I received a comment from maidenofvirtue. Yes, that's me. =) I wanted to know, so I looked it all up! lol

Q: Can you adopt ex-racing horses? How?

A: Many retired Standardbred go on to be ridden and even shown. They compete in western classes, jumping, dressage, team penning, endurance, gymkhana, saddle seat and even sidesaddle. They also make great trail horses. Many of the Standardbreds that are being ridden today come from Standardbred rescue and adoption groups. These groups have Standardbred racehorses that were taken off the racetrack for different reasons and now need good homes. Some have been injured and can't race anymore; others simply weren't fast enough on the racetrack. Some Standardbred rescue groups retrain off-the-track horses to be riding horses. Some Standardbred ex-race horses already know how to carry a rider, so they are just given some extra training. Most have very good ground manners too because they are handled a lot as racehorses. They also know how to wear equipment, like a bridle and protective boots. They were bathed, clipped, shod and loaded onto a trailer when they were racehorses, so they're used to these activities too. Not all adoption groups retrain Standardbreds, so many of these horses have to be taught to be ridden after they are adopted. The horses have to learn to understand a rider's leg cues. Retired Standardbreds make good riding horses because they are intelligent and eager to please. They're known for being friendly and easy going. Even though they were trained to trot and pace on the racetrack (harness racing) they can be taught to canter under saddle. To help retired Standardbreds find good homes, the U.S. Trotting Association started the Standardbred Equestrian Program. This program these horses find permanent homes. It matches adoption groups with horse lovers who are looking for a horse they can ride for pleasure and showing. This association gives out High Point awards for Standardbred owners who show their horses. They also have a medallion program for people who don't compete. The program offers advice on how to retrain your Standardbred. Standardbreds are special horses that work hard on the race track and under saddle after they're retired from the track. People who give a Standardbred a second chance are glad they did.

Information if you're interested in adopting a Standardbred , or if you simply want more info on the association, visit www.ustrotting.com 

You can also check out the Stardardbred Retirement FOundation by visiting www.adoptahorse.org

You can also check out www.horseadoption.com

~ Mandy

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