By Tom Ventsias

A university lecturer helped launch a project to transition thoroughbreds from the racetrack (above) into second careers as pleasure riding or equine sporting horses. Photo by Lydia Williams

When Lookin At Lucky won this year’s Preakness Stakes, the 3-year-old colt virtually guaranteed himself a lush retirement at a swanky breeding farm when his racing career ends. But thousands of other thoroughbreds coming off the track each season due to age or minor injuries face a far less glamorous or certain future.

These lower-level horses—the backbone of day-to-day racing nationwide—are still vibrant and eager to compete, but a lack of second-career opportunities could mean being sent to a less fashionable farm where their care could suffer, or worse, the rare chance of being shipped to a slaughterhouse.

An equine expert in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and her husband have launched a nonprofit venture to provide another option by encouraging and training owners to transition thoroughbreds into new roles as riding horses or competitors in three-day eventing, which combines dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

Erin Pittman is a horse lecturer in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Erin Pittman, a horse lecturer in the college’s Institute of Applied Agriculture, and Steuart Pittman, president of the Maryland Horse Council, recently established the Retired Racehorse Training Project. Their endeavor offers symposiums to educate prospective new owners of retired racehorses, trains both horses and riders, provides nutritional and pasture management tips and ramps up marketing and public relations efforts in the mid-Atlantic region as to why ex-racers are ideal for anything from pleasure riding to eventing.

“While there are some thoroughbreds that will never make it as sporting horses because of injuries sustained while racing, most of them can, and most of them do very well,” says Steuart, who trains and competes at the highest levels nationally. “Our main goal is educate the public on the value of taking these tremendous athletes from the racetrack, and giving them the opportunity to really shine in another environment.”

His own horse, Salute the Truth, retired from racing more than a decade ago and has since gone on to a noted career as a stallion and three-day eventing specialist. (See video link at bottom of page).

Transitioning a horse from the racetrack to sport riding involves significant changes in their nutrition, physical environment and day-to-day regimen, says Erin, who has taught equine management courses at Maryland for the past nine years.

“There is a big difference from being in a stall at the racetrack—eating high-energy grains and hay and training for only about an hour each day—to being turned out in a pasture for 24 hours,” she says.

Pittman intends to bring her expertise in equine nutrition, hoof care and pasture management to the retired racehorse project, while also take a lead role in the enhanced marketing efforts. One of her students in the college’s equine business management program is also helping, compiling a database of thoroughbred racetracks, trainers and placement organizations across the country in order to match up horses coming off the track with prospective new owners.

“The program that Steuart and Erin are running is a win-win situation for everyone,” says Mike Pons, business manager of Country Life Farm, the state’s oldest thoroughbred breeding operation (circa 1933), where 1961 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Carry Back was born.

“These horses are bred to run fast, train hard and compete with all their heart, so it makes owners, breeders and trainers in our industry comfortable knowing they will be given the chance to continue that after they leave their racing careers,” says Pons, who is also past president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

The Pittmans expect to work with other nonprofits on the national level that are involved with placing retired thoroughbreds into new homes. The goal for most of these organizations is to offer intelligent, competitive equine companions to caring owners, while also decreasing the odds that the some of the horses might be shipped out of the United States to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada.

The retired racehorse project also ties in with other aspects of good horse ownership, such as maintaining open green space in the state of Maryland, Steuart says. “That is a big part of why Erin and I support Maryland thoroughbred racing and want to continue promoting horse ownership in the state,” he says.

The Pittmans’ Dodon Farm in Davidsonville, Md., has been in the family for eight generations, part of Maryland’s long history in horse farming and racing. Even George Washington was a regular attendee of the spring races held near Annapolis.

The couple says they enjoy the educational aspect of the project: “Stuart is an expert at teaching advanced riding skills, and I love to teach people about equine nutrition,” says Erin. “We joke that he likes to give his opinion, while I’m the one with the facts.”

Humor aside, Steuart says the pleasure that comes from joining an advanced rider with an accomplished thoroughbred is priceless. “Their athleticism and the desire to go … while it may scare some people, is quite a thrill to many of us,” he says.

Watch Steuart Pittman competing with his thoroughbred stallion, Salute the Truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO2LTDHRuZo