United States Eventing Association

*Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse*

(Trafalgar Square 2008)

By Anna Morgan Ford with Amber Heintzberger, reviewed by Katherine Walcott

I have had occasion to share a hotel room with co-author Heintzberger. I am reluctant to comment on a book by someone who may one day be in the position to shove pennies up my nose while I am asleep. Therefore, I have asked Ms. Heintzberger to speak about their book for herself:

"Every year thousands of Thoroughbreds finish their careers at an early age, then fall by the wayside, so there is a desperate need for people to adopt OTTBs. This book addresses the issue of going to the track directly to find a horse, as well as finding an adoption program that is appropriate for your needs. It has lots of advice as well as cautionary suggestions for dealing with horse trainers and dealers. It covers everything from selecting a horse to bringing it home, bringing it down, then training it up to the point of going to its first, easy schooling show or out on a trail ride. It is not aimed at any particular discipline, so it’s a useful guide for someone from any background. The book is based around Anna’s experiences with horses at New Vocations, and is written from her perspective."

Heintzberger has retrained several OTTBS including a four-year-old chestnut mare she bought at age eleven for a thousand dollars. "It was successful enough – I went through Pony Club with her and evented her at the lower levels." However, she doesn’t recommend that route for most parents buying horses for their children, "I had ridden since I was a small child but schooling an OTTB is a difficult and sometimes frustrating process for a young, inexperienced rider. It can also be extremely rewarding, however, to watch the horse go from track-fit to round and happy and useful as a riding/competition horse."

One of the second careers for OTTBs is eventing. Mikki Kuchta and Oz finished 25th at Rolex 2008 . "My horse, Oz did race." Kuchta finds that OTTBs are all different: some wired, some quiet. "I love TBs and will keep working with them, because of their desire to run and jump. They truly love it. There is nothing like that feeling when you are heading to the Footbridge at Rolex and you can already tell strides away that it is going to happen." In *Beyond*, Becky Holder talks about giving Gastrogard(r) to Courageous Comet.

Kuchta concurs, "We do treat some of them for ulcers; particularly at shows as they seem to suffer from change of environment and stress more than other breeds. My warmblood cross gets on the trailer, lands in a new place, and just looks for his next meal."

Corinne Ashton and Dobbin finished 26th at Rolex 2008. "Actually Dobbin never went to the track, although I think he would have liked to!! But I have retrained several other OTTBs. I think they are born with an instinctive run as fast as they can, a faster-than-your-fellow-horse mentality. Just like the greyhounds, they can’t help themselves but want to run!" Ashton likes a particular type, "I personally go for the smaller ones, 16 hands is my favorite but have had a couple of 15.3. You can’t go wrong with a little Thoroughbred gelding (not mares!) off the track with a sound mind and body. They are quick to train, coordinated and athletic and therefore, most importantly, safe across country."

[Now back to your regularly scheduled reviewer.] As a rider whose current horse came off the track with three gaits – walk, jig and buck – I can say that some of the pictures in *Beyond the Track* are deja vu all over again. I second the warning about getting an OTTB for an inexperienced rider, kid or adult. I bought mine when I was 26. I thought I knew what I was doing. Turns out I knew just enough to do no harm but not enough to do him justice. Ford’s advice would have been to ask for more help than I did.

On the subject of racehorses, the DVD *The First Saturday in May* (Hennegan Brothers 2007) follows six trainers to the Kentucky Derby. As entertaining as *On The Muscle* (in last month’s column and recommended by *Beyond*), *First Saturday* has an edgier artistic approach.