Best and worst things about owning a TB

pistolpete

pistolpete

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Following on from my other thread, if I was ever brave enough to buy an ex-racer, what is the best and worst in your experiences? Looking forward to reading these :-)
 
Never again, ripped his shoes off all the time, nutter in the field, very stressy, always injuring himself, had ulcers, liked to rear if excited or tense or asked to wait for traffic to pass, very quickly devolved mechanical problems, has arthritis in right hock and fetlock, slipping stifles etc. After 5 years of ownership is still a nut job, even removing a rug can send him to the back of the stable in fear, is head shy around the ears, doesn't like cuddles etc. he's now an expensive field ornament.
 
bad things...poor doers, can be spooky/unpredictable, quite expensive to feed usually
good things...sensitive to ride and can be really in tune with you
 
A totally different view to the one just posted, he is not mine but has been here at livery for some time, originally had rubbish feet and was just out of training on box rest with a tendon injury, he came back to work, went off to pointing, came back and pointed from here for the rest of the season 2014, then having not really enjoyed the racing he retired and was turned away for last summer coming back to work this spring aiming for some low level comps this autumn and more next year.

Feet are now excellent, he is barefoot and has been all the time apart from when he pointed, sound on all surfaces, leg is fine and has stood up to all the work.

He is a sensible hack, goes first or last, will canter up a field without getting strong or silly, his young owner escorts her little sister out hacking and he is a good nanny for my rather daft ISH, the only thing that bothers him is tractors but he has improved.

He does need regular physio as he has some general stiffness from his fairly tough and successful racing career but is otherwise sound, not the best doer in winter but lives out all summer and having now built up a decent topline I hope he will hold it better this winter, he is the easiest horse on the ground, totally chilled in the field or stable, loves his grub, is almost ponylike in his attitude to life and is taking to life after racing like a duck to water, he has just started jumping coloured poles and went straight over his first filler yesterday without any more than a look as he took off, they are not all nervy stressheads, you just need to find the right one.
 
The most sensitive skinned horse I have ever met, scars stupidly easily, needs feeding a great deal and can be a stress head. HOWEVER, normally there is a reason for her being stressy, the rapour we now have is amazing, for the most part she is the most chilled laid back horse I've ever met, quick learner, bold and brave! Beautiful horse inside and out!
 
theres a couple at the riding school i go to. One is used for beginners as he is very chilled to ride and easy to handle on the ground. He can be cheeky at times if he doesn't want to go the way you want him to go, out hacking. Very sensible on the roads and is loaned by a young teenager. The others are a bit more difficult to ride as they can be sharp when excited but are still good to handle. Like any other breed, its finding the right one for you.
 
We had one off the track and apart from being a bit stressy she won us races [this was flapping races], she was fine apart from being a bit of a diva at times.
I did not treat her any different to any other horse except that I never ever hit her or scolded her, as she had had plenty of that in her previous life.
The first day she came she weaved, but only that one day, then settled in. She got the owner squished against the wall of her stable that first day, but later, I used to sit in with her and have my coffee in her stable, so she did come round, quite quickly.
She defaulted to rearing in hand if she got over excited, but I ignored this attention seeking behaviour, and she gave up!
I was used to riding racehorses, and she was fine to ride [well, a bit sharp], but a non experience rider was not suitable as she needed a calm and confident rider even after a year or more.
 
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Mrs G said:
Athletic, intelligent, powerful, elegant, beautiful. Can be stubborn and opinionated, sensitive skinned.
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Some are, some aren't, just like any other horse, but they are more likely to need a calm and confident rider than a slow ploddy type horse does. They are often purchased [cheaply] by girls who think they can ride ....... and that is when problems start.
 
Apart from the sensitive skinned point which I do agree with I find everything else about my TB pretty easy and low stress. His feet seem OK and he doesn't seem to lose shoes (although I know I will have jinxed this now) and he is great to hack alone or in company and is very calm in the stable and in the field. My only other slight niggle with him is that he does not stand patiently at the mounting block although I suspect that may be because he came over from Ireland rather than the TB breeding.
 
