First Horse an OTTB? - Seeking advice

[aimee11]

I am 17, I have my own car (I don’t have to rely on anyone for a ride to the barn) and I’ve been riding for 6 years now. I’ve been taking lessons every week and I have gone to many shows throughout the years. I’m considering buying an OTTB as my first horse. I love the challenge of green horses and I’d love to retrain an OTTB. I will have plenty of time on my hands after school and on the weekends for the horse. I have a few questions though;
Where should I look for OTTBs that are for sale?
What should I look for when going out to look at/try them?
In your opinion, are OTTBs okay for a first horse?

Thank you so much!

[RolledAway]

My first horse was an OTTB straight off the track, but I have to say that I was the exception rather than the rule. I already had a lot of experience riding/training green horses and OTTB’s as well as starting my first horse under saddle under the tutelage of my then trainer. Also, my guy was an easy start with a very easy going personality. I would personally only recommend it if you have a trainer to help you every step of the way and the horse in question has a very easygoing ammy personality.

[Covergirl15]

I’m jumping over from the dressage forum, but I did hunters for a few years as well, though take everything I say with a grain of salt. (: I looked at and tried several OTTBs before I bought my current guy; however, I ended up with a WB. My biggest problem I had when looking were injuries and soundness issues that I was afraid would require a lot of maintenance down the road. While I realize many horses do require maintenance as they get older in order to stay comfortable doing their jobs, I really didn’t want to start out with a 3 or 4 year old that was already having soundness issues or problems that would more than likely cause soundness issues in a few years. (Though there are many TBs and I think OTTBs that compete in the upper levels in eventing, so not all are like this, but the most important thing is to have a trusted vet to do a PPE on any you really like).

Also, make sure the horse’s personality will mesh with the discipline you are doing. You don’t mention whether you do hunters or jumpers or eq, but keep this in mind. I did try several that were fairly hot and would probably have never had that super relaxed, supple hunter look, but I also tried one that was super lazy and required a lot of effort to even pick up a canter.

While I looked at some private sellers (they had gotten the horse off the track, turned it out for a bit, and then put a few months of training into it), I also really liked secretariat center.org. They were very friendly and very open and honest about both pluses and minuses of each horse. while I didn’t try any from New Vocations, I also regularly looked there as well.

Hope this helps! PM me if you have any other questions (:

[Linny]

Unless you are with a trainer who knows OTTB’s well and has proven able to SELECT the right horses for sport, I wouldn’t advise a direct off the track purchase. When I was a teenager, almost ever hunter was a TB and at my barn the better riding students were often involved in the retraining process, under the guidance of the trainers.

One that has been selected and properly restarted, could be, under they eye of a knowledgeable trainer a good choice. They will cost more, but the initial risk and training was assumed by the restarter. In some cases, resellers who do business with upper level competitors find one that is solid and sound but perhaps not suited to ULdemands. They may let them go fairly inexpensively to a good and suitable home to open space for an upper level prospect.

[Wonders12]

What does your trainer say? Does he/she believe you’re ready for an OTTB? Does he/she have a series of OTTB that she’s chosen herself and brought along? Do you have the finances to invest in training and lessons multiple days per week (at least 2-3 especially when you’re going through a rough time)?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, I would consider opening up your search to other horses as well. If you really feel to the need to get on the OTTB train, then consider an already restarted one. Many of them are still “green” so you still have that challenge, but they’re a little more proven in their abilities, temperament, and train-ability.

If the answer is yes to those questions, then talk to your trainer about where to look and what to look out for. And they should accompany you every step of the way. Especially as a first time buyer and a minor.

[billiebob]

Ok. So the first horse I ever owned was an OTTB, straight off the track. However, I’d been working in the horse industry managing a barn and teaching lessons for several years and had ridden anything I could swing a leg over (hunter/jumpers, polo ponies, western-to-english retraining projects, freshly broke greenies, etc.). I wasn’t your average first time owner. Plus I had an EXCELLENT support system in my boss and the other instructor I was working alongside at the time. Both of them were/are extremely experienced with OTTBs and quirky horses. My horse came from a trusted source and it turned out fine.

