# Harness Racing



## Sea To Sky

Anyone work with Trotters?
I have worked for one of the best female trainers in the southers hemisphere =D
She trains alot of her horses at the beach which is so much fun to drive on =D


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## AlmagroN

we have both trotters and pacers.  my broodmare is a NZ bred pacer, and we have had somet other NZ horses to. theyre built beautifully. we just had our trotting broodmare bred and she foaled on july 4th to a beautiful chestnut colt.


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## jimmy

what sort of speed would you expect a full bred trotter/pacer to do,i don,t mean champion times more the average one


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## AlmagroN

it all depends on the size of the track theyre on (1/2 mile, mile, mile+1/4), the size of the horse on the track (some larger horses have a hard time racing on a half mile track, but are fine on a mile size track because of the size of the turns) the track surface, and the class of horse they are.

for example where i am, our trotters (putting class aside) typically trot an average mile in 2:00-2:02. but thats an average. some go faster some are slower. our pacers go an average of 1:58-2:00.

yet you can take these same horses to a better track and your trotter can go 1:59, and your pacer 1:56.

my pacing broodmare for her size (shes very large) they usually go about 1:58-1:59 on a half mile track. my mare has a record of 1:54:3 on a half mile track. she was extremely fast for her class of horse


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## lolayla

My grandfather and father both have raced and trained pacers so i have been around them my entire life. while i dont groom anymore, after i graduated high school i worked at the track for about 4 years. i love standardbreds and i miss working with them like crazy!!


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## Sea To Sky

Almagron, What are your NZ horses? 
We had som USA horses sent over last season for the inter Doms =D
And we have had various horses sent to USA aswell =D 
Do you know Delft?


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## AlmagroN

our NZ hoses were Slim N Fit (whos now my broodmare), Almagro, umm thats all i can remember off the top of my head right now!


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## lolayla

oh and you guys that are interested in the NZ bred horses, one of my favourite horses i looked after was Franco Justin N. i dont know much about the NZ horses and he wasnt a fast horse persay but he was a huge teddy bear and i loved him. definitely a gentle giant, he was quite large. luckily i know he has a wonderful retirement home but i would have much rathered that he had come to be one of my saddle horses.


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## shesinthebarn

I'm a trotting person. Started with pacers but started working for a trotting only (female) trainer. Our trotters average a mile in about 1:56. We race on bigger ovals, though. Mohawk and Woodbine are big, fast tracks. Fastest trotter I ever looked after went in 1:53. I've been lucky enough to look afer some good horses...2 that went over the 1 million in earnings before retirement. Love the trotters!!


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## Sea To Sky

My alltime fav Is called The Man Himself he was a big black trotter but he was EXP to aus... =( 
Yea the lady i help trained Delft (who was the giant of the trotting world) when he was in NZ and she got him trotting again and going really well. He broke records and won Interdoms for her but he is back in USA now


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## iridehorses

I've always had a passing interest in Standardbreds and grew up near Yonkers Raceway in NY. I've never had the difference between a trotter and a pacer explained. What is the difference?


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## CheyAut

Trotters, trot  Pacers, pace! A pace is a two beat lateral gait: the front and hind right legs move together, and the front and hind left legs move together. Vs the trot, where the opposites work together: front right with hind left, and front left with hind right.


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## iridehorses

CheyAut said:


> Trotters, trot  Pacers, pace! A pace is a two beat lateral gait: the front and hind right legs move together, and the front and hind left legs move together. Vs the trot, where the opposites work together: front right with hind left, and front left with hind right.


Duh!! {smacks forehead with heel of hand}


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## AlmagroN

iridehorses said:


> Duh!! {smacks forehead with heel of hand}


hey, thats the most common question im asked. most people dont even know standardbreds race on those gaits. either they know there are pacers, or trotters, they never know there are pacers AND trotters racing lol.


