WWYD with this "pity buy" horse

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charterline

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Bought an ex racehorse just before xmas from a somewhat dubious source, felt sorry for her, as rather thin and unloved, so bought her cheap.

In the process of feeding her up, and giving her some love before deciding what to do with her.

I've spoken to the racehorse trainer she was with, who was very helpful, and has given me some very interesting insights into her. Basically the horse I was sold is not the horse that was in training.

For various reasons (although not because unrideable), the she went somewhere to be a broodmare, then not really sure what happened to her.

So what would you do with her now. I can spend a bit more money on getting her comfy (back/teeth/feet need doing). There's no reason why she can't be ridden again when she's in a better state. Fatten up a bit, and sell on as a broodmare again; Pts, or see if racehorse charity will have her.
 
If she had real value as a broodmare I would think it unlikely she would have ended up where she was so don't really see that as an option unless her trainer knows someone that wants her, it would be kinder to pts than send her off to possibly end up in the same state again.

Not sure how the charities work, some want a generous "donation" to take them on, if she is rideable could you not find someone, or do it yourself, to get her back into light work and depending on how she goes then make a decision.
 
Can I be painfully honest? Unless you can afford to keep her whatever she ends up to be, I think you are better to pts. There are so many tbs needing homes, easily bought and easily ruined, they are not the horse for the average novice owner and dont really make good companions. If she has ended up in poor circumstances its likely, although not a given, that she is not a top class anything, be that racehorse, eventer or happy hack and it may well be that pts is kinder in the long run. At least you have shown her some kindness and she will not fall into bad hands again. Sorry but you did ask x
 
be positive said:
If she had real value as a broodmare I would think it unlikely she would have ended up where she was so don't really see that as an option unless her trainer knows someone that wants her, it would be kinder to pts than send her off to possibly end up in the same state again.
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To have value as a brood mare for racing is one thing. If she has decent conformation and temperament, she could be used to breed an Irish Sport Horse. The reason she didn't continue as a brood mare MIGHT have been that the owner didn't know how to manage - and sent her to a dodgy stallion (dodgy for whatever reason.)
 
There is a FB page called Racehorses - where are they now. You could post in the first instance to see if anyone has some more definite history on her. Then you could make a better call to see if (being pragmatic) it's worth feeding and bringing back into work. Could be she is only going to be a paddock ornament but groups like this one, might still be able to help.
 
Feed her up, sort any issues (teeth, feet etc) then try bringing her back into work. She may be a useful ride for someone.
 
Well if I'd bought a horse out of pity and was currently feeding her up, dealing with feet, teeth etc I would at least give her a chance to see if she's a nice hack or whatever before deciding to pts else why bother saving her?
 
our rescue pony, almost dead at one point, has turned into the most beautiful thing, sometimes they come to you and are a gift.

also people have horses, good horses and don`t know what they have, and cast it on one side, i would give her every chance you can,

how old is she?
 
Well seeing as you've bought her, I would continue to feed her up and then see if she's sane and rideable once she's stronger. Certainly wouldn't be considering PTS yet until you actually know what you're dealing with. Is she a nice 'person'?
 
dixie said:
Well if I'd bought a horse out of pity and was currently feeding her up, dealing with feet, teeth etc I would at least give her a chance to see if she's a nice hack or whatever before deciding to pts else why bother saving her?
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This. I dont know if theres more to the back story that you havent written, but you obviously bought her to give her a chance, so I'd want to do that for her.
 
Most ex races have ulcers have you had her checked for ulcers if not I would recommend it most behavioural problems have an internal cause, you can get things under control and correct feeding also helps.
 
dixie said:
Well if I'd bought a horse out of pity and was currently feeding her up, dealing with feet, teeth etc I would at least give her a chance to see if she's a nice hack or whatever before deciding to pts else why bother saving her?
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This. What did you intend to do when you bought her?
 
I rehomed a mare and paid £1 for her, she was going to be pts and was unwanted. I took her as a companion. She turned out to be the most lovely horse. I tentatively sat on her after about a month! She then went showing successfully. I then got a sharer for her who was just getting back into horses. Then loaned her to sharer while she stayed at my yard. I had her for 3 years before she had to be pts and was honestly the nicest, kindest sweetest little mate.
 
charterline said:
I've spoken to the racehorse trainer she was with, who was very helpful, and has given me some very interesting insights into her. Basically the horse I was sold is not the horse that was in training.
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Confused here- the horse you have is the horse on her passport (presumably weatherbys) but isnt the horse that was in training?
If you have her passported name you can look her up, you can see whether she was any good as a racehorse. Basically unless a horse has black type she wouldnt be of much value as a broodmare..
And yes she could be used to produce sporthorses but it is usually better to put a TB stallion on a heavier mare.
Why not get her into good condition (assuming shes sound) and either ride her, or sell her as a riding horse if she rides well?
 
Aside from the comments already made, I would take a more practical view and suggest you test for disease before putting her alongside your healthy horses, especially if you don't know where she has been or what she has been kept with.
 
stormox said:
Confused here- the horse you have is the horse on her passport (presumably weatherbys) but isnt the horse that was in training?
If you have her passported name you can look her up, you can see whether she was any good as a racehorse. Basically unless a horse has black type she wouldnt be of much value as a broodmare..
And yes she could be used to produce sporthorses but it is usually better to put a TB stallion on a heavier mare.
Why not get her into good condition (assuming shes sound) and either ride her, or sell her as a riding horse if she rides well?
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The comment made by the trainer is a common enough term implying that the horse is in some way different, usually in temperament, than she was when he knew her, it is not that she is literally a different mare.
Plenty of horses are "different" in a new home, especially if they have been neglected in some way, it has a bearing on how they behave and some become unrecognisable to their old owners, some change for the better.
 
There's a website called horses4homes where you can put horses up to be rehomed for free - you see a lot of horses like yours on there. You put her on there as a big project type as it sounds like she could be ridden if someone puts time into her, or as a companion if she has a nice temperament?
 
stormox said:
And yes she could be used to produce sporthorses but it is usually better to put a TB stallion on a heavier mare.
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'Better' - in what way? I've used an aged TB - and a small (15.2) zany almost rescue TB - to my RID stallion - never had a problem. His temperament went a long way to producing the right offspring - and never any foaling difficulties. And he covered a number of visiting TB mares - including one who was VERY well bred with plenty of black type.
 
I'd be concerned that if she was previously being used as a broodmare and then was sold, it was because something went wrong and she can't be bred again. I used to know not one but two mares on the same yard that fell into this category. One was bred to breed as she had excellent blood lines. That one was broken in at 7 and the last I heard had gone jumping. The other was used as a general riding horse until she was pts.
 
A horse with black type has won a top grade race, like a classic, not a poor quality race with no opposition.
And the reason I said it was usually better to put a TB stallion on a heavier mare is that has long been the traditional way to breed a hunter. There is a better choice of TB stallions than ID or cob stallions. Also it is less strain on the mare if she's lightweight and heavier mares usually foal easier and have more milk. NOTE Janet I said usually, not always. Some very good horses have been produced by heavier stations on light mares, I knew a chap who used his shire stallion on TB mares to produce show hunters.
 
Are you saying OP that you have bought a horse who left training to go to stud because she had soundness issues that made her unsuitable for ridden work ?
 
Get her back under saddle and see if she will be suitable to do another job.

If that fails put her to a nice native stallion. Love a nice forest x tb mmmmmm ;)
 
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