HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: LUCPARK on May 20, 2026, 09:37:18 PM
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PLS POST GOOD POINTS IF ANY IN OWNING
AND THERE MANY BAD POINTS,,
MY COMMENTS WILL FOLLOW LATER
PLS POST PLOPPERS tmbz1
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Even though it's a correctly used term, it feels so unnatural "owning" another creature like they're property even though they are.
I'd love to have the sire and dam, and have a family if they could.
Maybe they'd even race only if they were 100% healthy and above their peer competition so they wouldn't have to be pushed.
Sad with all the horses that need a good home and are retired - they didn't, can no longer perform, then treated poorly, and have a bad or no future.
I appreciate that your horses always landed in a good home, racing, not racing, or stayed with you.
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PLS POST GOOD POINTS IF ANY IN OWNING
AND THERE MANY BAD POINTS,,
MY COMMENTS WILL FOLLOW LATER
PLS POST PLOPPERS tmbz1
When I first got my horses at Pompano, my two partners and myself were so excited. Going to the barn to watch them train in the early morning. Breakfast at the track kitchen. Chatting with trainers and drivers at the qualifiers was so much fun. We soon realized that owning four cheap claimers was the wrong thing to do. But despite us losing money, I wouldn't give up the experience of owning horses. I just tell people now who want to "jump in the game" to have enough money for at least 6 months of bills. And to have a good relationship with the trainer, groom, vet, and farrier. Don't be afraid to ask questions. And don't be a schmuck either. Most "investors" lose money on this venture. But despite that fact, you can still have a great time enjoying owning horses.
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Very hard to be a new owner wanting to get into the game. It almost forces you to seek out and hire a chemical trainer to make bills and a few bucks. Real horseman trainers are facing a uphill battle to just get the owner even unless you have one with unlimited funds..
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PRO:
Presumably, we're talking about the 70'd thru 90's when a friday night crowd drew 15-20000 which created a buzz of excitement under the lights as soon as you walked in.
And if you were a railbird and saw the drivers silks under the lights and were able to absorb the wafting "aroma", you may have gotten the bug..
and if you lurked around the winners circle wondering what the "thrill of victory" feels like, you got the bug...
And if you were an excitement junkie and/ or a gambler, it doesnt matter if its a 5 claimerf or a 50k claimer, nothing beats the thrill of winning and cashing on your own horse...
Being around the backstretch and making friends and acquaintances of some hardwoirking people who love the animals...that rubs off...Bringing kids and friends to feed the horses down the shedrow...and developing a relationship with your horse..
next thing you purchase a baby (horse, that is, I'm no trafficker) and watch her clear each hurdle on the way to making her race track debut--what could be better than a win?
But for me, it was the ability to actually participate at whatever level- walking him, up to jogging him or even participating in an amateur or exhibition race.
Thats my pros--done typing...
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Great topic Rocco.. good luck at Hoosier this year by the way. tmbz1
I've posted this on here before, but what got me into harness racing the most, even more then growing up in Delaware,and even though our high school is nicknamed the pacers ngc3..was my grandparents and parents. They were small time owners when I was just a little JT. I think the most they owned at one time was about 10. Some of my best memories as a kid were riding in my grandparents old El Camino and traveling the state of Ohio to watch their horses race. All the kids wanted to ride rides, I wanted to be in the barns and grandstand. The look on my Grandfather's face when one of his horses won was priceless. Going out to the farm to watch them train. Also my parents calling me in sick to school during LBJ week ngc3
So to answer your question, the best part of owning is the memories that are made with family and friends ;D