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## shesinthebarn

The crazy thing is how DIFFERENT trotters and pacers are in personality and looks. You can tell a trotter from a pacer from a mile away in most cases. I love the personality of a trotter - they are a little hotter in my experience, but they are a great challenge. It's so awesome when you get a going well, a real sense of accomplishment. Trotters are way trickier to figure out!
Oh, and my fave trotter I had was Laddie - he made 1.1 million in 2 seasons and took me to the Hambletonian where he was 3rd. That was the best! He's in Sweeden now, I think he's a stud.


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## Sea To Sky

MMM very much so! Alot of the trotters are very "traditional" looking, much more solid =D


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## AlmagroN

Sea To Sky said:


> MMM very much so! Alot of the trotters are very "traditional" looking, much more solid =D


actually i wouldnt call them more solid than a pacer. if your speaking in terms of racing, no trotters are more apt to break than pacers. if your speaking body build, no again- trotters may seem more solid, but thats because their muscle is concentrated, more to the chest and rear due to them working opposite legs at the same time, where as pacers muscle is more even through the body because of having to work a whole side of his body at one time. a good pacer will always "rock" when pacing, its a sign of using the WHOLE body to work, rather than the pacers who just wort their legs.


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## Sea To Sky

I mean big horses in general. Here in NZ we have a fair bit of Sundon around on the trotting side of things and he can throw some giant colts! Such as Delft and Lightning Don... But by the traditional looking i mean you are more likely to get a trotter that looks very similar to how standardbreds looked many years ago than a pacer.


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## AlmagroN

Sea To Sky said:


> I mean big horses in general. Here in NZ we have a fair bit of Sundon around on the trotting side of things and he can throw some giant colts! Such as Delft and Lightning Don... But by the traditional looking i mean you are more likely to get a trotter that looks very similar to how standardbreds looked many years ago than a pacer.


im confused here. STBs arent supposed to be big, 15-16hh at the largest. and truthfully your pacers will look more like early STBs as they tend to be sleeker and longer legged. early STBs more resembled TBs (though a tad bit heavier), as thats who they originated from (Messenger). your trotters tend to be stockier and heavier than pacers, and sometimes shorter.


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## KristinJ

I work with the standardbreds. We only have 3 trotters and 10 pacers right now. Trotters are more rewarding but can take a lot to figure out and keep flat. But once you have a good one, they are great!


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## Sea To Sky

AlmagroN said:


> im confused here. STBs arent supposed to be big, 15-16hh at the largest. and truthfully your pacers will look more like early STBs as they tend to be sleeker and longer legged. early STBs more resembled TBs (though a tad bit heavier), as thats who they originated from (Messenger). your trotters tend to be stockier and heavier than pacers, and sometimes shorter.


 What are you on about? Im sorry but there is no specific height a STB has to be. Look At Delft he was around 17.2-3hh and a very succesful group one Trotter. And STB used to be heavier set horses and have been breed into lighter horses more recently... Maybe its the different parts of the world...


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## AlmagroN

yeah trotters can be tough. we have one that is really hard to keep flat, really really hard. we have 2 others that are wonderful. one is 3 and has never made a break but once in his life when there was confusion in a race and he ran over someones wheel. hes going to be a really nice horse, hes made money for us and we havent really had to ever push him in a race to go. the other trotter we claimed, had had 4 quarter cracks, one in each foot. they were so bad they were causing wall separation and they were infected. we got him fixed up and he hasnt missed but 1 check and we scoped him after the race and he was pretty sick.


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## KristinJ

AlmagroN said:


> yeah trotters can be tough. we have one that is really hard to keep flat, really really hard. we have 2 others that are wonderful. one is 3 and has never made a break but once in his life when there was confusion in a race and he ran over someones wheel. hes going to be a really nice horse, hes made money for us and we havent really had to ever push him in a race to go. the other trotter we claimed, had had 4 quarter cracks, one in each foot. they were so bad they were causing wall separation and they were infected. we got him fixed up and he hasnt missed but 1 check and we scoped him after the race and he was pretty sick.


