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1275 owens store road
canton, georgia 30115

phone
770-704-6595

Welcome to Bits & Bytes Farm

Thoroughbred Horses For Sale

"Horses for sale." Those words can be exciting or scary depending on whether you are a buyer or a seller.

If you are a race track trainer who has a horse for sale who is sound but not competitive, what do you do with him? The public cannot get onto the race track without a licensed professional to show them around. Trainers don't have the time to give tours of the race track. Taking a horse to auction is not an option if you are a trainer who cares about your horses. These are the trainers we get our horses from.

If you are a buyer of a Thoroughbred horse for sale, how do you find a sound one? How do you know the seller is telling your the truth. At least if he is racing you can look up his pedigree and race records. Click here to see a buyer's checklist.

We know our sellers and we watch the horses that we list on our Prospect Horses For Sale page. Our contacts look over the horses and check to see that they have a good mind and are not crazy. They do not make any money until your horse has passed the vet check. There is no incentive to list a horse on this Web site if he will not pass the vet check. Not all horses for sale do pass the vet check. We encourage any buyer of an ex-race horse to do a thorough background and vet check.

Heather's Best was a former steeplechase horse who is now a horse for sale at our farm.

We have contacts at mid level race tracks all over the country. They know which trainers are good trainers who takes special care of their horses. They know which ones to avoid. Our contacts do the leg work for you and assist in getting a thorough vet check done. Our contacts include: trainers, exercise riders, jockeys and veterinarians.

You might get lucky finding an OTTB at one of the Thoroughbred rescue groups listed on our Links page. Many of the more caring trainers send their horses to these organizations when they are no longer raceable. Unfortunately, there are more horses that need homes than the rescue organizations can take. Many of the horses that end up at a rescue are worn out or have an injury that will limit what they can do. They focus their efforts at the lower end tracks where the horses are most at risk for going to slaughter.

There are too many sane and sound race horses that need new careers. They are the affordable option to the current warmblood craze. Many Thoroughbreds move as well as a warmblood but they are lighter and easier to maneuver. They are intelligent, sensitive and easy to train. They are not suitable for green or timid riders but are highly prized by knowledgeable horsemen and women. The Thoroughbred race horse is "the athlete" of the equine world.

The Mission of Bits & Bytes Farm is to help sellers (of Thoroughbred race horses for sale) to find buyers who have the ability to transition these horses to new careers. We offer assistance and guidance to make sure the horses we sell are successfully placed. Our Success Stories are proof that Thoroughbred ex-race horses make great sport horses and family members.

Learn more about our Thoroughbreds by taking a virtual tour of our farm and see the beautiful thoroughbred horses for sale at our farm. 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 the horses we've sold and look here for resale horses.
• Read our past "Newz" stories to follow the training of our horses and see the fun we have been having.
• We add so much new content each week that we post the updates on our "What's New on the Site" page.

We are Match Makers NOT Horse Traders

When we sell a horse, we require that the new owners stay in touch and provide us with updates. These updates are posted on our Success Stories pages so that the sellers of the horses know that their horses are doing well and have not gone back to racing or been slaughtered. The sellers will call us again when they have a Thoroughbred who needs to get off –the-track – but only if they are sure the previous horse they sold us has found a good home. We have even been contacted by the breeders of horses we have sold. They have called to thank us for finding a home for a horse they bred.

Artrageous and Linnea Boyce of Foxhaven Farm in Jennings, Florida

We Minimize the Risk of Buying an OTTB

Buying an off-the-track Thoroughbred through Bits & Bytes Farm takes away a lot of the risk in buying a horse off-the-track. Because the horse is an ex-racer, you can look up his pedigree on-line (for free) and also find his detailed race record at the official Jockey Club Web site.

What makes us different than other sources for OTTBs? Our racetrack contacts! We have trainers, owners, exercise riders, jockeys, pony riders and even veterinarians watching to find good sound horses who need a new career. We have worked with them for many years and they know the quality that we expect before we will list a horse on our Web site.

Our racetrack contacts will tell you about the horse's temperament and what his exercise riders, grooms and trainers say about the horse. A vet check at the track will let you know if the horse is healthy and sound.

If the horse was originally purchased through Bits & Bytes Farm and is being resold, the horse’s latest history should be recorded on the Success Stories page. You'll know without a doubt, who has had the horse, what he has been doing and why he is for sale. If the Thoroughbred is here at the farm, you know that he was purchased to be trained and sold to a good home.

Fizzicus was a 2006 Prospect Horse for sale. He won races at Aqueduct.

OTTB and former Prospect Horse for Sale - Fizzicus with his new mom Amanda at Bits& Bytes Farm.

We get our horses from some of the better trainers and racetracks around the country. These are not rescues or horses that have been run into the ground.

