Richard Schibell Racing

“Yearlings require the proper nutrition, exercise, bathing and grooming” says 30 year breeding veteran Richard Schibell .  Fail in any of these areas and your yearling won’t meet its potential, especially in the context of the all-important sales ring.  Though a lovely coat is nowhere near as important as physical features and pedigree, a glossy shine that appeals to the eye really does make a powerful impression.  A yearling featuring a well-groomed coat will stand out from the rest of the crowd and generate plenty of attention. Yearlings and Exposure to Light Yearlings spend the majority of the day in barns so they are not exposed directly to the harsh sunlight.  This light has the potential to damage yearlings’ coats and diminish physical aesthetics.  Appearance is just about everything on sale day.  Horses are typically turned out in the evening hours around the time the sun is setting and subsequently brought in at sunrise.  This scheduling pro...

Horses should not be restricted to small spaces.  These animals are naturally drawn to open spaces.  Every racehorse has to learn how to be comfortable in the starting gate, regardless of how cramped it is.  Most states require racehorses to complete official workouts.  Some such workouts must commence from the starting gate.  The logic in this requirement is the horse is allowed to load up and break away without impediment.  A weak start hinders the horse’s individual chances to win, show or place and also make it difficult for the rest of the field. The gate crew ultimately gauges whether the horse if officially ready to race.  In some cases, certain horses require a minimum of three extra workouts.  The gate crew is comprised of a group of 10 horsemen who help with training and loading prior to the race.  The gate crew also determines each horse’s progress and provides gate cards to those that fulfill all portions of the approval process....

When it comes to competitive horseracing, spending $30,000 or more is commonplace.  Horses sold for tens of thousands of dollars have the potential to be flipped for several million dollars.  Take a look at the winners of the latest Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, both of which Richard Schibell has attended multiple times, and other top races and you will find the majority of these elite animals sold for eye-opening figures.  Though spending these massive sums of money are certainly a gamble, winning horses have the potential to mutlipy the initial investment tenfold or more. A Numbers Game Though luck is certainly a factor in horse racing, money is what matters most.  Some owners invest hundreds of thousands of dollars each year purchasing and training these world class animals with the hope of developing a profitable winner.  There is always the chance for horses sold at comparably low to moderate prices to succeed yet the ongoing costs make this que...

Take a moment to consider how you keep your farm records.  Whether you use your memory, yellow sticky notes or a formal journal, your farm records should be detailed and orderly.  Keeping a paper record provides important insight into the specific mares that are reproducing better than the rest.  This is quite the important means of highlighting the mares that make the best impact on your bottom line. Want to know how Richard Schibell Racing does it? Keep reading below! Documenting, Tracking and Safely Storing Data Breeding sheds are typicality the area where record-keeping is most important.  Everything from insemination to anticipated foaling dates, prior breeding information and ultrasounds must be documented, tracked and stored.  The aim of breeding farms is to generate high-quality live foals.  Several important factors can be plucked from these breeding records to determine whether the goal was attained.  As an example, consider the pregnancy...

Spring isn’t too far away.  This is the time of the year to start thinking about your young horses debuting with their first starts at the track.  Most people know about races like the Breeders’ Cup Classic yet few understand how horses qualify to compete in such races.  The North American flat racing system establishes classes that determine which horses qualify to start in particular races.  There are four primary race categories.  Each race category is subdivided with with conditions ranging from prior performance to age, etc. Claiming Races Most of the horseraces in the United States are claiming races.  In this type of race,e each horse can be purchased for an established price.  Claiming prices sometimes go as low as $10,000 yet sometimes exceed $80,000.  The higher the claiming price, the more prize money is awarded.  Prospective buyers are required to place their claim prior to the start of the race.  These buyers own the hors...

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