hurdler vs flat racehorse

[darceyboosimpson]

looking for advice on buying a thoroughbred
i’m looking into buying a ex racer with hopes to do a bit of showing, working hunters and jumping

id like to know if you would lean towards a hurdler or flat race horse and what are the pros and cons you’ve found

 

[stormox]

Most hurdles are flat race bred, there's a few specific NH sires but remember Red Rum was bred for the flat.
So I'd say look at the horse, not at the breeding......

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I would go towards NH so neither flat or hurdler for me!. NH seem more level headed. They tend to be a bit bigger with a bit more bone so it really depends on the type of tb your looking for. Take each horse as it is in front of you for the job you want it to do. Good luck with your search.

 

[frankieduck]

IME Hurdlers can be trickier to retrain jumping because they have learned to jump fast and flat, in some ways it can be easier to take one from ground zero that hasn't done as much jumping at all. They are often XC machines though.

 

[humblepie]

I’d just look at the individual horse. My flat horse who raced 20 times evented successfully and then went onto a top show horse. Current ex flat horse doesn’t jump because I don’t jump any longer. Old age and nerves got the better of me. I did have a horse years ago who we think was an ex racehorse before they all had passports and as above she found shortening quite difficult because she jumped long and flat. It didn’t stop her getting up to Foxhunter level though she did eventually find big treble combinations difficult and after a fall I dropped her back to unaffiliated as that was before all the options that exist now.

 

[Carrottom]

I would prefer a chaser to hurdler. Depending on where you are looking to buy, quite a few flat horses are tried over poles, especially if they have been running over a mile or further. One of our best pointers had won over 7f as a 3yo. He then won over 3m jumping 19 fences.

 

[Mynstrel]

If you want an ex jumper then look up their record and watch their races on racing TV or similar if you want to show jump. Our mare went hurdling in her first life and when we watched her races before we bought her she carefully cleared every hurdle rather than brushing through the top and so whilst she didn't win a bean as a racehorse she's making a really nice show jumper who doesn't Ike touching poles. The true hurdlers might not be so careful.

 

[Squeak]

Agree with those who say to look at the horse in front of you, there are pros and cons to both so I'd go with a horse you like and who ticks the boxes for you.