Help evaluate bloodlines/potential on possible event prospects?

[PinkPonySwag]

Hi guys!

I’ve been riding my whole life and am finally making the transition back to eventing/jumping after a while away from the sport. Fortunately, I’m finally in a position to buy a horse. Due to a limited budget, I’m looking at OTTBs with the intent to give the horse some time to be a horse again and then focus on flatwork for a while before starting to jump.

I was wondering if you guys could eyeball a few pedigrees for me and see if anything jumps off the page. I’m hoping to get a young/green horse that can compete at the upper levels over time. I’m decent with looking at confirmation and all that, but I’d love more opinions there, too. This is preliminary, so I’m not desperately in love with any of them yet.

These are the horses and lines in question:

Horse #1
[LIST=1]

advertisement: http://fingerlakesfinesttbs.com/lady-pink-2011-16h-liver-chestnut-filly/

Equibase record: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9075373&registry=T

pedigree: http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=9075373## [/LIST]

Horse #2
[LIST=1]

advertisement: http://fingerlakesfinesttbs.com/nurse-stone-2011-16-1-h-chestnut-filly/

Equibase record: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9099149&registry=T

pedigree: http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=9099149 [/LIST]

Horse #3
[LIST=1]

advertisement: http://fingerlakesfinesttbs.com/eye-to-eye-2012-15-3h-dark-bay-filly-with-chrome/

Equibase record: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9368638&registry=T

pedigree: http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=9368638 [/LIST]

Horse #4 (adoption, not sale)
[LIST=1]

advertisement: http://aftertheraces.org/adoptablehorses/nic-n-jr-nic/

Equibase record: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9370455&registry=T

pedigree: http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=9370455 [/LIST]

Horse #5
[LIST=1]

advertisement: http://canterusa.org/horses/2759/woman-of-dreams/

Equibase record: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9391009&registry=T

pedigree: http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=9391009 [/LIST]

[beowulf]

I really, REALLY liked Nurse Stone. I can’t believe she’s still available?! IIRC I started a thread about her a month or so ago… I absolutely love her type and eye.

[EventerAJ]

Good choices! I like horses #3, 5, and 4 the best, they look like good athletes and have interesting pedigrees for sport. #3, Eye to Eye is quite fancy, and will be a real head turner when she fills out. #5 Woman of Dreams is also quite appealing, if you don’t mind her smaller size. I tend to like Albert The Great, good minds and good movers. The Curlin gelding, #4 has a huge shoulder, which you see a lot in upper level horses.

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8387077]
I really, REALLY liked Nurse Stone. I can’t believe she’s still available?! IIRC I started a thread about her a month or so ago… I absolutely love her type and eye.[/QUOTE]

She looks like a really solidly-built horse with good bone and no fuss about her. She’s not the most eye-catching to me, but I think she’s probably going to turn out awesome.

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=EventerAJ;8387133]
Good choices! I like horses #3, 5, and 4 the best, they look like good athletes and have interesting pedigrees for sport. #3, Eye to Eye is quite fancy, and will be a real head turner when she fills out. #5 Woman of Dreams is also quite appealing, if you don’t mind her smaller size. I tend to like Albert The Great, good minds and good movers. The Curlin gelding, #4 has a huge shoulder, which you see a lot in upper level horses.[/QUOTE]

Funny, those are my favorites too! I’m 5’ even, so smaller is ok with me, plus she may grow yet, since she’s just 3. Does Eye to Eye look strange on the right hip to you? It could be the angle, but she seems sunken/less developed for some reason. I looooove that gelding, too, but I’m worried about the adopting, since some friends have had a hard time. He’s also pinfired in front; think that could be an issue?

[Nadia1990]

I agree 3,4&5 are lovely types and horses I wouldn’t mind in my stable

number 5 particularly to me is a really classy mare and yourself being shorter her small height won’t be a problem

[csaper58]

#4 is the only one that has feet that I like.

