Track visit wrap-up

I did another track visit with CANTER on Saturday, and it really can break your heart.

There was one kid who, when we approached their barn, said: "are you with CANTER?"  Yes!  We talked to him and his father, with the son interpreting, about a horse that they wanted to give away.  They said that the horse had some lameness issues and still be used, but never raced again.

We called the supervisor for the Delaware Park CANTER team over, and went to look at the horse alone as they were, by then, busy with another horse.  We couldn't get a solid answer on what was wrong with the horse, but did find out the name of the trainer to call.  He was a lovely little bay, a smidgen of chrome, who wanted attention desperately.  He'd lunge at anyone within his reach, yet he didn't bite.  He pawed, and he chewed on wood.  The whole time he watched us, but we are not allowed to touch the horses and I wasn't a fan of how his ears kept flattening as he would stop and stare at me.  I just glared back.

It turns out that this horse ran in the 2008 Preakness and won over $300,000 in his career.  Several stories have been found regarding him on the internet, most written in the build-up to the Preakness.  Now, he is a lame animal in a stall looking to be given away.

We didn't take pictures, but someone went back to get the shots for his listing.  When I saw him in the stall his legs were wrapped.  In the photos, he bore bold scars from pin firing.  I don't think that I've seen a pin fired horse in several years - longer than this horse has been alive, most likely - and I thought the practice had gone out of fashion.

I don't need another horse.  I don't need another horse.

Then I look at the aged, skeletal, long-coated (not Cushings, they insist), extremely long-toed and well overdue for a trim chestnut TWH at the barn whose owner has basically turned his back on.  He still has a light in his eye, barely, and I think he could be turned around.  I don't need another horse.  I don't need another horse.

:(