I also think it depends on what you consider an OTTB. Are you thinking straight off the track? Or from someone who’s already put some retraining on one? The former is probably a bad idea for your first horse unless you’re very experienced. The latter will have hopefully sussed out soundness issues and suitability. My current TB (I don’t refer to him as an OTTB, because he hasn’t raced since 2007) had only had a few rides post track but he’d spent around 18 months babysitting weanlings at his breeder’s farm. So I could see that he had a quiet temperament and he was physically and mentally ready for a new career. Plus I still had my good support system.

TL;DR it depends on your horse experience, your trainer, and the horse. It can be incredibly rewarding and incredibly frustrating, sometimes all on the same day. But having had two wonderful TBs I can’t imagine ever having anything else.

[SnicklefritzG]

My first horse was an OTTB that I got when I was 15 after only having taken lessons for 2 years! He had a fantastic personality and I had some help along the way and it became a wonderful partnership.

The key is having someone help you find one with the right personality. I went for an OTTB partly because my budget, was near zero at that age because my parent’s didn’t pay for my horse habit. I got by from working at the stable and doing other jobs.

I would strongly advise you to have an experienced trainer help you in your searh regardless of whether you get an OTTB or something else. Also make sure you do a thorough PPE. Even free horses aren’t really free. The initial purchase price is generally the least of your expenses in many cases.

[Bristol_Bay]

My first horse was a thoroughbred, and my current horse is a thoroughbred, bought two weeks after his last race. In between I rode and owned various other horses, including warmbloods, and hands down the TBs I have owned are the best horses. They are so smart and willing.

There are good and bad horses on every breed. There are spooky, unsound warmbloods and crazy hot quarterhorses. Buy the mind and the conformation suited to to the job and there is no reason not to buy a TB.

[Bombproof]

For you, the major pitfall in buying an OTTB is that you probably won’t be able to know why the horse didn’t make it on the track. Many of them will have injuries that will require extensive rehabilitation while others just weren’t fast enough. I strongly recommend that you engage the services of someone experienced in selecting horses off the track to help you sort the wheat from the chaff. Racing TBs have a reputation for being flighty, but in my experience some of them just need “real world” training while others are genuinely too high-strung for my taste. Someone with experience in that area may be able to help you get a horse which is a good fit for you.

None of us are able to know whether you’re really ready to train a green horse, but you wouldn’t be the first 17 year-old I’ve known who was up to the task. It will almost certainly require a lot of patience and time. TBs are typically intelligent but racehorses pretty much aren’t taught anything but to run fast and turn left. Also, most of the horses coming off the track are about 3 years old and as such are still immature and would test your patience regardless of where they come from.

All that said, I don’t necessarily think you shouldn’t do it. I have two OTTB geldings and they’re both fine horses. I’m not the first OT owner of either one. I know my limitations and they don’t include training green horses. One of them had a tendon injury which was eventually rehabbed completely and the other just wasn’t fast enough to make any money. One is steady and predictable and the other will sometimes have a bad day and act like a spoiled brat who doesn’t want to work. Regardless of breeding and experience, horses are still individuals.

[merrygoround]

I have had and worked with many OTTB’s, they come in all sizes and shapes, and temperaments, and some have done extremely well . There is a distinct advantage in knowing they have all been sat upon, but working with each one was always a learning experience, even though I had spent many years riding and had some really excellent people to work with. If you will not be in a situation where you will have someone knowledgeable within reach, preferably on a daily basis, I would proceed with caution, especially if previous experience was with “schoolies”.

[fordtraktor]

I think a TB could be an excellent choice for you. One straight off the track, not at this point in your career. Get one that has already been restarted over fences that you can go and try with your trainer. You can still find plenty of these TBs that are not expensive that you could continue developing, but aren’t dead green blank slates and you will know much more about it if you can try it first and see if it is holding up to jumping. Dreamhorse, equine.com, facebook, I have even seen them on craigslist. Tons of great TBs out there for good prices, many of which are already “doing the job”.

[ParadoxFarm]

You can check out places such as New Vocations who have horses that they’ve been riding. They know their horses well and could assist and see if you would be a good match with any of them. http://www.horseadoption.com/

I just looked, and there are a few NICE ones I like on their TB page. Good luck.

[BAC]

I was 16 or 17 when I got my first horse, an OTTB. He came from a very well known dealer, back in the day when almost all show horses were TBs, whether off the track or never raced. We got to watch him free lunge, including over fences then the dealer’s assistant rode him and then I did. All of this was done with my trainer there, and if the horse didn’t work out the dealer was always willing to take horse back and give you something else (within a reasonable amount of time).

