I am looking into getting OTTB #6 and in my requirements for what I’m looking for I know what type of build horse I am after however I am curious to see what ‘type’ of horse everybody else prefers for their upper level eventing prospects.
Also if they are TB I would love to know what lines they are (I spend to much time already looking at TB lines in eventers:lol: )
EventerAJ, sounds like my kind of hobby! Lovely horse!
Honestly, good eventers come in all types. I look at conformation, but it is only a piece of the puzzle – and no indication IMHO of whether the horse in question will want to play.
As for my type - it tends to be medium sized, rangy, and bay… For example, Blame. Flatter (very much my type), Say Florida Sandy.
These horses all move relatively similarly - they tend to have excellent walks, good trots, and nice canters. Movement plays a big part in whether or not I look at a horse, as I want a horse that has 3 basic, solid gaits that can be competitive in my discipline.
Since you mention OTTB, I assume you are looking at horses fresh off the track, and will tailor my response to that rather than to just horses in general (though most could apply to both):
I want a good shoulder and strong hindquarter. The neck-set I can work with, but lower-set necks tend to have difficulty with true collection – not a big issue, if you are doing LL. A strong shoulder example would be just about every AP Indy horse - if you need specifics, look at Golden Missile (or any of the AP Indy sons listed above^).
I want a good fundament in the hindquarter, too. It’s not just the croup and hip I look at, but the relationship of the hip, femur, stifle, hock… I don’t like too straight in the hip-stifle-hock. This is Mission Impazzible, and he is as straight as I like in a horse… but… straight hind ends usually mean good movement and good ability to fold over fences… but… it can come at the cost of soundness issues and soreness in the back. You want a short and very sloped femur IME, for the upper levels – but sometimes that can come with a far LS placement.
I judge how they stand fairly critically. I want them to stand over a lot of ground, even if they are not long in the back themselves; if they are standing far under themselves it can usually point to SI pain, which can play a role in future soundness. I like forearms that are short and placed a bit forward - this tends to help with extension of limb over fences, and a good gallop stride – which most TBs will have in spades, being bred to race…
In addition to the given of good, clean legs - I will take some jewelry if they raced consistently and significantly, I also look at how they move behind. Rope-walking, inconsistent steps behind is a pass from me. Obviously you want a sound horse, but racing sound can sometimes be different than sport sound - sometimes it’s a matter of fixing their shoeing, sometimes it’s a serious injury that requires significant layup and impacts the horse’s future career.
I look for a good walk. It almost always translates to a good canter. I want a good trot, with freedom of the shoulder, and an even track. Race horses can be tight and sore, so a lack of overtrack isn’t always a concern - but it can usually be easy to see what is soreness, vs what is a fundamental way of going due to anatomy.
I also want a horse that is observant to his handler; not in the sense of mindless obedience, but I want a horse that looks like it is willing to work with whoever is with them. Flighty and disobedient horses are not always a pass given a lot of them are so young, not turned out, and fed rocket fuel… but I also value the personality of a horse, and prefer the professional personalities.
I generally look at the pedigree too, as there are some lines I don’t much care for (either because of personality, or soundness, or conformation) – but a big part of whether or not I come home with a horse is if he has been racing consistently, is sound (to my expectations), and has good basic gaits.
Keep in mind the horse you see at the track, is not always the horse you get – good and bad. Most TBs racing are very young, not mature skeletally or mentally either – they really can change over the course of a few years. A lot of the high octane TBs on the track lose that sharpness with more turnout and a less strenuous career. Some bloodlines especially. I think it takes a lot of experience and a good eye, to see the young horse in front of you and have a good idea of how they will “end up” once done growing.
This was the horse I came home with the last time I went shopping for a prospect. He ticked all of my boxes in terms of conformation and pedigree and has turned out to be a very sane and athletic gelding. I knew he would get big, as his sire-line tends to put big-boned (but not too tall), but he really turned into an Angus cow after a few years.
http://fingerlakesfinesttbs.com/midn…k-bay-gelding/
This is him now - a candid and not very flattering photo snapped of him waiting for his dinner, but it shows you how much TBs can change over time, and how little they resemble their racing counterparts once let down and mature skeletally:
Click
An Angus cow. :lol:
Being a successful UL eventer is at most 20% conformation.
Awwwe this is my youngster’s damsire. I like AP Indy horses so much, I ended up with one that has Indy on both sides, lol. He still has plenty of maturing to do (5) but he’s been a pretty neat horse so far. A lot of that is because, while he’s a pretty thing, my #1 criteria is between his ears.
This link has a collection of videos on it. I can’t find the article I like that was awesome yrs back.
https://www.retiredracehorseproject…rite-resources
https://www.jwequine.com/jwequine/pd…an_eventer.pdf
I lean on looking at LS placement, a dropped stifle and good solid feet and a proper pastern. I also want a horse light on its feet that won’t pound itself into unsoundness. A good efficient gallop and a good walk. But yes between the ears seals the deal.
If you find a nice, sound, reasonably well-made TB, you are good to go as far as being able to train to event up to Prelim. It does not have to have a body like Secretariat. :winkgrin: 
One thing you can love about TB’s is that as long as they are healthy and sound, they’ll all be able to move (some kind of way) and all be able to jump with room to spare for the lower levels, and probably more. Just pick one. 
Truth told, LL eventing depends more on the rider than the horse. Another thing I just love about it. A good horse can’t elevate a bad ride, and a good ride will elevate almost any horse that can get around. It’s about getting it done, not being on a fancy horse. :yes:
We horse-shoppers are often far too critical of things that will make no difference at all to what we want to do. Cowhocked, neck and/or back too short or too long, a bit of this or that … not gonna matter at the LL’s.
If you are planning to event above Prelim, then you are in a different world of horse shopping (and not looking to COTH for advice! :lol: )
If you are serious about LL ribbons then it will help a bit to look for beowulf’s criteria above, mostly because dressage scores will be a tad easier to get, and the horse will be a tad easier to get up over the show jumps clean. Especially a good slope on a big shoulder and an overall uphill build and stance. That is, a tad easier so long as you give it the ride (no horse will save a poor eventing ride).
But honestly, at the LL’s dressage scores depend far, far more on how it is ridden than how fancy the horse is. The best ridden test of the day is the one most likely to be at the top of the leaderboard, even if the horse is built like a sausage or an elephant.
Find the sound OTTB that you feel that you can love the most, with the kindest eye or the most generous attitude, or even your favorite color, and enjoy your adventure !!!
Everytime I get scared when jumping (just moving up to training level), I tell myself “Rachel, a COW can jump this JUST DO IT!” :lol:
I’ve got a very talented Angus heifer if anyone needs a bovine eventer. She cleared the water trough and two rails above the water. Four feet high, three wide. Shes not in the bred heifers/keepers bunch anymore… if they show talent for jumping fences we don’t keep them.
Seriously, I love looking at the OTTBs too. OP, I hope you find yourself a lovely upper level prospect.
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