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Barnmice Community -> Barnmice Forums -> General Horse Chat -> Standardbred Horse Racing Finished in Ontario March 31/13
Post Info TOPIC: Standardbred Horse Racing Finished in Ontario March 31/13
deb


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Date: Jul 22, 2012
Standardbred Horse Racing Finished in Ontario March 31/13
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Hi

I am a standardbred horse owner/trainer who races and rides STB's.  I have been in the stbs' since 1989 and have grown to love this breed.  They are versitile, dependable, tough, and make great riding horses, and companions.

In Ontario racing will be finished effectively March 31/13.  I am NOT saddened by this fact, there is much in racing that needs to come to an end.  What does trouble me though is that so many of these horses will be killed.  Many go for slaughter as it is each year, but when racing is truly done, and even starting at the end of the summer meet many of these people will have to realize (currently they have their heads in the sand) that racing is done, finished.  As they realize it they will be shipping these horses, the menonites will only need some, and most will be killed through the horse meat market.  In Ontario effectively there will be no more stbs, the STB breed will no longer be sired here, and as time goes on the breed will no longer be found in Canada as each province follows suit, as it is happening here, it is also happening in the states just at a slower pace.

These horses are capable of doing much, much more than pulling a cart for the menonites, or racing.  I can personally tell you that they can make the best type of riding horse.  They make great school horses, show horses, competitive driving horses, companion animals, and children's mounts.  I have personally ridden them over fences, in dressage and for pleasure on trail.  My son from the time he was old enough to sit a horse (he is disabled) was sitting on the back of currently racing horses, and could ride any of them anywhere on the race backstreach.  They loved it.

My hope is that people will think of a stb when they purchase their next horse.  Especially for school horses, as they are tough, ressilant, and good with people, new situations and other animals.  They are used to a lot of action, and tollerate a lot of very poor and often cruel handeling, just think what kind and decent handeling can do with them!   

If you want to see just how amazing these horses can look take a look at some of my pics on Barnmice.  

Thanks' Deb McDaid

Tiocfaidh Ar La Stable 

Cheers from: Che, Tattoo, and Steel



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Barbara F


Grand Prix

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Date: Jul 24, 2012
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Wow, I hadn't heard that news, Deb. I think it will be a challenge to re-educate people about Standardbreds as riding and competition horses. Do you have videos? It might be nice to see some of the horses in action doing this and that!

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Horse-hearted


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Date: Jul 26, 2012
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Very well written.

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deb


Well Schooled

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Date: Aug 4, 2012
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Hi

No, at this point nothing that would convince anyone that they can do what I know they can, of my old horses, I didn't even own a video camera then (many years ago), and of the three now,

We are still trying to get Che to race a few more starts to help pay the bills, he has health issues (nothing to do with being stb. he has IR), so to try to ride him and race him is too much right now, he is broke and will be an awesome horse once he is retiered as a race horse.  He is the horse in the pic (he isn't quite three in the face pic of me on this posting.)  At 1300 lbs (in riding shape, about 1200 or so to race), and at 16.2 1/2 hands he is a really powerful and beautiful horse that has a great way of going.  I will as soon as we do quit him start riding him and post his video and pics as we go along.

Steel: I don't know if I can afford to keep him, but he is lightly broke, and has a wonderful way of going, he would make anyone a small horse (lg. pony) for adult of child, he is powerful, just not real tall.  He has a wonderful jump, and was a childs' horse, and once away from racing will be again... my disabled son loves him and can do anything with him.  He is a little hot on the track as the last owner beat him near to death (he bragged to me about that!!! didn't go over well)  but he is going back to his natural sensible way of going, and off track he is great, he would make a great comp. driving horse, as he is smart, and handy, is a trotter, and can turn any direction, is fast, but steady and can go all day without getting tired.  He is currently racing, but he is simply not fast enough as a race horse anymore, they are starting to drop their horses down in class since people are starting to get the 'hint' that racing is done, and so he is simply outclassed.  If I can afford to keep him I will.  We shall see.

Tattoo: Is retired, I just ordered his papers sent to me, (it is all on computer nowadays), he jumped on himself his last race,-- and will not be ready to race before racing is over-- so his foot stops him from doing anything until it heals (no ridding- no lunging), he of course is quite happy, he gets to do nothing but eat, go out to the paddock, follow Che on the walker, and get lots of tlc-- carrots, apples, black licorice, and huggs.  That will end asap, as he will be under saddle soon.  He is a pacer, but he only trots unless he wears hopples, so he is not the best horse to show being transitioned from pacer to riding horse, but I will video him and post as we go once he is back at it.  He is in a way better than Che to show people as he is typical stb in looks and type... fast, tall, thin... racey looking, nice head, square horse, that will be really, really fast over fences.  He also has really nice long low action, and is very athletic, typical stb.  Saying that, there is a body type for everyone in stbs... they come in all different shapes and sizes.  He is not typical in that he is hot-- serious abuse made him that way, but his breeding on both sides is a little hot anyway.  Most stbs. away from racing are calm and very, very sensible.  Che and Steel are more typical in this.

