So I just bought an OTTB last summer for eventing, which I have been doing competitively for years and years. He’s almost 5 and has a ton of potential and is a very quick learner. I used to do barrels and a little western pleasure a while back and just got into roping recently. While I do love jumping and the english world, I really feel like western/ranching is where I really belong. My plan is to own a ranch and raise beef cattle in the future.
I would really love to get a roping/ranch horse, however, I don’t think I would be able to afford two horses. The thought of selling my OTTB so that I could get a ranch horse has crossed my mind, but I am not sure I would be able to let him go. So, my question is, what would you guys do? I would need a ranch horse eventually, but I would miss my other guy and jumping
Why dont you take your OTTB to some cattle sorting events and see how he does? He very well could really enjoy pushing cattle around.
And why can’t an OTTB be a ranch horse?
I say to let him have a chance.
I compete in equestrian drill with my OTTB. OTTB’s are more versatile that people think. I think you should take him to a few ranch clinics like the previous poster said.
Way back when I was young I read a book on different breeds of horses and I remember one photo of a TB who was a working ranch horse. I don’t remember the book – may have been by Margaret Cabell Self – but I’ve never forgotten the idea it gave me that a TB could do ranch work.
Good luck with your guy! 
We trained and ran TBs and quarter horses.
We started them riding them in the canyons and around cattle, then on our training track, then at the track.
After they were thru running, we again rode them here on cattle and sold them, some for ranch horses, some trail horses.
Suitable ones were sold to a trainer in the East that sold them to hunter/jumper and fox hunting stables.
Every so often we would get a call from whoever bought those horses, they found us thru the registration papers and they wanted to know if “we had more like that one, he was so great”.
TBs come in all kinds, or did several decades ago.
Many were really nice all arounders, would do any you ask them to do.
Don’t know if today you still find many of those, but looking at the re-training programs, it seems they still are many of those around.
I have a 5 year old OTTB who was suppose to be an English horse. We have since used him to move cows several times! He loves to chase a cow. I put hard, hard rocky up and down hill miles on this horse. We’ve taken him elk hunting as well. He’s replaced my husbands ranch horse and he’s the horse my DH grabs when he goes and gathers etc.
He tuckers out a little quicker vrs some of the ranch bred horses but he loves his job.
