I do not need another horse. I have one, and he’s my heart horse, and 19 y/o.
I stupidly looked at a website, and now I can’t get one out of my head. So I looked up his pedigree, and he shares much with my beloved horse. GAH. Talked with some people.
I can’t stop thinking about him.
talk me out of it. He would be turned out for a long time and then started by pros experienced with OTTBs.
What are some issues that you would say HELL NO to?
We’re all enablers here. 
Lol!! I said I didn’t want one! I don’t need to be enabled! I need to be stopped!
Heart horse and 19 yo means it is time to get another one to start training. You enjoy Heart Horse and you train Can’t Get Him Out Of My Mind.
When it is time to retire HH. CGHOOMM will now be the trained horse you enjoy riding and you need to find another one to start training.
signed
Enabler
Lol! Another non helper! lol!
Based on two injuries, in the interest of soundness, I’m going to pass on this beloved creature.
His name is vindicated honor, and he’s in Illinois. Please, if someone gets him, give me updates on how he is. He is gorgeous and I’m totally in love. But unfortunately I do not have a large farm to bring him home to, So I have to be very judicious. I talked to the trainer, and he sounds like a great boy.
I hope he gets a great home, it’s apparent that he doesn’t really want to run fast, so I hope he finds a great job.
Carry-on :-). Crisis averted, although my heart does hurt a little bit.
There’s not a lot I’d say “hell no” to.
Slab fractures, sesamoid injuries, and suspensory injuries can be touch and go: sometimes the horses recover with no limitations, other times they are lucky to be pasture sound at best. Those are common injuries I approach cautiously. Things like bowed tendons, bone chips, fractures repaired surgically tend not to be limiting and are less concerning to me. Most all race horses will show joint wear and tear externally or on X-rays. My rule of thumb is that if the horse is comfortable on it now, they’ll probably stay comfortable for general riding/show purposes.
Another thing I approach cautiously is the “lightly raced horse.” I’m talking about horses that race at least once but less than three times. The only reason I approach cautiously is because it takes A LOT of money to get a race horse to his first race. Most savvy owners and trainers can tell WELL before the first race of the horse is just too darn slow, and will usually rehome the horse in training before blowing thousands upon thousands of dollars just to see the horse be well beaten. That’s why you hear about so many horses that trained, but never raced. Along those same lines, since so much money has been spent preparing for the first race, owners and trainers will usually try to run the horse more than once or twice before determining the horse is “too slow” and giving up. Often what happens with these 1 or 2 start horses is that they physically can’t hold up to racing, and that problem often follows them into other careers. When the connections say these horses are just “too slow,” they aren’t lying, they are just omitting the fact that the horse is too slow because his body is it’s own worst enemy. Of course, that’s not to say this is always the truth. There are plenty of people who have gotten lovely horses who only raced once or twice (and there can be other reasons for the limited race record); just do your homework.
For me other than injuries which is case by case. It is rearing. Especially if the horse has thrown itself over backwards.
I am not interested there are so many other horses out there.
Just get him and name him On My Mind. You’re welcome.
Signed,
Another Enabler, who definitely has too many horses and not enough sense
I’m always amused at the tattooed “unraced TB”. Considering the time and money someone spent to get him far enough to be tattooed, one has to wonder why he never raced. I’d want to see his papers. I know, I know, sold without papers, so he couldn’t be raced.
I had one that was tattooed… and unraced. You don’t need papers to look up pedigree, though.
In his case, there was no funny business or shady dealings: he made it to race training, flipped in the gate, and was disbarred from all tracks in NY.
Sometimes the story is just as interesting as the horse. He came from the Watral breeding farm, so was a very well-bred fluke. He ended up being an incredibly athletic horse, possibly one of the most athletic jumpers I ever owned.
OP… If you like him… go look at him. What would you use him for? For a lower level, all around pursuit, there are very few dealbreakers for me, as someone who keeps a horse at home. I wouldn’t want suspensory pulls or sore stifles… but osselets, bows, etc do not worry me.
This may be an unusual story, but I have an example of one who is tattooed, but unraced.
We have one in our barn who was given to us as a hunter prospect by fabulous people who are also thoughtful and responsible horse owners. They had purchased him as a yearling at the Keeneland sale, had him broke and trained, and had sent him to a very good trainer at Keeneland. He was tattooed there, but they never statrted him because he just flat out did not show anything in his works. He was a three year old when we picked him up from Keeneland, and we have his papers. His owners did the right thing for him, and now he’s six years old and is a fabulous show hunter. As a matter of fact, we’re taking him back to Kentucky in a few weeks to compete in the USHJA Pre-Green Hunter Championship!
It’s only like $80 to get a TB tattooed and not a big ordeal. The tattoo techs frequent the tracks, as well as the major training centers and breaking farms. If the horse is at a big training center at any point for any reason, it’s not uncommon to go down the shedrow and have all the horses done. Then you start training and realize the horse is so slow that you or I could outrun him a foot race… so you quit before you’re any deeper in the hole. :lol:
I know I’m getting side tracked, sorry OP! Is there any way to research WHY a horse was never raced? I have one as well. He was not a “cheap” horse according to auction reports, but he was not raced. Person I got him for as a four year old didn’t know his background, (or wouldn’t tell me). This horse is turning out to be awesome, though, and I love him. He’s now 6. But I’d love to hear about his background.
Sometimes it pays off to take the leap of faith, and buy the horse that you are not particularly looking “for”, but whom you can not get out of your mind. If he “speaks” to you and says “buy me, I’m the one you need”, it can be advantageous to listen to him. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
There are many reasons why a horse may enter race training, but end up not racing and being sold or “rehomed” instead. Sometimes it is an inherent fault or flaw in the horse’s soundness that has come to light with work. Sometimes it is simply a bad step on an off track that results in unfortunate injury. Young horses entering race training are inherently “tender”, and risk of injury has to be accepted as a part of attempting to make them sound and strong enough to race. Many of these “race career ending” injuries that occur before the race career starts will heal to full soundness with time, and maturity.
Thank you all for your responses! He definitely spoke to me but the timing wasn’t right :). He is sold, however!! I’m really hoping that someone on COTH bought him and will share updates! I’d love to follow him!
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