There are sites out there, and there is some stuff on the web from a stb. horse show in ON that showcased the stb under saddle.

I will post all I can once I am underway as I go asap! smile

Think STB.

Cheers

Tiocfaidh Ar La Stable

home of : Tiocfaidh Ar La (Che), Da Plane Boss (Tattoo), The Stealth (Steel)

thanks for reading

Deb McDaid

 



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deb


Well Schooled

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Date: Aug 5, 2012
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Tattoo is the horse on the left, the standing shot on the right is Steel.  Che is the horse I am riding in the part under my name.  I have lots of photos of the horses on my barnmice site.

 

deb



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deb


Well Schooled

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Date: Sep 15, 2012
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Hi

Here is a link from Youtube from Grandriver Raceway, they had a day a few years ago.  Here are some pics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__8Uomqnm0I

As to my three, Che is still not sound enough to do much with, Tattoo is still off and while we have taught him to lunge (it took 3 days, and he got it), we are limited to what he can do for a while yet.  Steel is still racing, and all I've got to race for now, so we are going easy on the ridding, but it took him one day to learn to lunge, and by the second he knew how to bend both ways and got stop and go, we won't canter him (he is a trotter and we are afraid it will encourage him to brake stride), but Tattoo walks, trots and canter's on the lunge already.  Tattoo is lightly broke, and can walk and trot and as soon as he is able to be ridden regularly I will post pics and hopefully video.

 

Deb McDaid



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StandardbredFanClub


Yearling

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Date: Nov 20, 2012
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Hi Deb,

Lovely post. You are right, many Stb's will be sent to slaughter if the gambling money for the racetracks is discontinued. However, that is nothing new. Thousands upon thousands are sent by the racing industry in Canada to slaughterhouses every year. To be precise, nearly 90,000 horses are slaughtered in Canada every year: The majority of those are race horses and the majority of those are Standardbreds.

We are of the view that it is terrible that a sport that should be marvelled for its athletes has come to represent instead the epitamy of cruelty to its athletes. no

But ... help for the horses has to come from somewhere else. It's not coming from the industry. The horse rescues are stretched to the max with their resources and help the lucky few who get snatched from the kill-buyers, the auctions, or donated by the owners because they can't be bothered to keep the horse if it isn't earning money.

We believe that race horses (Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds) deserve better than slaughter after their racing days. We are putting our belief into action and asking those love horses to vote for the Canada Retirement Foundation for race horses idea at Aviva's Community Fund. The 3rd round of voting is almost over -- the Foundation idea has made it this far in the competition -- so we really need more votes!

Vote here (free to vote, you can vote once a day, every day!)
http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf16017

Standardbred Horse Fan Club

 



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deb


Well Schooled

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Posts: 85
Date: Nov 25, 2012
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Hi

There are many ideas for what should be done, almost none of them come from the people in the industry, most just don't care, many are using the plight of the horses for a soap box, but don't believe for a second that these people care, they don't, that is the cold hard facts. 

The best chance these horses have is that ridding people will give a chance to the individual horse, as many as people like me and other's can spread the word to, and in as many forums as we can come up with.  

As to what the reality of these horses is, even if racing were to continue on most stbs live to 3, maybe four years old, then they are shipped to slaughter, or menonites (not a good happy ending home either, cruel, harsh, and then to slaughter once the road and lack of care takes it's toll)... so to see the end of racing does not hurt my feelings, racing will never change while there is money involved.. so that means never, as people will not do it for no purse money-- it could be great, it could be fun for horses and people, no different than showing horses can be fun for horses and people-- but after 20 plus years in the business, I will not hold my breath-- I know more about racing than most people in the game, my family went up agains the commission which goverens harness racing in this province, we made it all the way to appelant court, so trust me I know lots about them-- good riddance to racing, but the plight of the horses is the sad part, yes the horses will die if racing were somehow to continue, but most will die by March if something is not done... the rescues are over filled, and the few people like me already have more horses of their own to care for with little or no money to do it, so we need as many people to take these horses as we can get, petitions are great, getting the word out any way you can it great, but unless people open their barns to these horses than they will die.

I have friends that have taken in as many as they can, so I am taped out, so now I just tell everyone I can about they horses, and hope that the right people will listen.

Anyway, an update on my horses... Steel is still racing, I have someone to take him when he is done if I can't afford to keep him, Tattoo still has his health issue that no vet (or myself) has been able to truly figure out), and Che is now retired, which is horrible for me and my barn, as he was my best chance to make money that would have been used to keep his 'horse' family intact with.  We are starting to ride Che a bit, but he can't lunge as his stifles are in bad shape right now, so he can't turn tight circles... we are riding him lightly, but not pushing him, so nothing special to show anyone...

I also want to state that Che and Tattoo are not typical, they have propblems that I have never encountered before in stbs... Che is IR, and Tattoo was so neglected and abused, and has been in accidents through human error... so don't think that stbs are problmatic horses... just the oposite.  I just happen to be a very unlucky person, and ended up with my two problem 'childern' :(

Anyway, once Che is doing something worth showing I will post pics.

take care

cheers

Tiocfaidh Ar La Stable

Che, Tattoo, Steel

deb 



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