I’m probably the anti-enabler (I am a very anxious person by nature who has trouble making decisions.) But I can tell you like this horse…but it just seems like there are too many red flags for me. Obviously there are so many OTTBs out there who wear like iron, but I’ve just had enough friends who have had “the stereotype”–bad hooves, ulcers, struggling to keep weight, temperament issues caused by health problems and needing to be put on stall rest–and also just friends who bought horses with health issues they thought they could fix but couldn’t.
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I’ll pay devil’s advocate.
Back in the early 90s I bought a horse who was clearly footsore, and in the end it WAS just a shoeing issue.
To make a long tory short, I was called by someone who had previously known the horse well. He was a wellbred TB (related to JJ Babu) who had never been backed at 10. The guy that bought him had taught him to longe (sort of) but when he backed him the horse just refused to move. His wife got exasperated, and told him he had to sell him. No luck. No one wanted to buy an unridable 10 yo. He had lost a shoe, and hadn’t been seen by the farrier in two months. So he was scheduled to go to the auction at Thurmont (not a place where an unsound un-ridable 10 YO would find a good home) that Saturday.
My sister owned his full sister, and was successfully competing her at Prelim.
I got a call on Wednesday from the woman who had been his groom at his breeder’s, begging me to go and look at him. I took a day off work to look at him. His lameness was entirely consistent with “missing a shoe, late for the farrier”. He was obedient (though not educated) on the longe, had a general “I want to please you” attitude, and was willing to learn new things.
I bought him (I think I paid $200) intending to make him a resale, and had him vetted when I got home. His feet were fine (and he was sound once he was properly shod), but he had some hip arthritis. Not bad, but it was there.
He was the easiest horse I ever trained, but he was not brave at all. “If in doubt, plant your feet and refuse to move.” I competed him at BN successfully. But he failed the vet (because of the hip arthritis) every time someone was interested. I leased him out to one young teenager, and then another, who competed him at BN and N until he was 18. At that point the hip arthritis was causing him to refuse jumps- not every jump but enough that it was clear it was bothering him.
He came back to me, and I continued to ride him on the flat. He was reserve champion pleasure horse at a local show when he was 25.
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Ah, that’s why GABA is so popular plus cheap and easily available.
Anyway, late on this one. Janets example is similar to a few of mine and underlines the importance of vetting the Seller before considering vetting the horse. Have had trusted friend call and say there is a horse you might like and hooked up the trailer based on their opinion, reputation and the reputation of the seller. The fact that horse was known and had a known history is a plus.
But I usually bought between 5-10 years old broke and going even if they were lightly used, didn’t know much and/or needed a career change or a career besides standing in a field period. Figure they are hauling their own weight around for that many years and can WTC both ways without breaking or trying to kill the rider and/or itself generally indicates serviceable soundness. Always had the vet look but only basic look see, check vitals, eyesight, breathing and flexions. If that checks, we are good to go. My skill set was with older horses needing a restart, no patience with youngsters, can do it but never enjoyed it as much as turning some stinker around, just got to kiss lot of frogs before signing the check to find that prince.
For OP, that far away still race trimmed horse from a seller you don’t know who possibly has not had the horse on the home property for long? Horse who has not been letdown and restarted even on basics with a mystery lameness? Who you cannot go see several times? Would pass on that one, too much risk and the PPE to even investigate and identify the cause likely will run 20% of your budget.
OP here and I sometimes do not agree but think we both have high standards of care for our horses. That nearby “small and plain” horse just might thrive with good nutrition, vet/dentist care and elbow grease in a regular program-program meaning routine schedule for everything, not a pay somebody else to do the same thing program.
If you add SAFE to his resume maybe he becomes a prince for you or somebody else if you move him along to another after tuning him up. You never know what’s at some small barn or even somebody’s back yard. You ask around enough trusted acquaintances, somebody may come across something or know somebody with one. Its all about networking.
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An update after sitting on the first of two potential horses I’ll be sitting on this week…ohhhh boy that was a nice one. My gut says to come to terms on price and schedule the vetting. My brain says to take a breath and keep my appointment to see candidate #2, and to make a decision from there. My trainer agrees with my brain’s take, especially since they’re two very diffeerent types–#1 is green with an excellent foundation, #2 is a packer type who’s only possible for my budget because of a past imperfect vetting.
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IIWM - get horse 2, if you like it and can handle the imperfect vetting. At the least, definitely go see it!
As for myself, I passed on both horses. The lame one certainly wasn’t a situation that I know or trust the seller (I mean… they’re very sure the horse is sound, not even acknowledging the ouchiness), and the smaller plainer one had a few things that I just wasn’t comfortable with considering it would almost certainly be a resale.
There are plenty of things that don’t bother ME, but I know are hard to sell. If I’m buying something that doesn’t check the boxes for a personal keeper then it needs to be a reasonably desirable horse for the “average” person.
The search continues.
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Trust the facts. That minimizes anxiety and could prove more successful than your gut. I say could because, well, they are Horses. LOL
If showing is important verify the show record. A solid PPE is another piece of the puzzle.
Buying from a reputable seller is also critical, but while some sellers hide things, no seller is clairvoyant. Especially if it’s a OTTB.
Buying a horse straight off the track is a crap shoot for the most seasoned professional. An Ammy should look only at horses that have been restarted because restarting correctly is a very specific skill set.
