First Horse an OTTB? - Seeking advice

[Sister7]

I got my first horse when I was 14. He was an ottb who had been retired from racing and spent 2 years out in a big field before I got him. I have learned so much from him and I wouldn’t want it any other way. However, it took us a very long time to progress. Partly was due to my instructor at the time and partly it’s just harder to learn things for the first time while you are also trying to teach them to your horse.

I think it ready depends on your personality and goals. If you are a competitive person and want to show, I would probably say to look for a horse with more training, tb or otherwise. If you want to gain the experience of training an ottb yourself and don’t mind if it takes half a decade, I say go for it.

[Linny]

In selecting any horse, my advice is to really soul search and determine where you are now and what you hope to do in the near future, then long term with the horse.
Do you hope to join your horse owning friends at shows or hunter paces or other events? Are you willing and/or able to pay for extra training/lessons required by a green horse? How will you feel when for the third straight day your young horse is acting squirrely while your riding buddies are having a pleasant hack? Does the challenge of a 2 or 3 year project appeal to you? Does being the one not getting in the trailer sound OK? If you get to the show and your horse misbehaves or clearly isn’t ready to handle things, how will you react? These issues will arise with any green horse, TB or otherwise?

[Belmont]

Is an OTTB good for a first horse? Yes and no.

I think to answer that question, you really need to evaluate your situation, expenses (more than just gas money for a car), your training program, and yourself. I bet you are a good rider, but are you good enough to deal with a sensitive OTTB, keep your emotions in check when things aren’t going your way, and can communicate clearly what you want? Will you be willing to settle or let go when your OTTB decides it doesn’t want to jump because its terrifying, and he/she would rather be a DQ?

Do you trust your trainer for guidance? Has he/she ever successfully trained OTTBs? Do they have the experience to know about let down and restarting?

Do you have the funds for a horse at 17? Are your parents helping? Can you cover board, farrier, and yearly vet visits? Can you cover a PPE? Can you cover training rides and lessons? Can you afford new tack when your horse changes shape or steps up? Can you afford an emergency vet visit? What will you be doing with said horse when you graduate and go to college?

You don’t have to answer these questions. These are just things to need to think about. If you do get one, make sure you try many and look at a lot. Don’t just see the first one and pick. Thoroughly vet the horse and wait for a personality you mesh with. Be ready to be exhausted, sad, happy, joyful, excited, and totally frustrated all within one ride.

My 4th or 5th horse was an OTTB. He had been let down at a ranch and worked cattle for a while. I got him and he was a GREAT jumper, but he was extremely sensitive. I worked with a trainer when I could afford it, and I bought him as a fox hunter. He couldn’t handle fox hunting. It totally blew his mind. So, we went into the arena. The only time he would even think about jumping and paying attention to our flat work was when the fences were above 3’. He was nearly dangerous.

After a lot of hard work and a couple successful shows, my trainer sat me down and gave me the hard facts. It was time to move on from this horse that I was set on “helping”, and that I needed to cut ties. I couldn’t afford to put him into full training. I could not afford additional lessons. I could not afford to fix the problems I created. I would up GIVING him back to the ranch I bought it from. It was one of the most heartbreaking things I ever did, but I look back now and I am not upset I did it. I just wish I knew THEN as someone your age, what I now know.

I couldn’t afford to buy a new saddle or new fancy pads, so he was probably really sore. I couldn’t afford a ton of chiro or a PPE, so who knows what he had going on in there. He had OK feet, but they were constantly sore without shoes. He needed Dressage jesus, but I wanted to get him jumping. He needed a lot of SLOW time, but I was 17 and didn’t want to give him that. He probably could have been a GREAT horse. I just thought I was a great enough rider to deal with him. I was wrong. I am thankful my trainer finally stepped in and spoke up about him. He is now happy as a pony horse at the ranch I bought him from, and his owner jumps him every now in then for fun.

