse, it could help reduce your stabling prices by a large amount.

2. Taking off shoes can be an easy way to keep costs down. If only ridden occasionally, and not ridden on rough surfaces, many horses will be happy without shoes.

3. Sharing your horse is a great way to severely reduce costs, and helps to provide a cheaper introduction to horse ownership for another person.

4. Quite often it is possible to receive free stabling and perhaps even hay and bedding in return for helping out around the yard. Mucking out, grooming the horses, yard and paddock maintenance etc. are all ways which could save you money for a little hard work!

5. Vets bills are an unknown quantity but still have to be considered. If money’s a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to pay in instalments.

6. Many people can also make lifestyle changes! It’s not just finding ways to keep your horse more cheaply, you can do it too!

7. If achievable, horse owners can often join forces to purchase feed and straw in bigger numbers, reducing the entire cost and passing on savings to all.

8. As a last resort, you can look into getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.

If you’re in a position to share, or even buy a horse or pony, there are still many horses for sale and ponies for sale available.

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Tags: Bedding, Credit Crunch, Food Shelter, Horse Owners, Horse Ownership, Horse Refuge, Horses And Ponies, horses for sale, horses on budget, horses recession, Instalments, Last Resort, Lifestyle Changes, Looking After Horses, Many Horses, Medical Attention, Owning A Horse, Paddock Maintenance, Ponies For Sale, Rough Surfaces, Tight Budget, Unknown Quantity, Vets