I hear ya on the trotters! We have one that will just make a break for the heck of it!!!! We did however come to the conclusion he has EPM .. however the stupid trainer neglects to do anything about it and then WONDER why hes galloping around for a mile lol!


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## xoSonnyLove1234

I have only drivin a Standered bred. Wow are they fast! lol


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## Sea To Sky

Ah yea one we had thats just left had some talent, But she had no manners and yea she just break for no reason, But when on the occasion she had a good run she could do well, won a couple of breeders crown heats as a 3yo and a few other easy wins (her last start she won by like 12L before she went to a new trainer). Those are the most frustrating horses because you know they have it in them!


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## AlmagroN

Sea To Sky said:


> Ah yea one we had thats just left had some talent, But she had no manners and yea she just break for no reason, But when on the occasion she had a good run she could do well, won a couple of breeders crown heats as a 3yo and a few other easy wins (her last start she won by like 12L before she went to a new trainer). Those are the most frustrating horses because you know they have it in them!





KristinJ said:


> I hear ya on the trotters! We have one that will just make a break for the heck of it!!!! We did however come to the conclusion he has EPM .. however the stupid trainer neglects to do anything about it and then WONDER why hes galloping around for a mile lol!


 
i dont believe horses ever make a break for the heck of it... theres something there that you are missing. they will maybe stop or try to pull up because they dont feel like racing, but there are many other things they would choose to do than make a break in a race "for the heck of it". as far as the EPM, if you dont take care of it, you will have nothing of a horse.... i hate when people wont fix a problem....


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## Sea To Sky

AlmagroN said:


> i dont believe horses ever make a break for the heck of it... theres something there that you are missing. they will maybe stop or try to pull up because they dont feel like racing, but there are many other things they would choose to do than make a break in a race "for the heck of it". as far as the EPM, if you dont take care of it, you will have nothing of a horse.... i hate when people wont fix a problem....


 Go away if your only here to pick fights and stop acting like you know better than anyone im getting sick of you arguing with what everyone says. This isnt a crit post.
A) There is no way you can prove that some horses just break because they feel like it or just dont like the pressure (which theres not alot you can do about it)
B) These horses i am takling about are trained by one of the best trainers in the southern hemisphere who has got many horses trotting and winning group ones that have previously been given up on so there is no way you have the right to go throwing accusations about not trying to fix problems, and not caring about the horse.


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## AlmagroN

Sea To Sky said:


> Go away if your only here to pick fights and stop acting like you know better than anyone im getting sick of you arguing with what everyone says. This isnt a crit post.
> A) There is no way you can prove that some horses just break because they feel like it or just dont like the pressure (which theres not alot you can do about it)
> B) These horses i am takling about are trained by one of the best trainers in the southern hemisphere who has got many horses trotting and winning group ones that have previously been given up on so there is no way you have the right to go throwing accusations about not trying to fix problems, and not caring about the horse.


um excuse me, you need to read posts and UNDERSTAND them before you start telling people to "go away". 
first off you just said there is no way you can prove that someones horses break just because they feel like it- WHICH IS WHAT I SAID. its my OPINION that horses DO NOT break for the heck of it, and just because you work for a trainer, does not mean you know everything. try actually training horses, its much different than being a groom.....
and what i said about people not fixing problems was IN AGREEMENT with KristenJ about a horse who has EMP but the trainer is doing nothing about it. 

a forum is not somewhere you need to be if you just want to hear people agree with everything you say.


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## AlmagroN

AlmagroN said:


> um excuse me, you need to read posts and UNDERSTAND them before you start telling people to "go away".
> first off you just said there is no way you can prove that someones horses break just because they feel like it- WHICH IS WHAT I SAID. its my OPINION that horses DO NOT break for the heck of it, and just because you work for a trainer, does not mean you know everything. try actually training horses, its much different than being a groom.....
> and what i said about people not fixing problems was IN AGREEMENT with KristenJ about a horse who has EMP but the trainer is doing nothing about it.
> 
> a forum is not somewhere you need to be if you just want to hear people agree with everything you say.


sorry we arent all sitting here bragging about who we work for like it makes us special... so far the only thing you seem to know is popular horses and the trainer you work for. you seem to know nothing about the history of the breed or racing itself.


