Opinions on Thoroughbreds?

[FizzyFran]

I’m just looking at what’s on the market and seeing a lot of people posting no TBs when trying to find a horse? Am I being stupid and missing something that some people aren’t? I was looking at a TB but seeing all these ads specifically saying no TBs is making me second guess myself? What’s your opinion on them?

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I think they are beautiful but they don't suit me. I like my semi feral native and not worrying about rugs, feed, feet, riding every day etc. It's a stereotype but I don't think my set up wouldn't suit the average tb.

However, I'm sure there are some tb's that thrive in those circumstances and some natives that are poor doers!

 

[Petalpoos]

Love them! But not to everyone's taste I guess and the combination of strength, agility and brains can be trying. Then again, there are many different types, so not sure you could write off the entire breed.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine has the crap feet but he’s tougher in general than my cob x! If the both had a medium rug on in the same conditions the TB would be too warm and the other cold and miserable. He’s also far happier to be out in awful weather both in the field and ridden (I almost remember what he’s like ridden... it’s been a long time!)

 

[Fransurrey]

Like any other breed, they have individual personalities and ailments. I take each one as it comes. I've ridden one that I really didn't get on with, but another was amazing. I've also witnessed the feet of an ex racer that were like concrete - never seen such amazing feet before or since. I now have a hairy cob and to be honest, he's higher maintenance than most TBs I know. He can be a sensitive flower, too!

 

[Carrottom]

We have owned 11 over the last 25 years and they have all been different in size,shape and character. A couple have been very laid back, one is a bit grumpy but can be quite amusing, a couple of cheeky boys.
They can take a bit to get used to - most things happen more quickly. The first time I galloped one I thought it was bolting we went so fast ?

 

[MyBoyChe]

They arent really suitable for a lot of people, they are quite high maintenance and require a reasonable degree of competence from their owner. That said, they are fabulous horses in the right hands and with owners who understand them. I had an ex racer, his advert described my perfect horse, if you ignored the TB bit. He was a gentle and kind horse, useless on the racecourse but a wonderful hack and a lovely person. You could ride him for hours out on his own, he was as bombproof as they come and had absolutely no inclination to gallop anywhere. However, you couldnt leave him in his field or his stable for a second without being able to see another horse, he would have a complete breakdown and if you fed him anything with too much sugar in it, including grass, woe betide you. But once I got to grips with the way he needed to be kept we were absolutely fine, he looked like a little show hunter and everyone commented on his perfect manners. Dont write them off as a breed if you see one you like, just bear in mind their needs and your abilities along with how and where you will be keeping him

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm a happy-hacker "cob" person.

Nothing against TB's specifically - never had one - but know they wouldn't suit my experience, my yard, my type of riding; OR my budget!!

But good luck to those who make a TB their choice. They're just not for me.

 

[HorseyTee]

It really is down to the individual horse tbh, yes breeds have traits but not every horse of that breed will display those traits.

Our TB is like a typical riding school cob! In that he is SO lazy, a proper plod, you really have to give and keep leg on to keep him moving. He's a 'stick a baby or granny on' type of horse.

However he's also a bugger to keep in condition...more so recently but he is 18 now. He has to be fed decent hard feed, has to have hay, has to be wrapped up cosy.
His feet aren't the best but not awful either.
He gets a little spark when in open spaces and will have a nice canter around but is very easy to pull up when asked.
Has nice manners and is overall a nice horse.

 

[Annagain]

I'm looking at the moment and don't want a TB. The only reason is I'm used to chunky horses and I don't like the feeling of no neck and shoulder in front of me. I feel very unsafe. I tried one early in my search who was otherwise perfect but I couldn't get past the feeling I was teetering on a bar stool rather than sitting in a comfy armchair. I don't buy into any of the breed stereotypes in terms of temperament/maintenance but obviously they are similar in build and it's not a build that suits me.

I did ride a friend's quite a lot. Before I rode him, she always described him as strong so I was about to let her ride my strong boy, thinking she was used to riding a strong horses. Then I rode him and he was the most polite horse with the softest mouth going - he was very fast when you asked him to go but the brakes were always there. If my horse was a 10 on the strength scale, he was a 2! I decided there and then she could never ride my (supposedly quiet according to the stereotype) ID. Despite this, I never felt that safe on him purely because of his shape.

