From the TRF website:

The Second Chances Program is a unique and pioneering program where inmates build life skills while participating in a vocational training program as they provide supervised care to our retired racehorses. Located at correctional facilities in eight states, inmates from every imaginable background take part in a rigorous training program where they learn horse anatomy, how to care for injuries, equine nutrition and other aspects of horse care. Graduates of the program receive a certification based on the level of expertise they have mastered. After their release from prison, graduates of the TRF Second Chances Program have gone on to careers as farriers, vet assistants, and caretakers.

What Makes the Second Chances Program Different

The inmates must learn about protecting a sentient creature; they have to think about a living thing other than themselves. The Second Chances Program is distinctive among vocational prison education because it is based on the horse, a being requiring complex care and training.

But vocational education doesn’t just help the inmates. The TRF program rehabs ex-racehorses, a concept known as “aftercare.”

Horses go to TRF with various needs due to age, injury or circumstance. Aftercare helps keep them from possible abuse and neglect. If they can’t be retrained as riding horses, or are not suitable for a particular program, they will go to a sanctuary farm managed by TRF staff who aren’t in the corrections system.

The Program’s Impact

In prison management, the focus is about keeping the population quieter, increasing positive communication, and tempering behavior, says TRF Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, Kim Weir. The inmates see improved self-esteem and gain a greater sense of purpose.

A warden at the flagship men’s program at the Walkill, N.Y., facility comments that the Second Chances Program constructively impacts all the people who work in the prison, including the women’s staff. Corrections news can be “dark” much of the time, but the equine education helps provide a positive environment, and the staff is part of a project having a favorable outcome.

Participants in the program, many of whom don’t have experience with horses, are each responsible for the care of four horses, including their feeding, stall cleaning and general health. They work an eight-hour day, and the hands-on education is supplemented with a course in Equine Science Management from the College of Central Florida.

Helping Incarcerated Women

The Second Chances Program at Lowell Correctional Institute in Ocala, Fla., specializes in incarcerated women. Most are convicted of drug offenses; violent offenders aren’t allowed in the program.

Chelsea O’Reilly, program manager, says the Second Chances training gives inmates “a different kind of teacher.” They learn how to diagnose a creature “who can’t tell what’s wrong with words.”    

O’Reilly comments that “the women are more open about their emotions than the men; they are forthcoming.”

The Department of Corrections (DOC) supported the idea of the women’s program; historically, women have not had as much opportunity for vocational rehabilitation in prison as men. Many are mothers, so they are eager to earn the credit of completing the program and get out to see their kids.

“I don’t have to worry about them running away,” says John Evans, former program director, of the women who qualify for the program. “The women are a lot less angry when they bond with a horse.”

To qualify for the program, the women must be within a few years of being released from the facility. After graduation, they get referred to work primarily at horse facilities or a non-equine job where the focus and communication tools they learned can be applied.

Lauren Vanucci, a former hunter/jumper rider, served a sentence for DWI manslaughter, wherein the victim was paralyzed. After graduation from the program, she was hired in a client relations position by Niall Brennan, a leading racehorse trainer in Ocala, Fla.

Vanucci says that the skills she learned from Second Chances, such as how to be a team player and how to be a leader for yourself, apply to any kind of work.                       

Lowering Recidivism

The DOC cites an average 20 percent recidivism rate (a measure of the tendency of convicted individuals to reoffend). Studies have shown a reduction in recidivism rates at facilities that host the Second Chances Program.

According to Weir, their behavior prior to release improves, providing more reason for the parole board to end their sentence, and helping prevent them from going back to prison after release.

Evans also maintains a broad spectrum of contacts in the horse industry that help newly released participants with finding jobs.

Funding and Donations for Second Chances

The funding supporting the horses initially came from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association. Currently, TRF is supported by private donations.

Donors are prompted in part, says Weir, by the belief that humans brought racehorses into the world for entertainment, so the horses deserve to have a healthy, happy life. The second reason is that the Second Chance Program is profoundly changing the lives of inmates.

The racing industry also contributes to Second Chances through promotion in broadcasting and media; Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park had a race named in honor of the program on the same day.