[cleozowner]

I adopted from ATR about 3 months ago, and it was a very smooth/pleasant process. Bonnie is very honest and reasonable. If you are a decent horse owner you shouldn’t have any problem adopting.
I still occasionally visit the ATR page, and I really like #4. I liked his movement in his recent video (posted on their FB page). You should get him so I can stop looking at him!

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=Nadia1990;8387314]
I agree 3,4&5 are lovely types and horses I wouldn’t mind in my stable

number 5 particularly to me is a really classy mare and yourself being shorter her small height won’t be a problem[/QUOTE]

I’d have to agree. She’s the only one that isn’t jumping off the page with something I find wrong/off.

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=csaper58;8387491]
#4 is the only one that has feet that I like.[/QUOTE]

That’s fair, his feet look excellent. What do you make of the pinfiring scars and mark on his knee? I just did some research, and apparently he was vanned off for taking a few bad steps after a race and was marked “injured.”

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=cleozowner;8387517]
I adopted from ATR about 3 months ago, and it was a very smooth/pleasant process. Bonnie is very honest and reasonable. If you are a decent horse owner you shouldn’t have any problem adopting.
I still occasionally visit the ATR page, and I really like #4. I liked his movement in his recent video (posted on their FB page). You should get him so I can stop looking at him![/QUOTE]

That’s super comforting to hear! I so want to support rescues and was a little scared from what friends had told me, though not about ATR. I looooove how he moves! He looks like such a fun guy, but I’m a little concerned about the pinfiring and scars on his knees. He was apparently injured at the track. I guess I’ll have to get approved and ask.

[vineyridge]

Pin firing is nothing to worry about. I had a pinfired hunt horse, and he worked until he was 22. His was obviously for bucked shins.

[Auburn]

I like the conformation of #4 and #5. Their pedigrees are the best for sport, too.

Since you are smaller, I would definitely look at #5. Nice eye and I love those huge ears. :yes:

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=vineyridge;8389428]
Pin firing is nothing to worry about. I had a pinfired hunt horse, and he worked until he was 22. His was obviously for bucked shins.[/QUOTE]

That’s good to hear. I’m curious about the reason behind it, since it seems so much less common anymore. His race history is interesting with the injury, etc., so I’ve definitely got questions.

[PinkPonySwag]

[QUOTE=Auburn;8389441]
I like the conformation of #4 and #5. Their pedigrees are the best for sport, too.

Since you are smaller, I would definitely look at #5. Nice eye and I love those huge ears. :yes:[/QUOTE]

Ahahahah they’re like antennae! For my own learning gain, what makes their pedigrees good sport bloodlines?

[fordtraktor]

Pin firing is still done in plenty of old fashioned barns. I have a turf horse who is 7 – he was pin fired for splints in both fronts at 2. He is sound as a dollar when he isn’t maiming himself in a ridiculous series of pasture accidents. he is tough as nails. I wouldn’t think twice about it if the PPE doesn’t turn up any issues there. It was so obvious that my horse was done for splints I didn’t even PPE him, honestly. He trotted sound and I was cool with that.

I like 4 but would PPE him well for that knee. 5 is adorable but I don’t like the angles in her hind end, the point of her whatever bone in the back is low and her hind leg is straight, which is OK for sprinting but less great for jumping up. Compare with the pic of Casall on Sport Horse Breeding to see what I mean, his angles are a lot better for jumping and reaching under himself, more power. This horse is built to flatten out and run, not bring its hind leg under itself and jump. I am sure she will be fine, though, she’s just not my type specifically, I am all about butts in horses!

The Nic horse isn’t as nice as Casall of course but he has got a very nice engine behind and I wouldn’t think twice about betting he will have enough jump for eventing and probably more. He is gorgeous and I love him, if he’s sound. The vanning is concerning so I’d look into it pretty carefully but not rule him out. If you are OK with the adoption contract part, that would probably scare me off, I don’t care for it myself. If I decide to sell the horse later I want to be able to do so for a profit. I don’t sell my horses very often, either but I don’t like all the strings.