buying a well known ex racehorse that has won a million

[dj9ao]

Hi I have been offered a stunning well known flat racehorse who is 10/12 yrs
which should of just gone into retirement

but ended up dumped in a field
he is now for sale for £2000

had a sit on him & felt nice, still needs a fair bit of schooling

would he be worth buying for hacking riding club/ dressage/ showing
or will his joints be too knackered
they will not drop the price

 

[Kezzabell2]

I wouldn't but then again im not a fan of x racers! I'd imagine he'd been hammered if he was that good?

 

[stormox]

Theres no reason why his joints should be 'knackered' I have known many racehorses who have had long careers and retired at 10 or 12 that have continued a second career as hacks and hunters for another 10 years. One that was placed in the Grand National is now doing horseboarding demos around the country.
The reason the older 'retirees' are usually from the NH side of racing is that usually colts and fillies very successful on the flat are used for breeding.
If you like him, buy him!

 

[Cortez]

There are any number of ex racehorses out there; being a racing winner does not necessarily mean he'll be good at other things, and as noted may have led him to be worked more than the norm.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Forget his history, vet him and try him properly and make a decision if he fits your needs.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Having a long career would normally suggest that they were actually very sound as a racehorse despite the hard work and punishment the joints, bones and soft tissue takes.

An ex-racer is always worth it. If you like him, buy him. If you don't want to risk it then don't buy him. I would take an ex-racer over any other any day of the week!

 

[Goldenstar]

If you like the horse buy him .
I feel the fact he's worked and been successful at least shows he was a sound horse .
I would however get him checked out by a vet .
I love TB's but they can be money pits if you are unlucky .

 

[PorkChop]

I agree that he sounds like a very sound horse, so if you like him, have him vetted and buy him.

Unless you broadcast the fact of who he is, I doubt he will be "recognised"

 

[WelshD]

two grand seems a lot for an ex racer unless he has had a bit of re-education

If you like him and feel he is suitable then maybe get him vetted and see what that comes back with

A word of perhaps totally 'out of order' caution - be sure you want to buy him for the horse you think he is not because he has a famous name and history

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I went to view an ex racer a couple of months ago. He was 11 years old, retired from racing 4/5 years earlier. We tried him & he was just what we were looking for. We got him vetted & he flew through the vetting & we had him. Sio far he has proved to be everything we expected. He is intelligent & is keen to learn. He's a lovely horse & wasn't a lot of money.

Forget what he's done in his early life, try him & if he's what you want get him vetted & have him......simple!

 

[{97702}]

Forget his history, vet him and try him properly and make a decision if he fits your needs.

This entirely - doesn't matter what he has done, it's all about whether he will do what you want

 

[tashcat]

I think you might need to trust your instincts on this one.. there are a lot of conflicting views!

Yes he may have been worked hard, but he will have also been looked after very well during competition, as very valuable horses are worth spending money on medically etc.

Try him out again with an open mind, and maybe bring a trusted friend or your trainer along for advice.

Keep us updated

 

[stormox]

Forgive me for being nosy, but are you the same person who was thinking about buying a cob that was blind in one eye, which was sore and weepy, and a dent in the rib area from a riding school?
If so, I think you may not be very experienced, and there is a world of difference between an TB (ex racer or not) and a cob!
I thinkpeople may be offering you these horses because they know you want to buy, whether theyr suitable or not.
I think you should take your time and look around.........(I know I said buy if you like him in an earlier post, but I hadnt twigged you were the OP about the cob)

 

[Dusty85]

I have two different feelings on this matter!

Agree with others- forget his history- if you want him for a particular purpose- would he suit that purpose? £2k is a lot for an exracer, and if he has had no schooling at all, be prepared to sink that amount again into rehab and retraining to get your riding club type horse.

Why was he retired? Did he go out at the top of his game, or was he pushed and pushed despite failing performance until they had no choice but to retire him? The latter would concern me most- and proceed with caution as it may mean there is some health/soundness related problem.

On the other hand, if he was at the top of his game, he more than likely would have had a fair bit of money sunk into him- back, vets, feed etc so he may well have been properly looked after.

Proceed with caution, but if you do decide to go for him, make sure you tell us who he is and put lots of pics on here


Another point- this makes me a bit sad- that a well known, and clearly successful horse that is retired is then dumped in a field and offered up for sale for peanuts. If he's won his owner/s a million squid then Id like to think they'd pay for him to live his days out somewhere rather than getting rid of the problem. Although, 2k isn't cheap for an exracer, so maybe they are aiming for a good home for him.