“They are teaching generations about equine aftercare,” says Weir.

There are some famed former racehorses in the Second Chances herd, including Shake You Down, who earned more than $1.4 million on the track. He recently passed away at the age of 23, but had been retired to the TRF’s Second Chances Farm at the Lowell Correctional Institution for Women in Ocala, Fla., for 15 years.

Hemingway’s Key, who placed third in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, was another favorite at Lowell who relocated to an adjacent farm in 2021 to become a part of the TRF’s Second Chances Juvenile Program. There, he helps give at-risk youth (young men ages 12-18) a chance to learn hands-on training in animal skills and life skills that they can use once released.

Skills Learned

Even the veterinarian visits spark thinking skills, as the vet asks inmates gathered there: “What would you look for? Why did this (condition) happen? How would you prevent this from happening? How do you treat it?”

O’Reilly notes the interdependence of the horse-human bond. The horse needs the inmate to care for its health, and the inmate needs the horse to learn about the benefit of bonding in nature to diffuse the effect of the tiled, cement-covered and loud environment they live in. The connection provides purpose with support and structure.

Confidence may be hard-won for those who end up in prison, but it can result from learning how to be sensitive to a horse while handling and training such a large animal and keeping it healthy.

More on the Second Chances Program

To learn more about TRF’s Second Chances Program, visit their website here. If you have felt moved by learning how much these horses and inmates impact each other’s lives for the better, consider donating. The program relies on donations, rather than government grants, to continue.

This article about the Second Chances Program appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Second Chances: Inmates and Thoroughbreds Helping Each Other appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Adoptable Horse: Serious Heat, a 15-year-old 16.0hh Thoroughbred mare
Organization: Second Stride, Prospect, Ky.

Get to Know Adoptable Horse Serious Heat

Serious Heat is a 15-year-old, California-bred Thoroughbred. She never raced and has no published works. She has had 9 registered foals.

Currently sound, Serious Heat is looking for her third career after putting in hard work as a mother. She will need a more experienced rider to get her started back under saddle.

If you are looking for the world’s most perfect trail horse, look no further. Serious Heat has a small, stocky build that screams western and with her calm disposition, she should enjoy a leisurely ride through the woods or farm. She also seems to enjoy going over poles and hasn’t shied away from any of them. Maybe a nice little hunter/jumper course is in her future.

Serious Heat is kind and easygoing with a sensible mind. She gets along well with other mares in the field and seems intelligent. She is a nice mare with a lot left to give her next partner in her new job!

Contact Second Stride today about ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, Serious Heat!

Could this week’s adoptable horse be the Right Horse you have been waiting for? Click here for more information about Serious Heat, the ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

ASPCA Right Horse

ASPCA Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.aspcarighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Serious Heat appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Adoptable Horse: Aloha Makuakane, a 5-year-old 16.3hh Thoroughbred gelding
Organization: Second Stride, Prospect, Ky.

Get to Know Adoptable Horse Aloha Makuakane

“Aloha” last raced on July 7, 2023, and retired with a left knee chip and slab fracture.

He is a good boy with a fun personality and is respectful of his handlers. Aloha is currently turning out with other geldings and does well while he is out with his friends. He is quiet in his stall and doesn’t cause any issues.

Once properly healed, Aloha will be suitable for riding the flat: western, trails, dressage, etc. He has a quick turn of foot and likes to get going, so he may be best suited for an intermediate or higher level rider at this time. A fun horse to ride, Aloha is willing to do most anything, but he does need to work on braking and steering.

Aloha can be energetic but is respectful of his handlers and is good for grooming and handling. Do note that he is a cribber, but is controlled with a strap.

Contact Second Stride today about ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, Aloha Makuakane!

Could this week’s adoptable horse be the Right Horse you have been waiting for? Click here for more information about Aloha Makuakane, the ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

ASPCA Right Horse

ASPCA Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.aspcarighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Aloha Makuakane appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Adoptable Horse: Cabre, a 7-year-old 16.3hh Thoroughbred gelding
Organization: Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds, Cocoa, Fla.

