The "Unwanted Thoroughbred" problem is a complex issue with several contributing factors including those below:
1) Since we are a more urban society, we are losing those that have come from the farms which have horse and thoroughbred backgrounds. This diminishes both the interest in the breed and, more importantly, reduces the number of future thoroughbred horsemen. Thus, the current system produces poorly trained race horses (lack of good trainers) which are more likely to have physical and mental problems. These horses are less desirable as second career horses because of their physical ailments along with the fact that many are difficult to retrain.
2) Our instant gratification society is looking to get a win quickly. Thus, many race horses are disposed of quickly in order to move on to the next potential winner. The high economic costs of raising and training race horses produces the incorrect assumption that the quickest training road is the most economical path to getting a winner.
3) Very poor marketing by the thoroughbred community has allowed the breed to be branded as "wild/crazy" and non-versatile. This factor has only been made worse by the fast paced, viral picture and video culture of today's media.
4) Thoroughbred racing has done little to use the new "Facebook" paradigm of marketing and education to attract the younger generation. Also, the public perception of the breed is that it is only relevant in society as a race horse, not as a show horse, companion, therapy horse, etc.
5) With the diminishing role of horsemanship in show communities, show trainers look for the "easier" breeds to train and sell such as warm-bloods (thoroughbred/draft horse cross). This plays a significant role in the decreased demand for thoroughbreds as a second career horses.
6) Poor breeding has produced horses that have a greater chance of injury compared to previous generations.
7) Rescue organizations have become the dumping grounds for a dysfunctional racing business model and thus continue to enable those responsible for the "Disposable Horse Culture". Without a focus on solutions, they will continue to be overwhelmed and underfunded. Prevention of the"Unwanted Thoroughbred" leads to the most rescues.
1) Since we are a more urban society, we are losing those that have come from the farms which have horse and thoroughbred backgrounds. This diminishes both the interest in the breed and, more importantly, reduces the number of future thoroughbred horsemen. Thus, the current system produces poorly trained race horses (lack of good trainers) which are more likely to have physical and mental problems. These horses are less desirable as second career horses because of their physical ailments along with the fact that many are difficult to retrain.
2) Our instant gratification society is looking to get a win quickly. Thus, many race horses are disposed of quickly in order to move on to the next potential winner. The high economic costs of raising and training race horses produces the incorrect assumption that the quickest training road is the most economical path to getting a winner.
3) Very poor marketing by the thoroughbred community has allowed the breed to be branded as "wild/crazy" and non-versatile. This factor has only been made worse by the fast paced, viral picture and video culture of today's media.
4) Thoroughbred racing has done little to use the new "Facebook" paradigm of marketing and education to attract the younger generation. Also, the public perception of the breed is that it is only relevant in society as a race horse, not as a show horse, companion, therapy horse, etc.
5) With the diminishing role of horsemanship in show communities, show trainers look for the "easier" breeds to train and sell such as warm-bloods (thoroughbred/draft horse cross). This plays a significant role in the decreased demand for thoroughbreds as a second career horses.
6) Poor breeding has produced horses that have a greater chance of injury compared to previous generations.
7) Rescue organizations have become the dumping grounds for a dysfunctional racing business model and thus continue to enable those responsible for the "Disposable Horse Culture". Without a focus on solutions, they will continue to be overwhelmed and underfunded. Prevention of the"Unwanted Thoroughbred" leads to the most rescues.
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Thoroughbred Camp is a collaborative educational program involving the Thoroughbred Educational Foundation, Inc. and the equine industry.
Copyright © 2011, Thoroughbred Education Foundation, Inc.
