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A Reminder of the Highs and Lows
Harness & Greyhounds
JayJay
7,672 posts
The Harness Industry, perhaps more-so than our thoroughbred
cousins, was built on a hobby trainer/hobby breeder/small owner basis.
Am pretty sure most on these sites (except the profoundly ignorant)
would be aware of the highs and lows of engaging in the Industry at any
level but this week has confirmed the age old adage "if you haven't
experienced disappointment in your life, bet on horses" but if you
really want to experience misery on a grander level, try owning,
breeding or training one.
cousins, was built on a hobby trainer/hobby breeder/small owner basis.
Am pretty sure most on these sites (except the profoundly ignorant)
would be aware of the highs and lows of engaging in the Industry at any
level but this week has confirmed the age old adage "if you haven't
experienced disappointment in your life, bet on horses" but if you
really want to experience misery on a grander level, try owning,
breeding or training one.
Old mate who breeds a
couple down here had a beautiful colt to a mare of top blood last
year....it was still born. Perfectly formed, fully conditioned mare and
foal, just born dead. This year, out popped a lovely colt that is
running around like a spring lamb, born on Monday but a good thing they
stayed up all night to assist with a difficult foaling. Facebook is full
of requests for foster Mums at this time of the year. Many foalings go
wrong.
couple down here had a beautiful colt to a mare of top blood last
year....it was still born. Perfectly formed, fully conditioned mare and
foal, just born dead. This year, out popped a lovely colt that is
running around like a spring lamb, born on Monday but a good thing they
stayed up all night to assist with a difficult foaling. Facebook is full
of requests for foster Mums at this time of the year. Many foalings go
wrong.
Another old pal took his race winning
Alta Christiano mare to the foal down centre last week in foal to a top sire....she looked
magnificent, shiny as a top, traveled up beautifully even under my dodgy
float driving, every one happy. Produced a dead foal this
morning....somehow, an infection of the placenta reduced nourishment
flow to the foal in the last 4 weeks, impossible to detect. He will try
again for next year but is running out of years and his kids are not
interested at all.
Alta Christiano mare to the foal down centre last week in foal to a top sire....she looked
magnificent, shiny as a top, traveled up beautifully even under my dodgy
float driving, every one happy. Produced a dead foal this
morning....somehow, an infection of the placenta reduced nourishment
flow to the foal in the last 4 weeks, impossible to detect. He will try
again for next year but is running out of years and his kids are not
interested at all.
One of my horses had to be scratched
last week with filling nearside fore, scanned, has blown a hole in his
suspensory ligament.....future unknown but guaranteed it won't be in a
pet food can, he is off to 12 months rehab on Friday. I've got a decent
mare about 10 days off foaling to Tribeca .....I've got more things
crossed than I care to look at. I am dreading the phone call from the
foaling centre.
last week with filling nearside fore, scanned, has blown a hole in his
suspensory ligament.....future unknown but guaranteed it won't be in a
pet food can, he is off to 12 months rehab on Friday. I've got a decent
mare about 10 days off foaling to Tribeca .....I've got more things
crossed than I care to look at. I am dreading the phone call from the
foaling centre.
I've got one that can run but
his feet are as soft as butter.....the most you get out of him is about 7
runs before he has to have a break. And another that can also run is
rehabbing off a cracked pedal bone. Barrel of laughs this ownership
caper. Explains why some of us get a bit short when some uninformed
couch sitter starts throwing pies at existing participants, themselves
having never owned anything more than a second hand tail hair.
his feet are as soft as butter.....the most you get out of him is about 7
runs before he has to have a break. And another that can also run is
rehabbing off a cracked pedal bone. Barrel of laughs this ownership
caper. Explains why some of us get a bit short when some uninformed
couch sitter starts throwing pies at existing participants, themselves
having never owned anything more than a second hand tail hair.
Another
local owner breeds a couple and had a couple of decent ones......bit
the bullet a few years back and shelled out a 12 grand service fee, got a
nice colt, broke it in, educated it......had multiple trainers and was
still a maiden. Sold it on......its won 3 so far this season.
local owner breeds a couple and had a couple of decent ones......bit
the bullet a few years back and shelled out a 12 grand service fee, got a
nice colt, broke it in, educated it......had multiple trainers and was
still a maiden. Sold it on......its won 3 so far this season.
All
this and we are racing for about a 5th or a 6th or even less of what
the thoroughbreds go around for and yet the costs of feed, shoes etc are
the same.
Which is why I feel somewhat nauseous when I hear this and we are racing for about a 5th or a 6th or even less of what
the thoroughbreds go around for and yet the costs of feed, shoes etc are
the same.
Industry figures and media airheads spruke ownership and breeding one or
two as a rewarding and fruitful exercise. For most, it is nothing of
the sort.
+1 -1
cisco, Constantlybroke, curmudgeon, VillageKid, Mikes27091, Betonme, bookielover, Thunderstruck, jum likes this post.
Comments
JayJay likes this post.
So because I hope maybe we can trade ideas... have you tried flipflops. And soaking feet in iodine?
PictureSon1973 likes this post.
1- From a Business point of view SAVE YOUR MONEY The Odds of your horse squaring up
Costs are Low actually making you money less than 5%
2- For the Love & Admiration of the Horse Priceless positivity will be gained as there’s no
better feeling of your horse trialling for the first time let enough experiencing the euphoria
of a maiden race win..
Jay Jay we have to be full blown harness tragics because if I had the resources I’d jump
straight back in because the love of the horse and meeting really good people is something
I will continually subscribe to every day all day .
cisco likes this post.
jum likes this post.
cisco, ashleighmp, Thunderstruck, PackedMetalPanda, curmudgeon likes this post.
And what a sweet old mare she is! Big kudos goes to the Vlemmix family who have kept the mare all these years, especially with over 3.5 years between preps.
JayJay, curmudgeon likes this post.
Chris, VillageKid likes this post.
This just makes me sad. Her two uncles Major Peace and Classic Peace and grandmother Peaceful Melody were brilliant, but injury cut their careers very short. Its not fair.