I had one for a while, good points forward going absolutely bomb proof in traffic she was actually a good doer ! Bad points a hard career racing caused health issues with lameness and hip problem but overall I loved her to bits she was highly I intelligent sensitive and in tune with her person a privilege to have known her
 
Bonkers2 said:
Some are, some aren't, just like any other horse, but they are more likely to need a calm and confident rider than a slow ploddy type horse does. They are often purchased [cheaply] by girls who think they can ride ....... and that is when problems start.
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Sorry I was describing my horse, not generalising.
 
Mine was my horse of a lifetime, definitely difficult in the beginning, feet touching grass clearly meant gallop, cars passing was a cue to swing her but into them or just leap into the middle of the rode, very one-sided would curl up to the right too much but no left bend at all, had no concept of walk and was constantly throwing / shaking her head. Time, perseverance and lessons with a good trainer fixed all this and she was amazingly easy, mostly coz she was so sensitive and so in tune to me, she was still difficult for many others riders. Remaining faults after the schooling issues were resolved.... Incredibly institutionalised causing difficulties riding after turnout( she was easiest to not have on turnout unless having a full day off or a holiday) and very soft feet ( a spell out chilling on good grass without shoes improved this massively.) my experience was definitely that if you have the experience, get a good one and put in the time they will pay you back with a loyalty like you have never seen.
 
Walking vet bills springs to mind!
I had an ex-hurdler and he was lovely just very accident prone. Rubbish feet, lame a lot, always cutting himself and a bit of a grumpy old boy unless there was food coming his way! He did have a few quirks like biting me when I did his girth/rugs up due to previously having ulcers while he was racing. He was very ticklish to clip and although I never sedated him, I would need two helpers to hold diagonal legs to clip up near his man-parts and back legs (not that I can really blame him on that one!).
However, he was a saint in all other ways. The most laid back horse I have ever ridden, virtually horizontal most of the time, but he always did what was asked. He was useless at show jumping but amazing xc and used to love hunting with the lady who rode him occasionally for me. He kept his weight on well, I just gave him speedi beet in the winter to add a little bulk and kept him well rugged and he was fine. I could leave him for weeks, which was often need due to him being lame, and then climb aboard and he would be as calm and level headed as if he had been ridden everyday. He is now at my best friends house enjoying a lovely retirement with her dad hacking around the lanes and being spoiled rotten.
My current TB (only 3 years old and currently being broken in) is also a walking vets bill. He has cost me close to £2000 so far this year in vets bills alone and can be very excitable (I got kicked in the bum yesterday when I was working with him around the field!).
Again, he is the sweetest horse and will hopefully be something very special for eventing.
I think it is just pot luck what you get. Remember, they are bred to be performance horses! I have seen some real nutters that I would not want to go anywhere near, but then there are some softies like my two which I adore.
 
Good points: For my boy, he is an absolute gentleman with perfect manners on the ground, very affectionate. Learns quickly, fab on the road, good hacking with others, will stand by the lorry all day, travels well. Tries his hardest for you.
Bad: He can be stubborn and nappy sometimes and sharp. Not keen on hacking on his own. When I first had him he always came in injured but has settled down now and is much like any other horse. He is also BF with great feet after a lot of problems with shoes. As i got him off the track i treat him as ulcer prone.
 
EmmaC78 said:
My only other slight niggle with him is that he does not stand patiently at the mounting block although I suspect that may be because he came over from Ireland rather than the TB breeding.
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They would never use a mounting block, the riders are legged up by the head lad who holds their head, other than that, which is the norm, , the jocks can jumps on anything and be in the plate in a second. The horses are walking round, they are not halted to mount.
To train this out of them usually requires two people, one to mount and one to hold the horse at halt.
Clambering on board using the BHS method would be highly dangerous!
 
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I really loved my TB and wish that she was still alive. She was a nanny for my youngsters rather than a ridden horse but here are her good and bad points.

Good.
The nicest temperament that you could imagine. Excellent in the field with other horses, but would put a pushy youngster in their place if required. Excellent rock crunching hooves (barefoot). Tough and sound (was only rugged in old age and was lame once). Easy to deal with day to day. Travelled with no bother or stress.

