He becomes an ‘Alpha mare’ to train OTTBs
Put a herd of 25 horses together for the first time, and after some kicking, biting, and a few flying tufts of torn-out hair, an alpha mare will emerge. In 97 percent of the time, after the dust settles, it is the female horse who emerges victorious as the leaders, says Mark Bolender ofBolender Horse Park in Washington. All devotion is vested in her, as long as she leads in a focused and consistent manner. But if she veers into inconsistent and unfocused leadership, the herd will turn on her and kill her. “Once she is chosen, an instinct will […]
Rood & Riddle names TB sport horse of the year
The winner of the 2015 Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year Award was announced at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (TOBA) Annual Awards Dinner held on Sept. 10 at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington. The winner, Sound Prospect, also known as “Sounder,” was named a divisional winner in the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse Awards earlier this year. These awards recognize Thoroughbreds who have excelled in second careers as performance horses in dressage, eventing, hunter, and jumper competitions throughout the year. Competitors earn points toward the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse Awards at USEF-sanctioned events during […]
Death-farm horse heals the hurt of an inmate
About a year after Ollie (JC: Oligopolist) was pulled off a Virginia farm with 80 other endangered and starving equines, the chestnut Thoroughbred ex-racehorse whose future was so uncertain then now brings comfort to a prisoner who relates to the animal’s struggle and triumph. “He’s been through a lot,” says James River Work Center inmate William (last name withheld), an avid participant in a horse/inmate program offered by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF, Inc.). “He had a hard life; he got the wrong end of the stick, but he turned out to be an awesome horse.” Oligopolist Sire: Mutakddim Dam: […]