Compare buying an OTTB, from Bits & Bytes Farm, to buying a horse that has never raced from a stranger. You have no way of knowing for sure who the horse is, what his age is, what he has been doing or why he is being sold. You had better know and trust the seller to feel good about THAT purchase!

When you purchase an off-the-track Thoroughbred from Bits & Bytes Farm, you have lots of information from which to make a buying decision - more than if you are buying a horse locally from someone you do not know.

Absultootly was a Bargain Barn horse who found a great home with the Lawson family!

Anna Lawson loves her new OTTB - Absultootly. April 2007

Success Stories!!!

The Success Stories bring us great pleasure. Finding homes for these ex-races is not always easy and certainly not profitable. Our reward comes from hearing how these Thoroughbreds have brought joy and happiness into your life. Thank you for sharing these stories. We work hard to update them in a timely fashion.

The Success Stories pages are proof to the former owners and trainers of these off-the-track thoroughbreds that their horses have found good homes and new careers. Many trainers and owners of Thoroughbreds have found us through our Success Stories and asked us to find a home for their horses. The owners and trainers who really love their horses are happy to find us. They know that we will find good homes for their horses. Your Success Stories are letting them know they have done a good thing for their horses. They will call on us again when they have another horse that needs a home.

We have our first International horse sale! Former December 2006 Prospect Horse for Sale -Whozierhurry has made it safely to Mexico! His new name is "Kolibri".

The Success Stories also show potential buyers what to expect when they buy a horse sight-unseen off our Web site. We ask the buyers of our horses to be open and honest with their updates. This gives Elizabeth the opportunity to share training suggestions. There will be bumps along the road to training your horse, but they are easily navigated with help from Bits & Bytes Farm. We are always here to offer suggestions and advice.

If you are a buyer who has not been in touch lately – shame on you. The success of our mission depends on everyone upholding their end of the contract. Each Bill of Sale states that you will provide us with updates on the horse which will be posted on the site. Our Bill of Sale is a written contract which we expect each buyer to honor.

We often take road trips to visit horses we have sold. Elizabeth visits Vicky Vicky Vicky in Florida and even got to ride her in the forest.

How Will We Help You Resell Your Horse?

Sometimes it becomes necessary to find a new home for your horse. Life situations change or maybe the horse is not suited for your discipline or he is injured. We will always help find a home for any horse we have sold. How? We will add the FOR SALE notice to the horse's Success Stories. We will also talk with any prospective buyers who call us and let them know about your horse. IF, you have kept up your horse's Success Stories, a potential buyer will know exactly what the horse has been doing since he left the track. We have a drop down menu listing all of the OTTBs AVAILABLE FOR RESALE on our Success Stories page.

"Pretty", now known as Tater, and her mom Halliea Milner. Pretty is now available for sale.

We ask that you send us a current photo and a write up as to why the horse is for sale so that we can add it to the Success Stories page for your horse. If you have not kept up with the Success Stories and do not provide current photos, it is going to be difficult to place your horse. It is written on our Bill of Sale that we will always help you find a new home for your horse should it ever become necessary. We never want to hear that a horse we sold has been resold at auction!

Austin's Wolf was a purchased as a Prospect Horse and then resold from our farm for his owner.

You will be amazed at how many people follow our site and dream of owning one of our horses. They live vicariously through YOUR successes and enjoy seeing how the horse's training is moving along. These people will be the first to call if your horse is listed for sale on our Success Stories. Sometimes a person who was afraid to take a chance on a Prospect Horse, still at the the track, will buy him now you have gotten him off-the-track and done some training.

Training Notes from Elizabeth

The Training Notes from Elizabeth have shown to be one of the most popular sections of the Web site. Elizabeth has had many requests to write a book. Until, that time, check in on the Training Notes from Elizabeth page and read through the different Success Stories to see training notes specific to each horse and their training. We have now posted Elizabeth's handouts from her seminar at the Maryland HorseWorld Expo. They include the chiropractic stretching exercises we do with our horses.

Thank YOU for making Our Web Site a Hit!

Many people follow our Web site each day. Our unique visitors number between 600 and 1000 visitors each day. Many of these visitors check the site several times during the day so they are not recorded as unique visitors. We have over ONE MILLION hits each month. A hit is a click on a page on our Web site. We average 69.54, "hits" per visit.

We know you are out there hitting the pages on our Web site dreaming of getting your own OTTB. What are you waiting for? Give us a call and find out about your favorite horse. You might just find out that he is your “perfect match”! Until then, enjoy our Web site and donate to a rescue group listed on our Links page. You may not be in a position to purchase an off-the-track Thoroughbred today but you can make a difference in the life of one or more OTTBs by donating to a Thoroughbred horse rescue organization.

Our three dobermans were all rescue dogs. Miss Sydney loves living at the farm. June 23, 2007

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.

Bounced is our newest horse for sale 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!

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

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