Trainers or owners-Racehorse lay-ups

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by largo1

Hay guys, thanks for the input on this. Many years ago(like almost 20), I took some Standardbred layups for a trainer friend of mine. It paid well then and I didn't have the hassles that I had with some(most) of my pleasure horse boarders. I was younger then, and not as cautious as I am today, but I used to just turn them all out into a 5 acre pasture and leave them out. The trainer I dealt with always instructed me to "take the halter off, don't grain them too much, and leave them alone". I never had any injuries and the horses always went back to the track looking good and feeling relaxed. I think there's a lot to be said for letting horses just *be* horses. My own horses are out 24/7 with a run-in shed(which they rarely use) and can't stand to be stalled. Of course, if a horse required stall confinement for an injury, I'd be able to provide that as well. Plus choice of hay(alfalfa or grass), feed, beet pulp, minerals/salt,blanketing, hand-walking, ponying, bandaging, cold-hosing and possibly swimming.

Again, thanks for the input
Suzanne in Ohio(WHY is it snowing like a mofo here???)

One word of advice, dont let those guys get into you for more than a month. Get something up front, dont give too much credit.