Get to Know Adoptable Horse Cabre

Cabre is a 7-year-old off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB). He is smart, charming, gentle and full of personality as big as his 16.3hh body. Cabre was transferred to HART in the fall of 2021, where he spent a little time adjusting to being gelded. Once he settled, he became a very in-your-pocket horse, loving a lot of attention.

Cabre leads, ground ties and loads easily. He will stand at the cross ties all day if asked and doesn’t move when switching from the halter to the bridle. He is built more like a quarter horse than a Thoroughbred — truly a ‘Big Red.’ He gets along with everyone in the pasture (even the minis), trailers like a dream, and stands calmly for the vet and farrier. He is very special and a barn favorite.

He is being ridden western, is easy under the saddle and walks, trots and canters on voice command. He walks over any obstacle and will walk through any body of water. Nothing fazes him — not even fireworks on the 4th of July. Cabre is HART’s go-to horse when doing liberty clinics in front of crowds. He would do very well at working equitation, competitive trail riding and Western/English pleasure.

But most of all, Cabre just loves being the center of someone’s universe (as he deserves). He requires front shoes and has a special, padded shoe on his right front (comes with lifetime supplies of his 3D pad). Come meet this gentle giant — you’re sure to fall in love with him.

Contact Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds today about ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, Cabre!

Could this week’s adoptable horse be the Right Horse you have been waiting for? Click here for more information about Cabre, the ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

ASPCA Right Horse

ASPCA Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.aspcarighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Cabre appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In the Horse Illustrated podcast Barn Banter episode 7, hosts Susan Friedland and Raquel Lynn chat with author Sarah Hickner about Thoroughbreds and Jessica Andrews, the creator of Eques Pante—a line of underwear made specifically for equestrians.

Click to listen on mobile.

Listen now to meet Sarah and Jessica. Plus, hear from Cailin Caldwell, Director of the ASPCA Right Horse Program, about the celebration of Adopt a Horse Month.

Title Sponsor: Straight Arrow Family of Brands

Sarah Hickner, author and Thoroughbred aficionado

Sarah Hickner is a lifelong horse-obsessed girl who has found joy in recording some of her crazy experiences for other horse lovers to enjoy. The horse world is one of hard knocks, but Sarah likes to find the good and the lessons in all of it and pass them on to others. Sarah is currently training her horse Danny to compete in this year’s Thoroughbred Makeover by Retired Racehorse Project. Find Sarah’s newly released memoir, Finding Gideon, along with Stories from the Barn Aisle at all major book retailers. Connect with Sarah and check in on Danny’s progress on Instagram @author_sarah_hickner.

Website

Jessica Andrews, creator of Eques Pante

After many years in the saddle, Eques Pante founder Jessica Andrews noticed her knickers were lacking. They didn’t protect. They didn’t support. Having worked in the beauty industry for over 20 years, Jessica has extensive experience helping women feel confident and beautiful. A little red rescue filly and a series of events led to Jessica’s career change and the creation of Eques Pante.

Instagram

Eques Pante website

Adopt a Horse Month

Finally, we talk to Cailin Caldwell, Director of the ASPCA Right Horse Program, about the celebration of Adopt a Horse Month. This May is the third annual recognition of this month, which promotes horse adoption. Cailin talks to us about these three adoptable horses:

Lillian

Now available for adoption, Lillian is a sweet-natured mare who needs an adopter with a soft and gentle approach to horsemanship. She gets along with other horses, stands great for the farrier and even to get a bath, and loads very well. She is best suited for a home where she can be “a pretty pasture unicorn.” Learn more about Lillian here.

Gem

This Paint mare is in search of a partner to complete her love for trail riding and selfies. Don’t judge as she is a little self conscious about it, but Gem does have a slight sway to her back. It does not seem to affect her and she promises to do her ground poles to build up the muscle. Gem is looking for a light rider in terms of size of person and difficulty of trail. And Gem prefers a home where horses each have their separate space for meal time, as she can be protective at feeding time. Learn more about Gem here.

Harbor Angel

This 4-year-old filly never raced, as she retired with a left hind non-displaced medial sesamoid fracture. She has been rehabbed and does have a chip that may come out.

