Monday, March 12, 2012

OTTB Shopping



I want all of them. ALL.



I REALLY WANT this guy. Ebony Express, 16.2, 5 year old


Final Fitz, 16.1


Hunk O Bernin Love, 16.3 Mare


Chase the Blaze 16.2


Foxy on Sunday, 15.3


Look familiar??


Ringing any bells now?


A direct relative of Yankee. They are half brothers! FATE.

I found him while OTTB shopping. He is adorable! 3 years old, gorgeous and 16.1hh. With one major flaw. An old fracture :( He won't ever be suitable for jumping. Heart. Crushed.

I've been looking for TBs for over a year, and every time I find a nice one, they get adopted in less than a day. NO LUCK for meeeee.

I'm being picky this time and trying to avoid New Vocations (as much as I love them) because you can never re-sell their horses. I have strict requirements: must be at least 17 hands, no older than 5, 3or 4 is preferable, and preferably not a mare. Not a fan of mares. Also, of course, good proportions, sound, etc etc.

Thing that sucks about OTTBs is that most of them are not sound for jumping, barely 16 hands or have horrible conformation. Thus why they are racetrack rejects. FRUSTRATING.

All of these ones are under 17, but over 16.1


Afleet Flama, Afleet Alex baby!


One of the nicest TBs I've seen


Kinda heavy on the forehand, but still cute

I can't win! :(

42 comments:

  1. I like the smaller OTTBs They're easier to squeeze together. Unlike this giant galloping rhino I currently own...

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    Replies
    1. I'm 5'9 so anything under 17 hands makes me look awkward. On Yankee I feel like a giant :(

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  2. omg give me they grey mare!!!!!! :P

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  3. Wow those are all so gorgeous! Just out of curiosity do you plan on selling Yankee? Do you think he has maxed out his potential or that he could move farther up the levels? I love that you are looking to take on another OTTB! I just wonder if Yankee has potential to be sold as an upper level prospect or if you plan to hang on to him. Or do you think his age will keep him from bringing any interest from upper level folks? The reason the 20 questions is that I have in the back of my mind that maybe my OTTB's abilities are more than I can take him and that once at solid Novice level he could be sold for good money to someone who can take him farther. He also has the age thing working against him he is 12 this year. Though no signs of slowing down or of aging I wonder if that will deter potential buyers and that he won't bring the same money as his younger couterparts. I just figure you know more about all of this than I do and thought I might pick your brain. I love him to death and can't imagine ever letting him go but I first feel his potential is far beyond where I can or even want to take him and the other big factor is selling him then opens me up to take in another OTTB similar to what you are doing now. What are your thoughts?

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  4. I cant sell Yankee since he is a NV graduate. Nor do I ever want to. I just lack the funds to show him upper levels, so I am leasing him out. Its SO unfair for him to be stuck eventing at training for 4 years in a row, when he could have been at Prelim or above by now. I can only do 4 events a year, and that soesnt give much time to get qualifying scores. Jackies lease expires in June, so I hope to send him somewhere else. Lots of folks in the Carolinas looking at him, which is great.
    I know for a fact he can at least go Intermediate, since his flatwork is getting SO much better, and he can jump the moon. I think the perfect age for an upper level horse is 12-13, and he is only 10 so if he moves up this year, PERFECT.

    Also Serena, I got the gender wrong on that grey. Its a gelding. EVEN BETTER. IWANTHIM.

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  5. LOVE that grey! But they are all cute!

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    Replies
    1. Jackie noticed his leg has been fire pinned. No bueno.
      MYHEARTISCRUSHEDAGAIN.

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    2. Ugh, sucky! Too bad you live too far away, I'd introduce you to my "Thoroughbred guy". He's a traveling equine dentist as well as the track vet down in the cities. Unwanted TB's are given to him from trainers and owners and he lets them "vacation" on his 4,000 acre ranch before he adopts them out after their manditory year long stay. If he can't find homes for them, they are welcome to stay forever.

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  6. Jackie, I wouldn't cross out a horse that has been pin-fired automatically. Pin firing is generally a treatment for either bucked shins (the equivalent of shin splints in humans) or very occasionally, bowed tendons. If the pin firing was done to treat a bow, then yeah I'd pass. But bucked shins usually come back stronger than before, due to the bone's remodeling mechanism. Microfractures are something that are mildly desirable, as it strengthens bone. Hence why we do lots of long, slow roadwork, which acts to remodel the bone to create strength. Some trainers also pin fire everything. So don't disregard a pin fired horse before finding out why it was pin fired! (Also, don't buy a pin fired horse if you want to show/resell in the hunters. They no likey.)

    Of course, if you knew all this, please feel free to tell me to butt out, lol. I might have done my degree capstone on bucked shins/microfractures in racehorses, so I like to trot out my rarely used knowledge when I can. :-)

    Also, absolutely LOVE the chestnut Afleet Alex horse. The grey is quite lovely too. I'd take the chestnut in a heartbeat though.

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    Replies
    1. Shoot, I meant Checkmark, not Jackie. I've been reading the name Jackie too much, obviously!

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    2. I always thought pin firing was a predecessor for future lameness due to the fact that the leg needed it in the first place.
      Thanks for the info :D
      learn something new everyday!!

      Delete
  7. All of those horses are beautiful! You will find a good horse when the time is right. :)

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  8. None of them are mine!!!!!! I'm very hurt! :p I have a huge crush on Afleet Alex, I don't hide it, so I love Afleet Flama.

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  9. That gray reminds me of my new catch ride, although in considerably better shape.

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  10. I'm 5'7" and both my horses are barely 15.3hh, and a friend of mine is 6'5" and rides a 17hh warmblood. Of course, he makes the horse look like a pony...
    I think as long as the horse is deep enough through the barrel/girth to take up your leg, you're fine. I lean towards smaller, since they tend to be sounder than tall horses.
    One of the things I love about eventing is that it's not about looking perfect – so you have riders like William Fox-Pitt (6'5"), and horses like Teddy O'Connor (not even 14.2hh), and everything in between.
    Of course, if you feel like 17hh is the perfect height for you, go for it. :-)

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  11. I think Yankee looks a bit small for you sometimes. It's nothing physical--he carries you just fine. Purely aesthetically, it's not completely appealing all the time.

    That said, he seems to have a pretty small barrel that doesn't take up a ton of leg. Izzy is 16.1ish with a substantial enough girth and I look fine on her (I'm 5'8"). Cuna is maybe 16.2 with a deep chest, and I look great on him.

    My hesitation with the bigger ones is just that there is more weight and stress and injury likelihood. I mean, not a huge thing at 17 maybe, but much bigger and it gets concerning.

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  12. I like my small Thoroughbreds. They fit in the pocket, room in the gate, strong cannons, and just easy to get on. Yeah, we don't have mounting blocks ;)

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    Replies
    1. A lot of you seem to. I think you all have good points from the injury standpoint but I just hate feeling so huge on Yankee. I think maybe I need to do what sprinklerbandit said and find one with a deep barrel. That way I wont have to worry either way!

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  13. Thanks for explaining that to me. It helps alot.

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