[AnAmericanMother]

. . . and, by the way, you can't have had much involvement with the care and maintenance end of horsemanship (as opposed to just hacking a rented horse around) . . . or you would know that turning your average racehorse or high bred saddle horse out to grass is pretty much a death sentence, even with grain.

They can't subsist on that low a caloric content, they need regular work to stay in shape, and they quickly become rank without the handling and human contact. I think the draft crosses and heavy harness breeds tolerate it better, but Standardbreds and Hackneys are pretty much in the same boat as the TBs.

I have worked with OTTBs as well as a racing bred broodmare that was taken to the sales at age 14, unbroke. I took her on as a project horse and did the entire Noel Jackson method on her, never a buck in that girl and she went on to become a very successful hunter and event horse. We retired her at 27 with a vague unsoundness that the vet could never pinpoint, she went to the Special Olympics where she had a ball with the kids, and when she became too lame even for that despite the best care, we turned her out to pasture. It was not a success. Even with supplemental feeding she was losing weight steadily (and getting downright cranky), we had to find her a spare box stall at a friend's stable. She eventually died in her sleep at 32. Great old mare, best horse I ever had.

[connyankee]

Actually I have had and not on rented. Did you just turn a racehorse out of course you school and you work with Etc but it certainly is a far cry from riding up and down a paid New York or Philadelphia or any other city street living in horrible conditions which many of the stables in Philadelphia area closed down years ago because of that so take your experience have a nice life I’m happy for you I have experience as well and on the compassionate pet owner I do not train I work with I do not ask animals to serve me I prefer to work with them and serve them thank you we all have our opinions have a nice day Merry Christmas de Blasio is still an idiot

[connyankee]

Actually I have had and not on rented. Did you just turn a racehorse out of course you school and you work with Etc but it certainly is a far cry from riding up and down a paid New York or Philadelphia or any other city street living in horrible conditions which many of the stables in Philadelphia area closed down years ago because of that so take your experience have a nice life I’m happy for you I have experience as well and on the compassionate pet owner I do not train I work with I do not ask animals to serve me I prefer to work with them and serve them thank you we all have our opinions have a nice day Merry Christmas de Blasio is still an idiot