Angel is very kind and very willing. She is quite green but with training from an experienced trainer, she should learn quickly. She is soft in the mouth and is in tune to what her rider is asking, a quick study. She has a lovely trot and canter and is very willing to work and go forward. She will be best suited for flat work: dressage, trails, pleasure, etc. Second Stride will pay Angel’s entry fee to the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover if entered. She will also have a half-off adoption fee to a repeat adopter in good standing. Learn more about Angel here.

Title Sponsor of Barn Banter

We want to thank our Title Sponsor, the Straight Arrow Family of Brands, makers of Mane ‘n Tail, Cowboy Magic & Exhibitor’s, with over 100 years of grooming excellence. For more information about your favorite products, visit straightarrowinc.com and find Straight Arrow Products at a tack shop near you!

In addition to Barn Banter episode 7, you can find all previous episodes of Horse Illustrated’s podcasts here.

The post Barn Banter – Episode 7 from title sponsor Straight Arrow Products appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Sammy galloped dramatically after our horse trailer as we hauled Wicklow to an eventing horse trial without him. He ran alongside us until the end of his field, calling for her, and her to him. It was such a sweet and dramatic display of their love for one another.

My now-husband, Drew, and I planned a sort of “couple’s trip” for our honeymoon to horse-lovers’ paradise, Mackinac Island, Mich. Everything was booked, including Wicklow and Sammy’s boarding on the island.

Just months before our wedding, we lost Wicklow overnight, with no trace of knowing what happened to her. Losing her was beyond devastating; she was my heart horse. I was inconsolable.

Wicklow was an off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) mare adopted from Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation in Guthrie, Okla. She was my dear friend and adventure partner. We camped overnight alongside Drew and Sammy, rode trails at state parks, entered eventing horse trials and the fall hunter pace—an event where we all galloped at a fast clip.

She often paused and looked back, waiting for her shorter-legged Appy friend to catch up to us. She had the kindest heart.

Following her death, I couldn’t sleep, frantically researching causes of sudden death in horses, to little avail. I then navigated my dedicated wee-hour search for any horses of her lineage, and then her dam. Drew found a phone number for Wicklow’s breeder and previous owner, and two hours after phoning Mark Swartz, he returned my call.

Sharing the Love

Delighted to connect, Mark recalled Wicklow as a foal and her earliest moments in training. While her heart didn’t beat for racing, I assured him he bred an outstanding jumper. His trip down Memory Lane surfaced wonderful memories with his beloved wife, JJ. With a shared love for their horses, they had named Wicklow’s half-sister—a competitive racehorse—JJ’s Forever.

We talked for more than an hour about Wicklow. I sent him pictures of her jumping and my engagement pictures with her and Sammy. He forwarded me pictures of her in training and one nursing her dam, In Perpetuity. And then, hesitantly, I asked him if he knew what happened to her dam.

In Perpetuity was now 14, recently retired from breeding just outside of Lexington, Ky. She was being cared for by her original owner, Mark’s longtime best friend, Mark Corrado. Soon after my call with Mark S., they both phoned me on a three-way call to tell me all about the great race mare, In Perpetuity.

Once in training with well-known Thoroughbred trainer Kiaran McLaughlin—who simultaneously had horses in training for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—In Perpetuity broke her maiden at Aqueduct in her second start. She was unfortunately clipped by a loose 2-year-old early in her career, which led to her retirement from racing and the beginning of her broodmare career.

An Amazing Gesture

They detailed more about her, and at 9 p.m. that night, they offered us the most special gift a broken-hearted horse girl could have received. Explaining how much it meant as owners to know their filly Wicklow went to such a loving home, they gifted us her beautiful dam, In Perpetuity. They were rehoming the dam of my heart horse to me.

Early the next morning, without delay, we set off from Oklahoma to Kentucky to bring her home.

Upon reaching the barn, we were led to her stall. I was taken aback as there in front of us stood a beautiful bay mare with Wicklow’s mirror-image kind brown eyes and a white sock on the left hind. She greeted us like old friends as I buried my head into her neck in tears.

