Advice on new recently-ex racehorse

tobiano1984

tobiano1984

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Next week I'm taking delivery of a 3yo TB gelding - I've owned ex racers before but not one straight out of training. I'm experienced with youngsters generally but just wondered if anyone had tips/advice to help things go smoothly!
he's only raced 8 times and is too slow, is nicely mannered and quiet (his owner is a friend of mine so I know I'm getting the truth) - he currently doesn't get turned out at his trainers so I wondered how best to deal with that? I've got lots of fields so he can go in with 2 unshod horses - a pony and a Coblet, or can go in his own.
Any general pointers on transitioning him from trainers yard to normal life would be great to hear!
 
Hi there, no amazing advice from me I'm afraid, but will be watching this with great interest as I'm about to do exactly the same.

Good luck and let us know how you get on :-)
 
I braved just sticking mine out, thankfully he was fine.

Some people find those that have been turned out in 'cages' have no respect for fencing so that is something worth considering.

I had one really straight off the track in that after 1000000 attempts and no success i was there at the race trace when the owner said 'do you want him?!'
Depending on the yard they can be a bit institutionalised, and very dependent on routine, and might get a bit upset if that gets lax.
Erm remember that schooling with other horses in there all doing their own thing can be a bit like going the wrong way down the motorway for them

Neither of mine have ever caused me or anyone great issues, but i'd never take on a really hot one.
 
We bought a gelding out of Ascot sales last year. He arrived at lunchtime and went straight out in a post and rail fenced paddock adjacent to my other two's field. After a couple days they were turned out in a big 4 acre field all together without any issues. Tb only had front shoes on and my two are unshod.
 
Reg and Bee had a long time off when they came out of racing through injury- Reg 18 months, and Bee 7 months. Reg was just chucked out to see what Dr Green could do (he came sound beautifully), but Bee spent a good 2 months of that on total box rest with restricted movement (broke her leg).

I think the time off did them both good in breaking the strict routine they'd been in, and so breaking the racing mentality a fair bit. It's like any other horsey place that operates on a large scale, there's a routine and it's stuck to. It's not singular to racing. But they both had an extended field holiday to settle and gain weight, and then just started being ridden like any other backed green horse... Bee was completely rebacked as she had a history of being a mentalist but Reg Al just got on and rode away. He was doing an 80cm 4 months later!
 
Personally I would put him out with the pony for a few days so he has a settled field companion to help him cope with the change and then kick on and do some work with him, even if it is only a walk round the school or lanes for a week or two. He will be fully fit and expecting work so letting them down gradually does them better in the long run than just punting them out in a field.
 
You should let him have as much turnout as possible with other horses. Pull the shoes (if he has them) and just let him be a young horse. He will grow and mature quite a bit over the next couple of years (remember no horse is skeletally mature until they are 5 1/2 minimum). It's up to you how many months you let him have off, but IMO it should be at least until the summer. When bringing exracers back into work the two main things we worked on was 1, training the horse to stand by the mounting block and the rider mounting in the normal way, rather than the rider being given a leg up while the horse walks and 2, taking a contact without speeding up.
 
Faracat said:
You should let him have as much turnout as possible with other horses. Pull the shoes (if he has them) and just let him be a young horse. He will grow and mature quite a bit over the next couple of years (remember no horse is skeletally mature until they are 5 1/2 minimum). It's up to you how many months you let him have off, but IMO it should be at least until the summer. When bringing exracers back into work the two main things we worked on was 1, training the horse to stand by the mounting block and the rider mounting in the normal way, rather than the rider being given a leg up while the horse walks and 2, taking a contact without speeding up.
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This sounds like excellent advise and i watch this thread with interest. Good luck and dont forget the pics or we just wont believe you :D
 
If straight out of racing and still oated up. Keep in for few days. Change feed. Farrier etc. get to now horse. Then gradual turn out. The lifestyle will be totally different and will stress system. Keep an eye on feet racers have notoriously week feet and for signs of ulcers. Have fun.
 
