07/14/2026
We love our OTTBs and unraced TBs here!
Thank you Ollie, Tully, Via, and Bailey!
"I can't do TBs" Every horse in these pictures are Thoroughbreds. The kid in the left picture is on a TB for his lesson, and I am riding a former racehorse while teaching. The center image is my 12 year old son riding a TB polo horse and, on the left, I am enjoying a solitary ride to unwind at the end of the day on a TB.
So, what's the problem people have with TBs? The screenshot at the top is from a horse page post. The person looking for a new horse said, "That was my first and last (TB)." and it says, "I am a good rider but...". Maybe this rider is good at riding but are they competent enough to retrain a TB off the track? Perhaps they failed, not the horse.
I believe that too many riders looking for a "deal" on a horse get a TB off the track because the cost is low. But there are no deals on horses. You pay with money or you pay with time and energy.
For several reasons, accelerated tax depreciation being a big one, racehorses' careers are getting shorter. This is great for TB breeders who will sell more prospects but not for Thoroughbred horses. TB are cheaper off the track, but they need some basic training because there is little or no motivation at a racing stable to teach every racehorse the fundamentals of being a riding horse.
Like with so many disciplines today, the horses are too specialized.
An off the track TB is missing fundamentals like being able to be led on a loose lead and stop when you stop. They need to learn to stand still for mounting and how to even gaits at the walk, trot and canter with upward and down transitions with extension and collection. Racehorses don't need these skills, so they have not been taught them. If you get a TB off the track you need to start retaining as if you are working with a young, untrained horse.
I'll take a TB off the track any day over a run of the mill Warmblood, and Europe doesn't send us the best by any measure. TBs are more athletic and agile, meaning when trained they are safer. They are generally smarter and can figure out situations quickly. This is why 80% of horses in a polo match are TB mares. The mares have powerful hearts.
You pay with money or you pay with time and energy. Retraining has two steps, first the undoing of some prior training and next new training. It takes time and, in the end, they appreciate it. There are plenty out there and more coming. If you have the required time, energy and leadership with a horse, in my view there are no better horses in America.
