Approximately 20,000 Thoroughbred foals are born each year. By the time they are two or three years old, few make the grade to become money winning racehorses. This leaves an ongoing supply of retired racehorses looking for new jobs.
Megan Arszman shares that not all retired racehorses find new jobs doing 3-day eventing or show jumping. Many end up being cow horses and they are good at it.
Source: Horse and Rider, January 6, 2020. Link. For cow sense and versatility, most Western riders think Quarter Horse. Not all agree although clearly not everyone is cut out to transition a racehorse into a ranch horse.
“Thoroughbreds probably have more natural cow in them than any Quarter Horse I’ve ever ridden.” – Dale Simanton