He was dead easy to keep - always kept a lovely weight until he got a relatively minor illness. He went downhill way faster than other horse I've seen - natives I've known have definitely bounced back a lot better - and never really picked up again. He then had one problem after another until he was quite seriously ill and had to be PTS . He wasn't that old either, only 19. He was also the stupidest horse I've ever met - none of the famed TB intelligence! eVen at 19 he still struggled with gates - even ones he'd been going through twice a day for 8 years!

 

[FizzyFran]

Like any other breed, they have individual personalities and ailments. I take each one as it comes. I've ridden one that I really didn't get on with, but another was amazing. I've also witnessed the feet of an ex racer that were like concrete - never seen such amazing feet before or since. I now have a hairy cob and to be honest, he's higher maintenance than most TBs I know. He can be a sensitive flower, too!

That’s filled me with so much more confidence! Heard some people say they won’t have them because the slightest knock and they will be on box rest for weeks on end! For my sanity and theirs I don’t think I could cope with that constantly!

 

[Nudibranch]

I've had 3, and 2 were walking vet's bills in terms of silly, pointless accidents and injuries. One for example ran through wooden post and rail fencing, severing an artery and a tendon. He was ok in the end but I had a 4 figure bill. Another while charging about with a friend slipped and landed on a tree branch, peeling her side open like a can of sardines. You could see most of her ribs. That's the only reason I no longer have TBs (or WBs for that matter - last one was also a walking vet bill). In terms of riding, I love them. Always had the chunkier types, such a comfortable, big open stride and the ex racers are generally good to hack. Mine lived out with rugs and shelter and always held their weight well (one was borderline too well). But now I have big natives, mostly to minimise my ridiculous vet bills.

 

[HorseyTee]

That’s filled me with so much more confidence! Heard some people say they won’t have them because the slightest knock and they will be on box rest for weeks on end! For my sanity and theirs I don’t think I could cope with that constantly!

I can only speak of mine and he's the only TB I've had (more of a hairy cob fan), but we have had him about 7 or so years and the only vet bill he's had was initially and to scope for ulcers but nothing since, had a few little scrapes but only ever superficial. He's quite a chilled sensible boy. Maybe we've just been lucky.

 

[FizzyFran]

I'm looking at the moment and don't want a TB. The only reason is I'm used to chunky horses and I don't like the feeling of no neck and shoulder in front of me. I feel very unsafe. I tried one early in my search who was otherwise perfect but I couldn't get past the feeling I was teetering on a bar stool rather than sitting in a comfy armchair. I don't buy into any of the breed stereotypes in terms of temperament/maintenance but obviously they are similar in build and it's not a build that suits me.

I did ride a friend's quite a lot. Before I rode him, she always described him as strong so I was about to let her ride my strong boy, thinking she was used to riding a strong horses. Then I rode him and he was the most polite horse with the softest mouth going - he was very fast when you asked him to go but the brakes were always there. If my horse was a 10 on the strength scale, he was a 2! I decided there and then she could never ride my (supposedly quiet according to the stereotype) ID. Despite this, I never felt that safe on him purely because of his shape.

yeah I get what you mean with chunky horses I mean Irish Draughts are dreamy but the price tags are eye watering ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

There is no breed like them! It really does depend what you want to do with the horse as they are competition horses. They are atheletes capable of doing anything asked of them.

Not all have bad feet, most feet improve for leaving racing, having a different diet and work regime. Neither of mine wear shoes, haven't done for years. My grey has shocking feet in racing - heart bar shoes with more toe clips than you can shake a stick it and staples holding his feet together. Now his feet are as tough as my shetlands! In the 12 years I have had Jeff je has had 3 vets bills. A tendon scan, a gassy colic and a stitch up of the chest. Add them together and avaerage them out its £100 a year for him! Gray hasn't cost me a vet's fee ... yet! And I have had him for nearly 9 years! He has only had a foot abcess and that's it.

They don't have to be expensive to keep. But like anything some cost more than others.

I have worked with hundreds over the last 16 years and they are all different and they really are brilliant creatures!

