The Thoroughbred
Over the years I have seen many adverts for wanted horses on Facebook or other equine sale sites. So many finish their advert with "NO THOROUGHBREDS" or "NO FULL THOROUGHBREDS". I respect peoples wishes and needs but this really irritates me. They write this as there is a common misconception that thoroughbreds are crazy and delicate. Yes, they can be delicate, but they can gallop over 3 miles while jumping huge hedges over rough terrain and pull up sound, play polo and walk off sound...I could go on. Yes, they can be 'highly strung' but if properly managed, more often than not you will have a calm, gentle horse.
Personally I am a big TB fan, all my horses are TBs. The reason for this is because they are clever, sensitive, and able to be trained for any sport in the equine world (pretty much). They can race, play polo, event, show-jump, do dressage, endurance, hunt, barrel race, show, horse ball, polo-cross, hell I even have one who would make a great bronc he's so agile! What other breed can do all that?!
The problem is, they are clever and sensitive. So often too clever, too sensitive, for some people. That's why they can excel in so many sports, but they need someone who understands them, and manages them properly. Too often I have seen TBs in the wrong hands. A lovely horse can be ruined in the wrong hands, but it can also be dangerous for the owner, and even anyone else who handles them.
The TB is a man made breed, originated from a Tennessee Walking Horse and an Arab. TBs are used mainly for racing as they have been bred for speed. Then they are trained to race. In training they are often stabled for a long time, fed high energy feed and worked everyday. They are often shod in their stables, tacked up in their stables, jockeys get on at the walk, they get off at the walk. They never need to stand still. When they travel, they know they are going racing or schooling (galloping or jumping at race course). This is their ABC. When they finish racing or don't make the cut, they have to learn a new discipline, and therefore when a new rider asks them to stand at the block and gets cross when they don't, or they ride them once a week whilst kept them fed up to the eyeballs and then wonder why they feel like they are sitting on a rocket. When a racehorse is properly retrained, keeping in mind his ABC, they make fantastic riding horses for other sports.
The two main factors ex-racehorses have a bad reputation is from the repercussions of lack of work or over feeding. Most TBs (not all) need regular work. They often take a lot of fibre to keep them a nice weight. Often, they can be over fed with cereals and high protein feeds, when if they are not in a lot of work all they really need is good quality fibre, and lots of it. I suppose it doesn't help that a lot of general riding horses are kept far too over weight because the owner thinks it's 'carrying good condition'. A light weight race horse looks positively anorexic in comparison!
I said they were clever, no horse is 'dumb,' but TBs are particularly clever, and if all you do is go around in circles behind the safety of the arena fence, they may be a bit lively outside the yard gate. They need variety in their work, although this is true with all horses.
Being clever makes them easy to train, but equally easy to train to do something wrong or behave in an undesirable way.
They are sensitive, which can make them very trainable but equally can mean they are reactive. Basically it means they won't let you get away with mistakes. Again this is not true with all TBs.
I have retrained many racehorses. Every single one has had lovely ground manners, and a real pleasure to work with. Some love a fuss but some would rather do their job and then be left alone to be a horse. One of my horses I retrained was such a sweet gentle mare, super easy ride, very lazy if truth be told! I went on to teach a complete beginner to ride this mare, she learnt to canter in an open field on this mare in a snaffle. She was the sort of horse who knew exactly who was on her back and adjusted accordingly.
All horses are different, another of my horses, 'Where'd Ya Hide It,' a (16.1 TB) never changes. I can leave him for 6 months and get back on and he will be exactly the same as he was the last time he was ridden.
Confey, a 15.3 6 yr old Tb mare I got out of training last year is the same. When she first came she was still in racing mode and it was rather like riding a coiled spring. She was turned out for 4 months before I brought her back into work, I got on and went for a hack and she was so calm I could ride her on the buckle the whole way. She was turned away again after I suffered a broken and dislocated ankle (not caused by a TB I might add!) in January. Just over two months later I started riding again and got on Confey. She was exactly the same before the two month break. If not better.
It does help what they are fed and that they have company when turned out. All my horses are fed on Dengie Alfa Oil, sometimes just that and a vitamin and mineral supplement. Depending on work load depends what else they have. A basic high fibre nut for low energy work, to competition mix for polo or hunting. Ad lib hay or haylage really helps. I also always treat for ulcers using UlcerFoe or Gastroplus.
The key thing with thoroughbreds is management. They are like a finely tuned sports cars. You wouldn't get a sports car if you'd just passed your driving test. Some TBs are quiet enough for beginners to ride, but only if you have the help of someone very experienced to guide you and help care for the horse.
Over the years of working with Thoroughbreds I have found that if you are calm, so are they. I have found if you expect them to 'behave' as you would like them to, so will they. This goes the other way too — if you expect them to spook at that bin on the side of the road, they will, or if you tense up at the thought of a tractor going past, so will they.
This is also true with other breeds...