Anyone here own any OTTBs or Racing TB?????

I showed an OTTB this summer and I ride another on a regular basis. I don't own my own, but I wish I did, they are so sweet! All of the thouroughbreds that I have dealt with are like big puppies!

That is wonderful Spirit! I wish all the OTTB were like big puppies! LOL

I have an off the track Thoroughbred mare, though people have asked if she was an Arabian (most often), Anglo-Arab (pretty often too) or Swedish Warmblood (odd...but asked a few times). I adore her. I also used to retrain ex-racehorses for years for new jobs. When I was a junior rider, my old instructor started me doing this and used to make me get on horses that were literally just trailered to us from the track. Talk about interesting experiences! I've also leased a couple of off the track TBs. I think I'll always have at least one. There's just something about them.

Thats great KC. Where are you located? I work as an exercise rider at a racetrack and have two OTTBs myself. I have one that I already re-trained and another one that is in layup for awhile.

Hey Sarah,

I'm in Long Island, NY. Where are you? When I was a junior rider, I was offered jobs as exercise rider at the track, but my folks wouldn't allow it My friend was track photographer, and we had a family friend who was a small-time racehorse trainer (a quality one too...too bad it never worked out for him). I also did an internship at the track with the track veterinarian in college when I thought I wanted to be a vet. Got offered a lot of nice racehorses who just weren't into running. (One nice colt was offered to me for free by the trainer!) Unfortunately, being a teenager, I didn't really have the finances to restart them myself. But I worked with them for my trainer who would walk me through how to train them in reschooling (he never got on them) and then he'd sell them. Several turned out to be really nice as children's hunters and jumpers, but that's what we were working on then. Now I'd like to get back to restarting and retraining and this time look for dressage and eventing prospects. But I'd probably wind up not being able to part with them anyway.

Well, I am on the other side of the US, Southern California! Being an exercise rider is tough and their are just some horses that I do not want to get on, but thats the job! You can check out some photos of me riding a couple in the photo tread somewhere on this board. Retraining OTTB is much easier then I had thought it would be! I am currently on horse #4. Its just amazing how much they change. I have galloped all these when they were racehorses, then ride and see them doing something different is just wonderful! The first one I trained for western trail riding (that was really the only thing he would be sound enough for). The others I have trained English.

Love your photos! I especially like the one going over the little bridge...boy, was that a deja vu for me! I used to have the very same thing in the arena when I was retraining exracers!

I think retraining the exracers is very rewarding and it's amazing how quickly they learn. I love the idiosyncracies you find with some, like those who can't figure out how to step on different ground when it changes (like going from sand to grass) or those who jump over their shadows or the sun rays coming through the indoor arena. The scary ones I've worked with are those trained to balance on the jockey's hands so that if you drop the reins, they fall flat on their face. That was more of a challenge to get beyond when trying to train them for self carriage. But all in all for me it is a great experience.

Have a tried the bombproofing your horse book exercises at all? I have an exracer now who is more spooky and ultra sensitive than the ones I've worked with previously. I had a lot of laughs trying to do the bombproofing exerices with her. Her spookiness is getting better, but it used to be a really ugly production of bolting or rearing. Now it's down to a wiggle, snort and scoot sometimes but it's taking time. (Actually, I changed her feed, and eliminated every bit of oats, and her spookiness reduced significantly. Interesting. Everyone always says it's the molasses or sugar that get them fired up, but for this one, oats seemed to be a real negative.)

Am going to try to show her in dressage this year. My only concern is trotting down center line to the judge's gazebo.

Just a question, how are you getting your OTTBs? Are you going through the trainers or a through a rescue? Are you preparing them for resale or keeping them? I was thinking I might go through canterusa.org for my next one. People around here seem to be using the New England part of that organization for ex racehorses.

Oh yea the spooky ones are always fun. When I take them off the track, they get all that oats, grain, sweet feed, and alfalfa cut completely out of their diet. I put them on beet pulp and oat hay. Oats and sweet feed and defently energy producing feeds, thats what we feed our racehorses to give them the extra boost!

I so far, have only kept 1 of the horses I've taken in and I do have one that is currently in training for sale. I get them from my racetrack. I usually get them from this one trainer that I first started riding for. It works out for him, so he doesn't have to feed the horse anymore and has an open stall while not having to worry about what to do with the horse and I find it a good home! Some I have had to give away due to major injuries, but they went to recue type homes as pasture pets.

I have heard of Canter and have seem many of their horses, but I am not sure if they run like normal rescues or they let you rehome them. Do you have a track near by that you can go to and talk with trainers and owners and find out if they have any horses that they want to give away? There are just sooo many out there many owner/trainers don't even want to spend time to try and get money for the horse. Also, don't believe a word they say about soundness issues, usually they sugar coat their injuires, as we all know OTTBs are never 100% sound! LOL

I actually have Belmont near me and I've been offered some nice horses that just weren't fast runners years ago by the trainers. I just didn't have the ability to support them then (offered for free no less!) I have a connection to track vets, so you're probably right it's better to go directly to the trainer. My old instructor used to do that and got some very nice TBs that she incorporated into her warmblood/TB cross breeding program. And I know what you mean about soundness. Hey, do you see a lot of stringhalt in your exracers? I've seen it pretty common around here, especially in OTTBs turned into jumpers. Wondering if it's just coincidence.

Good point on the beet pulp...that's actually what she's on now and a mixed hay (not straight alfalfa.)

Her first owner had her on straight oats and alfalfa cubes and she spent more time with all four feet off the ground than on. She was pretty frightening to look at back then. Poor thing too...can't imagine what that does to a horse's mind.

I am not noticed any type of Stringhalt in the horses I've gotton off the track. The closest to that I have had was stiffness in one hind leg, but that went away went I moved them from their 12X12 racebarn stall into their 12x24 outside pen. Once they were able to move around more in the larger stall, that stiffness went away! Do you feed yours anytype of supplaments???

I have an ottb hes a 6 year old red chestnut .. bulit like qh tho and hes sooo lazy that its actually driving me insane and thinking about sellinghim.

His regestered name is : Storm Ruckus

Some of them do turn out to be very lazy. One of mine is that way. You can try adding grain to his feed to give him that extra boost, just be careful not to give him too much or he will be jumping out of his skin!!! Don't get rid of your OTTB, they are such wonderful horses to have!

Along the lines of what Fancy said, maybe add some oats to his feed...or use a complete feed with oats (like Complete Advantage). My horse gets far too much energy with even the slightest hint of oats, and she's already sensitive and explosive when in the wrong hands. (It's a very night and day reaction.) But, also, like she said, I've seen many TBs that were laid back too.

Fancy, with the stringhalt issue, they weren't my OTTBs, so I don't know how they were being fed or supplemented. Mine never had stringhalt, but several people I know had OTTBs that had it...funny thing was that they were also really talented show jumpers with amazing ability to jump like gazelles. I can think of five offhand. Could just be coincidence.