# I just have to ask...When did OTTB become a breed?



## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

No one is saying they are a "breed" - but being off-track is part of their history/identity. Why does it bother you so that people refer to them as they do?


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

I suppose it has become a slang term or a colloquialism and therefore is not strictly 'correct'. Not quite sure what your beef is here GH but if it is bothering you, instead of a 









I suggest a









And if that doesn't do the trick then a









should ease your pain.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

I have to agree with GH. 

Really, a horse who hasn't raced in the past 10 years really isn't "Off the Track" anymore. He just raced in his previous life. 

Off the Track is conditional....for 6 months after the horse has raced. After that...he's just a regular horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

FTR, I think everyone would say there is something "magical" about their horse, regardless of the breed, job or previous job.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

^^True story.

Also, whilst I would never use that term to describe the _breed_, and haven't seen others using it as a breed description either, I certainly use the term to describe an individual _horse_. Given that the vast majorities of TB's _do_ come from the track, or at least training, it is a reasonable assumption that they were involved with the racing industry at some point. 

Velvets, I see your point but to be honest, many thoroughbreds that have previously raced in another lifetime (so much wordier than OTTB!) exhibit behaviours common to other thoroughbreds that have previously raced in another lifetime long after six months off the track.

Some still have 'flashbacks' even years after they have finished racing, particularly in competition atmospheres where there are lots of horses and trailers around and loudspeakers/commotion. So, I *personally* find OTTB a useful term, whether it is strictly correct or not.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I have to agree with Sarahver on this one.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I get that they may have flash backs, so do my horses, and yes themacpac, all mine are special, some closer to special needs maybe:roll:.

Take dearly beloved Big Bert, I now have her 95% of the time believing that she is a saddle horse, (albeit that we aren't yet riding her) but then she will revert for no apparent reason to the feral mare that she was for so many years. 

I don't think Fancy will ever forget that somebody beat her, and will panic if approached in a certain way.

Not all TB's that were on the track have flash backs, some are only to happy to be retrained into their new role, and if all the planets align they find themselves doing a job that they love.

It's not a great issue in the big scheme of things, just something that grates on me at times, is the untried horse, was in training but was to slow to make it to the track a OTTB?


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

I will admit one thing though, my pet peeve is people using the term OTTB as an excuse for a lack of training, bad behaviour or poor health which is something I _do_ see a bit of.

Call it what you want, just don't blame the horse when it behaves in a way you don't want it to! That goes for any and all horses. When you point one finger at the horse, there are three fingers pointing back at you...


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

This is just how I feel.
As you can see my username has OTTB in it, which I made my account about 4 days after I got my TB off the track so he was fairly fresh. Now I don't consider OTTB a breed but just including that my horse did race in the past and to be honest i'm proud of it and like to sport it.


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## Druydess (Jan 25, 2008)

With so much money tied up in the racing industry it's no surprise that it has inundated our horse lingo.. but it really comes down to how a horse is cared for and trained. That decides their ultimate identity.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Recycled or Re purposed TB is what I usually refer to the Frog as...and people almost always chime in with 'oh, he is off the track?'. Granted, he isn't FRESH off the track but only about 18 months off.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

corinowalk said:


> Recycled or Re purposed TB i


:rofl: Love it


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

My pet peeve is when people talk about Mustangs like they are somehow different from "regular" horses. 

They ARE domestic horses, they were just born in the wild. They are the same as your grade QH or any other grade horse out there. They are just feral "normal" horses.

Like domestic cats for instance. Because one is feral does not make it a cougar. It is still a domestic cat, not a wild cat, even though it's behavior might be wild. 

(I personally LOVE Mustangs!)

The OTTB term never really bothered me, probably because I don't have much experience with them. I did have a friend with an OTTB and he was a great horse.


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

I think the biggest pet peeve with me and the OTTB term is that people use it as an excuse. Their horse starts acting up and they brush it off with an "Oh, he's an OTTB."

That only works for a certain amount of time, hun. This horse you have that has been off the track for 3 yrs should be acting like a horse now. Granted some things may be harder to train out of than others, but he really isnt off the track anymore. He's outta the pasture. 

I owned an OTQH (off track quarter horse) and never blamed his antics (such as being impossible to stop at times) on being off the track, I blamed it on poor training once he was off the track. 

