Unstarted TB colt. Ad doesn’t give age but I looked it up and he’s 2. Pictures and 1 video of him cantering in field where there is in places belly-high scrubby grass and 1 video being lunged - again in similar grass (I’m being generous here - weed) area. Looks ribby.
Price $45,000
Per pedigreequery, I don’t see anything special in the breeding AT ALL (have to go back 5 generations to see a name I recognize), but, but…he’s PALOMINO so… 
This thread, and current market conditions, makes me glad I:
A) Bought my mare in 2018
B) Gave-up full-size equines in favour of the minis (for which the market doesn’t seem to be quite as unprecedented)
C) Sprung for my first trailer, also in 2018, even though it seemed a real luxury at the time (to be fair, it was originally a non-negotiable piece of equipment for what I’d hoped would be a nice little start-up business)
I had to speak to C) because it’s another horse-related commodity that is in short supply right now. There are hardly any nice bumper pulls to speak of anywhere near me, and just a handful of goosenecks. Forget about looking at upgrading to a newer (or more fiberglass-y) model 
For real.
A local FB group has an ad up for a 20 yr old 3 horse slant stock combo bumper pull with small walk in dressing room. $7500. That’s about 5k more than I paid for my trailer of same type 2 years ago!
You should take a look at the Makeover horses that are for sale. It is a fantastic place to shop for nice TB’s.
That’s also about 3K more than what I paid for my 3 horse gooseneck in excellent condition with a huge front tack and a rear tack.
And just saw a lease labeled as a “training care lease” where you can take an OTTB recovering from repro surgery, keep it for 1 to 3 years and put some training on it and then return it to the owner. 
WTF?
And 2 years from now or 5 years from now he will be an unstarted TB stallion, still with this seller, and likely living in a paddock with his dam and maybe his sisters because the owner doesn’t have the money for more fencing. Maybe the owner will decide to geld? No, would be losing thousands of dollars in sale value by gelding … the owner likely thinks this.
If she/he keeps feeding him, his mind will continue to stagnate as he lives from one meal to the next. If she loses interest and/or starts running out of horse expense money (or wants to spend in on something else), maybe someday he ends up in the crosshairs of animal control, and maybe from there to a rescue. Still unstarted.
Because it’s rewarding and fun to spend money and time on a horse that isn’t yours … and may be scooped up by the owner at a moment’s notice? Yeah dunno how that’s supposed to work. LOL
Probably. I am seeing a LOT of unstarted TBs or ones off the track but have just sat for the last couple of years. Is there a big market for green 10 year olds?
Only if you label them prospects. 
Case in point:
“I can’t believe we live in a world where people continually pass up on a 9 year old mare because of her age. Someone needs this girl! She has been so sweet, sound, and a cute mover! (jog video at end of post and she’s barefoot!) Yes, she is 9. She has not been restarted. She will still be a super fun horse for someone! Located in Bossier City, LA. Trailer headed east today/tomorrow. I need the stall and she’s ready for her new person! She is VERY affordable.”
Uh, maybe it’s not her age but the fact she hasn’t been restarted and has had years of now ingrained bad habits/behaviors - probably hardly been handled.
And yes, if I see “prospect” or “project” one more time… And, of course, all of them are FEI/upper level potential.
Is this a recent OTTB? If so, I don’t see the problem–while not knowing the asking price. Heck, I bet my second OTTB was 11 when I restarted her: racing-> 3 foals->me.
Edited to add: Is there any other career besides racing where a seller would say “has not been restarted?”
Wow, what a great idea! Sign me up! (being facetious). I’ve seen those ads too. Also the ones where the seller wants you to sign a contract that she would be able to come see the horse and ride on occasion and of course, approve his diet / training regimen. Hello! The horse doesn’t belong to you anymore, get off my lawn!
And from the owner’s perspective, what kind of training is going to be put on this horse by someone who would agree to this situation? So you’re going to get the horse back a year or two later with BAD training installed? Who benefits here?
The problem is that although it’s not a problem for you, it is a problem for the vast majority of prospective horse owners. They can’t do it. Don’t have the skills.
We need to clone the people who don’t find this to be a problem, because there are not enough of you to absorb all the mature untrained / unfinished horses that need safe homes. 
Going to say if it’s an OTTB it’s a non-issue for me too… My BEST TBs have retired from racing at 9 and 11…
I saw that too and thought “good luck”
Do you see a difference between an OTTB that comes off the track at 10 and one that comes off the track at 3 and sits in a field for 7 years?
Why? It’s so much less expensive to start young horses and get miles on them here than in the US.
I just saw an ad for a 12 year old OTTB “prospect.” Super cute, game, seems like a nice (low level to me, although the sellers claim “UL prospect”), jumper, but very, very, VERY unschooled. The jumping pictures are of it racing around flinging itself at the jumps while the rider alternates between big half halts and just sort of hanging on. That may or may not be something one can train out, as lots of people don’t know how to restart OTTBs to bring out the chill most of them have, but it certainly is going to be a longterm project. And it may never work. All of that adds up to something that is not very attractive even to those of us who are comfortable with restarting horses.
Having said that, my older guy had a very traumatic start to his post-track life after a pretty rough time of it on the track, and then sat in a field for several years, totally neglected. He was saved from the meat man by my trainer, who spent months just hanging out with him until the horse started to trust people again, and then he gave the horse to me.
By the time we finally figured out his backstory and who he was (his tattoo is nearly impossible to see), he was already a teenager. I spent a TON of time on this horse and it took years before his dressage looked like anything but “tall, startled deer.” I couldn’t touch his ears for two years after I got him. If he saw a whip he would run the other way. Literally. I once wore the wrong spurs on him (they were my baby WB lazypants spurs), and when he felt them he jumped a 6’ standard, threw me on the ground, and bolted back to the barn.
After much time and love and effort he had a short but fabulous career as an event horse and is now very happily retired. Was it worth it? Absolutely; he is the sweetest, best, most wonderful boy and he deserved a happy life where he loved his job. But he was special and I had the time and resources to put what was needed into him. I wouldn’t do it again unless the “prospect” was equally special.
I’m not sure who you are asking, but for me I want the war horse that raced until 10 versus the 3 yo that did nothing.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
