Katie Peery: Pacific Northwest’s ‘Go-To’ Girl

All photos from Katie Peery
A lifelong horsewoman, Katie Peery was exposed to retired racehorses from an early age when she helped trainers in Southern California transition off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) to new careers.
In 2001, she purchased her own OTTB and the pair competed up to intermediate level in eventing convincing her to make an even bigger commitment to Thoroughbreds by moving her career to the racetrack.
“In 2006, I took a career as a groom on the racetrack as a way to continue getting nice horses off the track to train and sell,” Peery said. “I started selling a few horses here and there for one trainer, and then I added a few more trainers to the list and buyers were coming out of the woodwork!
“I now have a network of great trainers I sell for at tracks in Oregon, Washington and California. Seeing these horses thrive, on and off the track, really makes a fulfilling career for me!”

In the last 10 years, Peery has become a familiar face in the Northwest when it comes to connecting racehorses to a second career. Racehorse trainers around the area, a majority from Portland Meadows in Portland, Ore., let her know when they have a horse who is about to be retired from the track. Likewise, people looking for retired racehorses also contact her to find their perfect horse.
“I am now the ‘go-to’ girl for people looking to purchase Thoroughbreds off the track in the Northwest, and I absolutely love seeing horses I have watched race move into successful new careers across the country! I regularly get pictures, updates and show results from horses I have sold, and I pass them on to their former racing connections.”
When she was 20, Peery started Hidden Fox Farm Horse Sales and has sold more than 250 OTTBs. During the Portland Meadows meet, which runs in the fall and winter, she can have up to 20 horses available for a new career and regularly sends horses to the East Coast from her base at Hidden Fox Farm near Portland.
“Most of the horses I market are selling directly from the racetrack, but I take home several each year to retrain and sell for clients that would like the horses to have a bit of a restart in a career after leaving their racing career,” she said. “I currently have several Thoroughbreds I am working with — my personal event horse, Lakehorse Court; my 9-year-old daughter’s horse, Krypto Magic; our racehorse, Cardinal N' Gold; and I have a really great gelding in training, Escaping the Storm.”

With the advent of programs such as The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program and the Retired Racehorse Project, Peery has seen the popularity of Thoroughbreds rise again. She said that programs such as those two have added a broader market to the retired racehorse industry and encouraged people to go to the track to find their next horse.
Another perk to OTTBs is that it has allowed people with a smaller budget to get a nice horse without breaking the bank.
But, Peery warns that people need to keep a few things in mind when going to look at the horses on the track because the environment there is different than that they’ll face when moving into a new career as a sporthorse.
“Keep an open mind,” she said. “Know that when you go to the track, you will often be looking at young, race-fit and highly fed individuals. Don't discount a horse for its overall freshness, consider that horse will change quite a bit once it adapts to its new environment off the track, new feed program, daily turnout, etc. I always recommend vetting to all potential buyers. Even a basic flexion and a quick listen to heart and lungs can save you in the long run.”
Peery also recommends giving the horse a job soon after coming off the track, even if it is just taking walks around his new home.
“Thoroughbreds at the track are used to a routine, whether it be going to the hot walker, galloping, ponying or racing, they are doing something every day,” she said. “I like to bring horses home at the track and let them adjust to their new environment, then I start in with work on the ground, even if it is just hand-grazing and walking around their property for the first few weeks. I also like to take my OTTBs to hang out at horse shows and other busy places to get them used to lots of horses of new places without any pressure of competing. Keep in mind your horse is well broke, they just need you to teach them how to work in their new job.”

As for what second careers OTTBs should point to, Peery says that the breed’s traits make them perfect for anything their new owners want to do with them, especially jumping disciplines.
“Thoroughbreds have a tremendous work ethic, athleticism and heart that I have not found in other breeds,” Peery said. “They truly enjoy having a job, and they strive to please their riders. Thoroughbreds have a natural talent for jumping. They tend to be good movers and are generally brave, so they make the ideal candidate for eventing and other equestrian sports.”
Peery is always willing to help new owners transition their OTTBs from racetrack life to their new sporthorse careers, whether the goal is to sell them or just to get them ready for the new owner to take over. For more information on Peery and Hidden Fox Farm Horse Sales, you can visit her Facebook page here.