Ok, stepping down off my soap box as well.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I don't know... I've never considered OTTB being a "breed" . TB - yes, OT is just it raced (in past). I don't find it to be offensive, or bad, or special. I've heard people using the term "fresh OT". Which usually means no real training.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I have far more important things to get ulcers over than getting upset about referring to ex-race horses as OTTB.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Allison Finch said:


> I have far more important things to get ulcers over than getting upset about referring to ex-race horses as OTTB.


LOL! Very true.


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

Allison Finch said:


> I have far more important things to get ulcers over than getting upset about referring to ex-race horses as OTTB.


This!

i refer to my TB as an OTTB not to distinguish it as a breed, nor as an excuse for misbehaviour as he is a most well behaved horse ...

I use the OT part because he spent a part of his life on the track, it is a part of who he is, for better or worse.

It is a further definition...nothing more. No breed unto itself....just a clarification of what was once a part of his life.

Why that would upset anyone at all is curiously odd. IMO


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Beauseant said:


> Why that would upset anyone at all is curiously odd. IMO


It's actually curiously odd what upsets people, it annoys my husband no end when I call my equines 'ponies' because the big ones are obviously horses, and the small ones are Haflingers, and although pony size are horses...but I call them all ponies


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

Lol.

alot of people call their horse ponies

What does he think of people calling TBs OTTBs? does it bother him, as it does you or is he just annoyed by the ponies?


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## Horselover165 (Jul 25, 2011)

I have noticed it has become a so called "Trend" to name the breed
of your horse as OTTB. Can't say I agree with it either. It is a bit annoying :roll: but it doesn't bother me toooo much...


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## Indigosblue (May 9, 2011)

i think many people do this as an excuse, as some have suggested. But i also think the whole thing started because racing is NOT riding. A barrel racer is still ridable, most OTTB's were taught that a human will get thrown on them and then they run... not proper riding. the term is used to inform people of the potential danger (if horse is fresh off the track) of just climbing on. I think the term is also useful to tell owners or buyers about potential health issues. OTTB's are started so much younger than most riding horses, which can cause health problems. OTTB's also sometimes tend to pick up weird habits from racing stables, habits which can be hard to decipher without the OTTB "label". Each horse is an individual of course, but the generic term of OTTB, in my mind, is there to educate and warn others. I think it's good when used in the proper way, but not good when abused to hide training faults.


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## WildJessie (Oct 15, 2010)

I always thought OTTB meant Off Track Thoroughbred. Meaning their horse was no longer racing. Never thought it was a breed.

If people want to call their horse an OTTB, let them, because thats what their horse is, and Off Track Thoroughbred.Its part of what the horse is.


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## WildJessie (Oct 15, 2010)

Its like with German Shepherds. People think the White German Shepherd is a separate breed. Its NOT. A white German Shepherd is exactly as it states. A German Shepherd that is white. Same thing with a black German Shepherd, a German Shepherd that is black. Same with Sables, Black and Tans, Black and Reds, Blues, and Livers. I think its completely ridiculous to DQ a dog because of its color. It does not effect its temperament or health or working ability. I also think its ridiculous that people want to make it a separate breed, such as the "White Swiss Shepherd", I see no difference between a White Swiss Shepherd, and White German Shepherd, except the name. Otherwise NO DIFFERENCE. Its the same kind of dog.

A white GSD is a GSD through and through. The only difference between a black and tan GSD and a white GSD, is the color. Same with an OTTB. An OTTB is a TB through and through. The only thing different from a OTTB and an TB is that the OTTB is no longer racing, hence the "Off Track" part. An OTTB is not a separate breed, its a TB.

But unfortunately there are somethings you just have to let go by. If someone were to tell me they have an OTTB, I would think "Cool, they have a former racehorse".

Sorry for the double rant.lol!


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## aneternalflame (May 25, 2009)

Beauseant said:


> I use the OT part because he spent a part of his life on the track, it is a part of who he is, for better or worse.
> 
> It is a further definition...nothing more. No breed unto itself....just a clarification of what was once a part of his life.


I agree with this. It is just a further descriptor of the horse. I don't see it any different than, say, a "Lambert Morgan" (subtype of the Morgan), or.. a foundation Appaloosa.. or an ex-barrel APHA.. I'm running out of examples. I'm way too tired. But I hope I got the point across!