I have an ex racer, he was off for 18 months though with injury before I got him.
But I would get him into a routine, turn him out for a few hours a day, get him used to coming in and out and when its feed time. Change his feed and just generally get him used to you and his new surroundings. Life on a racing yard is so different it will take some getting used to but if he's got a good temperament to start with he should just take it all in, my boy did and he's a star :).
Good luck!
 
i'm another who would turn him out till summer.

I got one and two years ago and started lunging and light work, he did it but wasn't 100% happy and had issues. Last year turned him away for six months and he came back a completely different horse, much more relaxed and chilled out. The break where he could just be a horse definitely matured him, before it he was very routine orientated and got upset very easily. When he came back he was a lot more confident in his own skin and laid back. If I could rewind the clock I would have put him out immediately when I got him.
 
I just put mine straight out - he had been in for 2 weeks - on his own and he was fine!! However he was 9 so was a bit more grown up so I started re-schooling him straight away. If i were you i would just turn away for a few months, let the bad weather go and start in the summer, if he is only 3.
 
When I helped retraining ex racers, they all went straight out. Because they were joining an existing herd that knew the routine, they fitted in quickly. None had trouble or paced the fence/gate.

RE hooves, he's only 3, so hopefully his hooves wont be too shoe sick.
 
Thanks everyone, some helpful tips and mostly reinforcing what I was thinking of doing. My main worry is turning him out in the wet fields (even my fields on a hill seem to be covered in puddles..!) - I don't want him to go bonkers and hurt himself in deep mud. What I think I'll do is keep him in for a few days - partly to get an idea of his temperament, and partly to get his oats/corn out of his system - if he seems level headed I can turn him out in a post and rail school next door to the other horses for a few hours. I will aim to get his shoes off before turning out in a field to minimise risk of hurting himself/pulling them off. When the fields have dried out a bit and/or we decide he's not likely to go bonkers I can turn him out with the pony and 5 yo cob - they're very quiet in the field but will still be keen to play.
I don't really want to work him properly given that he's not 3 til the end of Jan - I'm aware that he'll be fit having last raced on 20th Dec, so would rather do groundwork/manners training to keep him thinking and maybe lead out round the lanes, and then in the Spring/Summer start work on him properly.

Watch this space!
 
This is him by the way, he's got a lovely silver tail. Currently 15.2/15.3. Out of Holy Roman Emperor and a Kyllachy mare.

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The downside of keeping him in, is that all that pent up energy could result in a big hooley once he does go out. So watch how he's doing and judge it carefully. I always introduce to the quietest horse first, so your pony and cob sound ideal. Do remember that sometimes the horse at the bottom of the pecking order can be quite bossy with new horses.

I'd get the white leg markings (and the other legs too ;)) covered in barrier cream before he goes out. His hooves don't look too bad in that photo.

The silver tail is called 'gulastra plume' and I have a real soft spot for horses with it as I once owned a super anglo that had it. :)
 
Faracat said:
The downside of keeping him in, is that all that pent up energy could result in a big hooley once he does go out. So watch how he's doing and judge it carefully. I always introduce to the quietest horse first, so your pony and cob sound ideal. Do remember that sometimes the horse at the bottom of the pecking order can be quite bossy with new horses.

I'd get the white leg markings (and the other legs too ;)) covered in barrier cream before he goes out. His hooves don't look too bad in that photo.

The silver tail is called 'gulastra plume' and I have a real soft spot for horses with it as I once owned a super anglo that had it. :)
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Hmm I know it's a bit of a toss up - it might be safer in the long run to put him out straight away, but will have to assess when he arrives - I've not even met him but his owner seems to think he's quiet (and she owns a few). The pony and cob are perfect - they don't seem too bossy with each other and are unshod and small.

His hooves look fairly good but I guess he's only been in work for less than a year (first race in May 2013, not sure how long he'd have been ridden before that). They don't look as flat as some older ex-racers I've seen.

