I'm getting a Thoroughbred!?

Question

My sister found someone who has a Thoroughbred who needed to give away because they can't care for him anymore.His name is Freedom. He's a gelding, nine years old, and he's a retired racehorse! He is very beautiful! I should probably get him next weekend. Today, a trainer is going to look at him to make sure he's all good. I'm so excited! He's bay colored. Has anyone ever had a retired racehorses? If so, what was it like?

Answer 1

what are you wanting to do with him?  he is probably too old for racing, because if he has raced he might just want to be in a pasture and be a horse.  tb's are wonderful horses and have great personalities most of the time. they can be used for jumping (which there are alot of tbs that wasnt good at the track and do excellent at jumping}.  if he was hurt at the track, then chances are his injuries have healed and you would probably just want to ride him.  good luck!

Answer 2

Many retired race horses make great show horses and trail horses,, If he Just came off the track I would advise your trainer ride him to make sure he is not too much for you !!

also GET A VET CK

even thru he is free something can be wrong with him

Have fun But don't get him just because he is free O,K, ck him out really good

and find out why they don't really want him any more

Have fun

Answer 3

Geez, who keeps giving thumbs down to all the people giving great responses?  Sheesh.

Anyway, I don't own a retired racehorse, but a friend of mine does.  He was really high strung when she first got him, but after being gelded and was trained for a pleasure horse, he is great.  He's still quite energetic, and can be headstrong and stubborn sometimes, but overall he's a very nice horse.  I've ridden him a couple of times, and he has a really smooth gait and is extremely responsive.

Answer 4

I own a retired racehorse and she's the best thing I have.  she's a little headstrong at times but perfect for me.

with retired racehorses you need to know how to control them, my horse doesn't like being manhandled, so you have to make her think it's her idea to do something, and take your time, all retired racehorses are different, so I guess what I'm trying to say is, get to know the horse a little bit.

Answer 5

I race horses for a living. and retired race horses normally still like to run, especially thoroughbreds. its in their blood. if their retired then, you can just ride them for fun, u can still run them. i have a barn full of horses. my barn can hold 8 horses, but we had to build 2 on to have enough room. do the math 8+2=10. I LOVE TO RACE HORSES!! maybe you could still, well if you have more horses, race them. its a blast. need anything else ask!! email address =  [e-mail]

Answer 6

I have ridden a few retired TBs.  One of them was 15 years old so she was away from the track for a long time, so she was very well adjusted to the barn life and routine.  One was a little younger than that, but he was still really very well behaved and acted like he'd always been a normal show horse.  One was a little younger and he was still really well behaved except that he did this wierd combination of tossing his head and chewing on the bit all at once.  But you could stop him and he was still fine.  I imagine that your horse, being 9, will be mature enough to behave and be just like any other normal horse.

Answer 7

Gently Gently with your rein contact & give him time to get to know you, most racehorses have moved from yard to yard all their life & are never given the chace to settle into 1 home.

Go Careful with the saddle for a couple of months if he's only ever had a racing plate on you may find his back gets sore very quickly.

And get a GOOD BLACKSMITH to check his feet, they will need careful trimming and balancing, something a racing yard won't have had the time or the necessity to do.

My old boy is 17 years old now. He raced over 50 times and won over £55,000 but is a true gentleman and well worth the time & money we've spent on him these last 6 years.

A Racehorse is not for the fainthearted but well worth the effort.

Answer 8

If he's very recently off the track, have his legs checked by a vet, and be aware of any special needs he may have. They say "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" but I would, there is NO such thing as a "free" horse, so make sure you can accept the financial and emotional responsibilities first. Also, if he is very recent from the track, be aware that race horses are trained very differently than your average trail pony. When the jockey stands in the saddle and pulls on the reins, that is the cue to run like h**l, exact opposite of your basic horse where reining in means stop. I once worked with a gentleman who had "rescued" a track horse and was unaware of that little fact. Poor guy took a very scary and wild ride through a cherry orchard. It tore up the saddle he had borrowed, but fortunately neither he nor his horse were seriously injured. With a little educating of horse and rider, they went on to have a great relationship. I wish you luck, and I admire you for being willing to give this horse a chance at a good life, wish there were about 10,000 others like you out there!

Answer 9

How long has the horse been off the track?  If he's had a lot of training he won't be much different than any other horse.  However if he hasn't had any off the track training you'll probably need some help from a trainer.  In general, OTTBs are sensitive.  You will need a quiet seat, hands, and legs.  You might also find that he likes his left lead better than his right, that he is more sensative to being brushed, and that he spooks more than most horses.