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## WildJessie (Oct 15, 2010)

aneternalflame said:


> I agree with this. It is just a further descriptor of the horse. I don't see it any different than, say, a "Lambert Morgan" (subtype of the Morgan), or.. a foundation Appaloosa.. or an ex-barrel APHA.. I'm running out of examples. I'm way too tired. But I hope I got the point across!


I agree. Its just part of who they were/are.


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

WildJessie said:


> I always thought OTTB meant Off Track Thoroughbred. Meaning their horse was no longer racing. Never thought it was a breed.
> 
> If people want to call their horse an OTTB, let them, because thats what their horse is, and Off Track Thoroughbred.Its part of what the horse is.


 
EXACTLY!!!


Do those of you with a problem with OTTB also have a problem with those who call themselves Irish Americans, African Americans, etc?

It is no different!!!

Sure, you could just forget the Irish part and call yourself an American, but being Irish is part of who you are, so why not add it? 

The same rule applies here. Being an off tracker is a part of my boy's life that he didn't like, but a part of who he is nonetheless.

Being an ex racer doesn't just mean he ran around a track a few times, it is much more involved than that.. It means he was involved in an industry that has many negative connotations to it, it means he lived his life as a commodity to his owners, it means he was NOT treated or allowed to live as a NORMAL horse. This poor guy didn't even know what an apple was and when we first tried to feed him one, he was TERRIFIED of it. Another example is needles, he's obviously seen many of them as he doesn't even bat an eye when getting his vaccinations.

Being an ex racer, as opposed to a non racing TB is ESSENTIAL to understanding and working with the horse. Racers with have different mental issues, and physical issues than non racing TBs. 

It is not an EXCUSE for anything. It is a description.

My boy ENDURED the racing life with all of it's stress and unnatural living.

HE DESERVES to have the title of OTTB!

*The OTTB title is an HONOR, not to have have raced, but to have ENDURED such a life! *

Those who have LIVED it, DESERVE the distinction.

So those of you with OTTBs, KEEP calling them OTTBs....they have EARNED the title.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

JJ is an _ex-racing _TB, and I rarely use even that term. He's a TB. There's nothing more anyone needs to know about him, because he's been off the track at least 2 years and has another job.

I refuse to call JJ an OTTB, because I think it smacks of condescension and wanting your horse to be more special than the legions of other TBs just like them that are out there and doing new jobs.

It's hardly an honorific for JJ to be called an OTTB anyway, because he raced abysmally. I joke that he was only there to make sure the rest of the horses got back safely! :wink:

So, call your horse what you want, but if it's been off the track more than 6 months, I may just roll my eyes at you.


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

Just wanted to ask the OP...

Do you have a problem with those who call their horses "Palomino"? Cause that isn't a breed either. It's a color.


SR, the HONOR isn't whether the horse won or lost, it is that he ENDURED such an unnatural life.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Golden Horse said:


> Pet peeve of mine, having grown up in the UK where most riding stables had a few thoroughbreds, commonly known as TB's. The term OTTB was never used, because the breed is TB, then the question "did he race' was asked if needed.
> 
> To me it's kind of like saying I own a OBQH, (Of Barrels Quarter Horse) or similar, you have a horse who was trained to do one job and now you are asking it to do another, so a bunch of retraining goes on.
> 
> ...


MWHAHAHAHAH!!!

You don't know how many times I read that when I first joined this forum and thought... What is an OTTB? And I kept thinking of different breeds. Took me FOREVER to figure out what it meant!


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

I don't think GH has her panties in a bunch about it. Just a peeve. I understand it too.


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

What about those who say "my Palomino"??? that isn't a breed either.

Can we add that to this conversation, in the interest of fairness.:twisted:


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

It irritates me too, GH. I have seen the term used time and again by folks as bragging rights, why I have no idea. The majority of OTTB's are nothing special, have not won tons of money, awards, honors, etc, but it seems these people think by saying their horse is an OTTB instead of a TB that they are somehow better than those who's TBs have not raced. How silly it makes them seem to me, when often their horses are more out of control than those without a racing history that had decent and consistent training from the get-go and not allowed to get away with things because they are "off the track". Just because your horse raced a handful of times some dozen years ago does not make him Secretariat. :roll:

As far as those who say "my horse is a Palomino", well, then I just ask "what breed?" as I am assuming they are telling me color in the first place, not breed. Same as if someone told me they had a chestnut, or a bay.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Beauseant said:


> What about those who say "my Palomino"??? that isn't a breed either.
> 
> Can we add that to this conversation, in the interest of fairness.:twisted:


You see you seem to have your panties in a bunch over this, why is it a pet peeve of yours what I think??

