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Are OTTB expensive????

5K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  JekkaLynn 
#1 ·
I'm fairly new to this site, but in the time I've been here I've seen so many posts about OTTB! I was just wondering if they go for a bargain since they can't race anymore or what. And I also want to give a big hi-five to all of you that have bought OTTB.....cause I know a lot of them go to slaughter when their racing career is over. And one more question, I see so many OTTB on here that are just used for english diciplines, and I think th at's great, but are there any of you that use your OTTB for western riding?? I've always shyed away from OTTB, cause I know they can be quite a handful and can be dangerous. Can anyone calm my nerves on this issue???? Thank you all!!
 
#2 ·
I don't call my boy an OTTB any more, because I think once they've been off the track for longer than 6 months, they're just TBs at that point.

I know some people don't agree with me and think there's some sort of cachet attached to the word OTTB, but I'd rather think ahead for my horse and not look back.

I got JJ for free. There are many OTTBs who go for nothing or next to nothing, because their trainers/owners just want to find them a good home. That was the case with JJ; he didn't want to race, was lousy at it, and his trainer claimed him in a stakes race just so she could give him away to someone who would give him another job and a good home.

TBs aren't really built for Western disciplines. Sure, you can throw a Western saddle on them, but the way they're put together conformationally doesn't make them suitable as Western show horses.

'Quite a handful and dangerous' is just a stereotype. I've never known a more laid back, quiet guy than my JJ. I've met some TBs who are more tightly wound than others, but all they needed was regular exercise and to be taken off sugar laden feeds.

The majority of TBs are quiet, calm, lovely horses with good temperaments and an eagerness to please and do their best.
 
#3 ·
I don't plan on doing any western showing...just trail riding..and I've come to love the comfort of those saddles specially made for trail riding....they look like oversized english saddles really... A trainer at a stable I rode at when i was a kid got an OTTB, and he was a stunning grey..but he was wound up tighter than any horse I'd ever seen...I can't count how many times that horse would cow kick her when she would get near him just to brush or saddle him. I'm guessing he was fresh off the track maybe?
 
#4 ·
Like many other horse OTTB's can vary dramatically from very good to terrible and from inexpensive to very expensive. Horses retire from the track for a variety of different reasons. Some go lame, some don't have the heart to run, some are just plain inconsistent and some get too "expensive" for the revenue they generate at the track. People who own track horses also vary as much as the horses. Some treat their horses very well and others treat them poorly. Some just want the horse out of their barn and out of their checkbook, and others genuinely want to ensure their horses have good homes. Because of these differences, some track horse owners will give their horses away, and others will try to recover some of their costs by selling the horse.

The cost of the horse does not only reflect the initial purchase price. Some track horses have injuries that need to be continually tended to and that can get expensive. Some have crazy metabolisms and it can be difficult to keep weight on them for a period of time. Others need extensive training (followed by a good long rest) before they can function as good saddle horses. Just because they were saddled and carried a jockey on the track doesn't necessarily mean they are in any way 'broke' to ride. My experience with to OTTB's I have owned is that they also need about 6 months to just cool down in a good safe pasture before they are ready to be re-schooled.

On the positive side, OTTB's can be fantastic horses. They are often well behaved when handled on the ground, as they have lots of experience being handled. They also have lots of experience with trailering, traffic, people and things other horses might shy away from. A good, sound OTTB can be a great horse if handled well. I wouldn't recommend one fresh off the track for a beginning or novice rider who doesn't have the experience to deal with some of the potential issues that may arise. It isn't that all OTTB have issues, but often you don't really know what you've got until you have had the horse for a year or so.

I hope this helps.
 
#6 ·
The best horse I have ever owned was an OTTB. She was so nice, and I did ride her in a Western saddle. Nothing bugged her, well except my mom for some reason. I have seen many in my time that turned out to have really nice second careers as a pleasure/trail/show horse.
 
#7 ·
As with any 'cheap' horse...the problem isn't the initial purchase price, its the money, time and training it takes to make them sound and sane.

In my area, you can pick up probably 2 dozen horses for under $200. All are worth $200. Some are actually worth less. You could pick up one of those horses, put a years worth of work, vet bills, groceries, and training and at the end of the day...you have a $800 horse.

I like the experience of working with a green horse so the time and money and training are worth it. For someone who wants a 'quick' project...I don't think they exist!
 
#8 ·
As with any 'cheap' horse...the problem isn't the initial purchase price, its the money, time and training it takes to make them sound and sane.
Exactly.

JJ didn't cost me anything to buy him, but I've put a boatload of time, energy and money into him to turn him into a nice pleasure mount, and we're still not there yet.

Plus, TBs typically don't have rock hard feet. There are some that do, but it's a common trait of the breed that most of them are going to need shoes all the way around the rest of their lives.

