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[quote]horsiehuntersam (11/3/2009)
1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today?
ABSOLUTELY, and not just with grade horses. It's in all the breeds, since people can no longer take care of them. They are either just released into "wild" areas or end up neglected.
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred?
Yes. Those driven by profit (as the TB for racing) more so than others, but I've seen many QH Studs bred way too much....again there is a profit motive. I am guessing that you mean too many horses, not too much quality horses.
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle? When the knees close (which also means the back is sturdy enough). Horses can take walk trot at 2-3, but each breed is different for cantering. Most light horses can support cantering with a human on them in the fall of their 3-yo year, but drafts and draft crosses don't mature until they are 5. Cantering at 4 can happen, but jumping shouldn't start until 5-6.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues resulting from injury? Yes, I have. Injury is a lot different that conformation unsoundness. Because I breed, I can use the blood-line to get a better offspring. I presently have 2 horses that have injuries that keep them out of the halter ring, but have absolutely no impact on their way of going....in fact one is an awesome mover that has won ever class she's been in....the other (capped hocks from bucking in a wagon) still does very well in her performance classes. I also have arthritic horses. Care is always the key.
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.
Yes, I used to work at a Hunter-Jumper/Rehab/Retraining farm. Plus, I've had several OTT TB's myself. They are a bit more sensitive to everything and need to be approached appropriately. Lots of patience and persistance, but the results can be wonderful.
THANK YOU! This is for a college research paper I am doing on the growing population of unwanted off-the-track thoroughbreds.  [/quote Good luck with your paper!
My blog: www.horselistening.blogspot.com It didn't take 1 day to create.....it won't take 1 day to fix.
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1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today?
absolutely.
[b]
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred?[/b]
yes, tb's do seem to be over bred along with many cross bred/unwanted horses (pmu's, horses with no show records, nothing of real value etc)
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle?
ground training should start as soon as possible. lunge work/round pen work should start around 1 1/2- 2 years old. backed by 3, light riding work by 4, solid riding work by 5 (started over poles), started over cross rails by 5 1/2.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal.
i wouldn't mind purchasing a horse with short term lameness issues if there was a chance that i could do something to help him/her recover. although i would probably only use him for light riding, lower dressage etc. (flat work only)
[b]
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.[/b]
i know several ottb's that have gone on to successful dressage, eventing and hunter careers. i also know some that have been adopted by lesson programs and a greatly loved by all sorts of students.
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1. Yes we have WAY too many horses out there.
2. Overbreeding is happening in any area where the money is, TB for racing, QH for reining, cutting, etc. In the hopes of getting that one superstar they will breed mass amounts and discard the rejects.
3. In my opinion no horse should be mounted before the age of 3 and then ridden at the walk and MAYBE light trotting by the end of that year. You will develop a more well rounded horse who isn't pushed, but has had time to accept things one stage at a time.
4. I wouldn't buy a horse with known injuries, because I just don't have the money for all the vet bills that requires.
5. Not lately
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I'm not qualified to answer the first two. I don't know much about the breeding world, and I don't see much of it where I am.
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle?
I would say 4 is a good age to start them, but doing light training at 3 isn't bad either. It all depends on the horse and how much they can handle though. I wouldn't start intensive training until they were at least almost 5 or so.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal.
It depends. If I was looking for a pleasure mount or even just a companion, why not? But where I sit today, looking to do more and jump higher and compete lots, I would need a horse I could count on not to go lame on me.
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.
Oh yes, plenty. The boy I lease is a 17YO thoroughbred from the track and he is just a joy! He's very honest and knows his job well. Numerous people I ride with have horses from the track who are doing really well in both the hunter and jumper ring, and I am working with a very nice little 3YO mare who just came from the track a few months ago. Many of them are very smart little animals and are an absolute joy to work with. They all have their moments, but its no more than you expect from a hot Thoroughbred.
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| Did anyone else notice that a lot of people agreed that there is an overpopulation probem, yet in response to the question about buying a lame horse they said they would because it could possibly be used for breeding? HELLO! WAKE UP PEOPLE! Why would you complain about the overpopulation problem, but then admit that you would add to it? I will never understand some people. Maybe we need to find a way to breed smarter people. Sorry if my views are offensive to some, but I get so tired of people having the attitude of "it's lame and I can't ride it, so I'll just breed it." Even if it does have good conformation and personality, do we really need more backyard breeders? Leave it to the professionals. They're producing more than enough horses on their own.
 
I'd sooner have that horse happy than go to heaven." -- Velvet Brown in NATIONAL VELVET.
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1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today? Well... I see a lot of unwanted horses in this world, and also a lot of breeders turning out more babies every year...so I think that if there isn't already a problem with overpopulation, there soon will be. I'm just going by what I see.
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred? Thoroughbreds? Maybe a little. But when I think "overbred", what really comes to mind is "Quarter Horse."
