The Thoroughbred: Outstanding athlete, competitor and friend

By Heidi A. Lord-King; Owner and trainer of Fast First Farm

History

The term thoroughbred describes a breed of horse whose ancestry traces back to three foundation sires-the Darley Arabian, the Goldolphin Arabian and the Byerly Turk. Named after the respective owners-Thomas Darley, Lord Goldolphin and Captain Robert Byerly—these three stallions were brought to England from the Mediterranean Middle East around the turn of the 17th century and bred to stronger, but less precocious native horse, probably Scottish Galloway’s. The result was an animal that could carry weight with sustained speed over extended distances, qualities which brought a new dimension to the aristocratically supported sport of racing. So began a selective breeding process which has been going on for over 300 years, breeding the best stallions to the best mares, with proof of superiority and excellence being established on the racetrack.

Breed Characteristics

The Thoroughbred stands a little over 16 Hands on average and its appearance reveals its Arabian ancestry. A refined head with a widely-spaced, intelligent eyes sits on a neck which is somewhat longer and lighter than other breeds. The withers are high and well defined, leading to an evenly curved back. The shoulder is deep, well muscled and extremely sloped while at the heart girth is deep and relatively narrow. The legs are clean and long with pronounced tendons that move smoothly in unison through one plane. The bone structure of the upper hind leg makes room for long, strong muscling. The thighbone is long and the angle it makes with the hipbone is wide. The powerful muscling of the hip and thigh continues to the gaskin which is set low. Coat colors in thoroughbreds may be bay, dark bay, chestnut, black or gray; roans are seen rarely. White markings are frequently seen on the face and the legs.

Life after the racetrack: What your horse knows

Many TB’s move onto careers past the racetrack and can be found in many aspects of the Equestrian community including Hunters, Jumpers Eventing, Western, and Driving competitions. Off track race horses can be fantastic show partners, they have drive and are highly intelligent and athletic. Every TB off the track process’ their own unique personality and has been handled by many different people in its life at the track. They are exposed to a variety of things in their nomadic life spent at various facilities and racetracks. From a very young age, usually three or less, these horses have been working for a year or more unlike our home raised show, trail, or sport horses that barely know work until they are around four years old. It is truly amazing what these horses experience as a routine from such a tender age.

When you are considering bringing an ex-racer into your life there are a few things you should be aware of. Even at a young age, your new horse will have excellent ground manners especially for the farriar and the vet. They are used to be blanketed, brushed, hosed and poked and prodded regularly! They have had their legs wrapped and medicated and their feet picked up daily. Their hair has been trimmed and shaved. They are used to all kinds of activity around them including bicycles, golf carts and heavy equipment. The have also been bombarded with loud noises from loud speakers and the cheers from the crowds betting on them.

I know this sounds great, a bomb proof partner BUT your new friend still has a lot to learn. Things like electric fencing and cross ties are completely foreign to them and can be very frightening. They should be introduced to such things slowly to prevent a dangerous situation from resulting. Experiment first to learn if they understand what electric fence is by walking them up to it with a halter and lead, make sure the fence is flagged or marked as well. OTTB’s are used to being tied for long periods with a halter but will not understand what the sideways pull of a cross tie is, they may walk forward or backward and attempt to break free. Do not leave them unattended on crossties at first until they understand what they are. I normally keep a lead rope on their halter and when they move forward or backward, I tell them to stand with my voice.

Other things that they may not be used to are learning to deal with someone mounting them from the ground. Jockeys are hoisted onto their backs while the horse is walking. This just takes some patience to learn its new routine of standing to be mounted. I again use my voice in conjunction with the action.

Dogs are also not something found on the track so you might find your new friend can be a little nervous or even aggressive towards dogs. You may want to keep your dog a good distance away from your new friend until he understands what a dog is. SAME THING APPLIES TO SMALL CHILDREN!!!! It is better to be safe then sorry. We are lucky enough to have a wonderful collie mix at our farm named Pheffer. It is her mission in life to make all our new Off track TB’s dog friendly. She will sit in their pasture for hours and run under the fence when the try to stomp her. Eventually they give up and figure it is to much work to keep chasing her out! Most farms are not as lucky as we are! Thank you, Pheffer!

Some training aspects that you may find frustrating will include lunging (they have never done it), trotting and cantering to the right (racetracks always go to the left) and especially stopping (fast stops on the racetrack could mean injury). Retraining these horses takes patience and experience. If you are a beginner rider, an Off-track TB may not be for you unless you are working hand in hand with a professional that is familiar with this breed. They can be challenging but with patience and understanding you will be rewarded with a brave, tireless competitor and a new best friend. I have found that this breed of horse will give its all trying to please and you cannot find a more loyal, loving animal to add to you life than an Off-track TB.