Just be honest with yourself and give yourself realistic goals. I’m not saying every 17 year old with an OTTB will go through what I did, but I know a lot of people that have… I know a lot of people will. If you REALLY think you have the time and patience, and if you know you will have a reliable professional to guide you along the way… Go for it. If not? I would say find a lease or something more suited towards you.

[beowulf]

I think most of what I want to say has been said: work with trainer experienced with OTTBs, vet thoroughly, see lots of horses before picking “the one”. Heck, if you have a video post it here - lots of experienced OTTB trainers on this board.

However, what I haven’t see said…

Be prepared to give up your sense of confidence in your skill and riding ability. Be prepared to feel defeated often, be prepared for the green days where your horse suddenly doesn’t know how to trot in a straight line any more! Be prepared to be unbelievably frustrated by your seeming lack of progress. You’ll be asking yourself why it’s impossible to get your horse to canter on the right lead and wondering what happened from point A to B where you lost every applicable skill you ever had and suddenly felt like a drunken toddler aboard a fire-spitting chthulu… Be prepared to hit the ground often and learn to bounce well. Be prepared to study and learn and listen - to both your horse’s language and your trainers. Be prepared to be the “lowest level rider” in group lessons with this green horse, because this green horse WILL demote you and your sense of accomplishments! Be prepared to kiss the summer of showing goodbye while all your friends go to the Baby Greens or do Novice or jump 2’3" - on Sundays when the barn is empty be prepared to STILL be schooling a trot-walk transition smoothly. Oh, and the money you saved by NOT being able to show? Don’t worry, be prepared for THAT to be gone too when your OTTB decides to show you they have an uncanny knack for injuring themselves in ways that wither even the flushest wallet.

Be prepared for lots of frustration and asymmetry in your riding - be prepared to give up your perfect form because you will when you learn that OTTBs aren’t always easy. You will end up sacrificing a lot of things when you get an OTTB - your riding position may suffer, your showing will suffer (at least until you get your OTTB up to speed). You will be missing out on schooling higher level opportunities while you are teaching this “baby” how to do W/T/C.

However, you will learn - and usually quickly. It will make you a more resourceful rider, you will have more ‘tools in the tool box’, you will likely learn how to sit a bolt or buck or two, or develop a quiet and sensitive seat. You will learn how to work with a different type of horse who is not at all like the school horses… you will learn there are triumphs and accomplishments, however small, that don’t need a ribbon to validate them… like nailing that trot-halt transition or showing up to a class (finally) with your peers and having an excellent ride.

However, NONE of this can be done without a trainer. OP, I had my first OTTB as a 12 y/o. It was a blessing in disguise in terms of my riding education, but I missed a lot of opportunities in terms of my showing career. I had my second OTTB at 15 and my 3rd one at 17 and I loved them all, but it was not easy and there were times where I resented where I was with my riding while my friends were off showing Training + on their pre-trained horses and I was still trying to pin well at BN…

However, because of my OTTBs I have had extraordinary opportunities… I was able to be a catch rider at the local eventing barn and rode other OTTBs or problem horses… In Pony Club I was ‘hyperfocused’ on because of my untractable gelding and my instructor in PC really, really whipped my heiney into shape… Because of my OTTBs I was able to go to pursue several amazing working student opportunities, including a summer with Denny Emerson and a 2nd one my freshman year in college with Stephie Baer. In college I put my knowledge to practical use on the IDA team…

I’m still working on fixing my position, and I’m down to one OTTB now that I got last year. It’s been a wild ride and I don’t regret it, but I had many, many accomplished trainers help me along the way and I couldn’t have done any of it without a single one of them.

[Soaponarope]

questions

[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]

Your enthusiasm and interest in OTTBs is awesome. A couple of questions for you though. You are now 17, what happens to the new guy when you go to college? Can you keep him? Or are you looking to flip him? Can you afford to keep him and keep him in training and cared for while you are in school? If so, go ahead. But if not, spend your money on a nice lease.

