Horse & Dog When does a racing horse retire?

[lordcole]

I've heard that the racing career of a horse that has won some notable races is likely to be shorter. How long can a horse last in the tracks and does gelding help the racing horses continue with their career?

 

[Tolly]

I think for some stables it's a commercial consideration. If the horse has won some good races and established their value for breeding, why keep risking them in races? They can make more by retiring it. That option's not available with geldings, so they've less to lose by racing the horse for longer.

 

[clyne]

Whereas gelding has its own benefits to a horse (and not necessarily a racing one) I have to agree with @Tolly that for the stables, it's more about the commercial benefits. On the same note, there is a huge market for retired horses out there.

 

[Tolly]

I've just realised I didn't answer the question. For most racing horses it is around 5-7 years, although there are outliers. Geldings may race until 12 years or older. New York has a legal limit of 14 years, because as the horse gets older the injury risk increases.

 

[steve]

Its the owners decision. Consider black caviar. She could have made millions more but the owners retired her because she deserved it. And she would still make a fortune making foals.

 

[edmond]

I've just realised I didn't answer the question. For most racing horses it is around 5-7 years, although there are outliers. Geldings may race until 12 years or older. New York has a legal limit of 14 years, because as the horse gets older the injury risk increases.

True and there's no need to keep a horse racing when it's good days are almost behind it. I've heard it said that good racers are mostly used to breed, when they are done racing.

 

[Sting]

Are these laws very well enforced or do some of the racehorse owners sometimes just go ahead and use the horse past the legal limit?

 

[Tolly]

They are really well enforced in the places that have them, due to all the paperwork and records that are kept about racehorses. Not all regions have age limits, or even the same age limit, so there's nothing stopping an unscrupulous owner taking a horse that is overaged in one area and moving it to race in a region with no age bar.