HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT- OTTBs ARE THE UNDERRATED TREASURE OF EQUESTRIAN RIDERS

I often see ‘Horse Wanted’ ads for people with a limited budget stating they don’t want a Thoroughbred or Standardbred.

I don’t know which breed they have in mind, especially here in Australia, but for an amateur rider I wouldn’t go past an OTTB and this is why.

There are many benefits to acquiring an OTTB for the purpose of equestrian sport. They are easy to come across and generally don’t require a massive outlay of cash. A yearling that cost half a million dollars at the TB yearling sales can go for as little as $500 if his performance on the track was disappointing. You can assume this horse has fairly good conformation and as long as his retirement wasn’t due to an injury his body should be well conditioned and ready for a career as a sport horse.

One of the best things about ex-racehorses is that after having one or more race preps their muscles are well developed, especially their hindquarters.  The extensive canter work that is the main part of their training creates a strong back. They have spent a lot of time moving freely forward, under a rider in a light seat, which is great for developing the top line and the pushing muscles of the hindquarters. As the same muscles that are involved in swinging the hindlimbs forward are also responsible for stabilising the stifle during flexion of the haunches, this makes it easier for them when starting to train in a dressage arena.

It is common for amateur riders wanting a dressage or eventing horse to prefer a warmblood but as a trained warmblood is often very expensive, they opt for a green, young horse that they don’t necessarily have the experience to train. They start to work in a dressage arena straight away as the horse is too flighty to hack out, but as the green horse has as yet poorly developed muscles, the work is too hard for them and behavioural or lameness problems ensue.

The difficulty with ex racehorses is that all they generally know is to push with their hindlegs and tend to put excessive weight on the forehand. They need to be taught to slow down and balance themselves more on their hindlegs to negotiate tight turns of an arena but as discussed, this is easier for them with their well-developed haunches, once they understand what is required of them.

Another advantage of ex-racehorses is the work that is required to get them fit enough to race has strengthened the joints, tendons and ligaments as well as the muscles. If a horse remains sound throughout its racing career it is likely to easily withstand any physical efforts asked of it in equestrian sport.

Some ex-racehorses are easier than others (these will be the trackwork rider’s favourites) as they are naturally well balanced and carry themselves in the correct way.  These will have good upper neck and back muscling and almost look like a dressage horse already.

Others are used to going round the track pulling, hanging on one or both or the rider’s hands. These horses need more help showing them how to use their body in the correct way.

All racehorses will have been ridden by many different riders, many of them not the most tactful, so they will tolerate a multitude of sins from an amateur rider, that a recently backed warmblood would object to greatly.

My advice for an amateur rider is not to look past the benefits of an ex-racehorse as they can have a lot of success and fun with the right one.

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