I'm not asking you to agree, all I'm saying that there is no such BREED as OTTB, it is a term thrown about all to often, when it has no relevance.

Out of interest I have no issue when people say my palomino, BUT I have a major issue when they type palimino, and when someone says

"The ferrier came to see my palimino fillie today" 

I would like to


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Beauseant said:


> Do those of you with a problem with OTTB also have a problem with those who call themselves Irish Americans, African Americans, etc?
> 
> It is no different!!!
> 
> Sure, you could just forget the Irish part and call yourself an American, but being Irish is part of who you are, so why not add it?


 
_Well, unless your (general your) parents are fresh off the boat with you in tow, then you are just plain American or Canadian. If your more then 2nd generation, then really, you aren't Irish or African, you are American. Yes, thats part of your history, but that doesn't MAKE you any more Irish then I am._

_Saying your Irish American or African American also has a time limit on it._


_I am Canadian. I am not German Canadian, or Welsh Canadian or Scottish Canadian or German-Welsh-Scottish Canadian (or any other mixes in there, although mostly German). Just plain Canadian._


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Palomino Horse Breeders of America :: Home

Just sayin....


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

VelvetsAB said:


> _Just plain Canadian._


Surely PROUDLY Canadian :rofl:

Having just gained my Canadian Citizenship, I am proudly Canadian, not British Canadian, but now Canadian.










​


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_A heartbeat short of having a maple leaf tattooed on me somewhere! _

_So yes, most definitely proudly Canadian._


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Maple leaf tattoo, now there's a thought........


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Beauseant said:


> SR, the HONOR isn't whether the horse won or lost, it is that he ENDURED such an unnatural life.


Beau, I'm not sure how much he actually endured, as his trainer was_ very_ protective of and doted on him. He ran exactly 10 times, and won once or twice. I can only presume the several times he actually won, the other horses didn't bother to show up! :wink: 

He doesn't seem any the worse for wear, and has a lovely, laid back temperament. He does have some issues with his feet, and my farrier surmises that the track farrier may not have been very patient with him, but he's getting better each time.

As far as calling myself Irish/German/Czech American, why? I'm only second generation American on my father's side and third on my mother's, but I've never seen a need to designate myself as anything other than American. I'm a born and bred US citizen. That's all the designation I need.


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## PecuniaMiAmor (Jul 17, 2011)

That Palomino Association is just a color registry and not a legit breed.

I can't stand that more than the OTTB thing. I've never personally heard anyone refer to OTTB as a breed but rather as a "status" for the horse. Seeing that I'm not into TBs, I don't really care what your horse's status is. What does he do now?

As for the palomino thing, I have encountered that a LOT represented as a breed itself. I ask people what kinda horse they have and I get "Palomino." "No, what breed?" "Palomino."... *head desk*

Same with "Black Stallion" "Buckskin" and "Dun".... Those are all official breeds now!


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## JavaLover (Nov 7, 2009)

sarahver said:


> I suppose it has become a slang term or a colloquialism and therefore is not strictly 'correct'. Not quite sure what your beef is here GH but if it is bothering you, instead of a
> 
> View attachment 70544
> 
> ...


Hahahah :lol:


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Froggy had food in his bowl every day, turnout and other horses for company. He was trained to do a job and was expected to perform weekly. I don't think he had a rough go of things...


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

You know, there are many examples in horse circles of horses being referred to using incorrect terminology - take here in the south for example; all foals are referred to as 'colts' whether they are male or female.

Took me a while to figure that out!

I was talking to a girl last year who planned to breed her mare so she could have a 'colt'. Somewhat puzzled I asked her how she could be certain that she would have a colt rather than a filly. She laughed and said 'well of _course_ I won't know if it's a girl or a boy until it is born!'