Bad.
Cribbed, stomach ulcers (which were the cause of the colic that killed her when one hemorrhaged despite treating them). Couldn't be stabled at all (but not an issue for me as she lived out 24/7 with the youngsters) so on the one occasion that she was lame, she was 'box rested' in a small electric fenced paddock.


I've had a lot to do with ex racers in the past and they were super horses, although they were all carefully selected ones for retraining as riding horses. I even took one RDA dressaging. They are, of course, individuals so you do need to find the right one for you.
 
down side- he can be a little hyper, can be a "looker" wile out hacking

up sides - he is the sweetest horse i have ever owned, never kicks or bites, well mannered on floor and is always willing to try

mine is a 5 year old ex racer

but on other hand there is a 10 year old ex racer on our yard who if i had brought i would never buy another! he is "difficult" to say the least!!

its all on personality of the horse and how long/hard they where raced or trained for, you cant give them all a bad name as no 2 are the same, i know cobs which can be just as hyper as tbs!
 
Love mine to bits, personality-wise my favourite horse, sweetest horse ever. I absolutely love his paces and the way he tunes into me when im riding, but he is a walking vets bill. Manages to injure himself on NOTHING! He is a complete disaster at times. Can be completely stressy as well. On the plus side he happily lives out barefoot and just needs a bit of extra feed in winter.
 
I've got one who's a very bad doer,poor eater etc etc however he happily lives out all the time & does better for it,feet aren't too bad:I have a very good farrier & he's shod every 5-6 wks but he rarely pulls shoes off & has only ever had a couple of abscesses. He's certainly not a novice ride as can be quite sharp but he's never dangerous or really naughty. He's very bombproof as well. I can't deny he's quite high maintenance when it comes to feeding,won't eat in a stable or on the yard & has to be penned in field near his friends so he can have a feed but I live with his quirks, he's also very feed sensitive,many things send him nuts but I think you could get that with any horse. I've got a young OTTB who's got a lovely,chilled nature & seems pretty unflappable,he's injured so I've not started ridden work with him yet. He's the total opposite of the other one & lives for food! He's an eating machine, eats anything you give him with gusto & isn't fussy,keeps weight on well, the amount of food he can pack away is astonishing at times! He lived out happily until end of Dec last year,he's currently in a lot due to his injury but copes with that happily as well. His feet aren't great but due to his injury we've got a bit behind with improving them & being on box rest for months hasn't helped them but hopefully we'll start getting them sorted soon.
 
Good: Bred as far as I can see for athleticism, trainability and willingness - what's not to like!

Bad: Thin skinned cuts/skin infection, need a good feed in winter or working hard, some are such nice people they'll trust you to ride them off a cliff this isn't always a good thing.

+ Exracers normally seem to come with one or more of Ulcers and knackered backs or feet or limbs or teeth. (If they're not knackered there pretty tough beasts.)
 
Good points Loyal, brave, intelligent horses who try really hard for you. Mine took a while to drop their guard but once they did are really affectionate though my first one can be funny with strangers and is wary of men.

I find them relatively easy to feed as long as I supply incredible amounts of good quality forage, I don't feed that much bucket feed.
.
Bad points - they do love a vet's visit and seem to be aware of off peak times, weekends and bank holidays. As a result I am on first name terms with a whole array of vets, consultants and other specialists and know to the second what time the double price call out kicks in. And they sometimes come with issues. Both mine flew 5 stage vettings but still turned out to have underlying issues. Used to pull shoes regularly, usually the day after the yard farriers weekly visit but solved that by having them barefoot. Get it vetted and get it insured.

Mine are really chilled but temperament was high on my shopping list, my latest one I tried out on a windy day taking him to an open field to pop some jumps. If they do have a moment it happens in a millisecond, their brains and legs move so quickly. However a devastating spook spin in mine is usually followed with "sorry thought i saw something, my mistake, carry on" and they plod along as if nothing has happened.

With both mine had to work on two main areas. Standing to be mounted and hacking alone but with patience both got sorted. I bought my first (wasn't looking for a tb at all) at the same time as some friends on the same yard also bought youngsters (Warmbloods, ISHs etc) and my little tb gave me less temperament problems and training issues than my friends had.

