Choosing an OTTB Directly Off the Track

[Big_Tag]

[QUOTE=Hey Mickey;8650763]
I was 15 when I got my first ottb. I shouldn’t have gotten it. I didn’t know what I was doing and I thought I did. Luckily for me, I did buy the horse from someone who sources tb’s from the track, so I ended up with a sweet gelding. If I had gone to the track, I have no idea what I would have ended up with. Probably a monster.

Please please please consider buying a horse that has had a let down period, that’s been restarted a little. You will be greatful.

I’m an excersize rider. Out of 80+ two year olds that I’m around 6 days a week (this doesn’t even include out 40+ older horses that I only see in passing) there is only 1 horse that I would take that I know would make a really nice event horse. There’s a couple more that would do it, but mentally it would take a lot of work and I know the physical issues they are already having as 2 year olds. 1 horse out of 80! Remember that. Im a mare person I ride 10 filly’s a day plus my own mare. The only horse I would take is a colt.

Also, when looking at horses from trainers at the track. They will lie to you. They will lie straight to your face. If you ask if the horse is sound they will say yes. They won’t tell you that its knees, hocks, stifles, ankles have been injected and that its done a tendon unless you specifically ask those questions. They don’t have all day to help you. You might get to look at a horse for 10 min if you’re lucky. You won’t get to ride it, lunge it or see it canter.

Be careful, ask good educated questions. People have given you some good advice on here, even though they don’t know you, they have your best interest at heart.
Please consider looking at horses that have been restarted or are at a rescue.[/QUOTE]

This is a great post. I 100% love OTTBs. I have one right now and he is an absolute superstar. But…he hadn’t raced in 6+ months when I got him, so he was all let down and I got a pretty good idea of his real personality. And, I got to sit on him. And I was able to get a solid vetting. These are all things you won’t be able to do at the track (with the exception maybe of the vetting).

I’d also like to point out I paid right around what you’d expect to pay for a sound prospect right off the track. I think if you tweak your plan just a little bit and look for a horse that’s at least been off the track for a minute, you might fare much better.

[dog_amp_horsemom]

If you are a confident rider and have help I think you will be fine. My first horse was an ottb and although he dumped me the first month - after that we were best of friends. My favorite memory is when I would ride him over to the cattle farm next door ( 1500 acres) with my doberman following - my horse and I would “race” my doberman. I think my horse liked me because I let him run and I was confident. He was an awesome jumper and really there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do together.

[BeHooved]

Sounds like OP is reconsidering to buy right off the track. Many posters have written in with their experiences that buying a horse still on the track is a huge gamble. For the SAME money (and sometimes less), you can buy a OTTB from a reputable retrainer. As romantic an idea as it is to go “shopping” directly at the track, a wise person will buy a OTTB through a professional retrainer or a good horse person who has already let the horse down. The risk is much lower, and you know a lot more about the horse that way, and you’re ABLE to know a lot more about the horse that way, too (i.e. at a farm setting rather than at the track). Also, the seller will speak your lingo, unlike at the track where sound means sound on meds and things like biting and kicking might not be seen as problems.

Here is a case in point: I used to work extensively with ottbs. I got horses like this one ALL the time: I bought a decent-looking athletically-built 5 yr old with nice sport horse bloodlines. He was sound and clean-legged and seemed sensible when adapting to the farm. However, when I started him under saddle on the farm, it turned out he didn’t think much of working. He had several tricks he’d do (spin, bolt, rear, buck) that would have unseated and probably thrown and overfaced a rider who was not equipped to handle it. I called up his trainer and they said, oh yeah he was “sour”. Luckily, the horse also had a brain. After PROFESSIONAL TRAINING (with me), he learned such behavior was not acceptable under saddle, and gave it up. Once the kinks were worked out, and ONLY after that, he was put up for sale and rehomed - to someone very much like the OP. Horse then became a big pet of new owner and a successful show horse. Guess what? New owner still was able to be challenged and not be bored - bc they started the horse’s show career. But had the same horse gone directly from the track to the amateur buyer – it would have been a very different outcome! It’s better for YOU AND THE HORSE to leave track horses to professionals. I dislike this new movement that is changing that and putting more of these on-track horses into the hands of non-professionals.