I've not heard of a gulastra plume before! Looks lovely :-)
 
Holy Roman Emperor's can be very hot and he looks like he is being led in a lip chain in that photo. Apart from that, a nice horse. I think it would be unfair just to turf him out at the moment, but when you do turn him out be careful with getting him used to the rug. At Shadwell we lunged all the yearlings in rugs prior to turn out so that they didn't go mad when they felt the rug move on their backs in the field. I've had a few ex-racers of my own, all straight off the trainer and never had any problems, just treated them like a normal horse and let them get on with it.
 
tobiano1984 said:
This is him by the way, he's got a lovely silver tail. Currently 15.2/15.3. Out of Holy Roman Emperor and a Kyllachy mare.

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That's going to make a seriously nice horse :)


He has the upright type feet, not the splat ones. If you wanted to take him barefoot he would be likely to find it fairly easy.
 
cptrayes said:
That's going to make a seriously nice horse :)


He has the upright type feet, not the splat ones. If you wanted to take him barefoot he would be likely to find it fairly easy.
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Let's hope so! Certainly looks the part. I thought that re. feet - heels aren't completely on the ground! I'm hoping to take him barefoot - my others (non-TBs) are all barefoot and my trimmer is fanatical about converting TB's - hopefully as he's only been in training for less than a year he won't be too complicated...
 
tobiano1984 said:
This is him by the way, he's got a lovely silver tail. Currently 15.2/15.3. Out of Holy Roman Emperor and a Kyllachy mare.

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Oh he is gorgeous!

With my mum's ex-racer that I'm currently helping to train we let him be a young horse before anything, having got him virtually off the track at 3 and a half years, just leading him out in a snaffle bit to get him used to all the different things he'd be experiencing out on a hack.
Unfortunately I didn't have my horse when we got Bobby, so he had to be put into a paddock on his own, socialising with other horses over a fence. Also it's taken about a year and a half for him to be able to socialise properly.

Also, through injury and other various problems, his introduction to work has been a long, slow process, sometimes feeling like one step forward two steps back. He's also very sharp and spooky and we got told by by Rowena from ROR that we should put him on a maintenance calming supplement which has helped dramatically, just takes the edge off for him.

I always ride him with a neck strap because he's so inexperienced and I'm not risking anything (but I would do that on any young horse, not just a ex-racer)

I would also recommend taking the shoes off, just helps the feet gain a bit more strength back.
 
He looks lovely but like many others I would rough him off gradually and turn him out for as long as possible and 24/7 well rugged from when he is let down then leave him from riding point of view at east until late summer or better still next year as he is really only just three so as a non racer wouldn't even have been started yet. Let him down by very gradually over the next few weeks changing his diet from his current high cereal one to a high oil, high fibre low sugar and cereal one. and rugging well and turning out for at first a few hours then reduce the rugging and increase the time out so in Spring he can be naked and out 24/7. Protect his white legs as far as possible from mud and although I am sure he is used to wearing rugs make sure by popping a turnout on and letting him get used to it while on a loose lungeline.
Good luck he looks lovely. I have retrained a good few this way although I will admit they usually have arrived in the spring and summer so it has been easier
 
He loos gorgeous. If you do decide to turn him out be patient, he might stand at the gate waiting. My boy was like this until he got the hang of turnout.
 
tobiano1984 said:
Let's hope so! Certainly looks the part. I thought that re. feet - heels aren't completely on the ground! I'm hoping to take him barefoot - my others (non-TBs) are all barefoot and my trimmer is fanatical about converting TB's - hopefully as he's only been in training for less than a year he won't be too complicated...
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I bought one called Mr Marrucci who was very like him. Beautiful nature. I took off his racing plates (still have them!!!) and he never even noticed.
 
My boy came back from the racing yard 5 weeks ago. He is 5. Our yard was his iold home so we just put him straight out in 14 acre field with our herd (10 including him) no nasty or bolshy ones leader of the herd 12.2 welsh pony who keeps everyone playing nice. He has been hacked out nearly every day since and has been to a local sj event. He has taken everything in his stride, just treated him like all the rest. Proper schooling soon as weather improves.
 
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