OTTB

[cottagefarm]

I am working on a project and need some stories of TB's off the track, in training but never made it to the track because of injury, too slow (you get the picture) that have made a successsful transition to the H/J ring.

Would love photos too of before and after if poss.
It may be a couple months before I have the whole thing together but I will contact you if I use your story.
You may send info to cottagefarmdressage@yahoo.com

I have posted on the other discipline threads too in case you do more than H/J

TIA

[Gideon]

I've owned about four OTTBs who have excelled in the hunter ring.
One in particular, was a superstar and pinned well at the National Finals.
I have a special place in my heart for the TB, I wish there were more around these days.:D

[VA_Hunter_Aside]

Well my guy was injured in training to race when I got him for free. We've only made it to one hunter show though, and that was a schooling show. He was reserve champion! I think he'll make a better jumper, as he goes over anything I point him at but doesn't have hunter movement.

[cottagefarm]

Thanks guys!

[SquishTheBunny]

Mine was a racer, he is now a successful A/O hunter.

http://www.silverreflection.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=906410
http://www.silverreflection.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=906411

[SidesaddleRider]

We have a lovely OTTB mare. She's on our web page under "Tres Jolie". She raced 16 times at the bigger tracks (Belmont, etc.), won 1, and had some places/shows. She foxhunts, events, does the hunters...

[LuvMyTB]

I have a 10 yr old OTTB gelding who started 71 times, hit the board in half those starts, and retired in April of this year. He is bein re-trained for the hunter (or maybe jumper) ring.

No before pictures, but you can see video of his races and his "after" pictures/videos at my blog: lovemyottb.wordpress.com

[jmvwiv]

Heres my condensed story

Went to Ocala with trainer to look at horses. 4th horse they pulled out peaked our interest even though I did not want a TB or a mare. It was a bay-roan 3yr old filly w/ 4 white socks and a blaze that spilled over her left eye. She was said to be "very well bred", was in training at the breeding farm but never left b/c she wouldnt gallop/run. ha! We watched her on the lunge for a few minutes, I got on for maybe 5 min, and we trotted 1 TINY cross rail. Both trainer and I knew there was something special there. We also knew a BNT in the area was going to look at the same horses I had seen later that week, so the next day my trainer went back and picked her up. She came home for a 1 week "trial" & so we could do our own vetting. So couple of days later she's standing on the cross ties and I am talking with someone about how she REALLY dosent look 3 so I look at her teeth and there were the littlest cute baby teeth in there. I was like NO WAY she's 3. Well vet & later her papers confirmed she was 2. SO I bought a 2yr old TB filly with this weird looking face (so I thought at the time).

The next 6 months I sat on the sidelines as my trainer taught her how do w/t/c & "jump" on a lunge. Sometimes she would do the craziest bucking kicking stuff and we would look at each other and laugh. Trainer would say "most horses cant do that". ha! I was thinking good thing I wasnt on her.

She went with us to all the shows. At first I would show her on the line and get led around like a lead liner in-between classes. She leaerned that her life consisted of going places and doing the job she was familiar with at home. Later I would do un-judged w/t & poles classes (totally mortifying). Now, thank god, she jumps around a 2'6" course like a normal horse, no more trotting in & cantering out or doing it in the adds. No more trotting our changes or circling in the corners.

She is now 5, she has matured into a stunning big bodied mare. She is still showing at 2'6" for the remainder of 2009 show season. She's schooling 3' with some 3'+ thrown in there from time to time. She'll be ready for her pre-green debut in December. Next year 2nd yr pre-green and then I am hoping to have my A/O horse the following year. :D

I've done most of the work in the saddle myself too. Its been cool! It is cool!

[Hauwse]

Go to the show jumping hall of fame. I believe 12 of the 14 horses inducted are TB's and at least 8 of them are OTTB's.

I know Snowbound was a broken down race horse (tendon ).

Untouchable was a junior hunter that had been ruled off in Chicago he was so bad, and basically sent down the road.

If I were you I would also do a little research of Peter Birdsall's articles on Sire's of International Jumpers, they are part of the Chronicles archives. He basically goes through the who was who of International Jumpers in the past and their bloodlines, there are a ton of TB's that excelled at the GP level. Way more than I can possibly remember. He also speaks about hunters as well.