[onelanerode]

An OTTB can absolutely be fine for your first horse. The key is finding the right OTTB. There are some that are super spicy, very green, not very trainable. Then there are others, like the one I bought for my second horse, that are quiet, sensible and very, very trainable. There’s also everything in between. You want one of the quiet, sensible, trainable ones.

Mine is 10; he raced (poorly) until he was 5, and then spent a lot of time turned out and/or being ridden inconsistently and probably not all that well. When he showed up at my trainer’s, he needed groceries and training, but he has a fabulous brain, and he is really well built. He takes good care of himself (sensible), he’s a real thinker (trainable) and while he’s forward off the leg, he’s not at all hot. I’d put my 85-year-old grandmother on him for a walk without a second thought.

Do some research into pedigrees and which TBs are known to pass along good brains and trainability. Be realistic about your goals. IMO, having bought the wrong first horse, having a good experience with your first horse is really important. I had a not-so-good experience with mine, and I ended up taking an almost five-year break from horses after finally selling her. On paper, we were a decent match, but she had zero work ethic, wasn’t very trainable, and was definitely not sensible. I could ride her, but it wasn’t anything like an enjoyable experience.

What I love about OTTBs is they almost always come with a work ethic and a lot of life experience. It’s not the same type of experience that they’d have in a H/J barn, but they know what trailering is all about, they’ve been worked around other horses, they understand that they have a job to do.

I wholeheartedly concur with the posters above who’ve suggested getting the assistance of someone who is good at seeing a potential sport prospect OTTB and can find one that is a good fit for you, both in terms of what you are ready for and what you prefer in a horse.

[caryledee]

All of my horses have been OTTBs. The first one I leased when I was 19 and straight out of a once a week lesson program. Some can come off the track and have the temperament make the transition without a lot of extensive training. It really depends on the individual horse.

You need to find someone to help you with your search though. You can’t try horses out on the backstretch of most tracks, and even programs like New Vocations do not always let you try their horses out. If you post your location, you could probably get a better idea of where to look in your area.

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=ParadoxFarm;8187400]
You can check out places such as New Vocations who have horses that they’ve been riding. They know their horses well and could assist and see if you would be a good match with any of them. http://www.horseadoption.com/

I just looked, and there are a few NICE ones I like on their TB page. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

I shouldn’t have looked <3 Tanner!

[poltroon]

Here are some thoughts for you:

Have you ridden OTTBs before? As in, the green and unbalanced kind? Is that fun for you to do?

You say you are riding once a week. Is there a way you can ride more often without buying a horse, perhaps taking more lessons or leasing a horse this summer? The step up to a horse that needs to get out and be worked every day is a lifestyle challenge. It is good to make that in a situation where you can change gears if it doesn’t work.

At 17, you are about to embark on a lifestyle change of some sort, whether college or career. This is going to substantially impact your time and financial resources in ways that are hard for you to predict just now. A lease or a more active lesson situation might get you the riding time you so desperately want now without creating problems for you next year.

If your current situation isn’t accessible for more lessons or more riding time or a lease, you might look around for a different barn or even a working student position that would get you more saddle time. If you can’t find that, you might instead invest that purchase price into a camp or other training program, even if you had to travel for a month/summer.

If you don’t have a trainer who enjoys working with OTTB and funds to have the horse and you in training, and you prefer a green horse, you might consider a cute but inexpensive pony or a QH type. They can be a little less intimidating to work with on your own, and there are many out there that just need saddle time to be great fun horses, if not A circuit winners. It kind of depends on what your goals and resources are.

I love OTTBs, and my first horse was one, albeit he had already been a successful hunter when he came to me. I have ridden many and enjoy them, but some of them can be gawky and intimidating, especially larger ones. For your first one, I’d suggest getting one someone has already worked with and started over jumps, both for your maximum fun and also so that you have a better idea of how the horse will be and if it is a match for you. If you buy from the track, you probably won’t get to ride the horse or really have any idea what its personality is like before you’re committed.

Good luck.

[GoneAway]

[QUOTE=aimee11;8186706]
I am 17, I have my own car (I don’t have to rely on anyone for a ride to the barn) and I’ve been riding for 6 years now. I’ve been taking lessons every week and I have gone to many shows throughout the years. I’m considering buying an OTTB as my first horse. I love the challenge of green horses and I’d love to retrain an OTTB. I will have plenty of time on my hands after school and on the weekends for the horse. I have a few questions though;
Where should I look for OTTBs that are for sale?
What should I look for when going out to look at/try them?
In your opinion, are OTTBs okay for a first horse?

