Can You Help?

This is the time of year when Thoroughbred race horses are most at risk. The rescue groups do their best to find "at risk" horses and rescue them. Still, too many Thoroughbreds need to find homes. Even horses that are sound are "at risk" of going to an auction because the trainer does not have the resources to take care of the horse over the winter. We will be putting up lots of photos in the next few weeks. This is the best time to buy!

Can't afford to buy but would like to help? Please donate generously to your favorite Thoroughbred rescue group. We have many of their Web sites listed on our Links page.

We can't save them all but we CAN make a difference in the life of ONE horse. Won't you help feed a rescue?

After the Finish Line by Bill Heller "Read this book and you
will know why we started
Bits & Bytes Farm .
Be sure to have several
boxes of tissues at hand."
- Elizabeth Wood

Best of Horses

Preferred Vendor in the
Canton, Georgia
Horse Boarding
Stables Directory
at NewHorse.com.

Preferred Vendor in the
Canton, Georgia
Horse Sales & Breeding
Directory at NewHorse.com.

July 15, 2006

Don't forget to check what's new on the site.
UPDATED: July 16, 2006

Jennifer Gralow and Samson

Bits & Bytes Farm intern, Jennifer Gralow, and her OTTB - Samson.

NEW WEB PAGE! Check out our BARGAIN BARN page of special needs horses.
NEW -July 13, 2006

New Training Notes from Elizabeth.
UPDATED: July 16, 2006

NEW Prospect Horses for Sale. Our new format allows for more photos of each horse. July 10, 2006 - Call we have more at very low prices! Going, Going - Gone. Brett, Finders Chance and Political pull are now at Bits & Bytes Farm.

Read our Success Stories
New Success Stories and updates to older ones! Thank you for staying in touch and letting us share in your successes! -
UPDATED: July 5, 2006

Looking for former Home page stories? They are listed by date and on our NEWZ page.

NEW PROSPECT HORSES almost daily at this time of the year. Check back often or better yet call and put in your order!

 

 

 

OTTB - Austin's Wolf at his first horse show.

Click here to read OTTB - Austin's Wolf Success Stories. This is his photo from his first horse show!

 

 

 

Thank you Mark Walter Lehner for the use of these beautiful photos on both Grayboo's Success Stories pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bits & Bytes Farm intern, Jennifer Gralow riding OTTB Finder's Chance.

Bits & Bytes Farm intern, Jennifer Gralow riding OTTB Finder's Chance.

"I was fortunate enough to ride "Chance" and Brett. I was amazed at how easily they adjusted to what I asked them to do. They responded willingly to my leg and "Chance" was eager to jump his very first fence. "

 

 

 

 

 

Off-the-track Thoroughbred - Brett and Jennifer.

Off-the-track Thoroughbred - Brett and Jennifer. Brett, Finder's Chance and Political Pull were three of our 25 Special Horses that needed homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First ride with Finder's Chance

Finder's Chance's first ride off-the-track. It was a very quiet ride which included learning to jump!

First ride with Finder's Chance

Finder's Chance learns to jump.

 

 

 

Artic Gamble with his "Friend" Tom Coffee.

Artic Gamble with his "Friend" Tom Coffee

 

 

 

 

Pride of the Fox with Friend of Bits & Bytes Farm Morgan Harbin.

Pride of the Fox with "Friend of Bits & Bytes Farm" Morgan Harbin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friend of Bits & Bytes Kimberly Horne and Light Artillery.

Friend of Bits & Bytes Kimberly Horne and Light Artillery taking a dressage lesson with Vera Vogt.

 

 

 

Niki Rawls and Era of Chanago take a lesson with Vera Vogt.

Friend of Bits & Bytes Farm Niki Rawls and Era of Chanago take a lesson with Vera Vogt.

 

 

Skip is one of our favorite trainers

Skip is one of our favorite trainers to buy Thoroughbreds from. His shirt says it all -"Horses are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!"

 

 

 

 

Brett is one of our three new horses for sale at Bits & Bytes Farm

Brett is one of our three new horses for sale at Bits & Bytes Farm

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Bits & Bytes Farm

 

Welcome to Bits & Bytes Farm on the Web. Take a virtual tour of the farm and see the beautiful thoroughbred horses we have for sale. Follow their training and learn how we bring them from racetrack to a new career in the show ring, fox hunting or eventing. The "Horses for Sale" page has horses that are here at the farm. If you have the skills to take one right from the track but not the contacts, check out our "Prospect Horses for Sale" page. Follow the Success Stories of Horses Sold with the help of Bits & Bytes Farm. Read our past "Newz" stories and watch for new postings on our "What's New on the Site" page.

Click here to tell your friends about this Web site.

River Downs - Thoroughbred racing in Ohio

Training Off-the-track Thoroughbreds

Bits & Bytes Farm's mission is educating people about off-the-track Thoroughbreds and finding permanent loving homes for ex-race horses. Too many people are prejudiced against Thoroughbreds because of the myths they have heard. In our effort to find good homes for Thoroughbreds we have found it necessary to use our Web site to educate and share the horses' own Success Stories to "tell the rest of the story". Our Success Stories are real stories, from real buyers, of the Thoroughbreds we have identified as good prospect horses for new careers. They tell of their successes and their learning challenges. Please spend some time reading them if you are considering buying a Thoroughbred off-the-track.