I understand the lingo now. Meh, call it what you want, as long as people get the idea I don't see much of a difference.

In regards to it being a 'badge of honour' or some way to make it seem as though an OTTB is more special, deserving or generally better than any other horse, I would never use it in that manner. It's just a descriptor in my books :wink:

ETA: It is sad that some TBs end up in poor condition having gone through hard times either at the track or afterwards. However, these are the minority and not the norm. Many TBs have very good lives while racing but of course their stories do not get as much airtime as the ones that ended up in bad situations.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Remind me when I go to the racetrack next weekend, to pity all the Standardbreds there who are well fed, well groomed, have a home and have a job...._

_Must be so tough for them to endure._


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

sarahver said:


> I suppose it has become a slang term or a colloquialism and therefore is not strictly 'correct'. Not quite sure what your beef is here GH but if it is bothering you, instead of a
> 
> View attachment 70544
> 
> ...


**** is there bourbon in that barrel???


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

LuvMyPerlinoQH said:


> **** is there bourbon in that barrel???


Pheweee, that would knock your socks off! :lol:


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

The end of Froggys racing career was sad. For both him and his owner. His owner is a breeder and a trainer and had an affection for the Frog. Truth is, there just isn't a racing market for a 9 year old racer, no matter how sound he is. He was sold at auction and somehow made it to a local dealer. The dealer cared enough for him to not send him back through. When I took over, I contacted his original owner/breeder. He was honestly RELIEVED that Froggy didn't end up in a bad place. You don't breed, own and race a horse for 5+ years and not have a bit of feeling for him. All in all, Froggy only knows today. He knows that today he has food and water and a place to keep dry and company. If anything, I think he would be glad to shed that OT off his TB.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

You know I have always thought the term ottb was a term used to warn off anyone who didnt want that baggage My peeve is people who call every horse with pinto markings a paint. LOL why I dunno it just does.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

sarahver said:


> Pheweee, that would knock your socks off! :lol:


Nope I'm a Ky girl Bourbon is a way of life  LOL but it is to early


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

WildJessie said:


> I always thought OTTB meant Off Track Thoroughbred. Meaning their horse was no longer racing. Never thought it was a breed.
> 
> If people want to call their horse an OTTB, let them, because thats what their horse is, and Off Track Thoroughbred.Its part of what the horse is.


I agree. While Nelson has not raced for many moons, I still consider him an OTTB. He's tattoo'd, he raced, it's a part of who he is. 

Now, I don't introduce him as an OTTB to people, nor do I even remotely consider it a breed, I'm not sure where that came from, but it's not a breed, it's a job the horse used to do, what the horse was bred for innitially. 

I think the OTTB trend is common because there are sooooo many of them. Left, right and center, there they are. 9x out of 10, they come with a package of "issues" from their time being on the track and training for the job they were bred to do - so using the term OTTB sums it up for most people when you are talking about them.


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## PecuniaMiAmor (Jul 17, 2011)

Ditto on the "all foals being called colts!" Imagine my confusion the first time I heard 
"Filly Colt." I was stumped... Which one is it?? lol


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

I thought a pinto and a paint were the same thing?!:shock:

Am I wrong?

*puttin on the stupid hat*


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Beauseant said:


> I thought a pinto and a paint were the same thing?!:shock:
> 
> Am I wrong?
> 
> *puttin on the stupid hat*


Yep. You are wrong. Pinto is a color. Many breeds have pintos in them. Paint is a breed. It is a color breed, but a breed with a registry. They are basically a lot like quarter horses; however, they are pinto. Except the occasional registered paint that doesn't come out pinto. Then you have a non-pinto paint. :?


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

Beauseant said:


> I thought a pinto and a paint were the same thing?!:shock:
> 
> Am I wrong?
> 
> *puttin on the stupid hat*


No they arent a Paint was derived from a QH or a TB pintos can come from anything as long as it has a pattern


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## Shasta1981 (Nov 12, 2010)

Hmm. I don't think I've ever seen anyone use OTTB as a breed per se, but more to draw a distinction. That distinction is that they were trained to race, and as such will respond differently to the usual cues (i.e. pulling back on reins means move faster for a lot of them). Thats why I use it.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

VelvetsAB said:


> _Remind me when I go to the racetrack next weekend, to pity all the Standardbreds there who are well fed, well groomed, have a home and have a job...._
> 
> _Must be so tough for them to endure._


Not all of them. The ones at the track were the survivors.