Thank you so much! :D[/QUOTE]

OP, it’s impossible for any of us (strangers on the internet) to properly advise you (another stranger on the internet) on whether or not an OTTB is the right choice for you right now. You’ve been riding for six years, but we don’t know anything about your ability, horsemanship skills, or who you’re working with (or their skills/background). OTTBs tend to be appealing to young people because they often come with a very low price tag. If that’s the main reason why you’re considering a horse off the track, then I’d strongly suggest you do more research, because they often cost a lot more once you get them home (especially if you take one directly off the track, which in your case I would strongly advise against). Say you get one that needs ulcer treatment…that can easily run $1,000 just for the meds. That’s an additional $1K you may not have factored into the purchase price. Many other expenses to consider, depending on the horse and its condition.

I agree with the advice to work with a trainer who has experience with Thoroughbreds, particularly ones off the track if that’s the direction you want to go in. If you’re not working with one now, then seek out some good trainers in your area and bring them into the conversation. I also agree with those who have said that looking at a more experienced OTTB (one that has been off the track awhile and is already reschooled into your discipline) is probably your best bet. Yes, an OTTB can absolutely be a great first horse…the thing is, that OTTB probably won’t be one straight off the track.

I’d suggest you take a look at the resources posted at the Thoroughbred Placement Resources page (http://www.goodhorse.org/resources/) and read the “New Track, New Life” online book to familiarize yourself more with the process of taking one off the track. It will give you a good appreciation of how to do it right and what is involved. I also agree with poltroon that at 17, are you going to have time for a young horse if you’re off to college next year or working full time? Maybe a lease situation might be more beneficial and practical.

My first horse was an OTTB. She was just coming 10 years old when we bought her (I was 12). She had raced a dozen or so times, but had been reschooled and spent a couple years as a school horse in a nice hunter barn before we got her. That was a perfect situation and she was so unbelievably kind. She was a teacher and a great companion, so absolutely I think that OTTBs are great first horses IF you take the time to find the right one. That does NOT mean rushing off to the local track and buying the first “pretty,” and inexpensive one you can fit on your trailer. There are a lot of threads on the forum about OTTBs for you to peruse; depending where you’re located, there are probably some good TB-centric farms that you can go to or network through to find the right match.

[SweetMutt]

Assuming you mean an OTTB either right off or shortly off the track:

I will just say to be reallllly honest with yourself about what you want from your first horse. Do you want to go to shows this year and bring home some ribbons? Do you want to be coursing 3’6" within a few months? Do you want to go on leisurely trail rides with your friends on a reliably chill horse? Do you want to lope through fields bareback?

If they answer to any of those is yes, then I’d look for a horse that has already demonstrated that capacity. An OTTB can totally do all those things eventually. Mine does (to some extent), but he did not do them when he strolled into my hands a year and a half after his last race. With any green horse, there are a lot of unknowns and a lot of risk, and it can feel like for-ev-er to get them around a dinky course without a baby moment. It can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, though rewarding several years out.

If you don’t care about doing any of those things - and I mean really, honestly, truly, in the depth of your soul do not dream of blue ribbons and sunset trail rides with this theoretical new horse - then the standard cautions of consulting your trainer apply and I wouldn’t say there’s any reason not to, if you’re up for it.

Just promise you’ll have fun, whatever you choose.

[Laurie_E]

definitely rely on a pro to help you navigate the shopping. “Canter” sites can tell you what is available in your area at the tracks, but can be risky to a novice.
Consider a rescue organization. We have mid atlantic horse rescue here in MD that focuses on saving racehorses from slaughter and also trainer/owner requested re homing. they are let down, restarted with excellent foundation and you will be informed of any known restriction they are aware of. A quality rescue (some are not very good to deal with so beware " here too), will be interested in finding a suitable match not just selling a horse-they have a lot of money and time and emotion invested in these animals. You often can try them out also which you cannot do at the track. I campaigned on the “A” circuit for years very successfully and my recent “rescue purchase” is big, gorgeous, sane, and sound and a quality show horse and reliable cross country hack. Take your time and always pre purchase exam anything you consider.