An OTTB is a brave soul, an animal with movement in his bones, an athlete of tremendous power; but most of all, an OTTB is a horse to love.
The Head and Not the Heart by Natalie Keller Reinert
ilovehorses.net
‘s first guest blogger. One of Natalie’s passions is Off-the-Track-Thoroughbreds, or retired racehorses that go on to other careers. Check out Natalie’s novel The Head and Not the Heart
, which has 5 stars on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. — Kristin Berkery
by Natalie Reinert
You’ve heard of OTTBs, of course. You have a friend with a friend who bought a horse off the track. She told you they’re those hot, crazy, fire-breathing dragons you see leaping onto their owner’s heads at horse shows. They’re those mad, spooky animals that take off when a branch snaps beneath a hoof, turning a trail ride into a tantrum. They’re those fragile, sensitive beasts that break out in hives when they’re touched by a butterfly.
Neville Bardos, an OTTB who avoided slaughter and survived a barn fire, pictured with Boyd Martin. He is a possible candidate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic equestrian team. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld/USEA
But wait, that can’t be the whole story. OTTBs are making the news these days, from the
Retired Racehorse Trainer Challenge to the high-profile stories on miracle horses like Neville Bardos, the Australian OTTB whose will to not just live but get back to work as a 4* event horse has made headlines in equine and mass media.
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Kristin is a digital marketing expert, artist, and voiceover talent in Sacramento, California, with a life-long passion for horses. In her spare time she’s active with her daughter and son. See Kristin’s marketing agency and LinkedIn profile.
