Raising the Bar, ex-racer challenges, rewards
The first thing Jessica Boyd makes clear is that she didn’t grow up riding horses. She climbed into the saddle eight years ago, when her daughter Katie turned 13 and developed a passion for it. Boyd jokes that horse ownership, and her experiences riding an ex-racehorse, are her daughter’s fault. The second point Boyd makes is about her beloved off-track Thoroughbred Bar; he is aptly named. As in, he ‘raised the bar’ many times on Jessica and her partner Steve— both of whom have the bumps, bruises, and a few broken bones to prove it. “When I got Bar three […]
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Q&A with Laurie Metcalfe, DVM, Rood & Riddle
Laurie Metcalfe, DVM associate with Rood & Riddle, demystifies medical issues an ex-racehorse Thoroughbred may encounter when leaving track life, and offers insights on the growing awareness of OTTBs. Q: What is an osselet and how significant is it to the future career of an ex-racehorse? A: An “osselet” refers to the thickening/bony reaction that occurs at the joint capsule attachment of the fetlock, and usually results from trauma/wear and tear of racing. They represent strain and micro-tearing of this attachment of the fetlock/ankle joint to the cannon bone which, over time, creates firm, bony lumps. Acutely, these can be […]
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Riddle: Comet a star among ex-racehorses
Courageous Comet was no Secretariat on the racetrack. But now well into his second career, the gorgeous gray horse seen bounding across dozens of You Tube videos—neatly clearing stadium jumps and enthusiastically throwing himself over water obstacles— has nailed it. The off-track Thoroughbred has been to the Beijing Olympics, and recently took third at the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. This month he swept the American Eventing Championship and is to compete at the famed World Equestrian Games, held in the Kentucky Horse Park beginning this weekend. As he gallops his way across eventing challenges, those who seek to raise […]