OTTB - Grayboo's Success Stories

Grayboo and Amanda. Click here to read their Success Stories. Photo copyright Mark Walter Lehner. See more of Mark's wonderful photographs at : www.HoofClix.com

We feel it is necessary to teach other people to do what we do because we cannot possibly save all the Thoroughbreds that are no longer wanted at the track. Most important is that they find a home with people who can train them for a new career. This is not difficult, but their training is serious business. Thoroughbreds are smart and if allowed to get away with bad behavior they could become dangerous and again would be at risk of going to auction/slaughter. So in the interest of teaching others to train Thoroughbreds, Bits & Bytes Farm has taken on our first intern, Jennifer Gralow.

Jennifer meets Finder's Chance at Turfway Park in Kentucky.
Intern Jennifer Gralow meets Finder's Chance for the first time at Turfway Park in Kentucky.

Jennifer spent one month at the farm learning to train off-the-track Thoroughbreds. She is a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill in upstate New York. As her "final exam" we took her to Turfway Park and River Downs to pick up three former Prospect Horses for Sale, Finder's Chance, Political Pull and Brett to bring to the farm for training. She was the first rider, off-the-track, to get on two of the three new horses. Here is her story.

Intern Gains "Real World" Experience with OTTBs

Two years ago I bought my horse, Samson, off-the-track. I originally bought him with the intention of retraining him and selling him, however the bond which was established between the two of us made it impossible for me to let him go. His intelligence, gentleness, and capacity to love instead inspired me to want to help other ex-racers find a home, a life apart from what they had known at the track, and a chance to begin a new career.

OTTB - Finder's Chance and Jennifer Gralow
Finder's Chance.

I found the Web site for Bits & Bytes Farm a few months ago when I was looking for a place to do my school internship, to complete my degree in Animal and Equine Science. I had previously looked at several other farms, however, nothing at those facilities compared to the program that was being offered at Bits & Bytes Farm; they offered every aspect of the retraining process that I was looking to learn about. Since arriving almost four weeks ago I have had the opportunity to work with: Dr. Lance Cleveland, the equine chiropractor, Sally Reid the massage therapist, Chase New, the farrier, Jason Cashin, the equine dentist and Vera Vogt, the dressage instructor.

Vera Vogt with OTTB Brett
Vera Vogt and Brett with intern Jennifer. This was Brett's first time in our arena and he was fantastic as Jennifer's dressage lesson horse. He rounded and came down lightly on the bit.

I have also been able to visit the tracks at River Downs and Turfway Park with Barry and Elizabeth to pick up several horses that were ready to come off-the-track and begin their new careers. This has been a positive experience for me and it has given me the necessary skills to begin my own retraining program at home in New York.

First ride with Finder's Chance
Finder's Chance's first ride away from the race track.

Bits & Bytes Farm is a very unique facility, offering the essential components required to rehabilitate Thoroughbreds for a new life after the track. In addition to the support team of professionals that work diligently with the horses, there are many "Friends of Bits and Bytes Farm" that aid in their care and retraining. These "Friends" help to ease the horses into their new careers. The farm provides a warm and safe environment for the horses, where they are able to become horses again without the stress accompanied with racing.

Elizabeth Wood rides Political Pull for the first time.
Elizabeth Wood rides Political Pull for the first time.

I have witnessed it with the three horses that made the trip home with us from the track. Political Pull, Finder’s Chance and Brett have settled into their new home at the farm. They receiving a lot of love and care from their new "friends" - which they have happily accepted. This week "Pull", Brett and "Chance" had their very first rides off-the-track.

Finder's Chance gives Jennifer a ride at Bits & Bytes Farm.
Jennifer was lucky enough to get the first ride on OTTB Finder's Chance after he came to Bits & Bytes Farm.

I was fortunate enough to ride "Chance" and Brett. I was amazed at how easily they adjusted to what I asked them to do. They responded willingly to my leg and "Chance" was eager to jump his very first fence. I was impressed by the ease in which the horses rode and I told Elizabeth that I’ve been on trained horses that haven’t responded as well as Finder's Chance and Brett..

Learning at Bits & Bytes Farm has been a wonderful experience. It offered me another opportunity to learn about the retraining process and realize that with a little kindness, these horses can have a chance at a second career.

If you are interested in a working student/intern position please send us an e-mail and tell us what you would like to learn at Bits & Bytes Farm.

More Success Stories to warm your heart

Do you still want to read MORE Success Stories? Go to our Success Stories page and choose a horse from the list on the right side of the page. Follow your favorite horse as he/she is trained for a new career after the finish line.

Vera Vogt and OTTB Pride of the Fox working on their dressage skills.
Vera Vogt and OTTB Pride of the Fox working on their dressage skills.

Call or come by for a visit - but please call first!

Please call us to discuss which horse might be the best match for you based on riding skill, experience and equine personality. We do not send out videos because it is important to match the personality of the horse with the personality of the rider. We are matchmakers, not horse brokers. We have horses in a wide price range. Prospect horses will not be sold to beginners or children without a full time trainer.

Morning turnout at Bits & Bytes Farm
Morning turnout at Bits & Bytes Farm

Not all horses are available for sale when they first come to the farm. We like to work with them for a while to teach them the basics of being a safe sport horse and to make sure they are healthy. You are welcome to visit and to get on a waiting list to be the first to ride them when we feel they are ready to be ridden by our visitors. Call us to discuss prices or to schedule an appointment. We are sorry but we cannot accommodate you if you just drop in unannounced. We'd love to have you come meet all of our horses--we know that it will be worth your time. Just bring peppermints!

Our security team springs into action. Sydney, Wizard and Zulu.


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© 2006 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm /Egeland Wood & Zuber, Inc.
Warning: Our images are marked with both visible and invisible watermarks.