What happens to all these off track quarter horses?  It doesn't seem like I hear of many of them excelling in the barrel pen.  Am I missing something?  I see lots of home growns killing it and lots of people breeding specifically for barrels doing well but I don't read about many top notch horses with a back story of being bought off the track.  I was thinking this might be a reasonable way to go to get something that is already started but maybe not on the pattern.......

I had two.  They were not easy to contend with.  The racetrack puts habits in them that are hard to break.  They've been traumatized and asked to do things as babies that they shouldn't have to do.  But wow there are some wonderful horses at the track.  You just wish you'd gotten them before they went there, but it's what they were bred for.  

Oh and soundness is often an issue too.  The track is hard on those young legs as well as the mind.

Yep 10000000000000000000% I have had two. Both wonderful , kind horses.... Loved to be patterned, had a good work ethic, but when they were asked for speed, their brains only know ONE speed and a barrel is not often on their mind. LOL Never again! And yes, I bought a DTF off the track sound and cheap but didn't work out. 

Ditto. We breed racehorses and race them untill they are done. Then we train them into barrel horses or we breed them. I currently have 2 that I'm training, but I've trained some for others time to time.

Being honest, it really depends on the horse's track life. 

If you have one that has been raced since a 2 year old and heavily trained as a yearling, you will find that it is quite challenging.

Soundness, ground manners, ulcers, hotness, and the whole "one speed" (galloping) are issues that I and many people run into. 

I have had several. All track rejects. most made barrel horses some where just dinks. I have one right now that was a track reject (won 89.00) but he has won 50,000 in money and prizes as a barrel horse. He is semiretired but he can stiil go get a check at 18 years old. I like off the track horses at least you know they can run. The hard part is finding one that can get up under himself and turn.

I worry about soundness issues, especially if they were trained on really hard to run as 2 year olds. A lot of that depends on the breeder/ owner. If you're in the market for one maybe the thing to do is find someone that knows the track game in their/your area that can help you find a nice prospect. Good luck!

There is so much I love about track horses. Most have a pretty loveable personality and are easy learners. Most also don't have much buck in them, I'd like to know how they train that LOL. The couple I have had were really easy to pattern, in fact sometimes a little lazy. They are playful and willing little creatures.

Cons about them: Once the *racehorse* brain takes over, you may as well just step off. They don't know how to tie, mine pulled back like a b***** almost daily, and he was strong as an ox. Growing some manners takes some work. Soundness yes - you just never know what is going to pop up. There will be quirks when it is time to go fast (i.e. pawing, bouncing the head, bouncing the body). Teach them to back off the bit FIRST, most want to lean

I had a son of Mr. Trucka Jet.  Ran Triple A with a speed index of 93. He had wonderful conformation and was almost too fast for this ole lady (1D-2D).  Such fun to run barrels on and a world of talent but the heat and anxiety outside the arena and even just trying to ride him at home were a chore that never ended.  

No rate, soundness issues and most are too far behind to be a futurity horse.  

.......and all these responses are why this forum is so amazing!!!  I want riding to be fun considering I have to work an office job to pay for it.  Im glad to hear all these opinions/thoughts from other people with lots more experience than me.  I think it would be a crap shoot at best to get one and try to train some rate into it that may never happen.  I will scratch "off track race horse" off my list of possibilities :)  I guess the off track thoroughbreds work well for the English folks because they are not really asking for speed.  Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for their responses.  On to the next one........

Maybe I've been lucky over the last several horses but I LOVE off track horses.

They know how to run, they don't get scared at speed, work ethic for days, and they've been around the block and seen some stuff. Everybody has tied, loaded, stood for the farrier, etc. the first day they came home. A friend had one she had to teach to step over stuff because the mare had never had to step off a curb or been anywhere that wasn't perfectly set up for horses.

Under saddle, they've been soft in the face and a bit lazy but once they learn that the job is to go turn three barrels, they go turn three barrels. You do have to put rate in them but I'm good at that. Its why I don't ride naturally ratey horses. 

Feet usually need rehab and soundness is a roulette game for any horse you buy so I'll take my chances. 

I think one of the horses at the NFR last year was off the track? Can't remember. 

Before "barrel bred" was a thing, off track horses were way more common. 

Yes, there was. His name was Kr Famous Tequila (aka Tequila). He was ridden by Jennifer Sharp in 9 out of the 10 rounds. Tequila is a 9 year old stallion and is bred by  Dash Ta Fame x Tequikillya- Chicks Beduino.

He had 10 starts on the track and only placed 3rd twice. He only made $3,555.

Well dang you've had good luck with them.  How much do they typically sell for?  just a range I know it depends on a lot of factors like breeding, SI, races won etc etc......

Oh yeah! And that wasn't even the one I was thinking of.

Tracy Nowlin's mare, Dolly - didn't she run on the track for a minute? 

For racetrack rejects, I've seen anywhere from $1k to $7k. I paid $3500 for the last gelding I bought. 

I am another who has had great luck with horses off the track.  But I also tend to bring out "ratiness" in horses.  Not something I emphasize, it just happens.  I am also very selective in choosing the horse.  I want to know who/how they have been handled.  There are some trainers I would never want a horse from.  I also want to watch the horse at work.  The demeanor in the paddock and gates can give invaluable insight to a horses brain status.

Sometimes when owner/trainers feel like the horse has accomplished all that he can, they sell them pretty cheap.  

I grew up with OT horses. A lot of these comments are truly ludicrous. It all boils down to how good of a mind they have. A hot, fractious one probably won't make a barrel horse after they get done on the track. Leslie Willis has proven how to be successful with OT horses. Cody Bausserman won FT Smith a few years ago on an Azoom. I'm pretty sure he was OT. Sydney Blanchard has sold some high money earning OT horses as barrel horses that are 1D horses. Her dad runs them, Sydney tries them when they are done. YouTube Zoomin Zorro. Cup Crazy was an OT horse that won a huge barrel race a number of years ago. Seems like there were a few at the NFR last year.

Most of the really good OT ones end up going to Mexico though where they are match raced and never heard of again. Also a lot of successful OT barrel horses  are known by their barn name. 

That was exactly the point that was being made.  It all boils down to the mind and how these horses were handled at the track.  These comments were not ludicrous.  Most are overwhelmed at a very young age.  Naturally there are exceptions.