Good luck, OP!
I agree with the first part, and disagree with the second. I’m about as amateur as they come, but OTTBs are my comfort zone and I really don’t think they’re that hard to restart! I’d actually be far less confident in my skills if I were looking at importing something or starting a baby, and I think that’s true for a lot of people.
OTTBs have all the “hard” stuff installed already - they tie, load, stand for the farrier, they are used to carrying a rider; they steer, stop, and go. They’ve seen some crazy stuff and generally they come around pretty quick - it’s the physical stuff that’s a crapshoot (as with any horse, honestly).
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I trust my gut and buy horses that I would love looking at in my pasture. Chances are they are going to go unsound at some point for whatever reason cause they are horses. At least they can look beautiful from my porch.
I do try to stick with bloodlines I know if papered and find out personality.
I have a good friend that uses a horse communicator to talk to the sales horse. She doesn’t bother with a PPE. It’s either dumb luck or something magical cause her horses are always so kind and sound as all get out. I’m tempted to try it with my next horse.
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I laughed out loud at this. Really goes to show what a crapshoot buying horses is.
My appointment to see candidate #2 has been rescheduled for tomorrow, since we got a ton of rain yesterday and their arena is under water. Impatiently tapping my toes while I try not to daydream too much about #1.
This is actually a good thing to think about. If you look at a horse that you “could sell him again when he was healthier and under saddle”, your mind has already analyzed that he’s built solid enough, has a good enough mind, could be something in short order.
I also like the idea of leasing. I’m only leasing now (I just don’t want the responsibility of ownership anymore) and I’ve been offered every horse I’ve leased, at a good price, too. These have been nice animals (NOT show horses, tho) who are “extra” for the owners, but who are too nice to just “get rid of”. By leasing, I get to check them out, the owners get to check me out, it’s a useful approach.
But I’m also not leasing horses at $9K/year!! I’m leasing at boarding costs. Even so, I found a lovely eventer to lease, at boarding costs, that was just a few years too late for me. sigh
Back when I was still an owner, and I found myself with a handful of money, I couldn’t make myself spend it. It really only happened once in my life that I was in a spot to spend real money on a made horse, and I couldn’t write the check. So that’s an experience I can’t help you with.
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Well, I’ve made an offer on a horse. We shall see how the details all fall and if it even happens but let me tell y’all - I’m actually excited about this one versus riddled with panicked anxiety. Which is frankly ridiculous considering it’s a sight unseen purchase and I’d decided I wasn’t going to get anything I couldn’t go pick up myself!
Maybe it’s because the price is right, or I liked the horse’s eye, or I have finally come to terms with the fact that THIS horse doesn’t have to be THE horse. If it doesn’t work, no harm done - I have the skills to put a good restart on it and pass it on.
We shall see. Nothing like working out details long distance over Christmas 
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Good luck! I’m definitely more of a logical than emotional decisionmaker but I firmly believe there’s a role for going with your instinct in decisions like this. It’s not as simple as “when it’s right you’ll just know” but more like when everything else makes sense there’s that final yes/no gut check that’s super important to listen to. Our brains process a ton of information that we aren’t conscious of beyond a vague sense of anxiety or excitement, sounds like yours came down on the right side this time!
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Good luck, I hope everything goes well! That’s super exciting 
I’m vetting candidate #2. I didn’t get off her grinning ear to ear feeling like a horse crazy 10 year old the way I did with #1, so it was probably a harder decision than it should have been. At the same time, it’s really reassuring to KNOW she can do the job I want instead of hoping, and she is a classy, classy mare. I’m trying to keep my excitement in check until she vets, but I may have already spent a little time this morning looking at matchy matchy accessories, oops…
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Oooo that’s exciting! Good luck! And the BTDT ones are worth a lot IMO - it may take longer to “click” because they tend to putter along for anyone, but the personality comes out very quick.
This one is Mr Personality it seems, so I’m excited for that, if all works out. I am not a person that needs a snuggly horse, but I find the ones that are interested in people and want to be involved are much easier to train. Mares can often be bought with praise, but a gelding that thrives on it is my favorite type
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I used think I would know “the one” when I sat on them. Then I took in my mare to ride for a friend while my gelding was recovering from a check ligament. To say I hated riding her for the first couple of months might be a bit strong, but it was close. Then, one day, she decided she could work with me and I had ten fabulous years with her. She died this spring and I miss her every day. If the horse checks all your boxes but you didn’t feel an immediate connection, that doesn’t mean it won’t develop! I hope she vets well.
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In case anyone wants to know - I bought the horse. Still awaiting paper transfer and shipping arrangements, but paid and signed for.
And, I feel zero anxiety about it! Still! We shall see when I start paying his bills if that changes. Anyways, I guess we shall see if my “buying a horse on a whim but also not freaking out about it???” method works
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Pics or it didn’t happen!!!
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Congrats!! What a lovely Christmas gift to yourself!
Haha I’ll post pics soon!
Here’s his breeding
I’m not sure “Speight” is a good barn name considering everyone will just hear “Spite” so I’ll be working on that. I’ll probably have to meet him first, but I’m making a short list of options.
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I might just be the kind of person that would give him the barn name Spite even if it wasn’t at all appropriate for his personality…
If he’s on the shorter side or is kind of lively or bouncy, you could maybe go with Sprite
And congratulations! I hope he’s awesome
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