I worked my way through some of my college galloping race horses in training farms in the Ocala, Fl area. Let me tell you....some of the fanciest farms were known to take non-performers behind the barns with a gun. Doing gallop training and gate training with babies was a tough and spirit dampening experience. I was happy to later move to the tracks, where the horses had, at least, found a job.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> Not all of them. The ones at the track were the survivors.
> 
> I worked my way through some of my college galloping race horses in training farms in the Ocala, Fl area. Let me tell you....some of the fanciest farms were known to take non-performers behind the barns with a gun. Doing gallop training and gate training with babies was a tough and spirit dampening experience. I was happy to later move to the tracks, where the horses had, at least, found a job.



Ha and tell the horses in Ohio the standardbreds and the tb's that were sent to sugarcreek yards to the hands of the kill buyers....


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> It's actually curiously odd what upsets people, it annoys my husband no end when I call my equines 'ponies' because the big ones are obviously horses, and the small ones are Haflingers, and although pony size are horses...but I call them all ponies


I do that too. All horses are "ponies" to me. Even full grown, aging draft horses. :wink:


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

VelvetsAB said:


> _Remind me when I go to the racetrack next weekend, to pity all the Standardbreds there who are well fed, well groomed, have a home and have a job...._
> 
> _Must be so tough for them to endure._


HAHA, I'll tell you about the hard life of a Standardbred.

4am: Food.
4-6am: We cleaned stalls while the horses followed us around their giant stalls.
6am: We groomed while the horses napped on the cross ties. The ones that were jogging were harnessed. The ones that weren't training went outside to play.
6-10am: We jogged horses and then bathed them after. Bath time included some carrots or a slice of apple. Food!
10am-12pm: Caught up on stable chores, checked fencing, played with babies, and did random little things. 
12pm: Horses in training were given their afternoon snack.
2pm: We brought in the horses from outside and took the exercised horses out to play. The ones who spent the morning outside were fed their afternoon snack. 
7pm: The racers were brought in and everyone was fed their supper. Particularly dirty stalls were picked out .
10pm: Whoever was doing night check knew better than to show up without baby carrots.

Yep, hard life.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

VelvetsAB said:


> I have to agree with GH.
> 
> Really, a horse who hasn't raced in the past 10 years really isn't "Off the Track" anymore. He just raced in his previous life.
> 
> Off the Track is conditional....for 6 months after the horse has raced. After that...he's just a regular horse.


Why am I always agreeing with you....Stop being right, will you?



Golden Horse said:


> It's actually curiously odd what upsets people, it annoys my husband no end when I call my equines 'ponies' because the big ones are obviously horses, and the small ones are Haflingers, and although pony size are horses...but I call them all ponies


This made me laugh.
Poor Mr. AB was very confused for a good long time. I tend to call them all pone-pone or pony. 
He knew nothing about horses before he met me so this habit made it hard for him to understand the pony/horse thing.

And no matter what she is, my Haflinger is still my pony....so there. 



Beauseant said:


> What about those who say "my Palomino"??? that isn't a breed either.


It is a color.
There is nothing wrong with referring to your horse's color.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Why am I always agreeing with you....Stop being right, will you?


_I like to be right, Always. But I am most definitely wrong a lot too._


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## HannahFaith (Apr 27, 2011)

Beauseant said:


> EXACTLY!!!
> 
> 
> Do those of you with a problem with OTTB also have a problem with those who call themselves Irish Americans, African Americans, etc?
> ...



I couldn't agree with you more on that. I personally have worked at the track and couldn't stand it. I worked for an amazing trainer with amazing grooms and exercise riders but others were not the same as him. 


On another note i find a horse being called OTTB extremely helpful. Not only because it may open some ones eyes to be a little more cautious with riding the horse with a crop for the first time. but also it gives you the opportunity to check his background. id easily say 75% of horses off the track are off the track due to an injury. now knowing that this TB is an OTTB i'd be a little more wary of a vet check and i'd check him through the jockeys club... So personally... if some one has an OTTB i would like to know that since it could explain alot of his/her behaviors and give me an understanding as to why he does what he does and how i can help him/her.


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