Sadly, it’s not terribly uncommon to see Thoroughbred horses retiring from their racing or breeding careers to a grim fate rather than owners rehoming them. In Perpetuity was fortunate to be retired in excellent health to a stunning farm, and Mark C. said there was truly no other alternative.

“My dad and I raced her, and Mark and I each had some of her foals. It was time for her retirement. She’d been a nice mare and a really nice racehorse. [But] even if she had been a lousy racehorse, I would’ve done the same thing. If ever given the choice of not being able to eat or not being able to care for a horse and give them a nice retirement, there would be no choice.”

Mark C. continues to contribute to several Thoroughbred horse retirement and rehoming organizations per year.

“To me, that’s the responsibility of owning a racehorse. I 100 percent believe that and can’t imagine anything else.”

So now in our barn is the incredible mare who brought sweet Wicklow into our lives. Moving gradually toward her third career, I tacked her up for that first ride, letting her see and smell my saddle and pad. She inhaled so deeply, ears forward, I really believe she understood that Wicklow was once there with us.

The marvel of her being here, and my level of gratitude toward Mark C. and Mark S., is infinite.

This article about rehoming a horse to heal a broken heart appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Healing Hearts Through Rehoming appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

First developed in England strictly for the purpose of racing, the Thoroughbred began with three foundation stallions: the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk. Named after the men who owned them, these stallions were born in the Middle East and brought to England at the turn of the 18th century. They were bred with hardy native mares.

The horses that resulted from these crossings proved to be very fast over long distances. The British aristocracy had discovered the sport of horse racing, and the Thoroughbred became a favorite.

Selective breeding made the Thoroughbred faster and faster with each generation, and in 1791, James Weatherby researched and published the first volume of the breed’s General Stud Book. The book featured the pedigree of 387 mares that could be traced back to one of the three original foundation stallions.

Since then, the Thoroughbred breed has become synonymous with professional horse racing around the world. When people think of racehorses, they think of the Thoroughbred. Household names such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit and Secretariat made racing a favorite American pastime.

More Than Speed

The Thoroughbred has been a racehorse for centuries, yet it turns out this amazing breed can do a lot more than run. An organization called the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has had a hand in proving that Thoroughbreds bred for racing are also incredibly versatile as sport horses, and they can excel in a variety of disciplines.

Jen Roytz, executive director of the RRP, has seen this firsthand and knows why.

“So much careful thought, research and planning goes into the mating that produces each Thoroughbred with the goal of creating an elite equine athlete,” she says. “During their formative years, they are raised and cared for with that same goal in mind, and as a result receive proper nutrition and care as they develop.”

This care, combined with centuries of careful breeding, results in a very athletic horse, according to Roytz. And while the goal for most Thoroughbreds is to be a superior athlete on the track, racing is not the only good use of its athleticism.

“Their agility, stamina, adaptability and versatility make them well-suited for a variety of sports outside of racing,” she says.

Many people are familiar with Thoroughbreds competing in jumping, eventing, dressage, and even barrel racing, polo and endurance. But there’s more to discover outside the box when it comes to this breed.

“Their demeanor, intelligence and curiosity make them the perfect partner for everything from ranch work, trail sports, liberty training and recreational riding to lesson programs, therapeutic riding and more.”

Thoroughbred Horse Makeover

Over the past few years, Thoroughbreds have proven this at the RRP’s annual Thoroughbred Makeover event, held in Kentucky. Over the past six years, the group has named champions in 10 disciplines: barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, show jumping, show hunter, field hunter, polo, ranch work and freestyle (a free-form division).

More people are starting to recognize the value of the breed in different sports.

“This can be seen in the increase in the number of horses adopted from the racetrack and the increase in the prices paid for them,” says Roytz.

“Each year, more than half of our Thoroughbred Makeover trainers are competing in the event for the first time, and many are formally taking on the task of retraining a Thoroughbred from racing to their new career for the first time. That shows us the needle is moving, and more people are choosing Thoroughbreds for equestrian sports.”

