How do people survive owning shitty horses

[goblue]

There are so many terrible horses out there that make next to nothing at the racetrack.  And there are so many trainers who own their horses and have 10+ horses and they are all garbage, racing for $4K, making $10-20K at the track per year. 

How do these trainers survive owning all of these horses?  Where are they coming up with the money to breed them, train them down, and then make essentially nothing at the track?

Especially low-ranked trainers at tracks like Northville and Hawthorne. And the fair trainers in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.

[Fair is fair]

It's a hobby. They work a real job to pay f ok r their horses. Lmao

[TW]

 

[goblue]

That is good to hear.

[NJ The best]

Ask the Freehold owners.

[horses first]

I'm sure those mentioned had a nest egg. SS isn't helping retirees stay afloat in harness racing bills no matter how they can do it on the cheap....to be active in fair racing. Which is a good thing for a old timer keeping busy at that age. Just guessing they did something right to have enough money from their old day job.

[zoot]

sometimes, while racing 15 or 20 at the meadowlands during the golden years, I would get down and wonder what I was doing.


then a stake or a series would come up requiring a road trip to a smaller track. that trip was such a snap back to reality and to an appreciation of the good fortune I had experienced. I used to look around these backstretches and see all the sights. the jog carts in disarray with grain bags being used for aprons. the tattered coolers the worn out harness. it gave me an appreciation for where I was.


those guys are not paying bills, those horses are not getting the basic needs and most are being cared for on deals. its a dying industry and any death is tough to watch.

[comeonman]

still the same elsewhere