What Are Some Problems Associated With Thoroughbreds Who Have Been Raced?
Just curious… in my search for the right horse for me I’ve come across lots of ads for TBs that are eager to proclaim that the TB in question has never been raced. What are some issues associated with raced TBs?
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- what are some of the injuries a TB can get on the track?
- blistering thoroughbreds
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- i need to know what is the best blister for a thoroughbred racehorses legs
- older tb horses mental issues
- problems associated with young racehorses
- racehorse mental issues
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The sweeping generalizations that people make about OTTB is insane. Most people no longer blister and pinfire is not that common an occurrence. Also to say that they are all stretched to their limits as 2 year olds is another fallacy perpetuated by people that have little knowledge of racing or training.
The main problems that racehorses (not so much in the UK because they are broken the same as any other horse, are ridden on roads in traffic etc) tend to have is that they are very green, used to being ridden in company (ponied) and do not know basic cues. As far as injuries, the main problems are tendon and suspensory issues, bucked shins and bone chips in the knees and fetlocks. This is not to say that they all have these issues. Many do not make the grade because they do not have the aptitude, are too slow or may have issues completely unrelated to training. Some may be bleeders which is a problem for a horse running but not so much if you intend just to trail ride or do lower level work. May have had a paddock accident as a foal or weanling which then affected their ability to race later and you’ll only know that when you start them. I should also point out that just because it raced, does not mean it is going to be hot and crazy or that it has injuries. Some are retired because people have too many horses and rather keep several in training, they trim their numbers to make way for new 2 year olds each year.
I used to ride work on a horse called Kayudee which won the Cesaerwich which is a big race. He was like a kids pony and you really had to push him otherwise he would just dob along. I rode him on the roads etc and he was bombproof. Each horse is different and if you can ride well and know how to read a horse, you should be fine. However, if you are less than intermediate, something else might be more suitable.
Oh and by the way, they do tie. We don’t cross tie, we tie to the wall and they are tied in trailers, for the farrier, wash rack etc. They go on the walkers too. I’ve never met one that doesn’t tie to the wall. And as for mental issues and aggressive behavior, what a crock of crap! My OTTB has been on stall rest for a month and I stand him in the aisle loose while I change his dressings and he doesn’t even budge. I’ve seen more polo ponies and reiners with issues like weaving and cribbing than racehorses.
They usually have been started too soon, so when they get older, they might end up with arthritus or back problems. They usually get retired because of an injury that will heal, but racers dont want a horse who’s been injured, or because they are not doing too well in the races.
i only have experience with one (Lance) he is my baby, the only issues we have are cheetah mode. his ground manners are impeccable, he will do anything i ask of him gates, bridges, jump, english, western, etc…..does act like a big dog loves to know everything that i am doing. like i mentioned above cheetah mode can be terrifying, i haven’t seen it often and it may or may not happen again but what happens is we can be on a trail ride when suddenly you feel him tense up and there he goes, it wouldn’t be bad if he didn’t get ignorant, but he seems oblivious to anything in his path, i swear he would run into a tree if you tried stopping him in front of one, i always have to stop him where there is nothing around us.
i would like to add when trail ride i would not suggest racing, Lance likes pushing the other horse out of his way to get in front if he feels that they are competing that can be very dangerous
There is a problem in the TB racing market with steroid use at a young age. Not only that, but consider how young they are when they begin training, then when they end up galloping down the track in a real race. There is a reason that it is best to wait a few years to ride horses… if not, their bodies get worn out and a variety of problems including joint, muscle, tendon, etc can develop. Not only that, but the steroids can eventually mean poor health. I have seen TBs that had too many injections when they are small DIE of organ failure… I am not talking old horses either, I am talking 5 and 6 year olds.
I have also seen an off track gelding that won several hundred thousand on the track, but at the expense of his hip joints, he now walks straddle legged, and we had to get a specialty chiropracter to work on him.
Off track TBs are also famously not too good for riding after their retirement either; unless there is someone experienced to work with them, which means ALOT of ground work to begin with. They just are famous for having the tendency of bolting, often the result of mental scarring from being beat into running. It takes alot of careful work to get a horse out of a habit like bolting… and of course those type of things are a thousand times easier to prevent than to fix.
I am not saying that all off track TBs are bad, but there is always a risk in purchasing one. If you ever consider purchasing one, make sure you do your homework first!
Expanding on that last answer, the mental development of these horses is inhibited. They often have stall vices, such as weaving, windsucking (cribbing), pawing, kicking, aggressiveness, etc. Most of which are harmful to your barn and potentially harmful to the horse’s physical well being.
Many things can be problematic when dealing with race horses…most notably, leg issues. Many race horses have been blistered or pin fired to toughen the legs in hopes they won’t break one during a race or training. Also, many race horses have had splints or tendon problems that are re-occuring problems that the horse will have forever. Not to mention that MANY race horses are crazy! Many horses will not tie…and won’t pass another horse along the rail without freaking out. Many horses only know how to go one way on the rail or hot walker and when you try to change them they freak out…they can be VERY very crazy and not a beginners horse.