You may have to do some cross referencing at all breed pedigree query to make sure that you they are TB's because the articles get confusing with all the bloodlines.

My father tried very hard to buy a horse Branch County back in the day when he trained at a stable in Calgary. The stable owner was not comfortable with the horses soundness and at that time Dad did not have the funds to purchase him himself, all $2500.00. The horse had a chip in his knee, but he went on to win silver for the Canadian Olympic team with Michelle Valincourt, a feat not eclipsed until Hickstead's accomplishment last year.

I wish I could get my father on here, he has enough TB stories to write a 100 books.

[Hauwse]

Go to the show jumping hall of fame. I believe 12 of the 14 horses inducted are TB's and at least 8 of them are OTTB's.

I know Snowbound was a broken down race horse (tendon ).

Untouchable was a junior hunter that had been ruled off in Chicago he was so bad, and basically sent down the road.

If I were you I would also do a little research of Peter Birdsall's articles on Sire's of International Jumpers, they are part of the Chronicles archives. He basically goes through the who was who of International Jumpers in the past and their bloodlines, there are a ton of TB's that excelled at the GP level. Way more than I can possibly remember. He also speaks about hunters as well.

You may have to do some cross referencing at all breed pedigree query to make sure that you they are TB's because the articles get confusing with all the bloodlines.

My father tried very hard to buy a horse Branch County back in the day when he trained at a stable in Calgary. The stable owner was not comfortable with the horses soundness and at that time Dad did not have the funds to purchase him himself, all $2500.00. The horse had a chip in his knee, but he went on to win silver for the Canadian Olympic team with Michelle Valincourt, a feat not eclipsed until Hickstead's accomplishment last year.

I wish I could get my father on here, he has enough TB stories to write a 100 books.

[PNWjumper]

I have an OTTB who I picked up the day after his last race. He was a late starter (he was 5 when I went to look) and had raced in 10 races, never coming in better than 5th. A bodyworker friend had suggested I look at him and I was hugely skeptical, thinking I would show up to find a little, nondescript, bay gelding. But instead I walk up to the stall and find a large dappled bay with the "look of eagles," so to speak. I bought him on the spot.

I've had him for 2 years now and I've moved him up a level at every show he's gone to. He got bumped up to the 1.25m jumpers at the last show and we'll do the 1.30m at the next show. He was champion in both of his divisions at the last show (not bad considering he'd never coursed at 1.25m prior to the show!) and because he's the "allergic to wood" type, tends to do well on cleanliness in the ring alone. Anyhow, I hope to start him in the 1.40m High AOs by the beginning of next season and go from there.

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2580883360094686761AWLVGs
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2307673330094686761usCoCn

[EquineRacers]

I have retrained several. But I have only taken 2 of them to shows (not because the others wern't good enough, it just kind of worked out that way). My first project was a 7yo I took off the track and retrained. I spent about a year with him before taking him to a show, he was awesome his first show, won a few ribbons and be will showing this year.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/playbunymaterial/Mister004-1.jpg (this was our first week off the track)

My second one I moved a bit quicker (he is much smarter and bolder). I took him off the track 2 months ago and we went to our first show last Sunday, even did cross rail course. He ended up placing first, fifith, and fifith.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/playbunymaterial/Big1stShow81709007.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/playbunymaterial/Big1stShow81709004.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/playbunymaterial/Big1stShow81709009.jpg

I find them very easy to retrain, they are super smart, willing, and usually have a pretty level head as long as you hold the confidance in the relationship!

[Swale01]

We have a lovely OTTB mare. She's on our web page under "Tres Jolie". She raced 16 times at the bigger tracks (Belmont, etc.), won 1, and had some places/shows. She foxhunts, events, does the hunters...

SidesaddleRider - funny small world it is - I was actually at Laurel the day that Tres Jolie won her race. It was July and it was my birthday (YEARS ago now!) and my friends had surprised me with a 'party' at the track and had a race named after me....and it was the race she won!!! I always remembered her name and wondered what happened to her...it's neat to find out!

[cottagefarm]

COTH'ers are awesome

Thanks for all the great info.
I certainly have more work cut out for me.
I'll let you know when my project in done.

I'm pretty excited about it.:)