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Learning All About Racehorse Partnerships

By Stacey Burt


Few people know firsthand the thrills of owning a race horse. Being on the inside of 'the sport of kings' is one of life's ultimate satisfactions. From the sanctum of the backstretch to the privilege of the paddock, being an 'owner' is, for many, worth the heavy cost. Racehorse partnerships open this world to those either unable or unwilling to shoulder the cost alone.

An 'owner' has many privileges denied to the average race fan. They also incur the heavy costs of keeping a horse at the track and competing in races. There will be farrier and veterinarian fees, jockey and entry fees, and costs for insurance. Daily care requires the services of a trainer, groom, exercise boy, and perhaps hot-walker. There is also the feed, hay, and bedding. All of this adds up to forty or more dollars a day, depending on track and quality of racing.

Owners can visit the barn area - the backstretch - where daily tasks go on and horses go out for morning exercise and work-outs. This area is open only to licensed trainers, owners, exercise riders, jockeys and their agents, and grooms. For many, the backstretch is the most romantic part of the sport. There is hustle and bustle in the mornings, peace in the afternoon, and focused preparation at race time. After the race, there is a time of putting the horse to rest - cooling out, watering off, blanketing and bandaging - and the blow by blow replay of either victory or defeat.

There is also free admission to all parts of the clubhouse and grandstand, even the elevated area where trainers stand to watch their horses run. Then, of course, there's the 'holy sanctum' of the paddock and the ultimate thrill - being in the win picture - all special privileges open to owners. A win picture says it all to those in the know.

There are opportunities to join a partnership online. Thoroughbreds, standardbreds, and quarterhorses are all open to this form of ownership. Some of the top stables in the sport offer well-bred, fast horses to qualified people. One advantage to online opportunities is that the horses offered are already racing and in many cases have proved their ability to win and earn money.

Of course, going into this with an eye to making money is as risky as any investment on earth. Most winnings - if any - are taken up by expenses. The main rewards are being on the inside of a great sport, sharing the thrill of victory, and getting all the bragging rights that owning a racehorse affords. Investors who want monetary gains might want to have many shares in different animals, to minimize the risk of injury or loss.

A written agreement is truly necessary in this arena, to cover eventualities like failure to pay, wanting to sell out, or distributing insurance pay-outs. Problems arise usually because responsibilities are not spelled out for all parties. Trustworthy partners are important, since problems lessen the fun - which is the main point of the whole thing, after all.

There is a lot of information available about both the sporting side and the legalities of horseracing partnerships. This is an exciting way to have a lot of fun, if everything is correctly structures and operated.




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