Cross Breeds

Adopting a horse from the race track?

2 friends of mine rescued thoroughbreds, retired ones, from the racetrack. How much are they usually? I've heard they are cheaper. And is it worth getting one and training it?

Public Comments

1. Well Thoroughbreds can run from nine hundred or lower to nine thousand dollars and up depending on there condition. But adopting a Thoroughbred is tuff work especially if your a beginer and the one training it but once its trained you will have a blast. If you are going to for shur adopt one get a GELDING ( boy) from my experience they are easier and nicer to train Mares (girls ) can be such W(b)itches. I also think it is a good thing cause most thoroughbreds after racing get slaughtered or is abused for the rest of there life so you just might save a horses life. Also if you are going to adopt Read alot esecially if your a first time rider and owner!!! On training, teeth, feet, worms,colic / illnesses ,body language and more make shur you now what you are getting ur self into but after all of this I can say its Definitely worth it. Good luck
2. The prices of off-the-track Thoroughbreds varies, so I can't answer you there. They don't have to be retired! I doubt a horse would still be racing at 18 years of age, so you don't have to worry about that xD Usually OTT TB's are young-ish horses (6-10 years old) that haven't succeeded in training, or just aren't very good racers. It is a LOT of hard work. Being Thoroughbreds, they are naturally 'fizzy' and rather highly strung. You need time and commitment to 'de-tune' an OTT horses sences so they are fit for normal everyday riding and not liable to just explode at any given moment due to the excitment of it all. This is, after all, what they are trained to do at the racetrack. Definately don't get a Thoroughbred of any type if you are a beginner (I don't know if you are, though). Apart from the fact that they can be high strung and hard to handle, you need the experiance to retrain it. Don't get disheartened, though! OTT Thoroughbreds are great horses, that succeed in many disciplines from polo to dressage and pleasure mounts. If you have the experiance (or know someone who has) and the time and, of course, the money, then go for it! You'll never find a better friend that a horse, after all! :o)
3. It's a great thing to do,expensive, time consuming but very rewarding I sponser the TRC (thoroughbred rehab centre) in the UK and here is their website:- http://thoroughbredrehabilitationcentre.co.uk They are amazing and you will find all the information that yu require from this site. They retrain ex-racehorses and then operate a loan scheme which means that they never lose touch with the horses that they rescue and if someone finds that they do not get on with the horse that they have loaned they can return him/her to the centre where he will be found a more suitable loaner. They rely solely on sponsership and donations and they have a gift shop which all helps to raise funds. It's hard work but good luck to you if you decide to go ahead. xx
4. There are many organizations that rescue thoroughbreds and then offer them for adoption. They save thousands of horses each and every year, and we should all be very proud of them. As for adopting a horse off of the track, you ask, is it worth it? The answer lies in how much you are willing to put into it! Any horse that is poorly trained, has little value both monetarily and to its rider. If you take your time, thoroughbreds can be very intelligent, athletic animals, and you will have a friend for life. There are many great websites that can be of much more help to you than myself or probably anyone else who answers on here. Go to the site of the rescue organization and read all that you can. Here is a site of a group that I have worked with in the past, they are great at helping the horse and the new owner. www.canterusa.org They can help you with everything from finding the right horse, to training, to health! Best of luck to you and thanks for helping to save the retired racehorses!
5. yes, they can be very cheap..even if there not retired...sometimes it costs the owners less to sell a horse cheap if its not running good than to keep paying for training..but u do need to watch for any legs injuries or lameness they might have..and they are usually pretty calm once they get all the drugs and steriods out of them.