Is an unraced tb worth more than a ex-racer?

miskettie

miskettie

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Is an unraced tb (bred to race) worth more than a ex-racer?

Would the unraced tb be worth more unbroken (4yrs old)? Or more if just broken in in the normal way?

Just wondering as I know what sort of price ex-racers go for but have no idea about never-raced tbs.

Thanks :D
 
Unraced is better than raced if you want the horse for pleasure riding. Means its less likely to be switched in to overdrive when the loudspeaker crackles into life. Less problems to ride, school etc.

Unraced though doesn't mean it has never seen the race track - it may have been in training, trialed but failed, may have underlying lamenes issues or attitude problems.

Like every horse you look at it needs to be sound for the job expected of them.

My trialed only TB (couldn't get him into the gates on race day) was a gentleman from day one.
 
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unraced definitely more if hes never been in training!! however same price i would say or maybe even less if been in training and not raced as then not eligable for ror and r2r classes... hope this helps
 
The other thing is that if a tb has never been in training and never raced, it could be he was never bred for the racetrack.
Some of the lines you would look for for jumping ability are different to racing lines.
This could make him more desirable than one that was intended to race and never made the grade.
 
Thanks guys - I didn't want to make this thread sound like an advert, but going to have to give a few details as am interested to know what is best...

The situation is, my dad has an unbroken 4 year old tb mare...bred for racing but she's getting a bit old for it now and she is a lovely build but more of a riding horse shape than a racehorse. He wants to sell but i'm not sure he will get much for her but wondering if he might get a little more if she is broken in?

I know that ex-racehorses tend to go for very little but just wondered whether an unraced one is sellable.
 
Definitely get her broken in, hacking out, popping a small fence and out to a few little shows if he can, to get max bucks. Worth a LOT more than a failed racer who was backed at 18 months and raced at 2. His best market is the eventers who still want TBs, possibly a show hack or riding horse if she's well made, otherwise TBs are very "out of fashion" lately.
 
Your "getting a bit old" statement is not entirely right as many TB's continue to race well into their teens!, My best chaser was flat bred. Sorry hope you don't mind me pointing that out. I'm a TB lover through and through, would defo get her going a bit, would be worth more than totally unbroken
x
 
marinitagsd said:
Your "getting a bit old" statement is not entirely right as many TB's continue to race well into their teens!, My best chaser was flat bred. Sorry hope you don't mind me pointing that out. I'm a TB lover through and through, would defo get her going a bit, would be worth more than totally unbroken
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Don't mind at all :D- well it's not really that she's too old (- one of our old racehorses raced until he was 12).

Her dams a flat racer but probably could have gone over the hurdles (she's a big mare!). But her daughter's not built particularly race-horse like - her siblings are more so - I think my dad thinks she may be better suited as a RC horse. I wish I was good enough to take her on, as she's a lovely stamp of mare.

My dad is also in France, which complicates matters :) (she is English bred though).

Hope that all makes sense!
 
To be fair, looking at her pedigree I wouldn't race her. Personally I wouldn't first time flat race a 4yo that has never been in training and I don't think she would stay the minimum 2mile trip of National Hunt racing. She should make a cracking riding horse though.
 
pastie2 said:
I dont think either are worth a fortune. I would rather have an ex racer (NH) as they are good to clip, load, traffic been there and done it. TBH a TB is just that, be it having raced or not. If you can ride an un raced you can ride an ex racer. Get a horse out of racing and it is sound it will more than likely stay that way.
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I agree with this. I would not have an ex flat racer, but I do have two ex NH horses. Both are great to do anything with - the lack of flatwork schooling is irrelevant - it gives me something to work on and they pick it up really quickly and both mine are very light in the hand with no pulling. In fact thinking about it, I wouldn't buy a TB that hadn't raced....I like the acheivement of turning them from racehorses into riding horses.
 
EKW said:
To be fair, looking at her pedigree I wouldn't race her. Personally I wouldn't first time flat race a 4yo that has never been in training and I don't think she would stay the minimum 2mile trip of National Hunt racing. She should make a cracking riding horse though.
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Exactly my thoughts :)

If my dad didn't live in France then I would do some work with her...But a week a year won't work :) and I don't have the time to have her here with me.

Thanks everyone for all your comments - very useful. I think the conclusion is, that she isn't worth much, unless broken and going nicely...Even then she probably won't be worth alot but at least may go to a nice home as a riding horse.
 
Holly Hocks said:
In fact thinking about it, I wouldn't buy a TB that hadn't raced....I like the acheivement of turning them from racehorses into riding horses.
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I said this to my dad (he's a bit out of touch with the English non-racing horse world). Ex-racehorses, although cheap to buy, are actually quite popular. I love the idea of being able to completley retrain a horse and beable to show off how well we've done :D
 
It costs more to break and school a horse than the increase in price, best to sell her to someone who likes to bring on youngsters, this would give the trainer time to find out her potential, it is not always possible to tell by looking ....... Lady Rebecca was a super racehorse, but was bought for £800, she is a box walker, pretty small, ribby, and a bit footy.
Nowadays, she is still a box walker and ribby, and has a second life as a brood mare.
 
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