 

[dj9ao]

me too, I feel sad for the horse that he is being sold on to make some money out of, he started losing form before retirement
his owner died before he got his wish to send him the Australia to retire & unfortunately no-one else wanted the expense
he now needs to but on some wt as is quite ribby! but feels very light in the mouth & responsive to ride although flat work needs improving, he is stunning & the horse is Linton

 

[poiuytrewq]

Forgive me for being nosy, but are you the same person who was thinking about buying a cob that was blind in one eye, which was sore and weepy, and a dent in the rib area from a riding school?
If so, I think you may not be very experienced, and there is a world of difference between an TB (ex racer or not) and a cob!
I thinkpeople may be offering you these horses because they know you want to buy, whether theyr suitable or not.
I think you should take your time and look around.........(I know I said buy if you like him in an earlier post, but I hadnt twigged you were the OP about the cob)

Good detective work!
In reply to OP's question, It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. If he's suitable for what you want now go for it. If you were seriously thinking of an ex-riding school cob a roughed off ex-racer probably isn't the most suitable choice.

 

[dj9ao]

thanks for all of your advice
I have worked in various yards since I was 14, learnt to ride on show jumpers & never ridden a cob until my last horse died ( bred out of nickel king) I have nothing against cobs but they are not for me, I just had my arm severely twisted into trying him out & then felt sorry for him
as you can probably guess my problem is I have very little experience of buying horses, various horses have always been given to me as projects
ex racer, horse from richard maxwell & my horse who was highly strung so have never had to buy one until now, the advice given on here has been very helpful in helping me to think carefully as when I have a horse it has a permanent home so has to be the right one as much as possible

 

[Bigbenji]

Is he a grey? If it's the horse I'm thinking of he, in his racing days, looks lovely.

As others have said get him vetted and be honest if he is what you want. He sounds like a nice project but he's on the pricey side for an unschooled ex racer. Don't buy out of pity either.

Shame on the people who have let him drop condition. A horse who has run their heart out and given all for their owners deserve to be looked after when their racing career is over.

 

[stormox]

Yes shame on his owners, or whoever managed their estate after their death. He is only 9, and a lovely looking horse, and hes been well-travelled all over the world so he should be sensible!
Hed be a lovely candidate for RoR classes.....

 

[Nudibranch]

As others have said, forget his history and think about whether he meets your requirements. If he does then get him vetted.
Sadly his story is not unique. I have an ex flat racer who won a lot of money until he was injured as a 9yo. He came sound but was abandoned on rehab livery and I bought him for a pittance. As in, £200. In some ways its a sad comedown, given he changed hands for six figure sums in his prime. But they know nothing of all that; a good home is all they need.

 

[Micropony]

My good friend has an ex NH racer whose racing career lasted until he was 12. He is now 20 and sound as you like, has actually been much lower maintenance than my old WB who had to be PTS at 14. So I wouldn't necessarily count him out on that score.

However, make sure that you know what you're taking on and that you're up for the challenge. Re schooling an ex racer is a major undertaking, especially an older one who knows his job and has been good at it. It could take you weeks just to teach him to stand to be mounted from a block, for example.

My friend's horse still struggles with canter on one lead, he is very one-sided and can be sharp. She can't do the low level dressage, SJ and sponsored rides etc. that she'd have been able to do if she'd chosen something more established as a riding horse, and that perhaps wasn't quite so much horse. She's a competent rider but would be the first to admit she's no Laura Collett. She loves him to bits, he's a super chap, she has learned lots and, having had to make a major investment in training, her riding has improved masses. However she has said that if she knew then what she knows now about what would be involved and how hard it would be then she would probably have chosen something different.

My observation would be that if you don't consider yourself experienced enough to take on a just backed youngster then you're probably going to struggle with a racer straight off the track. If you were the person considering the ex riding school cob with the dented ribs, this might not be the horse for you.

Whatever you decide, best of luck finding a lovely horse!

 

[Orangehorse]

I am not getting at you OP, rather the horse's current owners, but doesn't anyone find this terribly sad and disturbing. A horse that has won £million, and was kept in pampered comfort with every need being met, is being sold on the open market.
You think that at least they would have passed him onto one of the re-homing racehorse charities, where at least they would keep an eye on his welfare.

