I am not sure if you are just interested in tb. racing or not, but I race stbs.  In my province in Canada, racing for all intents and pruposes looks to be finished on March 31 of this year... it is already dead in Newfoundland, and stb racing I think my husband said also is now finished for good in Alberta.  The tbs. will likely race for a while yet in Canada, but stbs are in real trouble.  There is still stb racing a bit on the east coast, and BC is still going on, tb racing and 1/4 horse racing is in trouble all across canada, but is still going.

I have three horses curently, non of them doing any good (in this game you need to revolve the numbers, and I am soft so I keep the same horse around), you need to be hard, and not care about horses to do well in racing, as if you don't change them over and fast then you will have substandard horses, as racing is very hard on horses and they do last long at this game.  It is competitive as everyone is hungry, cutthroat, and the abuse to animals is high... it is not the black stallion... the love for horses is almost non-existant.  There are a few types of horse people in racing... those that wanted in on the bet so got a horse, those that were born into it, and those that wanted the easy way out and don't want to work a regular job... the middle group are mostly made up of the first and second.

I am regularly ridiculed for being kind to my horses, for not abusing them, for carring... I have been in the game since 1989, so I am very familiar... my husband has driven since he was 18 (not knowing how much you know about stb. racing, but like a jocky, only in a race bike- or sulky as it is called as well).  I have my A licence as a trainer.

My three horses are: Tiocfaidh Ar La- aka Che, 6 year old 16.2 1/2 h stb. b. stallion,(Pacer) Da Plane Boss- aka Tattoo, 15.3 h stb b. gelding, 9 year old (Pacer), and The Stealth- aka Steel, 10 year old 15 h stb. b. gelding (trotter).

Our horses race on the pace or trot, depending on breed and tendency, mainly they race on the gait they are bred for, trotter usually trot, pacers usually pace... but there are crossovers, but as the breed has become more and more refined there are less and less crossovers.  It has just been discovered that the reason that these horses are the fastest horse on the planet at the pace or trot is that they have an extra gene that allows them to utilize there back muscle in such a way as to have this high gear at these gaits. 

If you think they are not going fast, then think again!!! They can get to the 1/4 pole in 25 sec. for the faster horses.... they also gallop, trot and walk, and canter the same as any other breed, despite some peoples misconsceptions of them.. my big horse was bought to show, not just race, and is elegant and has a solid future as a dressage horse, my second horse tattoo can jump 4 foot from a stand still, and do it with style, and my little trotter goes like a big horse, jumps (not under saddle yet), free form, and has an awesome canter and gallop.

They are smart, fun, and very obediant as work animlas and under saddle, the field or barn... they are usually well mannerd in all settings as the ones that race have learned from yearlings to be trucked, bathed, harnessed, travell, and have switiched barnms many times by they time they are 3 or four... they are sharp as they are race horses, but like most grey hounds, they know the difference between the track and the ridding barn... they are the couch potato horse if allowed to be, or the horse that will be first accross the wire in a steeplechase, or a cross country event.

You can probably tell I love the breed, I was a 'ridding' horse breed person before I met my husband and he showed me the world of stbs. now I am sold on them.

These are a few pics of my 'boys', they are from last year, have better pics, but not handy.

Cheers,

deb

Tiocfaidh Ar La Stable

home of Che, Tattoo, and Steel