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## AlmagroN

Sea To Sky said:


> What are you on about? Im sorry but there is no specific height a STB has to be. Look At Delft he was around 17.2-3hh and a very succesful group one Trotter. And STB used to be heavier set horses and have been breed into lighter horses more recently... Maybe its the different parts of the world...


STBs height is 15-16hh im not saying that they cant be taller or shorter, im saying THIS IS BREED STANDARD. and no, STBs were NOT heavier. they were built like TBs of which they originated from. and STBs are being bred heavier now for more power, not lighter.


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## KristinJ

AlmagroN said:


> i dont believe horses ever make a break for the heck of it... theres something there that you are missing. they will maybe stop or try to pull up because they dont feel like racing, but there are many other things they would choose to do than make a break in a race "for the heck of it". as far as the EPM, if you dont take care of it, you will have nothing of a horse.... i hate when people wont fix a problem....


I kinda agree, but some horses are very sensitive and will make breaks for the heck of it. The horse with the EPM that I spoke of (yes the trainer was DUMB and is finally starting to treat him - we will see how he races on monday). But his lineage includes lots of hot and crazy horses!! They are fast, when you figure them out. And some of them and just impossible to figure out! The trotter I was talking about trotted a fast 1.58 at yonkers, won, (with out hopples) then raced back 2 weeks later and made a break, nothing changed. He gets very nervous and anxious and the race has to set up PERFECTLY for him or he gets discouraged and runs or just doesn't try at all.


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## AlmagroN

but see, that IS a reason. a horse being too hot is a reason. therefore you need to calm them. im saying they arent just going along and go.... oop... there we go i felt like making a break there!


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## KristinJ

AlmagroN said:


> but see, that IS a reason. a horse being too hot is a reason. therefore you need to calm them. im saying they arent just going along and go.... oop... there we go i felt like making a break there!


Well then I'll send him to you and you can figure him out! He is a nut case.


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## AlmagroN

KristinJ said:


> Well then I'll send him to you and you can figure him out! He is a nut case.


 this may sound stupid, but, we used flower essence on my now broodmare when she was racing. she was crazy because she was a very fast and strong leaver. no one could out leave her. she was insane though, you had to time her to the gate because if she sat behind it too long she would get too hot and make a break, or as soon as the gate opened she would make it. there was a lot of guys before my cousin (who is our primary driver, occationally we put someone else up, but it is a "family" stable) that refused to ever drive her again after the first time because she was too darn strong and crazy (oh god could she pull!). but the flower essence helped a lot, but you do have to give a bit more than you would give a human. i cant garuntee that would work for every horse, but anything is worth a shot right?


oh and talk about nutcase. you need to meet our trotting mare, Celebrity Mistress. she looks sweet and innocent... buuuuuut, no. she gets on the track and shes a pulling crazy psycho. for everyday jogging we have to tow her. she tows like a dream. for racing when she warms up she wears a tongue tie, short chord, ear plugs, and the mask thing thats like net that goes over their nose and mouth (i dont know what the **** thing is called and havent found anyone who does!!!) and she STILL can pull 10 tons. my cousin is a very strong guy, very strong, and he has a hard time with her. hes had to run her into walls to get her to stop many times because shes just a psychopath. a few people wanted to claim her this year at our batavia downs meet, but they didnt because shes too crazy on the track lol.


