If you love going to the harness race track, you’ve experienced the thrill of watching a horse pull
ahead of the pack to a breathtaking victory. Have you ever dreamed about what it might feel like
to be the racing horse’s owner, celebrating on the track, surrounded by well-wishers and
accepting bouquets of roses? Horse ownership is actually not an impossible dream.
Investing in a Standardbred race horse is an opportunity to have a hobby that’s unique, exciting,
and potentially lucrative. If you’ve got a little money to invest and you love the energy of the race
track and that heart-stopping, anything-can- happen feeling of watching the horses run, horse
ownership might just be the thing for you.
Where do you start?
You might want to start small. Consider a percentage investment. You can often get in the game
with a five percent ownership of a Standardbred horse for as little as $1500. That’s an easy way
to test the waters and get a feel for the community and the world of Standardbred horse
ownership.
Another opportunity for ownership would be to purchase a horse in “claiming race.” In these
races, every horse that’s running is available for purchase for prices ranging from $5,000 to
around $30,000. You can also share ownership of a horse with the horse’s trainer. If you do,
you’ll also share risks and expenses with them, and the trainer will have some “skin in the
game.” You can expect training bills to run around $2,000 per month, an amount that covers
staff, food, medicine, training, grooming and veterinary bills.
Once you’ve invested in a horse, you can join your local harness horse owners’ association.
There, you’ll find a supportive community of other owners, breeders and trainers who will be
eager to share their knowledge, passion and experience with you. They’re pretty great groups.
You’ll also be able to go to the stables and develop a relationship with the horse you’ve invested
in. There’s a saying that “the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person.” Getting to
know a horse and having a vested relationship with it can be incredibly rewarding.
Whether your horse is competing in a race with a $1 million purse or just taking to the track at a
county fair, there’s nothing like the thrill of standing in the winner’s circle with your horse, getting
your picture taken and celebrating with the other owners. Horse ownership is an amazing feeling.
If you live in the Midwest and think that investing in a race horse might be for you, take the next
step by visiting the Indiana Standardbred Association for details and more information.