by Jonathan Horowitz|06.08.202206.09.2022|4:15pm2:10am Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Arabian Racehorse Completes Two Eventing Shows, Now Back To The Track I’ve been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. I didn’t play sports in high school or college, but at the age of 37, I did finally get the chance to take on some of the best riders in the Rocky Mountain region in the equestrian sport of eventing because of the […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|04.28.2022|4:52pm Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: The Value Of Cross-Training For Racehorses “Is that an Arabian?” I took that question as a compliment when asked it at the Spring Gulch Combined Test in Highlands Ranch, Colo., on April 23. That’s the first horse show I competed at with the precocious 4-year-old grey Arabian racehorse AA Two Face. The reason that question was a compliment was because the […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|03.31.2022|11:59am Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Understanding The Diet Of Thoroughbreds On and Off Track If the expression “you are what you eat” holds true, then understanding what Thoroughbreds eat, particularly the diets that are necessary for their success both on and off the racetrack, will give us better insights into how we can relate to them and what their responses are to what we ask them to do. Given […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|02.24.2022|3:28pm Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Good Horse People Know There’s Always Something To Learn Horses can be a lot to handle, and Thoroughbreds, being regarded as hot-blooded compared to other breeds, can be particularly extreme in both their positive and challenging moments. For starters, most horses can outweigh their riders by about 1,000 pounds. When riders ask horses to do something, whether it be on the ground or in […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|01.31.202202.01.2022|1:30am2:15am Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: ‘Quirky’ Kubo Cat Dished Out Challenges On Path To Success Through centuries of the breed’s development, the Thoroughbred is athletic, smart, sensitive, forward-looking, and forward-thinking. Being regarded as hot-blooded, the Thoroughbred is extreme in both positive and challenging moments. Alison O’Dwyer and Kubo Cat offer great lessons about the extreme nature of Thoroughbreds and the challenges and benefits that go along with riding this roller […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|12.30.202102.01.2022|5:13pm2:14am Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Looking Forward To 2022 With Hope For Ex-Racehorses Last month, I wrote about “nature,” genetics, and how the Thoroughbred breed “has evolved over more than three centuries to be an elite sport horse, regardless of what that sport is.” “Understanding and embracing the true nature of the Thoroughbred means that events like the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, programs like The Jockey Club […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|11.28.202102.01.2022|8:07pm2:14am Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Thanks To Genetics, Thoroughbreds Are The Ultimate Shapeshifters Let’s talk about what a Thoroughbred truly is. A Thoroughbred is an athlete. Through centuries of crafting a vision and meticulous breeding to bring that vision to life, the Thoroughbred has become the wonder of horse lovers and sports lovers and the source of big business and cultural richness around the world. The vision for […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|10.28.202110.28.2021|4:32pm8:22pm Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: In Memory Of A One-Eyed Wonder The biggest week of the year for retired racehorses is what helped me grieve the lowest moment I’ve had with horses. The Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover has always had a significant impact on my life, starting with the first time I announced the event during the first year it was held at the Kentucky […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|09.29.202109.29.2021|1:58pm2:01pm Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: ‘Victory’ At The Thoroughbred Makeover Looks A Little Different For Everyone The performances that make me smile the biggest and appreciate the retired racehorses and the trainers that care so much for them at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover the most are not necessarily the ones that win ribbons or even make the Finale. Don’t get me wrong: as the announcer of the Thoroughbred Makeover since […]
by Jonathan Horowitz|08.26.202108.26.2021|2:29pm8:42pm Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Finding The Right Personality Match For Horse And Rider Certain things just go together. Mike Smith and Zenyatta. Bill Murray and a Wes Anderson movie. Peanut butter and jelly. As great as those ingredients are individually, there’s something magical that happens when they come together. How a horse matches up with its rider in an equestrian sport is very much like a director trying […]