 

[FizzyFran]

I'm looking at the moment and don't want a TB. The only reason is I'm used to chunky horses and I don't like the feeling of no neck and shoulder in front of me. I feel very unsafe. I tried one early in my search who was otherwise perfect but I couldn't get past the feeling I was teetering on a bar stool rather than sitting in a comfy armchair. I don't buy into any of the breed stereotypes in terms of temperament/maintenance but obviously they are similar in build and it's not a build that suits me.

I did ride a friend's quite a lot. Before I rode him, she always described him as strong so I was about to let her ride my strong boy, thinking she was used to riding a strong horses. Then I rode him and he was the most polite horse with the softest mouth going - he was very fast when you asked him to go but the brakes were always there. If my horse was a 10 on the strength scale, he was a 2! I decided there and then she could never ride my (supposedly quiet according to the stereotype) ID. Despite this, I never felt that safe on him purely because of his shape.

He was dead easy to keep - always kept a lovely weight until he got a relatively minor illness. He went downhill way faster than other horse I've seen - natives I've known have definitely bounced back a lot better - and never really picked up again. He then had one problem after another until he was quite seriously ill and had to be PTS . He wasn't that old either, only 19. He was also the stupidest horse I've ever met - none of the famed TB intelligence! eVen at 19 he still struggled with gates - even ones he'd been going through twice a day for 8 years!

Oh I’m really sorry to hear this!

 

[Aoife 2020]

I personally don’t like to judge breeds because every horses is unique they are all different. There is Tb at my yard he is a riding school horse and he is extremely lazy. My horse is a Irish sport horse and is very lazy . My friend has a cob and is very forward going and is hard to stop. So I wouldn’t judge by stereotypes.

 

[Teaboy]

I’ve had quite a few over the years and work in racing too.
Some are poor doers who need loads of food, others who only need to look at a blade of grass.
Some incredibly lazy and others hot as hell.
My current two, both ex racers owned for 4 years and 2 years, not one lame day, not one bruised sole or abscess and no vet bills.
All have been fantastic to hack, very good in traffic.
Basically they’re all different and need to be treated as such just like any other breed - I definitely prefer a TB loosing its sh** to a WB!
Tbs get a bad rep because they can so easily end up in homes not suitable (cheap of the track). This doesn’t mean they can’t be kept relatively cheaply but if they are they are in homes who know where and how to spend that money - good farrier, good forage/grass/feed and a sensible and structured exercise routine.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I personally don’t like to judge breeds because every horses is unique they are all different. There is Tb at my yard he is a riding school horse and he is extremely lazy. My horse is a Irish sport horse and is very lazy . My friend has a cob and is very forward going and is hard to stop. So I wouldn’t judge by stereotypes.

Yep, my last tb had a job to keep up with my cob cantering!

 

[Mule]

It's funny because I'm currently sitting down looking at a TB munching a bucket of feed. She came cantering up for it along with two trotters, two ponies and a cob type foal (very cute) She looked so athletic when cantering in comparison to the others. The others are lovely too of course but if you like athleticism I'd say it's hard to top a TB.

 

[ycbm]

I love them generally, and I currently own one who failed as a racehorse. I've owned many in the past. And yes, they are all different and can't be tarred with the same brush.

BUT my experience is that if you took 100 TBs and 100 mongrels, by the end of a year the AVERAGE TB would have differed from the AVERAGE mongrel in the following ways:

Cost more in vets fees, especially if owned by an inexperienced owner who needs advice more often.

Cost hundreds of pounds more to feed.

Needed more farrier visits and be a lot more likely to have the long toe/low heel syndrome that leads to front foot lameness.

Proved too much to handle for anyone except a very experienced rider in exciting situations like a fun ride, even if it's quiet to ride at home.

Crib/weave/boxwalk if you keep it in or be at the gate begging to come in if you leave it out.

Have separation anxiety.

Have ulcers.



In general, the NH bred ones are more predictable and calmer than the flat racers.

Get the right one and they are a joy. Knowing which one is the right one is the tough bit!

 

[humblepie]

From my point of view, I have specifically sought out thoroughbreds and more specifically racehorses - just love the elegance of a thoroughbred.

 

[pansymouse]

I didn't have a problem with TBs as a breed I have a problem with horse started and ridden very young. I would have one breed and raised as a riding horse and not back before the age of five.

