Tattooed but unraced

[2bayboys]

Hello! I’ve come across a nicely bred 5yo mare who passed through the hands of an unsavory dealer but luckily ended up in a caring but inexperienced home and is now for sale again.
(Dealer sold the mare to this novice owner as a “former camp horse” when it’s clearly a barely broke tattooed TB, but I digress.)

I’ve identified the mare. She’s clean legged and appears sound and I plan to do a vetting, although I’m not so willing to spend more on the vetting than on the horse itself. Feel free to tell me otherwise

What are some reasons a horse might get as far as being tattooed but not make it to the starting gate? That might help guide the vetting anyway to look for potential issues.

Thanks!

The mare is by Tapiture out of a Dehere dam.

[Simkie]

So many reasons!

Her connections may have run out of $$. She may have shown no speed in training so it wasn’t even worth starting her. She may have failed gate training. She may have developed a minor lameness problem that kept her from racing but would have really no impact on anything else.

No way to know unless you talk to her people, but it’s not a red flag. Enjoy her!

[LaurieB]

@Simkie

So many reasons!

Her connections may have run out of $$. She may have shown no speed in training so it wasn’t even worth starting her. She may have failed gate training. She may have developed a minor lameness problem that kept her from racing but would have really no impact on anything else.

No way to know unless you talk to her people, but it’s not a red flag. Enjoy her!

I second all of this.

[ASB_Stars]

I had a TB stallion years ago who was tattooed, even though his owner/breeder had no intention of racing him. He just wanted him to be absolutely identifiable. Of course, you can mess with tattoos, but his intent was admirable.