I’ve seen the source of some of these horses, and found it happening rabidly.
When returning back home from overseas, I opened my real estate brokerage, then later brought home my OTTB after he retired and had to find boarding. We constantly get the types moving upstate to the country, and out of the city- where, of course, they all know more than we do. Probably more accurately not directly from NYC, but the surrounding 'burbs/states.
What I found: 1)a NJ psychologist and out-of-work atty who decided they wanted to breed Thoroughbreds. Bought 3 very nice mares from a reputable breeder who mentored them. However he was terrified of them, and she under 5’ tall, and a novice horseperson at best. When I listed their farm (with loads of beautiful pastures unused), they had a 3yo, a 2yo who was supposed to head to the track, 2 yearlings, and 3 foals with mares. 3yo lived loose in the indoor and they wanted to give him to me. Had knee issues and would never run, his sire placed in 3yo classics, and they had this poor fellow as a pet. Not gelded. Terrible manners. Never turned outside. :mad:
So scared of them they only turned out the mares and foals, and even then, just in a small outdoor ring where they tossed hay. The yearlings and 2yo were picked up by mentor who stopped dealing with them, and whom they still owed $$ to.
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Their farm sold to other down-staters who wanted to get into breeding Paints. Bragged how they had ponies in the past who were so cute, came up on their back deck, etc. etc. Bought a Paint stallion and his herd - probably a dozen horses in all - they were going to rack up the $$$, mind you, because, as the seller advised, Paints were selling for loads of money! At least Mr. Paint-breeder knew how to work farm machinery, and make hay. They were all turned out, and also hardly handled. Why would they need to when they lived in a herd?:sigh:
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Next I was asked for help/was shown off the new place by a fellow race-track fan who also owned pieces of horses in partnerships, and was unhappy with not knowing where they ended up. So that was at least a good purpose. BUT he also claimed an ungelded son of a good stallion, so he thought he also had a goldmine. Also has a top mare who produced (with a previous owner) a stakes winning son.
This fellow knew nothing about farming, not even home repairs - he flooded the small boarding house first day he owned the place when he opened the pipes without checking first for leaks. He had bought the abandoned property from the bank, and it had been empty for a couple of years.
Didn’t check with local ordinances when he bought and moved in a modular. It had to sit on the lot for weeks until he resolved his permit issues.
Did not believe in installing fencing. Bought tons of round pens for turn-out, and lined them up. Also did not turn out most horses, just let them run around in the huge indoor, mares together, then geldings. Rather than bring the fields back, leased them to neighbors for 3 years and just bought hay.
Most stalls built for smaller breeds. I was offered to let my horse board for free, but saw the nightmare coming.
He also told me first day that he didn’t believe anything anyone had to tell him from up here - he was warned by his downstate track buddies that all up-staters would rip him off. :rolleyes:
Brought in a good number of horses, and almost immediately began adding to it. Took in several track retirees, but has no training ability. The farm is not far from me, but I don’t dare go by it. I called after a few months - the first winter was one of our hardest recent winters. Not surprisingly he lost a few the first winter. :no:
To be honest, he did mean well, but when they come up here, they look at the price of land and farm, and have no clue what to look for when they walk in. Although I was asked for advice, he already had his mind made up when he looked at this place, and was putting in an offer. Guess he thought I’d think it a great find. Saw those stalls, and when I asked about fencing and was immediately pooh-poohed I saw the disaster coming.
He did hire a young gal from local equine program so at least he had someone who knew how to handle most of the horses. But I know she was overwhelmed. I was called in the following year when a friend of his drove in another stallion he could use from out West, so they could take advantage of the NY State TB breeding program. Young gal had no breeding experience and gal with stallion told me it wasn’t that bad if you had a stallion who was well behaved. Hers was. His wasn’t.
I have yet to see any of his stallions’ get or his mare’s with any race history. The mare has been bred multiple times to this unproven stallion. 
So when I shudder with the idea of placing my OTTB with a few physical issues, because we are overrun at sales, and TBs now have a poor reputation, these are the stories I look back on. Although I wouldn’t board with any one of these “breeders”. None of them knew what they were doing.
They all know better than we do - they make more money in NYC, so they are all much smarter.
Finally, while searching for suitable boarding, I have found all of these “professionals” that are now BOs, but can’t sit to a canter. #4 - one of my BOs who, when I left, was going to “train and breed Irish Sport Horses”. She tied my OTTB to a beam in the indoor and left him alone when he didn’t obey her when moving stalls. :mad:
We have cultivated a “anyone can do it!” society and that includes horse husbandry.
Have a couple of knowledgeable friends with mares they love and have bred, with a couple of real issues. At least they have the knowledge to train young horses. But they have thought twice after losing a baby, and almost the mare.
“Back in the day”, no one would hardly dream of breeding unless they were professionals, and few professionals would touch it. Breeding was a specialty unto itself.
Yes, if you are going to do this, find a mentor, learn what you can, and start small!!
But if you don’t know how to clean a stall, drive a nail, or thaw a hose, let alone pick a hoof, don’t even begin.
