Quote:
Originally Posted by unclebilly
These thoroughbreds are bred and trained to do one thing… run. These are not saddle horses and most can’t really be ridden.
Another friend of ours has a very winning thoroughbred race horse that was a chuckwagon horse for a few years before it was retired. It’s an expensive ornament. She has never ridden it, and never will. It was a free horse that was ‘saved’ from slaughter.
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Disagree. There is a whole rescue industry for retired thoroughbreds here, and folks show them in hunter classes, fox hunt and trail ride them. They don't all make the transition well, but those that do can be great horses. There are a couple downsides-they tend to have crappy hooves that are abscess prone, and lots are retired off the track with orthopedic stuff that while healed might require some maintenance care with supplements or meds.
That said, I had one for a while that was well bred-bloodline included Secretariat and Mr Prospector, along with AP Indy, but he was a bit of a bolter when he smelled home. Given that I am at best an intermediate rider, he ended up sold. Last I heard he was in the stable of Tad Coffin, who won a gold in 74 at the Olympics and now makes saddles.