United States Eventing Association

Meet Vanessa Philson, DVM

Vanessa graduated from Cornell University’s Veterinary Program in 2006. She spent the following four years in a large animal only practice, honing her skills on animals that weighed considerably more than most humans. She recently purchased her practice in the New Wilmington, PA area. She has adopted a wonderful OTTB, Darkside Holiday, who is a kind and friendly companion.

Her advice to potential OTTB owners:

The importance of a veterinary examination. Dr. Philson recommends that the horses have a full physical exam either just before or just after purchase. Generally, these former racehorses can be quite thin when a potential owner views them and therefore it would be helpful for a new owner to have their equine veterinarian do an overall health assessment of the horse to evaluate teeth for proper chewing and occlusion, to judge its overall health, to discuss a feeding program suited for thoroughbreds and to identify potential lameness issues. By openly discussing potential lameness, Dr. Philson does not want to scare off possible buyers but to highlight that the possibility of lameness exists with some of these horses, given their high tempo lives prior to retirement from the track. She recommends that new owners closely observe their OTTBs in movement and, if a gait abnormality persists, to call their veterinarian so that an appropriate treatment program can be developed.

Spend time with your new horse. Owners need to spend time with their new horse to get to know its personality and how it will interact with humans. Bonding with the new horse is important; learning how they respond to their new environment is vital to their comfort and to our safety. She urges new owners to be patient with them. This is a completely new life for them and everything they knew might not be helpful to them in their new lives.

She encourages potential owners to consider OTTBs for their next horses and does not want people to shy away from having the privilege of adopting an OTTB. From her own personal first-hand experience, she is delighted with her OTTB: she has a good companion.

Meet Jim Gibson, Farrier

Jim Gibson has well-rounded experience as a farrier in Pennsylvania. He does not adhere to only one farrier discipline but draws upon the many studies he has followed since 2005. At that time, he started moving away from traditional methods of hoof maintenance and became educated in natural trimming, barefoot trimming and mustang trimming[i]. He has trained in non-traditional farrier techniques in many clinics across United States and with many Europeans. He is a distributer of Easy Care boots* and is particularly impressed with the characteristics of Easy Care’s “Glove” boot because it can be modified to meet the specific shape and needs of each hoof.

What are common OTTB foot issues?

Jim’s philosophy of track breakdowns is straightforward. Horses are not intended to run by striking the ground with their toe first; their feet are supposed to hit heel first, and then roll forward onto the toe. Many track horses are trimmed to strike their toes, not their heels, first. Common track breakdowns are often the consequence of the horse driving its weight off of the tip of the coffin bone when running. This can result in an early breakdown for the horse; however, the upside to this is that the horse gets off the track sooner and can go on to different jobs, once his feet recover.

Generally, Jim sees deteriorated hoof walls (hoof wall cracks, thin or non-existent quarter walls) in a majority of OTTB feet because resets are done too frequently on the racetrack. Trimming problems can lead to overall sole thinness that can manifest itself as stone bruises and transient lameness. The new owner must resist the urge to over-trim because the hoof soles are so thin in many OTTBs. Letting the hoof wall grow a bit longer allows some protection until the sole grows in. While a horse may look good when a trim is done early in the process and the toe has been trimmed back short, the look of a hoof is not an indicator of soundness. In fact, trimming too much too soon can lead to temporary lameness.

Jim would like to remind potential owners that they must work with and support the conformation the horse has, not what ‘looks good’. The orthopedic structure of equine feet is set by bone structure and genetics; it cannot be changed but the soft tissues of the foot can be changed with trimming and patience. The hoof capsule is a dynamic structure. It moves and readjusts to the locomotion of the horse and the environment in which the horse lives. Correct trimming will set the internal structures up correctly and then the hoof capsule can ensure the hoof grows correctly to meet the movement and soundness of the horse.

His advice for the new OTTB Owner?

Radiographs. If you can afford it, he recommends that a new owner get the horse’s feet x-rayed, with the most conservative option being x-rays during a pre-purchase exam or once the OTTB gets to the new barn. X-rays will assist the veterinarian and the farrier by giving them an insight into the existing internal hoof structure to ensure the bone and hoof angles are congruent. Jim’s Rule of Thumb: if the horse has subtle gait or soundness changes, have radiographs done sooner rather than later.

The Number One Pathology he sees in OTTBs are thin soles. Trimming must be done to encourage the development of a thicker sole and to ensure the hoof strikes the ground heel-first. Remember that every trim must accommodate the movement of the soft tissues of the hoof and that the horse may have a bit of lameness following a correct trim because it is going to take time for the soft tissue to move to a more correct position within the hoof structures.

Don’t push your OTTB too soon. Given the likelihood of thin soles on your OTTB, you might consider a booting system to help horses come back to soundness. There may be a period of rehabilitation during which the hooves may not be able to accept shoes and boots are an excellent alternative to shoes.* Jim has maintained the feet of several OTTBs from Susann’s farm that have had correct after-racing care: these horses were allowed a transition period and are now sound and functional.

Be patient. New owners must really focus on retraining and desensitizing their OTTBs and not rushing them through the learning process. Enjoy the process with your OTTB. OTTBs are easy to work with because they want to learn and most of them enjoy the company of humans.

*If you live in the West Middlesex PA area and are interested in learning more about a booting system, Jim would be happy to consult with you and your horse on the best Easy Care booting system for your horse. You may contact him at [email protected]

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[i] Jim’s philosophy for those who dismiss these techniques is this: 1500 years ago, everyone knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everyone knew the Earth was flat. Right now, 50% of horse owners know that horses need shoes to function well. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow!

Our OTTBs at their new homes!

Meet Toy Train—smaller than a locomotive but what a big and loving heart! Check out our latest photos below of Toy Train, sold to Ashley M. in October 2011. Ashley decided on Toy Train, mostly because of her awesome temperament. She is 15.3 hands and is a willing partner for Ashley’s daughter, shown in the photos below on Toy Train.

Meet Dexter—the 16 hand-high clever, ex-racehorse who seems to love dressage. He didn’t have any racing skills, despite the presence of Northern Dancer’s bloodlines in his pedigree. Dexter was sold to Carol B. in May 2011. After gaining fitness and balance for dressage work, Dexter is enjoying his new life in Kansas.

Meet Old City Bar—a grandson of Alleged, OCB is a walloping 17.2 hands high and is a truly engaging character who likes to play with humans and hang out with his new best buddy, Dexter. He is progressing well in his ground work and is now ready to begin to learn the basics of dressage training under saddle.