They also eat more than your average QH, Arabian, or pony, so figure on your feed and hay bills skyrocketing. Mine doubled when I added him to my little herd, because he needs so much more than the Arabians to stay at a good weight.
 
#9 ·
Wow....when I had my arab, I thought he ate a lot! He was a bit of a piggy too! Time is something I will be limited too, so having a project horse like that probably wouldn't fit me.....now, if I had tons of money and a trainer that'd be different maybe. But, I have three kids and a time consuming hubby...lol....I do love the look and everything about TB, just maybe not for me....heck, maybe I should just stick with my Arabians...lol.... thanks everyone for your input!!
 
#10 ·
If you have the experience and time, owning and OTTB can be very rewarding and a great way to get an athletic horse. But like any other breed, they're all unique. An OTTB from a good barn will make a great horse for any discipline. They are more suited for English due to conformation and the length of their strides, but you will find that some of the sprint bred horses are shorter, resembling QH, and I've seen some of them do WP with TONS of training.
The pros of these horses are, traffic safe, commotion safe, clip/bath/haul like pros and are happy in a stall. Just don't set off a bell around them if they've had gait training. It seems like it's something they never forget.

I personally love TBs of any origin. They are full of heart and Love to run/jump... perfect eventers. Because they have spent a good portion of their life with people, they aim to please. My past TB was a saint after his first year off the track. We racked up championships in hunters/jumpers and dressage. And yes I rode in a western saddle for long rides, he even was trained to jog and lope, but he was still faster than everyone else in the ring. We pinned a few times though so it's possible. He was a great trail horse and I could beat anyone in a gallop across the field.
 
#11 · (Edited)
My dad had an OTTB when I was little that he used as a trail horse, and he was the calmest horse we owned back then. I don't know if he was just a strange exception to OTTB but we never had problems with him, ever. When he had just came of the track he was calm and gentle, and never bucked or kicked or freaked out. I remember being 3 years old and standing underneath him brushing his belly and he could care less.

Honestly, I've never met a crazy OTTB thoroughbred or on-the-track-thoroughbred. My aunt races thoroughbreds, and anytime I'm in the barn right after they just finished their race or I'm just hanging out at her barn their always super sweet horses, spirited, but sweet none the less. Now, don't get me wrong their are many OTTB's that are dangerous and need a lot of work, but after some work they can be the best, sweetest horse you have ever met
 
#13 · (Edited)
We've owned three OTTB's, one was my mom's 15 years ago and two I have now for myself. They're dirt cheap, you can always get some fresh off-the-track horses for dirt cheap, $200, even free where there's an abundance. OTTB's are everywhere because breeders and racers race them, try them, and if they're not working off their upkeep in winnings, they sell them. Only a few of the horses racers get their hands on actually stay with the owner for any great length of time, so you can imagine there's a ton out there.

As for Western riding....They're notorious for their bumpy, springy, jostling trot, which most Western riders don't like for showing, as they need a mount with a smooth jog for Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, etc. Trail riders don't like them because the breed is naturally flighty and skittish, often spooking and bolting when in doubt. That leaves not many Western riders. Thoroughbreds, both OT and non-raced, make excellent jumpers, dressage mounts, english pleasure horses, etc. They're kind of like the English version of the Western rider's favored Quarter Horse.

One point to note, though. If you're new to OTTBs and do decide to take one in, please have a trainer work with the horse for at least a month or two. It'll save you the headache and get the horse on the right track, where you can finish him.
 
#14 · (Edited)
>>>> TBs aren't really built for Western disciplines. Sure, you can throw a Western saddle on them, but the way they're put together conformationally doesn't make them suitable as Western show horses.

Actually, it can depend on the TB. I have a TB mare who was a successful sprint racer, and she often gets mistaken for a QH because she is shorter, wider, and has more muscle than most people's mental image of an off-track TB. She also has a pretty head which is shorter than some TB heads, with a wide forehead, smaller muzzle, and a big eye, which adds to the QH impression.


The body shot below is at her leanest-- I had just bought her and it was taken just before I brought her home last fall, she was nursing a big 5 month old colt-- but even in out of shape and slightly lean broodmare condition, you can still see her deep body and substantial frame, her muscled front and rear quarters, and more sprinterly balance.


I think she could cross over into Western pretty well.

Her sire was built similarly--
 
#15 ·
I don't really know much about OTTB (I'm more interested in the Standardbreds), but here is a link to a rescue that rehomes these guys for next to nothing compared to what they put into these horses. I don't know where you live, but there are several sites they adopt out of in the mid-west here. They have everything ranging from fresh off the track 2 year olds with no lameness issues (just weren't competetive, etc) to older horses who were re-trained and the owners could no longer keep them for various reasons. I'm sure if you contacted them they could really help you out with understanding what all goes into retraining, etc. They are very thorough and knowledgeable about what they do.

