Owning a Thoroughbred

froghorse

New Member
May 12, 2019
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USA
Hi, what's it like to own a thoroughbred and care for one? I think that when I am older I would like to own one and do eventing, hunter jumper, or dressage or something like that. I went to a place with my mother and former teacher to see her horse, and her friend had a thoroughbred. I scratched him and I could just feel the power, excitement, and speed in his bones. I have not touched a horse like that and felt that before. Is that normal? I kind of feel like I really want to try one. I am going to be learning how to jump now, so obviously not now, lol. :p
Anyway thanks for reading. :)
And I don't know if this belongs here.
 
I think you're romanticising the breed slightly! In some ways they're a bit like greyhounds - when they aren't working they're often in energy conservation mode and quite gentle horses. It's a sad fact that many tb owners are on good terms with their vet & farrier simply because they see far more of them than their bank balance is happy with!
 
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I rode a TB (ROR off the track) that had been retrained at a local riding school.
My first lessons was perfect. She was physically the most perfect horse on which I have ever sat (and I have ridden more than 100 horses now).
She gave me a most beautiful canter in an indoor school - something that had previously scared me, but I loved it and the RI said that the horse had loved it too.

Then disaster struck. The next week was stormy and the horse was quivering in the school, spooking at pigeons and calling to horses passing outside. A slow walk trot lesson but In the end I dismounted. She was too unsettled and I could feel her shaking between my legs. The following weekend she threw a students off in a lesson and was removed from the riding school.

However a TB and a race horse are not the same thing. I discovered that an elderly mare who I really liked riding in my second year of riding and on whom I learned much of my hacking was a TB.
The horse I would choose for myself is a Connie.
 
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Have you always wanted a thoroughbred or just since you met this horse? Maybe it was the horse you felt a connection with, rather than the breed?

Like you I met a thoroughbred at a friend's house. He was an ex-racer and was living at this particular person's house because his owner couldn't get on with him, apparently he was really naughty for her and reared when she tried to do anything with him. However he was perfectly settled at the place where he was living and I went to say hello to him in the field. He was a big lad but so gentle and kind to me and I got the same sort of feeling as you describe when I was petting him.

I don't get that feeling with the thoroughbred on the livery yard that I'm on. She's lovely natured generally and an easy ride, until she gets excited or stressed and she gets those things very easily. If she's on her own in the stable or the field she becomes a pacing sweaty mess and gets so beside herself there's no reasoning with her. At shows she gets over excited and tends to throw her rider over her head. She's nice, but distant and like I say, once she gets in a stress you can't do anything with her.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can't generalise with any breed, it's the individual horse that you will click with. Having said that, I always wanted an Arab and now I have one, and he's just what I imagined and wanted (although he is much more costly in vet bills than I hoped for!)
 
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I’ve had several. This is more to do with the fact they were affordable or as the latest free than because I particularly love them as a breed.
Really no different to any other horse. My cob x is more delicate and whimpy than any TB I’ve ever owned. He’s probably cost more to keep than most of them too
 
I can feel a connection with a horse regards of the breed. That's the most important thing to me.

If you are having lessons you might have ridden a part bred and not known it.

My first was a tb and I decided I wouldn't want another one. In comparison to the ponies since she was delicate and expensive to keep.
 
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