My only goal for a horse’s first competition is for the experience to be positive. All decisions are made to keep the horse comfortable and build his confidence in us and this new life. Horses never forget their first time at anything. It’s during the first encounter that they make a decision of whether a new activity is good or bad. If they have several good experiences initially and then something negative happens, they have a positive foundation to rely on. If, however, the first experience is negative - or worse, the first few experiences are negative – then you will have a lot to make up for and there will always be a nagging negativity associated with whatever it was you were doing with the horse. Yes, you can overcome a bad introduction, but horses are prey animals and they do not forget bad experiences.  

While Scout will be competing in dressage at the Makeover, I always choose a dressage show for the first competition experience because it’s organized and scheduled. There is a ride time assigned, so you know when the horse will perform. The warmup is more predictable because of the ride times. The horses go one at a time into the competition arena to perform their test so my horse doesn’t have to deal with the behavior of other horses while performing.

Scout went to his first show on May 19, 2024. We arrived early to give him plenty of time to acclimate to the sounds and activity at the farm. We braided him shortly before it was time for him to warm up. Kristen rode him in two Intro classes that involved walk and trot for this first outing. It was a success because Scout remained comfortable and relaxed. This enabled him to do as Kristen asked in both tests. We are now looking to another schooling show in June and will be moving Scout up to Training Level Two which is the test he will perform at the Makeover. At this point I am happy to say he is still on schedule for the Makeover.

We invested a lot of time preparing Scout for his first competitive outing. He’s gone on no less than seven planned outings where we did everything possible to increase his confidence in travel to new places. We varied the atmospheres, beginning with very quiet and increasing to busier, higher-pressure locations as Scout progressed.

So far, we’ve stall rested Scout for six months, provided the basic training and physical development needed for this new life, and now are preparing him for competition. But there is very little chance his adoption fee will cover the cost of his rehabilitation and re-training, so why are we doing it?

Besides providing the best possible care and retraining for every retiring racehorse that comes to us, one of Thoroughbred Placement Resource’s core missions is to create Breed Ambassadors. We understand that each and every retired racehorse out there represents its breed. Many exemplify reasons someone should never get a Thoroughbred and this hurts the racing industry’s mission to give the horses they retire from racing the best possible life after they leave the track. 

Currently, keeping a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and putting the correct training on him will cost more than the seller can recoup. The same amount of training on a Warmblood will bring about twice what a comparable Thoroughbred will bring. Most people who work in Thoroughbred resales get them off the track, ride them a bit, and sell them as soon as possible. These people work hard and many can eke out a living, making a modest profit for their work. The problem is too few of these horses ever get the training they need to demonstrate the incredible potential of the Thoroughbred breed and retired racers. Without this training, they cannot demonstrate their true potential. Most upper-level trainers don’t train Thoroughbreds – not because they don’t like them, but because they can’t sell them at a profit. When they do take one on, it is usually promoted as a generous thing the rider/trainer is doing, and not as a profit-making activity. 

Every race breeder, trainer or owner has horses come through their hands that they know are special. These people are for the most part experienced horsemen who see a lot of horses over the years. This vast experience enables them to identify the special ones. A horse may not be a good racehorse, but they know the horse has talent. It would help the entire aftercare system if owners and trainers would try to get these horses into the hands of trainers or owners who have the means and desire to develop them into positive Breed Ambassadors instead of making a quick resale. Success with these horses will have a trickle-down effect. Owners and adopters will seek trainers who have experience with retired Thoroughbred racehorses and this will increase their value. There will be more success stories and fewer failures because the more talented and athletic horses are also the ones that need experienced training by professionals. 

Our work with Scout is intended to prepare him to be the absolute best Breed Ambassador he can be and to get him in the hands of someone who will continue to help him shine. TPR is just one small organization. It takes a lot of time and resources to produce correctly trained horses who can shine a spotlight on how great retired racehorses can be. They are worth the investment of training. It’s also the only way I can see to increase the value of Thoroughbreds in a significant way. We know they have the talent and class to be at the top of the competitive world, but they can’t get there without patrons who believe in them. 

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.