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program

If you are interested, there is an application fee, and they DO check all of your references!
 
#16 ·
I'm not sure... but I think they aren't really expensive and I think they're actually cheap.... A boy in 4H runs his OTTB in barrels and let me tell you that horse is soo fast so I don't think you HAVE to use it for english or anything...
 
#17 ·
While I can't really picture any western saddle fitting my OTTB due to his shark fin withers, he is an absolute mountain goat on the trails. I wouldn't worry about trail riding ablility. I'd more worry about going out on a 16.2 hand horse on trails that are trimmed for smaller Quarter Horses. I do a lot of limbo-ing when I'm out trail riding!

Seriously, TB's can be fantastic horses. You just have to find one with a good mind.
 
#19 ·
my wife has one. i dunno what all was really done with him before we got him after the track. he was at a camp, and too much for the campers. so the wife bought him, and we had him for quite some time before i did anything with him because he was over MY head. but some advice from a friend and i started riding him, got him to the point that the better half would get on him. and she's improved much from him.

she thinks he's becoming a "one person horse," but i don't know about that. i get along ok with him, he's relatively bomb proof, and acts VERY nice on trails. by himself he's still a hotblood to the bone. but he's rideable and my wife likes him, so that's about all there is to it.

i seriously believe there's ones that are a LOT better than this one, however from what we have, you can do a lot with one. ours isn't doing too bad considering what he was when we got him (herd bound, butt headed, etc).

and that comes from a guy who probably wouldn't have posted anything in a thread like this two years ago except "why waste your time with a TB, much less an old race horse."
 
#20 · (Edited)
i had 2 TB's. Ozzie i've had for almost 6 years. i got him at the age of 12 and he evented after he raced. he retired from racing because he bowed his tendon. i bought him educated for $2000. worth his weight in gold! he's a bit spooky and he gets hot, he's also the laziest horseo out there! HAAHAHAHA i would have to push him every step in dressage then when it comes to xc he was in a strong bit and he was all fired up! he's not a tb looking tb.

this is ozzie:
Horse Halter Bridle Mammal Rein


i also just got a OTTB in January. He's looks like a TB! hahaha
i don't have a good photo of him on this computer. but he's tall lanky and all legs. he's also got bad feet, hard to keep weigh on, and runs around like a nut! hahahaha he's also only 5 years old :) i got him for nothing!

i'm going to try ozzie out with polo x :)
 

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#22 ·
I've always shyed away from OTTB, cause I know they can be quite a handful and can be dangerous. Can anyone calm my nerves on this issue???? Thank you all!!
Well, there are "dangerous" and "handful" horses in every breed, and a few bad apples give the whole lot a bad name. But no, they aren't. There is certainly a more broad range of personality and temperments in the TBs, though. The name tends to stem from the fact that most racing TBs aren't taught much in the area of manners. They're taught to go fast...and the handlers/trainers just deal w/ any bad behavior. My TB is 5 mo. off the track, and my 6 yr old (beginner rider) daughter has been riding him for a month. He is a very laid back, easy going horse. He didn't have the greatest ground manners coming off the track, but like a typical TB he is VERY smart and learns quickly. He would walk all over me when I got him, now he quietly walks behind me. He'd rush me and shove me aside at feeding time, now he'll wait a few paces away until I welcome him up to the feed bucket. But he's smart, and it doesn't take long to teach him something.

As for most ppl using them for English disciplins it probably stems from the fact that in the 80s, OTTBs were BIG in the English world for higher level atheletic events like eventing and jumping and dressage. Plus, they already direct reign...so there's no having to teach neck reining.

Just my $0.02...take it or leave it. :)
 
#24 ·
The initial purchase price of a thoroughbred will vary as much as any other breed. My Rexy was $1000, he's quiet and gentle, soft and willing to please under saddle and super super trainable. Hugo on the other hand was $250 and he is hot, pushy & quite hard under saddle.

Price will be effected by a number of factors. Training, success, breeding, etc etc.

As far as upkeep go, TBs are known to be notoriously hard keepers (believe me, mine are). Although, even then, I know some TBs who hold their weight just fine. Their feet are also a source of some issue and therefore money will generally have to be spent there. And of course, if they raced, chances are as they get older their joints will start to stiffen up, so there may well be money to be spent there as well.

It is the same as with every other breed really, what you pay to purchase the horse will pale in comparison to what you pay to KEEP the horse.
 
#26 ·
We use to rehome TB at my old riding barn. Some need a month or two to be a horse before you can do anything. Some just need a week or two. One came in with two people holding him with chain leads carrying whips and beating at the horse to keep it from attacking them. Three days later I put a normal lead on and he walked beside me better then the lesson horses.
 
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