Other organizations are also aware of this. There is the Jockey Club’s Trainer Incentive Program (TIP), which encourages the retraining of retired Thoroughbred racehorses for other disciplines. The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program, run by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc., is another.

It can be breathtaking to watch a Thoroughbred run at full speed on the track, but it can be just as impressive to see one of these athletes perform a flawless dressage test or soar over an oxer in a show jumping class. Whatever the sport, Thoroughbreds are proving they remain the horse world’s finest athletes.

The post Thoroughbred Horses Find a Second Calling appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Adoptable Horse: Class is Beautiful, a 10-year-old 16hh Thoroughbred mare
Organization: Second Stride in Prospect, KY

Get to Know Class is Beautiful

My Right Horse

My Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.therighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA’s Right Horse Adoptable Horse: Class is Beautiful appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In addition to finding the right personality and ability when searching for your next equine partner, oftentimes it feels like you need a Ph.D. to decipher horse-health records, old injuries, and how they might impact a horse’s future athletic career—and an off-track Thoroughbred, or OTTBs, can come with their own set of unique issues and injuries.

By the time most racehorses are 3 years old, they’re in peak physical condition and have been trained to do one job incredibly well: Run. Like top-tier human athletes, these horses are susceptible to a range of sports injuries. Some of these can affect a horse’s future athletic career and others are merely cosmetic, but the key to any injury is its severity and how well it is rehabilitated.

With the guidance of a knowledgeable veterinarian who has experience with these types of injuries and who understands your (realistic) skills and goals as a rider, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the perfect off-track Thoroughbred partner for your riding sport of choice.

Splints

Some retired racehorses have bony lumps on their lower legs. These “splints” are often found on the inside of the front legs. They are the result of an injury to the splint bone or to the ligament that runs in between the splint bones.

Presentation: Active splints are hot and swollen and may cause lameness.

Treatment: Time off, anti-inflammatories and possibly cold hosing could help this common off-track Thoroughbred injury.

Athletic Prognosis: Unlimited, once the splint is “old and cold.”

Suspensory Ligaments

The strain that racehorse legs experience while training can sprain or tear the suspensory ligament, which runs from just below the knee or hock to the back of the cannon bone, resulting in desmitis.

It’s not just physical strain on the tendon that causes injury, notes Leandra Cooper, facility manager and head trainer at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in Lexington, Ky. She rehomes over 200 retired Thoroughbred racehorses each year. Farriery is also a component. Most racehorses are shod with a long toe and low heel, which adds strain to the ligament.

The rehabilitation process and future athletic soundness are dependent on where on the ligament the injury is located and its severity.

Presentation: Swelling, heat and pain at the site of the strain or tear. Lameness can vary from mild to moderate and is most visible on soft ground; it often comes on suddenly and abates after a few days. Severe lameness is typically present in suspensory tears.

Treatment: Time and rest.

“The worst thing about these injuries is that the horses don’t read the book on how long it should take to heal,” says Shelley Mann, executive director of the Secretariat Center racehorse adoption center located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. “Some [horses] need 30 days and they are good to go, and sometimes it takes six months or longer to heal.”

Athletic Prognosis: The size of the injury and the quality of the repair are the greatest predictors of future soundness within certain disciplines, says Rhodes Bell, DVM, Dipl. ACVS-LA, of Park Equine Hospital and the primary veterinarian for New Vocations in Kentucky. Small branch injuries that are given enough time to rehabilitate are less likely to affect the future soundness than is an actual tear of the ligament. Properly rehabbed and brought back to condition, horses with desmitis are often able to jump small jumps.

Bone Chips

Osteochondral fragments (also called “bone chips”) in retired racehorses are exactly what they sound like: fragments of bone that have broken off in a horse’s joint. The majority of chips Cooper sees involve the knee and fetlock.

Chips can vary in size and position; their location can impact movement and cause pain and lameness. Chips that are “floating” can affect the surrounding anatomical structures (by shredding them). Chips that are not floating are often a non-issue and have little to no impact on the horse’s anticipated athletic ability.

Presentation: From inflammation without lameness (if the chip is not involved with other structures) to pain and lameness (if the chip is harming other structures).

