About Our Thoroughbreds

Please read our Rider's Prayer poem below
and feel free to share it with other horse lovers.

Fame for a Day at Bits & Bytes Farm

Era of Chanago at Bits & Bytes Farm

We have found the thoroughbred breed to be often misrepresented. In truth, they are extremely sensitive, intelligent and have a strong desire to please. They are extremely athletic and excel at any discipline of riding.

You cannot bully a thoroughbred. They are smart and will respond to you as you relate to them. Show them kindness and you will get it back double. Our thoroughbreds are more like big lovable dogs. They come when called and let you hug their heads. They love peppermints and any kind of treat. They love being ridden and have a strong work ethic. They are not lazy or slow like many breeds and that is where the misunderstanding starts. A light touch on the reins and a quiet seat is all they ask. Given that they willing move forward to the task at hand. They puff up with praise and seem very proud of their accomplishments and try even harder to please you.

From Elizabeth . . .

I have be riding all my life and now my passion now is getting these beautiful thoroughbreds off the track and ready for a new career. I have developed connections with trainers and veterinarians at several race tracks. This allows me to find sound thoroughbreds that are either getting too old to race (five or six years old) or are just too slow and not competitive anymore.

The profile of the horses we look for is:

sound
clean legged and well put together
between 16 to 17 hands
geldings (we can find you mares)
kind eye and quiet temperament
flashy good looks
between the ages of three and seven

My goal (and my husband's) is to find these horses a special owner who will bring out their full potential. I am not a "horse trader". I make my living with computers. I will only sell a horse if the match is a good one. They all gained training at our farm. We know the personality, temperament and talents of each of these horses. This is not a sale barn where you find horses with no history. We will provide you with their Jockey Club papers, racing record and training history.

If you are interested in these one of these horses, please give me a call to discuss them further.

If you have a limited budget, we can still help you to find a beautiful thoroughbred. There are many thoroughbreds that need a little time to recover from the stress of racing. These horses don't have permanent injuries but do need "down" time to come back to soundness for pleasure riding or competition. Many will be 100% sound, given some time off --even for racing, but the trainer does not have the time, money or facility to wait on recovery. We only bring these horses back if we have a buyer lined up. Many of our friends have bought horses in this way and now they are sound enough even for racing. They got a bargain and the horse was saved from the auction blocks and possibly the killers.

If you really have a big heart and want to take a "rescue" horse, we can find one for you very inexpensively or even for free. By rescue we mean that the horse has serious injuries and will never be fit for racing. The horse may be fine for pleasure riding or breeding, or, may not ever be rideable. Without a home, they end up at auctions where the killers buy them for dog food or even human consumption! We have veterinarians at the track that will give us their best guesstimate of their future potential. These horses have worked hard all their short lives and deserve better.

"A Riders Prayer"

Dearest Creator in Heaven,
Give me strength to guide my horse.
Make my hands soft and my head clear.
Let my horse understand me and I him.
My heart you have blessed with a special love of these animals.
Let me never loose sight of it.
My soul you have gifted with a deep need for them.
Let that need never lessen.
Always let my breath catch as the sun gleams on an elegant head.
Always may my throat tighten at the sound of a gentle nicker.
Let the scent of fresh hay and a new bag of grain be sweet to me.
Let the touch of a warm nose on my hand always bring a smile.
I adore the joy of a warm day on the farm.
The grace and splendor of a running horse,
The thunder of its hooves makes my eyes burn and my heart soar.
Let it always be so.
Dearest Creator grant me patience,
For horses are harnessed wind, and wind can be flighty.
Let me not frighten or harm them.
Instead show me ways to understand them.
Above all, dear Creator, fill my life with them.
When I pass from this world,
Send my soul to no heaven without them.
For this love you have given me graces my existence
And I shall cherish it and praise You for it for all time.
---Unknown Author