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## KristinJ

AlmagroN said:


> this may sound stupid, but, we used flower essence on my now broodmare when she was racing. she was crazy because she was a very fast and strong leaver. no one could out leave her. she was insane though, you had to time her to the gate because if she sat behind it too long she would get too hot and make a break, or as soon as the gate opened she would make it. there was a lot of guys before my cousin (who is our primary driver, occationally we put someone else up, but it is a "family" stable) that refused to ever drive her again after the first time because she was too darn strong and crazy (oh god could she pull!). but the flower essence helped a lot, but you do have to give a bit more than you would give a human. i cant garuntee that would work for every horse, but anything is worth a shot right?
> 
> 
> oh and talk about nutcase. you need to meet our trotting mare, Celebrity Mistress. she looks sweet and innocent... buuuuuut, no. she gets on the track and shes a pulling crazy psycho. for everyday jogging we have to tow her. she tows like a dream. for racing when she warms up she wears a tongue tie, short chord, ear plugs, and the mask thing thats like net that goes over their nose and mouth (i dont know what the **** thing is called and havent found anyone who does!!!) and she STILL can pull 10 tons. my cousin is a very strong guy, very strong, and he has a hard time with her. hes had to run her into walls to get her to stop many times because shes just a psychopath. a few people wanted to claim her this year at our batavia downs meet, but they didnt because shes too crazy on the track lol.


And that flower stuff is 'legal'? Or are there days out?

Your mare SOUNDS like this trotter! I have never jogged him, we ONLY tow. He jogs every once in a while, and when you jog him it's pretty much 'training' him because he gets so excited and trots as fast as he can ... He also wears an ear hood, snake cord, mini bit, tongue tie, and head checked up TO JOG lol. He has anxiety issues. Personally I feel he should be OFF the sweet feed, on a pellet with little to no suger, treat the EMP, and do his hocks and feet. However, he is a cheap horse and I'm not sure the owner is willing to put a lot into him, and the tainer is set in his ways about feed and stuff like that ... lol!


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## AlmagroN

ill tell you what, with our trotting mare she was cheap. she was in a 3 claimer at the beginning of the meet. we treated her for EPM, did her stifles and knees and she was much better. she was a 5 claimer and winning regularly, and then got a little sore and started making breaks again and got sick, so we quit with her for the year. my personal favorite quote i say over and over is "you only get what you put into a horse". that little mare proved that true. also watch i dont know if you know (not everyone does) but when you inject joints on an EMP horse DONT use any cortizone. it will only make them worse. 

flower essense isnt illegal and you dont need any time off. you can get it at a natural food and drug store. comes in a bottle with a dropper. we gave (actually now that i think about this it has worked on 2 horses for us, not 1) one full dropper before she was harnessed, and one after she was done jogging every day.


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## KristinJ

AlmagroN said:


> ill tell you what, with our trotting mare she was cheap. she was in a 3 claimer at the beginning of the meet. we treated her for EPM, did her stifles and knees and she was much better. she was a 5 claimer and winning regularly, and then got a little sore and started making breaks again and got sick, so we quit with her for the year. my personal favorite quote i say over and over is "you only get what you put into a horse". that little mare proved that true. also watch i dont know if you know (not everyone does) but when you inject joints on an EMP horse DONT use any cortizone. it will only make them worse.
> 
> flower essense isnt illegal and you dont need any time off. you can get it at a natural food and drug store. comes in a bottle with a dropper. we gave (actually now that i think about this it has worked on 2 horses for us, not 1) one full dropper before she was harnessed, and one after she was done jogging every day.


Thanks a lot, and I know about that cortizone! UGH! They injected his hocks months ago with it, wow poor thing couldnt move for a few days :-(. I completely agree that you get what you put in, unfortunately I am not the trainer or owner just the groom lol! So I have little say in the matter. He was a 20 claimer, then moved to 10, and is now in a 5. I hope between the EPM treatment and shoeing changes he will come around. I know the owner wants bring him to the delaware sales but I really like this horse! 

It sucks because if the horses hocks are bothering him they will finally treat him months later, and by that time he's sore in the front from trying to get off his hocks, it's a vicious cycle. This economy is not helping as well and owners are just getting mad!!!