Treatment: Chips that are in an articulating joint and causing damage will need to be surgically removed. A lameness exam should be performed on a horse to determine if a fragment is bothering him. If the horse is demonstrating lameness in a limb with a chip, the joint is often blocked and the horse’s comfort level reassessed.

“If the intra-articular block resolves the lameness, then I would recommend surgical removal,” says Bell. “If it doesn’t [make the horse sound], then I will keep looking for the cause [of the lameness].”

Bell will inject horses with hyaluronic acid or anti-inflammatory when surgical chip removal is not an option.

Athletic Prognosis: The level of athletic potential is often directly correlated to the location of the chip, especially in relation to the joint and articulating areas, as well as to how it is addressed. If the chip is not floating or has been removed early, horses have a good chance to have unlimited second careers, says Mann. However, once a horse has joint damage from a chip, he may develop arthritis in that area, which could potentially limit his future athletic endeavors, says Cooper.

Sesamoiditis and Fractures

Horses have two sesamoid bones at the back of the fetlock; there are multiple tendons that run over and between these bones. Repeated strain on these bones can cause fractures in various locations, which are treated differently and can cause vastly different athletic outcomes.

Presentation: Depending on the affected area, the horse can be severely lame, or he may only be off after he is worked intensely; he may be sore only when palpated or flexed. Visible inflammation and heat are possible.

Treatment: It depends on what area of the bone is affected. Sesamoids that fracture near the top and bottom of the bone respond well to surgery to remove the affected area.

Fractures that are lower in the bone that involve more of the suspensory insertion require more significant rehabilitation, says Bell.

Mid-body (in the middle of the bone) sesamoid fractures are best addressed with surgical reconstruction with lag screws, he notes.

Horses with sesamoid fractures should rest and have their training schedules reconfigured to alleviate concussion on the structures. A shoe that eases breakover may be beneficial to reduce strain on the sesamoid bones and ligaments.

Athletic Prognosis: This depends on the area of sesamoid affected.

“Some horses do great [once they are properly rehabbed], though we tend to suggest flat-only careers for those horses,” says Mann. “Others struggle with soundness due to damage to surrounding tissues and possible arthritis.”

These horses are best-suited to be companion horses if they can be made pasture sound. The prognosis for horses with hardware is directly related to the amount of collateral damage and how well the articular surface is reconstructed, says Bell.

Cooper notes that fractures at the base have the most risk for suspensory and joint involvement and are also those with the most limited career options; mid-body fractures have a fair prognosis for athletic careers; high breaks have a decent prognosis if there is no additional soft-tissue involvement.

Condylar Fractures

A condylar fracture is a common cannon bone injury caused by repetitive strain. The fractures are categorized into incomplete and non-displaced (meaning the bone fragment hasn’t pulled away from the cannon bone and is in the original location) and complete and displaced, meaning the fragment has moved away from the cannon bone. These injuries used to be considered a death knell for all athletic endeavors. However, advances in equine medicine have made the ability to return to full work a possibility.

Presentation: Horse will be acutely lame; affected area will be swollen and hot. A bone fragment may be visible under the horse’s skin.

Treatment: Often includes surgery to stabilize the break, anti-inflammatories, rest and time. Some fractures can be treated without surgery, though this is rarer.

Athletic prognosis: Dependent on rehabilitation.

“Collateral damage that occurs at the same time as the fracture typically predicts the [athletic viability] outcome,” says Bell. “A horse that suffers significant soft-tissue injury along with loss of cartilage within the joint would not be expected to have the same outcome as a horse with a simple, lateral, incomplete, non-displaced condylar fracture repaired using lag screw fixation.”

Also important to the joint’s long-term health is how well the articular surface is reconstructed. Some horses with condylar fractures have no career limitations; others cannot even be made pasture sound.

Mann notes that the Secretariat Center typically sees condylar fractures after screws have been inserted and the horse is racing again. Though these types of injuries in an off-track Thoroughbred often look intimidating, horses with condylar fractures often to do well once healed, Mann says.

This article about common off-track Thoroughbred injuries appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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