[judybigredpony]

BeHooved.seriously…from the mouth of a reputable re seller…The horse won t and shouldn’t t be cheaper…By the time I source a horse, either drive to track to pick up or pay a shipper…have its teeth floated, de worm, update shots, pay farrier to re shoe, put on ulcer meds proactively, and live with it for a few weeks, loose school, sit on…I have doubled the investment…The service a re seller offers has value, we offer the buyer opportunities that being on the track doesn t. That has a value. Our time and experiance…eye to select has a value…and even if the horse came to us “Free” the effort we put forth to evaluate and make Seller worthy has value.the time we spend sending PM s, answering countless number of questions from people who 99% of the time aren t serious buyers…has value…taking photo s, videos, writing ads has value…So NO a quality nice horse in a fe sellers stable shouldn’t t be cheaper than buying on track…

[JGHIRETIRE]

[QUOTE=gallopthestars;8649784]
OK, so at least one person dosent think I’m crazy! I have worked with inexperienced and green horses before, multiple times actually and this will not be my first horse. I dont necessarily want a horse that I can plod around on and “have fun” I instead want a horse I can experience, if you know what I mean. I want a challenge and something thats frustrating and hard. Thats why I ride. I love those days things dont work out, because that makes the days things do so much better. Sure, getting an older and more advanced horse would let allow me to have fun and jump higher and win ribbons at shows, but I dont want that, I want to really ride and I want every ride to test my patience and in the end know that I’m a talented rider and not just a good rider that knows how to get on a horse and tell her what to do. I’ve read through this thread and I have taken the replies to heart. I’m very headstrong but reasonable as well. I have only resorted to this becuase her mom has been doing what I will be for a while and I’m looking for a horse to lease for a while (my friend and her mom will lease the horse to me) and this is the closest I’ve come to a possible solution. I’m still going to go to the track, but I will keep of of this in my mind and really think about whether I really want to take something like this on. Additionally, someone on here mentioned that I think of this as a simple shopping trip, I absolutly do not. I’m taking my trainer and the trianer that will be training the horse (most affordable option). I understand that OTTBs are challenging and that buying from a track is a huge risk. I would never look at any method of buying or looking at horses as a simple shopping trip. I think that it may of come across as this because I’m fairly excited. I have been researching and talking to people who have OTTB experience in addition to asking for tips because I want to hear about just little things that may help, but this forum in not in anyway the only thing I will be doing. I have read multiple books, talked to people, etc and also have been riding for 7 years and have worked with young horses before. Just as a side note as well, I mentioned the first few months because I wanted to know about settling an OTTB into such a new environment. Also, showing is my last priority and personally I care more about the bond and working with them rather than showing. Thanks![/QUOTE]

As someone that did just what you’re proposing to do, my suggestion is to search threads on this forum. There is a mountain of information to be had about all their particular quirks. It helped me understand alot but I still made mistakes and wished I had done things differently.
The most important one was letting him just re-learn how to be a horse.

[Stellaspeed1]

JUDY…can you please pm me ? I’m looking for a little chunkey monkey QH type of gelding, old warhorse fine, track jewelry fine…THANKs ! Jen Arby is also looking for me.

[judybigredpony]

Received responded…have …all good…

[frugalannie]

Judybigredpony, I have to say I absolutely love your concise (some might say terse, but I say not) turn of phrase. Well done!

[GreyDes]

Curious how this worked out over the weekend. I’m in the greater Boston area, and thought Suffolk Downs closed to live racing last year.

[OTTBMareScare]

Haven’t read all the posts but I can tell you that I have 30+ years of experience, bought a nice OTTB from a reputable retraining program as a four year old prospect - meaning she had let-down time, but not been restarted. I have spent the last year PLUS getting her feet and other issues sorted out. She’s young, and she’s talented, so we have the time, but she is also extremely quirky and athletic. I can’t even imagine what someone with no off-the-track experience would have done with this horse presented with this scenario. There are no certainties in the horse world, and even fewer getting a horse directly from the track. I’m going back to read now…OP, I hope that you actually read some of the folks on here’s advice. :yes:

[Foxtrot_s]

A rider up here went to the track, saw a horse that she thought would take her to the Olympics, and he did…Aristotle. (1996)

I would listen to some of the nightmare comments here - but there are good horses to be had. And a lot of unscrupulous sellers, too.

The TB people are offering shows, training competitions for OTTB’s and in my book there is nothing that compares to a beautiful TB - but there are squirrely ones, and you HAVE to avoid those.

My own OTTB bucked shins, so didn’t race, but was trained there - he went Advanced. Best horse ever.

[Justa_Bob]

If you like the lottery and do not care if you end up with a horse that cannot or will not jump - go for it.

Just realize you will need to change all of YOUR ideas and accept whatever the horse you have can and wants to do.

And pray that the horse does not have physical issues. And pray that your temperaments matches.

This is not about you. This about an unknown horse you have a few hours to make a decision about.

Can you care for this horse for the long haul? What happens to this poor creature if you cannot afford whatever may come down the road?

There is a huge difference between daydreams and reality. And you will just laugh at people who are warning you… But the horse will not be laughing if it is not your daydream. The horse could end up very badly.