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## shesinthebarn

That sucks that you have an EPM horse and they are treating him with cort for his hocks. That is a likely reason that he's been going backwards, as you know. Will your trainer use bacox? It's on the cheaper side (compared to marquis!) and it's a decent option.

Wanna talk nuts o trotters? We had one banned for running off the stdbd track, through the thoroughbred track and paddock and into the parking lot at Woodbine. Unfortunately it wasn't the first time! He ducked into the paddock at Mohawk a time or three also...but he was the sweetest animal in the barn to work with. But when you could keep him flat, he was a nice open trotter. Gotta love the crazy ones!


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## AlmagroN

KristinJ said:


> Thanks a lot, and I know about that cortizone! UGH! They injected his hocks months ago with it, wow poor thing couldnt move for a few days :-(. I completely agree that you get what you put in, unfortunately I am not the trainer or owner just the groom lol! So I have little say in the matter. He was a 20 claimer, then moved to 10, and is now in a 5. I hope between the EPM treatment and shoeing changes he will come around. I know the owner wants bring him to the delaware sales but I really like this horse!
> 
> It sucks because if the horses hocks are bothering him they will finally treat him months later, and by that time he's sore in the front from trying to get off his hocks, it's a vicious cycle. This economy is not helping as well and owners are just getting mad!!!


i would be a p*ssed owner too. the way we inject is a lot how humans are injected for their joints. you dont just inject then let it go til its sore again, you inject, inject a week later, then 2 weeks, then once a month. if you just inject once, youre only masking a problem. the multiple injecting is helping to fix the problem. you injection is providing lubrication to that area (most times this is the reason we are doing it), it evaporates over time which is what causes the soreness again, and the problem reoccurring and worsening. if you keep injecting to build up that fluid for lubrication, then periodically to prevent it from becoming sore again, youre helping to fix it.




shesinthebarn said:


> That sucks that you have an EPM horse and they are treating him with cort for his hocks. That is a likely reason that he's been going backwards, as you know. Will your trainer use bacox? It's on the cheaper side (compared to marquis!) and it's a decent option.
> 
> Wanna talk nuts o trotters? We had one banned for running off the stdbd track, through the thoroughbred track and paddock and into the parking lot at Woodbine. Unfortunately it wasn't the first time! He ducked into the paddock at Mohawk a time or three also...but he was the sweetest animal in the barn to work with. But when you could keep him flat, he was a nice open trotter. Gotta love the crazy ones!


that sucks. its always the good horses that are nuts.... and trotters! trotters just seem to be SO hot now a days, much more so than the pacers. and i agree with the baycox. tube them with a bottle of it once a month. thats what we use, and it works very well


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## KristinJ

We are now treating him to Bacox (sp?) NOW, I believe he was on Marquis or some off brand version but I dont think he got the full doses, he did well on it. Question though, can you completely TREAT EPM? Or is it something that will always need maitenance? 

And yes I agree, it is bad about the injections. It is out of my hands and totally sucks. I get mad when the trainer then gets mad at the horses, it's like WELL DUH thats why hes racing bad. He is racing tomorrow and I am very excited (and nervous) to see how he does.


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## Anvil

i love u r harness raceing stories keep em coming. i grew up round stb horses drove m on the road all the time. now i get shoe m for amish buggy horses. i reset a (balanced image) 4yr. old filly yesterday the guy wants to sell a little to hot for the buggy


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## AlmagroN

so far EPM is only treatable, not curable. ugh im dying to get back to racing. we only race at buffalo and batavia and batavia closed down early december, and buffalo opens up the 15th of Jan. i turned my pacing mare out for all of the down time, plus the last 2 weeks of racing at batavia. she just got too sore. i cant wait to bring her back though. shes going to buffalo on the 7th, and before she starts jogging back we are going to inject her ankles and hocks. she should be good then her first start. knock on wood the last 4 yrs shes won her first start every year. she loves the breaks. so i think this year what im going to do with her is race her for a few weeks, and as soon as she starts getting sore or doesnt race as well, turn her out for a few weeks, then just keep roatating that. my goal this year is to keep her as sound and as happy as possible. shes about on her last leg as far as racing goes.... 2yrs ago she had a stellar year, best shes ever had for us... she was even racing a few starts in the filly and mares open 2. and was getting checks in there. now her last few starts she was a 3 claimer... so im working my *** off on her this year just trying to get her right again