The other question is also about how you choose to spend your money. Vetting, buying, and transporting all adds up. Then there may be down time and retraining. Then there may be all sorts of soundness issues that crop up because of the effects of the horse having been run as a baby.

I love the enthusiasm for OTTBs. However, they can also be a significant financial drain. Be very very cautious. To be perfectly honest, if I were 17, I would spend my money on a nice lease. Particularly if you are off to college in a year or so.

[nu2u]

I just have to let this out…“NO”. As much as I have loved n learned from my OTTBs over the years I would never encourage anyone to get one as a first horse unless it had been off the track for yyyyeeeaaarrrrrrs and was thoroughly retrained and had mileage doing insert rider preference already. Hopefully you are off to college in like a year, lease a made horse and volunteer for some OTTB rescue group until you graduate have a steady job.

[Justa_Bob]

The gist of most of the posts all focus on helping you not buy a problem horse that leads to heart break, regardless of breed.

One way to approach horse shopping is to figure out what you want first and look at all the horses that fit your wish list / needs / riding goals.

If you find a good OTTB that has been evaluated and ridden long enough to answer your questions - go and see. But definitely take your trainer and / or any other very experienced horsey friend to evaluate. Otherwise its a toss of coin. Many TBs are amazing, but many may have soundness and riding challenges that you do not want to buy.

Looking at the pool of horses in your price range will give you the best chance. Even with lots of vetting, evaluation etc you can buy a difficult horse that doesn’t work out. Between lameness, temperament and training problems and so on - it’s a challenge buying a solid horse for your goals.

The falling in love with the wrong horse is a danger for even experienced horse trainers. Keeping a cool head and focusing on the actual horse, not your hopes and dreams, helps you make a good decision. If you miss, it can end in tears and heartbreak.

[BostonHJ]

How often do you ride now? How many days per week would you ride if you owned a horse? If you have been taking weekly lessons for 6 years and that’s it, a half or even full lease is a great way to get a taste of the rewards and responsibility of ownership without being on the hook for long term ownership.

My horse is an OTTB, if you can call 5 races a former racehorse He is one that could probably get ridden 3 days a week and be perfectly quiet and happy, so long as he was getting group turnout. That said, most horses of any breed need to be worked 4-6 days a week to stay themselves, and thoroughbreds can be extra complicated to keep in enough work without getting them overly fit.

Have a trainer help you find a horse that suits you as a rider today, not for the rider you “might be.” My first horse was completely wrong for me but I was 14 and frankly thought I was a lot better than I was. It made me a great horse shopper after that in terms of matching my abilities to a horse (better to have too little horse than too much), but it lowered my confidence to the jumps forever.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

@beowulf;8188419

Be prepared to give up your sense of confidence in your skill and riding ability. Be prepared to feel defeated often, be prepared for the green days where your horse suddenly doesn’t know how to trot in a straight line any more! Be prepared to be unbelievably frustrated by your seeming lack of progress. You’ll be asking yourself why it’s impossible to get your horse to canter on the right lead and wondering what happened from point A to B where you lost every applicable skill you ever had and suddenly felt like a drunken toddler aboard a fire-spitting chthulu… Be prepared to hit the ground often and learn to bounce well. Be prepared to study and learn and listen - to both your horse’s language and your trainers. Be prepared to be the “lowest level rider” in group lessons with this green horse, because this green horse WILL demote you and your sense of accomplishments! Be prepared to kiss the summer of showing goodbye while all your friends go to the Baby Greens or do Novice or jump 2’3" - on Sundays when the barn is empty be prepared to STILL be schooling a trot-walk transition smoothly. Oh, and the money you saved by NOT being able to show? Don’t worry, be prepared for THAT to be gone too when your OTTB decides to show you they have an uncanny knack for injuring themselves in ways that wither even the flushest wallet.

