How to Buy a Harness Race Horse

Harness racing is a type of horse racing where the horse pulls a two-wheeled cart and runs in a controlled gait. According to the Prince Edward Island Horse Owners Association, anyone can own a harness racing horse. There are several options when buying a horse. If you have the money to spend and love the sport of horse racing, here's how you can buy your own harness racing horse.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Set aside enough money to buy a harness race horse. You most likely won't purchase a horse for under $10,000 and often much more than that. You also need to stable the horse, groom it and feed it. Owning a horse can be an expensive venture.

2. Find a good trainer and consult with that trainer when buying your first horse, especially if you buy a yearling. Selecting a potential winner from a group of horses who are young and have not raced much takes the experience and ability of a long-time trainer.

3. Arrange a private sale with an owner. You might assemble a few other interested parties and form a partnership.

4. Attend an auction. Be the highest bidder on a harness race horse of your selection and win that horse. On Gait is a great website to check for auctions and also conducts online auctions.

5. Go to a claiming race. Enter a claim for the race horse of your choice prior to the race. If your claim for that particular horse is drawn after the race, you win that horse.

Tips & Warnings

• Always have a veterinarian check a horse prior to purchasing it in a private sale or auction.
• If your claim is drawn at a claiming race, you win the horse you entered a claim on regardless of its finish in the race.
• Prize money is paid to the previous owner of a harness race horse in a claiming race, not to the winner of the horse.
• Monthly costs for owning a harness race horse can run over $2,000 per month; this includes training fees, veterinary bills, feeding and grooming and even insurance coverage—estimated up to $7 per $100 of the horse's value.

Resources

• Information About Harness Race Horse Auctions on OnGait

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[thebigstogie]

on 11/3/2009 Sorry kingskippy, but this article is giving the correct information. It is done in the simplest of terms, but it is true.

[kingskippy]

on 5/15/2009 Honestly, this article is not very good. Actually it is awful. You can tell by reading it that the author truly has no idea what he was writing about.