OP, what he has won in the past is no guide to how well he will do the job you want. You have to view the horse as he is now and whether he will suit your purposes, and also think what his needs are. At least you know he can gallop fast.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OP I think you need to look at this horse as you would with any other horse. I say this because the title of your thread suggests that what you are seeing is a "well known racehorse that has won a million" - and if you will permit me to be candid I just wonder whether you are just a bit starry-eyed about this???

Yes, I know I would be too! - and unfortunately I'm the sort of soppy daft person who'd probably let their heart rule their head, with disastrous consequences for both owner and rider.

I think you must, for both your sakes, look at this prospective horse as just that, another horse, rather than a well-known racehorse who's just come off the track. Of course, he is tugging at your heartstrings, and unfortunately there are many many other ex-racehorses just like him who will end up goodness knows where. And it is the great shame of the racing industry IMO that there is a failure to adequately provide for the future of horses leaving the track, and by that I believe that it would be kinder to PTS humanely at the end of a great racing career then to expect them to re-adjust to another discipline when all they want to do is race. Witness what happened to Kauto Star.

But I digress, sorry.

Regard this as just another horse would be my advice. There will be issues with any ex-racehorse and it may be the sort of horse that never settles to another life away from the track. Or it may well do so, given time, training, and firm but fair handling and riding. This is the crux of the matter: you will need to be the sort of trainer and rider who can deal with the issues that may arise, and if you do not have this confidence in your own ability, stop right there and look at another horse. You will also need adequate facilities to keep him because horses like this are used to routine in a busy yard and won't thrive on say a DIY set-up where there isn't the busyness of an organised yard. You'd need to be looking at Full Livery in a big yard, I would suggest, for a horse like this.

If on the other hand, you have had experience with ex-racers before and therefore DO have the experience, plus have the right facilities to keep this horse, and like the feel of him, then my advice would be to get as thorough a vetting as possible, make them an offer, and see what transpires.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I am not getting at you OP, rather the horse's current owners, but doesn't anyone find this terribly sad and disturbing. A horse that has won £million, and was kept in pampered comfort with every need being met, is being sold on the open market.
You think that at least they would have passed him onto one of the re-homing racehorse charities, where at least they would keep an eye on his welfare.
.

A horse that has won £0 will also have been pampered and well looked after uptil the day they left the yard. Horses don't get treated differently based on how much they win. They may just get a bit more attention when it comes to press days etc. But day to day there will be no diference.

 

[ycbm]

Because this horse is now unfit and thin, you have absolutely no idea how he will behave when he is fit and well fed. £2000 is a lot of money for that sort of risk for an ex racer. At least if you buy them straight out of training you have a fair idea how they will behave, not to mention being able to get them for a fraction of that, or free.

 

[_GG_]

Having a long career would normally suggest that they were actually very sound as a racehorse despite the hard work and punishment the joints, bones and soft tissue takes.

An ex-racer is always worth it. If you like him, buy him. If you don't want to risk it then don't buy him. I would take an ex-racer over any other any day of the week!

This - He would have had absolute 5* treatment throughout his career and there's no reason to think there is anything physical to worry about!

If you like him...buy him!

 

[dj9ao]

this is exactly my concern, that just because he is famous the people trying to sell him are just trying to exploit the horse and make money out of a horse that should have had a good retirement instead of being sold on
I would be sup prised if he did settle into a normal life

 

[fatpiggy]

A friend of mine had an ex-racehorse who retired with clean legs having won over £40K in his career (and we are talking over 20 years ago) - he'd done it all, flat, hurdles. She used him as a riding horse, doing local shows and hacking out etc. He was gorgeous but could be prone to losing the plot and refusing to go anywhere except backwards when the fancy took him. On his day he was great and on his off-days he was useless. Interestingly he had some sort of nervous breakdown in his early 20s and was PTS. The vet said he had seen that sort of thing not infrequently in ex-racers.

As to who he is or was, who cares? Like famous people, they just do their job in the public eye but they still on the toilet every morning like the rest of us!

 

[PorkChop]

Just to add, for me, he isn't the "type" I would go for conformation wise - I would also ask about past injuries, as it would appear there have been some. Good luck with whatever you describe

 

[RunToEarth]

No, it wouldn't bother me whether he was famous, won a million, whatever.

I wouldn't be paying £2k for a semi retired ex racer, done nothing since being off the track, 10/12years old.