Be prepared for lots of frustration and asymmetry in your riding - be prepared to give up your perfect form because you will when you learn that OTTBs aren’t always easy. You will end up sacrificing a lot of things when you get an OTTB - your riding position may suffer, your showing will suffer (at least until you get your OTTB up to speed). You will be missing out on schooling higher level opportunities while you are teaching this “baby” how to do W/T/C.

Absolutely this. I am unfortunately at a stage where after 4 years, I’m burnt out and taking a bit of a break. I adored my gelding and miss him quite a lot, but he wasn’t the right horse for me or what I wanted to do. My confidence was shattered, and I’m still building it back. I was a very decent rider at one point and really enjoy bringing horses along, but I lost a lot of my nerve and foundation over the past few years. I’m hopeful when the time is right I’ll find the right horse and really enjoy it again.

[findeight]

You will need experienced help in both finding the right horse and helping you train it. Green+Green = black and blue is very true, one of you needs to know how to do it to teach the other.

You also need to be honest about your finances to cover not just board and lessons but routine vet care and an emergency fund for…emergencies. Many OTTBs have had hard lives and come with some needs that will cost every month, like joint supplements, injections, pentosan etc. it’s important you get a PPE which will cost up front but save you long term.

If you search some of the threads on here, you will find quite a few asking for help with horses that need vet care but don’t get it because there is no money for it. Not trying to be a hard a*s here but getting into a horse when you can’t afford proper care, including vet, is not fair to the horse and a big reason they end up at some of these lower end auctions, especially if they are unsound.

You can lease a horse for a year for a reasonable amount, if not free. Your trainer can help you find one. It’s a good way to get into full support and care of a horse

[EventingLady]

Look at Canterusa.org

Theyre a national nonprofit who gets thousands of racehorses off the track. They rehab and put some basic training training on them so they’re ready for YOU!! They get some super awesome prospects going through there. There were a few Canter horses that competed in the Rolex this year!

[tpup]

I got a lovely OTTB last year - 7 yrs old, raced 30+ times BUT he was with a rider/trainer for 6+ months and worked with consistenly at W/T/C and hacked out as a warmup up before rides. He is still a challenge for me ONLY from the fact that he has a HUGE trot, needs help with bend/straightness but I lucked out temperment wise (well, not just lucked out - but insisted on good, quiet temperment) He tries his heart out and is willing and probably the sweetest horse I have ever owned. I too had been riding around 6-7 yrs and taking consistent lessons weekly. I owned an Appy first who passed away, and an older Connemara that is rock solid/steady eddy. I ONLY horse shop w/my wonderful trainer, trust her opinion and tried the horse several times. I think OTTB’s do have their challenges BUT I absolutely think ANY horse can be a challenge if you don’t shop or look wisely, carefully. And obviously do a good vetting. The trainer who had him right off the track did a wonderful job “starting” him as a riding horse. I don’t know that I would have been “ready” for an OTTB if he were fresh off the track. He is SO quiet and sweet we joke often when he is falling asleep in the cross ties saying “There’s that crazy, off the wall OTTB!” I think it just depends on the horse. Plain and simple.

[Bogie]

It depends.

It depends on whether you find the right OTTB – one that is mentally and physically able to do what you want.
It depends on whether you have a trainer who can help you retrain a horse off the track.
It depends on whether you can ride the horse enough (my own OTTB needs to be ridden 5/week plus turnout 24/7 to be relaxed).
It depends on what you want to do with your horse – with a green OTTB you can’t try it to see if it has an aptitude for your discipline.
It depends on what kind of rider you are. My current OTTB needs a very calm, very quiet person on his back or he feeds off the rider’s anxiety. Others that I’ve owned, not so much.

I’ve restarted 5 OTTBs. They were all different. Some were easy, some were not. The first time I got one, I had a trainer who had a program for restarting them right off the track and she guided me through the process. Without her help it would have been much harder.

You would be much better going to someone who has already re-started the horse so that you know whether it is suitable for you. New Vocations, some CANTER chapters, and there are other private sellers.