ETA: oh yeah, im especially excited to get back because supposedly buffalo redid the whole track during the break. last season we had about 6 horses break coffin bones in the last couple months of racing because they had such bad holes and dips in the track (we owned one of them who broke a coffin) they were risking not having many horses there to race if they didnt fix it. so hopefully it will be better! they supposedly banked the turns too (thank god!!)


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## KristinJ

Thats good you really care about your horses. Do you stable them on the tracks or private farms? We have ours at a private farm with lots of turnout. Sometimes its hard to get our horses in to race as they are just so crowded. I'm actually not a big fan of the racing. Perhaps if I worked with a different trainer, but with this one it is frustrating as the horses are getting done what they NEED to get done to be able to race successfully. We raced a lot of horses at yonkers and a lot broke down aswell, taking months off. We've also had a bowed tendon and a few other ligament issues putting our good horses out for about half the year. Now we are racing at Monticello for about 2500, hardly seems worth it especially for the owners who have to pay training bills.


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## AlmagroN

i care very much for every horse that enters my stable. no matter how much theyre worth. we have had a ton of issues in the last few years... we had one that we had 2 days die suddenly of a blood clot that moved to his brain... it was really taumatic... he was in the crossties when it happened and we hat to get him out of them and try to move him because we werent sure what was happening... lots of stumbling and flailing.... ugh... anyway over the past couple years there have been a few with broken coffins, 1 bowed, 1 with suspensory damage (she came to us that way and we just couldnt fix her) 3 entrapped pallets- only 1 we had surgery on (the crazy trotting mare i told you about), the other 2 we got rid of, our poor boy Polka came to us with a chip in his knee that the former owners knew about but wouldnt take care of, we had that taken out, then he broke his freaking rear sesamoid... so we got that taken care of. THEN he had his knee injected and it apparently was a bad batch of genesin that was put in with it and his knee blew up like crazy, but its ok now. hes a great boy and a good racehorse, he feel so much better now. the other day my cousin went out to jog him and he bucked and kicked until he bucked him out of the cart and then took off. he just felt soo good.... this is Polka right after his surgery on his sesamoid:


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## KristinJ

Aww Polka is cute!!

My boss likes to rehab horses but tends to forget about other issues they may have. We have one where the owner wanted to buy this horse sooo bad, finally claimed him. Raced once and then BROKE his knee. Owner paid for surgery and screws in there, and he is now racing again but is as fat as a cow! Another one, has ringbone in one leg, bowed her OTHER tendon, had surgery on that and now looks fabulous but the ringbone leg is filled with fluid, shes only 4. 

I don't think we have one horse with absolutely NO issues ... lol!! Even the filly we just got in to break this fall, came to us with 3 splints, and a big back ankle...


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## AlmagroN

thanks. i wish he wasnt a gelding. hes so well bred and so good looking and a great racehorse, i would have bred him to my mare instead of the other stud we used the first 2 times....

oh i know what its like to have one break down their first start. my uncle bought 2 horses for $35,000 for the pair. the one broke a coffin the first start.... and the other turned out to be crappy :-| hes amazing a buying crap horses for a lot of money lol. the other that was crappy we believe was an Epogen horse... which sucks. we had 2 so far that turned out to be Epogen horses. and if you know about epogen.. it can be a great drug (as far as performance goes, not that i condone using it) , but most guys DONT understand the dosing and overdose them, and it becomes non-effective, and then they crash off of it. and typically an epogen horse never comes back from the crash....


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