Turn out for an OTTB

[ThreeBarPocoGal]

I haven’t worked with a true OTTB in a long time, probably over a decade. I have the chance to work with one again and I’m really excited about it. He is a recently OT and has begun his retraining. My question is - turnout. My personal horses are turned out 24-7 with access to shade and water, unless it’s raining or muddy, then they are stalled.

How do you introduce your OTTB to this kind of life? I believe strongly in as much turnout and grazing as possible. I don’t remember how I introduced this in the past. Small Paddock first? Or am I overthinking this and just need to turn him out?

[Foxglove]

DD picked up her 6 year old OTTB off the track on Thursday and had him at my place on Friday (all of this 11 years ago). As I recall, we put him in the 100 x 132 “pony pen” and let him hang out with the other horses who were on the other side of the fence for a week or so. This acclimated him to grass and his new friends (all geldings). After a week, we put him out in the 2 acre pasture with one buddy and watched them. All quiet all good. Eventually he was turned out with three more geldings and they formed a peaceful herd of 4 --all out 24/7 with big run-in sheds.

I do recall two things. When the other horse walked up the hill away from the OTTB the first time (we have rather steep grass covered hills in our pastures), the OTTB paused for some time at the bottom of the hill. My feeling was he’d never seen unlevel ground and wasn’t sure how to navigate going up hill. Eventually he figured it out though and became a solid 3-day horse.

The second recollection was rain. I was working in the barn and it began to rain --that summer rain that is cold an heavy. All the other geldings ignored the rain and continued eating grass. The OTTB raced to the gate and began to paw and sway. Clearly, being out in the rain was not something he thought was appropriate for a horse of his status!

He is blanketed, even now at almost 20 --he never grew the coat the others did. And we eventually pulled shoes. The farrier predicted dire consequence, but while not a great hoof, he does keep a good enough foot to walk on the pasture with comfort.

He developed bone chips and after a fine career as a 3-Day horse is a pasture ornament here at my place along with another great horse. He’s pleasant.

[2DogsFarm]

My experiences are waaay in the past, so not sure it’s helpful, but:

My OTTB never raced, but ponied at tracks for 4yrs (after failing his 2yo Speed Test) before I bought him.
I was boarding at the time & he was put out with a small herd - 4 or 5 - of geldings.
Who he immediately took to herding, though they largely ignored his posturing & did what they wanted.
When I brought him home at 20, he & my other horse went immediately to 24/7 turnout with free access to stalls.

My only other OTTB was a true racehorse, though not for long, as he was 3 with a poor record:
20 starts, no wins.
I was still boarding, so he got turned out in a small field next to my other 2 & never made it in with them, as my older TB hated him on sight.
We figured my guy was guarding his Herd of One.
IIRC, 3yo ran the fence at first, then settled & ignored the other 2.

[ParadoxFarm]

My last OTTB raced on Dec 6th (2020), was brought to an adoption facility on Dec 12th and immediately went to turnout. They only had so many stalls and more horses than stalls, and they were technically closed for winter (we knew the folks who ran the program, so we were able to adopt out of season.) He adjusted just fine. We adopted him in January. When we brought him home in February (after gelding) he was in half a day, out half a day.

Just assess his personality and see how he does. I think after maybe a little bit of zoomies, he’ll be fine in whatever turnout you provide.

[Bristol_Bay]

He was likely born on a farm and ran around in a pasture until he began his race training. He should be fine.

[fivestrideline]

We just kick them out into solo turnout the first day. They get worked into a herd eventually but most of them adapt to turnout itself just fine! They typically grow up in a big pasture anyway.

Racehorses are used to routine. Whatever your routine is, get them on it ASAP and they’ll be happy. Most of them want to work as well, so unless there’s an injury or obvious soreness I start riding them lightly pretty much immediately. Nothing is more destructive than a bored, contained, race-fit young TB!

[LawsofMurph]

My (at the time) 4yo OTTB was last raced Feb 2024 and was at my barn in March. He adjusted to the pasture just fine even if it did take him some time to learn that not all of his pasture mates wanted to be best friends. But, it was very clear he HATED being out 24/7.

He does best with a stall during the day and out to play at night. He is still the only one in that field that will come happily if rain blows through and the staff are trying to get the horses back in.

[anonevent]

How long did he race?

[bingbingbing]

Has he been turned out since retiring?

Every horse and their life experiences are a bit different. I bred a horse (Warmblood) who went to an amazing home with limited turn out; like two hours a day. (he was on full turn out with me) I visited him multiple times. He was very happy for years. He then went to a barn that was emphatic that more turnout was best. The horse dug a giant hole overnight, ran and broke his leg.

The transition for your OTTB may be slow or fast. Just pay attention to his reactions. I would start with the paddock first. My vet always thinks I fired him because he doesn’t hear from me often. I always err on the side of caution.

[Klevie]

I think a lot of it depends on what the horse was exposed to at the track and in between stints at the track. My OTTB had 43 starts over a 6 year period, but he was occasionally taken back to his trainer’s farm during peak lockdown, so he had limited self turnout experience. He lives out on 10 acres in a small mixed herd with access to his stall and run in shelter whenever he would like. We transitioned him by starting him off in 3/4 acre paddock by himself for a week and then he was turned out to 4 of the 10 acres with the babysitter gelding before he was introduced to the full herd. However, he did have the option to meet and greet the herd over the fence for the full transition time.

[ThreeBarPocoGal]

He’s 8. His last start was October of 2024

[treebeard]

@Foxglove

I do recall two things. When the other horse walked up the hill away from the OTTB the first time (we have rather steep grass covered hills in our pastures), the OTTB paused for some time at the bottom of the hill. My feeling was he’d never seen unlevel ground and wasn’t sure how to navigate going up hill. Eventually he figured it out though and became a solid 3-day horse.

My Thoroughbred was very uncomfortable with anything hill or dip when he retired at age 7 after 67 starts. It was kind of funny when he’d be all concerned over a slight dip in the land and hills really made him nervous. He’d seen it all in his career - just not anything but level ground.

When he retired he was started out in a riding ring sized turnout and then easily graduated to being out to pasture with other Thoroughbreds. It was fabulous to see him enjoy a gallop across the larger area.

[Texarkana]

With any new horse, I usually turn them out alone first just to get a read on them. That may only be for a couple hours, or longer if there’s a concern.

But apart from that, you don’t need to do anything special. Kick him out, just pay attention. Most TBs have lived out 24/7 in company at different times in their lives. It’s just hard to say how long ago one of those times may have been for a horse. So watch for signs of stress/discomfort.

If weather conditions or herd conditions are causing stress, you may need to adapt. But otherwise, there’s no reason he can’t be out 24/7.

[mmeqcenter]

If the grass is thick and lush, a grass acclimation should be done.
But as far as being out, in space, with friends, I don’t treat them any differently than introducing any other new horse to the farm.