 

[oldie48]

As others have said, they are all different but there's a good reason why TBs are crossed with a number of other breeds, they add quality. We've had a couple of TBs (not ex racers), neither fitted the stereotype and most of our other horses have had a high % of TB and didn't fit the stereotype either however, they have all been "competition" type horses with a job to do and kept in good routines. None of them have been poor doers, none had poor feet once they'd been with us for 6 months or so and they all have had good manners but they could be "sparky".

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I didn't have a problem with TBs as a breed I have a problem with horse started and ridden very young. I would have one breed and raised as a riding horse and not back before the age of five.

Not all are broken in as yearlings or two year olds. National Hunt bred horses are rarely broken before the summer of their 3yo year, if not 4yo. They are generally bigger and are designed to have a longer career so are waited on.

 

[SamBean]

Love them! I had mine direct from trainer a month after his last race, he has had a year of adjustment and hoping to bring him on this year. He is very laid back to be around, lovely to hack and very intelligent and tries to please. In an open menage I need to get his attention to me as there is so much to look at, similarly if I leave company when riding he tries to nap but quickly listens and comes back to me. I know he is going to get better and better and this is just his confidence as used to being in a group and still adjusting to his new life.
To add his feet are great and he has massive shoulders, I had a VSD instead of GP saddle for him to give him more room to move.

 

[Tarragon]

After riding ponies with their short and strong necks, generally well endowed with a mass of unruly mane, and two little pony ears close enough I can touch - i find the giraffe-like length of skinny neck, with big ears sticking up at the telescopic far end rather unnerves me!
Plus the first time I tried to ride to a big trot, it was like riding in slow motion - made me laugh out loud

 

[PurBee]

Not sure about personslity traits as ive not handled many tb’s at all...
..but having spent years riding cobby type horses then getting on a tb....i felt very insecure! They are so slim, compared to native breeds. I felt like i could just be pinged off or slip off easily. Yet, after the hour was done i got used to the riding position, so it wouldnt be a deal-breaker....i do prefer abit more stocky weight beneath me than slim height!

 

[LiquidMetal]

I think they are the victims of many unfortunate stereotypes.

I have an OTTB that I got almost a year ago. He lives out 24/7 through all kinds of Canadian weather. He has been wearing a blanket but that's true of almost any horse where I live. His winter coat is definitely on the pathetic side but on the plus side, less shedding! He has excellent feet - has been barefoot since fall living in gravel winter paddock and dealing with icy ground. He did take a bit of time to gain weight but he was quite skinny when I got him. My horses live on free choice round bales with a net - which would be true whether or not I had a TB. The stereotype they are sensitive hot house flowers has not been true for mine. Last year, he jumped over wire fence and scraped up his back legs. I had visions of swollen legs for week. They didn't swell up slightly, he was a champ to have them cleaned up and healed perfectly. If that had happened to my ISH, he would've had 2 stove pipes for legs and acted like death was imminent. He is almost 7 and has an 18 year old QH pasture mate. The TB is far more level headed, brave and less spooky than companion.

He is the most athletic horse I've ever had the pleasure to sit on. Just watching him run around pasture shows just how talented and quick he is. Last summer when turned out, he was running around and my dog cut across his path. Horse lifted his legs up and jumped neatly over dog's back without a moment's thought. He has a great attitude to work and does better when his brain and body are tired. I think it will always be hard to beat a TB's heart. After my 17.3 ISH with a huge neck and shoulders, he is an adjustment BUT it's shown me that I was getting lazy with my upper body on previous horse because there was more of him in front of me. TB makes me be more conscious of my upper body and there is less margin of error.

However. It is very important to have them work with you, not against you. Because the same heart that keeps them going through hard work until they drop also allows them to fight against you forever if things go wrong. I was very lucky that his breeders do an excellent job handling and training their racehorses. I would have bought about 6 more from them by now if my husband would let me!

 

[spugs]

I got one thinking I had the knowledge and ability to be fine. I wasn’t, mine was very unpredictable and sharp and I was never going to be confident enough to do him justice so I sold him to someone who would. He also was very stereotypical and cost a fortune in feed. I now have a cob who suits me perfectly and personally wouldn’t look at a tb if I was horse shopping again. I do have friends who adore there’s though, some have several. But they’re much more confident and better riders then me.