I recently looked at a thoroughbred for sale but I'm not sure what problems he could have. Can someone help?

Question

He is eight years old and seems to walk aound perfectly, the owner will race him again next summer, if he isn't sold. They say he is one of the fastest horses running in his division at mohawk. with a horse that old and still running could he have any problems in his tendons that would cause him pain doing any jumping or other work? Are there any other problems that have occured with an old race horse that would make me want to stay away from him? Are there long term side effects as well?

Thanks

Answer 1

As the post above mentioned it would best to have him vetted especially since you mentioned jumping. There could be any number of problems he has that still allow him to be racing sound. If he's not currently running that is actually a good thing for you as most OTTB's should be given time off before retraining. Keep in mind that he will need to be reschooled in whatever discipline you want to use him for. Just remember that to date he has not been a pet. One of the biggest retraining issue you should know is that you may find that you can't hang on his mouth as this will be encouraging him to go faster. You really need to have soft hands.  I think it's great that you're considering him, OTTB's given a chance can prove to do great in a second career given time, patience and training. Good luck!

Answer 2

If he's running at Mohawk he's a Standardbred and not a Thoroughbred.  If he's still running he is probably still fairly sound, I would be more worried about his joints than tensons by that age.  As everybody else has said vet him out, even take x-rays of his ankles and knees.  But most likely a little bit of time off should do him some real good, an older guy who is still running can be more durable than some of the 2 and 3 year olds running out there, they just may have a little more wear and tear.

Answer 3

I agree with the previous posters. Unless you want to take a complete gamble that the horse is sound, you should have a vet check the horse out. A pre-purchase exam will give you some assurance that the horse will be capable of doing what you plan. Racing can be hard on a horse's legs and many times old injuries eventually come back to haunt a horse.

Answer 4

Rather than guessing, I'd say your best option is to get him vetted.  The vet will be able to tell if he has any old injuries, any current ones or whether he is prone to any further injuries in the future.

A horse can be an expensive purchase and if you are going to spend that amount of money, your are bst off spending a few more $ to get the horse thoroughly vetted.

Tendon injuries are the most common injuries to find in a racehorse, but they are also prone to stress fractures and ligament damage.