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle? I think it depends on the horse. 2 or 3, usually.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal. Absolutely. If I had the space and money, I'd buy one or two "pasture ornaments", just to love on. Even if all I could ever do is groom them and watch them graze, it'd be worth it. Call me crazy.
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate. We have a lot of off-the-track TB's at our barn...in fact, they make up the majority! Many of them come to our barn fresh off the track, and are re-trained and placed with a new owner within a few months. I could quickly name at least a dozen that have gone on to become fantastic lesson horses, show horses, and just great pleasure mounts. My sister's 6-year-old bay OTTB excels at dressage; but he's also so laid-back, he'll let her slide off his rump! My friend's gray 15.2 hh OTTB mare, on the other hand, is hot-headed and moody, but she'll pack you around a stadium course like it's nothing at all, then blow you away with her endurance on cross-country. I have re-trained several young OTTB's, and I exercise others on a regular basis. Right now I'm working with a 2-year-old mare, and she's incredibly smart, and very willing. There's nothing like getting the chance to tap into the potential of an off-the-track Thoroughbred!
----------------------- a girl with no dreams is like a truck with no diesel.Proud owner of: Two-Step Twist (aka "Jake"), a 17 y/o, 15 hh sorrel leopard Appaloosa gelding. 
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1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today? Yes. Like several others said, stop backyard breeding, and reopen U.S. slaughter houses.
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred?
Yes. Especially Thoroughbreds. But they're not the only breed.
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle?
It depends on the horse. different horses mature at different ages, but usually 2 to 3.5 years old is ok. I hate seeing people break horses that are too young though, my friend was going to help her dad train a horse one time when I was over at her house. I got very upset when her dad brought the colt out of the barn, you could tell by looking at him that he was no where near being physically mature, and when I asked them how old he was they said he was 18 months old 
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal. No. The only way I would buy a lame horse is if it was to get the horse out of a bad situation but even after that I wouldn't keep it.
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.
No.
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1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today?
Yes, I think there should be certain limitations/fines for breeding. I hate to government regulate everything, but I think bybs should be limited in some way.
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred?
No, I don't think TBs are overbred. The JC has strict limitations on breeding and I think that keeps their numbers at a fairly decent level. QHs on the otherhand ARE ovebred. 100,000+ a year vs. 30,000 a year is a HUGE difference. Not to mention the unregistered mutts.
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle?
3 years old. I think light training can be safely started then.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal.
If I just wanted a pleasure horse I would. Such as for light trail riding as long as it was something manageable. For a show horse though, probably not.
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.
What exactly do you mean by 'successful'? I have Echo who is turning into a nice little show horse for me and I ride a lot of OTTBs at school that have all been successfully shown/jumped/evented, but not sure if those count or not lol.
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If you act like you've only got fifteen minutes, it'll take all day. Act like you've got all day and it'll take fifteen minutes.~ Monty Roberts
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R.I.P. Purcocious
March 27, 1982 ~ January 8, 2010
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| 1.) In your opinion, is there a problem with overpopulation in the equine world today? There are certainly too many horses; slaughter? There's way too much of it and it's mostly inhumane. Animals should be put to sleep, and be 100% goners before being sliced open, I don't care if it's a split second, it hurts.
2.) Do you believe that horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, are being overbred? Thoroughbreds, no they're a really nice breed. There are too many Quarter horses, love em, but too many. There are so many breeds that many don't recognize like the Haflinger[typo], the Vanners, Tennessee Walkers, Minis, Morgans, all I see now are Quarter horses.
3.) At what age do you believe it is responsible to be training a young horse under saddle?
3 years old for sure, they need to be done growing, past that leggy and lanky stange. That's kind of of navicular starts.
4.) Would you ever purchase a horse with known soundness issues (short or long term) that have resulted from injury? If so, please provide a brief description of the circumstances you would consider this and the intended purpose of the animal.
If I was just looking for a companion, for another lonely horse sure, such has knee problems, or cant be ridden, or just old age sure I would, but a nice TWH would definately come before, not gonna lie. I love old horses, they're gentle and sweet, but a younger horse that I can't have potentiol with, what's the purpose?
5.) Do you personally know or work with any successful off-the-track thoroughbreds? If so, please elaborate.
I know one who recently passed on, he was a GREAT horse, if he was laying down you could sit on his back, do anything, he didn't care, he was one of the most gentle loving horses, though it did take some work. He was also a lesson horse for 13+.
^ my bestfriend ^ Very proud to say how quick this horse has learned how to be a gentle, child friendly horse, and a loving bestfriend who's always there, no matter what it is. Horses never bail on you <3 "The horse wrote the history"-unknown.
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NO KIDDING!!! hahha, seriously
^ my bestfriend ^ Very proud to say how quick this horse has learned how to be a gentle, child friendly horse, and a loving bestfriend who's always there, no matter what it is. Horses never bail on you <3 "The horse wrote the history"-unknown.
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