I do think some people just suit different types of horse. I'm not the best rider in the world but I am quite calm and relaxed and they seem to respond to this.
 
Mine was my horse of a lifetime and I miss her loads. She came nervy, beaten up, defensive, sharp - but with time, calmness and patience she learned to trust me and the yard staff. She was always wary of strangers - better if I introduced them to her. She was athletic, stunning, hard working and such a quick learner. She really tried her heart out for me - but she was very much a one person horse. I'm not the best rider, but my trainer thinks we bonded so well because she learned to trust me. She was a good doer, never needed hard feed and lived out all summer (in at night in the winter as field not very sheltered).
Beware of the underlying issues that a hard life racing can create - that was the end for my poor mare. We rehabilitated her feet, built muscle and carriage, and I had two amazing years with her. However, she then had a series of (seemingly unrelated) leg injuries and it turned out that she had underlying back issues. Eventually in so much pain we couldn't do anything for her.
I'm now owned by a cob - who I think is a TB in disguise. Would happily have another TB, the good times outweigh the sad ending (and I suppose all partnerships come to an end somehow).
 
The bad ,looking after their feet .
The good sharp athletic forward going and clever and so beautiful to look at a good TB is a thing of beauty
Nothing beats cantering and galloping a TB in a huge open space or riding a good one all day with their smooth comfy paces .
It's sad that so many issues are bred into them , the small light feet being the worse thing .
There's little need to consider long term soundness in breeding and producing racehorses the stallions are often finishing their careers at three and the mares may have done nothing at all .
That means they are very often expensive and difficult to keep on the road when they land in riding homes after racing.
 
Bonkers2 said:
They would never use a mounting block, the riders are legged up by the head lad who holds their head, other than that, which is the norm, , the jocks can jumps on anything and be in the plate in a second. The horses are walking round, they are not halted to mount.
To train this out of them usually requires two people, one to mount and one to hold the horse at halt.
Clambering on board using the BHS method would be highly dangerous!
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Mine was not straight off the track though. He came from a private home in Ireland where he was in an eventing home and I suspect they were much more sprightly and able to spring aboard. He is great now though. Stands like a saint and it has been relatively easy to teach him by myself with a bit of patience.
 
My new horse a 5 year old TB that I have owned for 2.5 years,

Good points - Fab feet (honestly), chilled out, affectionate, stunningly beautiful and will try his heart out for me.

The bad - He is so accident prone, just little things mainly although he does seem to have grown up a little of late.
 
Ive had two and ridden lots. Once youve formed a bond with a TB no other horse will ever be as satisying., They are kind and responsive, require sensitive,tactful, patient riding and will try their best to understand what you want.
A heavy handed kick and pull rider will get no where with one,they are easily upset and offended. But calm, kind patience and you'l have a friend for ever.
My first TB was a too-slow flat racer who'd been discarded at 3yrs. He hacked everywhere on his own, hunted, show-jumped and evented with success. The one I have now was NH bred but only got as far as pre-training when they decided he made a noise.He is the most willing and gentle horse who responds to the lightest of aids.
Yes they can be a bit accident prone, not their fault, theyr cossetted from birth and dont learn about the rough and tumble of herd life as youngsters in a bumpy field as ponies and hunters do.
But give your heart to a TB and he will give his in return. <3
 
Bonkers2 said:
They would never use a mounting block, the riders are legged up by the head lad who holds their head, other than that, which is the norm, , the jocks can jumps on anything and be in the plate in a second. The horses are walking round, they are not halted to mount.
To train this out of them usually requires two people, one to mount and one to hold the horse at halt.
Clambering on board using the BHS method would be highly dangerous!
Click to expand...

My lad used to walk off while you were mounting and jogged terribly, I did in hand work with him, standing at mounting blocks, asking for a walk when he jogged, he got the idea very quickly, he is 17 1hh, left me for two years, then was gifted back, now 25 yrs old, is still a poor doer, still follows like a dog, still hacks out and still has a gorgeous nature, even when younger, you could put a novice on him, he is very accident prone and has sensitive skin, hates rugs of any kind, all his rugs have the chests bitten out and I'm not buying yet another new one, love this guy to bits
 
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