Besides the physical reasons that they have been pushed to their limits at a young age, before their bones have finished growing and hardening leading to more splints and weaknesses, there is a large mental association with race horses. They are often more spooky and uneasy – not a good horse for children. However, I love ex-race horses as they seem to be eager to please in exchange for some love and attention. They seem more like dogs than some other horses – sensitive to emotions. Of course I’m partial since my last horse was an ex-racehorse TB and he was incredible.
They usually have old injuries, for example one of mine collapsed on the track and bowed a tendon.
They’re started young and therefore likely to have more problems in the future.
They’re not trained to be riding horses, just to race. So often retraining them is a feat.
I don’t know if this is ex-racers or just TBs in general, but they’ll eat you out of house and home and they tend to have pretty bad feet.
The Tb can be a wonderful addition to you stables but I have found they are a lot more finicky. I live in South Africa and we have what we call the “Boerperd” which is equivelant to your Mustang. I have 16 “Boerperde” and 4 Thoroughbreds and the difference between the two breeds is remarkable. My Tb’s have to be stabled at night and can’t stand the weather conditions as the other breeds can. They need a lot more attention than your other breeds. Please be careful when buying an ex race horse because as people have mentioned before me most of these poor animals have been ridden into the ground and the majority of them have leg problems. The racing fraternity are only interested in money and get rid of the horse as soon as they realise that the horse is not fast enough. They start riding their horses at an early age and this is what causes the problem. Most of these Tb’s end up neglected and being throw aways. The TB is really a lovely breed – just be careful when you get one off the track.
They start training a tb at a very young age before they are fully developed and it weakens their legs and effects the soundness of them. A lot of race horses get injured in races and people will patch them up and still sell them even if they arent sound.
If you’re a good horseman then you can control them to calm down because as far as they’re concerned…a person on their back means it’s race time. and they’re harder to just ride normally because they want to run.Old thoroughbreds make good barrell racing horses or chuckwagon racers.
Race horses are started very hard very young. Their bodies are still growing but their work is very stressful – I liken it to asking a 4 year old child to doing Olympiad gymnastics. (OK that might be a wee bit drastic but you catch my drift.) That kind of stress so early on in life is, of course, not exactly the best way to guarantee a horse to stay sound into old age!
The main reasons a racehorse is retired is either because it’s not fast enough or because it was injured, so if you do come across an off the track TB, keep the latter in mind. I had an off the track TB who had had her left foreleg pinfired at some point in her very short racing career. No idea what she might have done to it, but it still gave her a bit of trouble even when she was 14 or 15. Also, she tracked much better one way instead of the other – ironically enough, she went best in the same way the track is run. Could have been a coincedence, as most horses have dominant sides.
Because the TB registy the Jockey Club (here in the states, anyway) tracks their TBs so carefully, you can see the TBs entire racing career and owners via their records and the horse’s tattoo (found on the underside of the upper lip, if it’s still legible.) So, that’s a plus.
Many off the track TBs can make great horses, but not always for a beginner. Some are quite “hot” (they are bred to be that way) and others may have behavioral issues or, most commonly, old injuries.
I knew some one who had a TB once and when we brought him out on trail he would want to race. also a TB who has been raced may have foot problems.
There can be many issues associated with raced TBs, the one I would suggest you look at is the horses digestive tract health.
Hard work and stress does have an effect on the condition of the tract, which is one reason why majority of race horses suffer from ulcers.
Ulcers will defantly have an affect on the health condition and attitude of the horse.
Also they are on a high grain diet which will increase the acid levels in the tract which increases chance of infection and reduces the absorption of nutrients.
With less nutrients entering the body all aspects of the horses health can be affected. including loss of weight, dull coat, reduced energy, weakened hoof wall, change in attitude, increased chance of tying up. etc
We have had much luck for over twenty years using a probiotic on many ex race horses and each case it helped.
In fact we first learnt about it at the racetrack twenty years ago because we noticed our horses were behaving better with one trainer we used, he used a product called Fastrack. We have used it since with great success. We have purchased several horses off the track that looked terrible but after a few months of pasture time and fed mainly hay plus with a little supplement have turned out be great horses. My wifes current dressage horse is an ex Tb winner at two, had a crack knee but has made a full recovery and is happy and relaxed. Also some ex racers can have a bad time in concentrating so we add, B1, 500mg works great. Good luck a good TB can be a great pleasure horse with a little thought
All answers combined have just about covered it, the main issue being health issues…I wouldn’t buy one that hadn’t been vetted, otherwise, most of the other problems/vices can be dealt with if you use common sense and patience. These horses are fed and “supplemented” to the point that they want to jump of their skins, so to begin with, you would need to change their diet to a lower energy producing diet, maybe even just grass hay for a while. Then, you have to remember that the only time that they are out of the stall, they are either hand led or ponied with another horse and that the only thing that has been asked of them is that they run in the left lead, totally…so, you will need to keep in mind that a horse needs exposure to stimuli equilateral, in other words, he will need to to have his right side developed, physically, mentally, emotionally and even sight wise.