Buying an ex racehorse

[Kentisheventer]

Im considering buying an ex racehorse as a project over this summer. However, when i come o think about it, i know nothing about it! Can anyone tel me:
- Where the best places to look are
- What to look for
- Rough prices

Many thanks, slightly open ended post!

 

[brighthair]

the usual - conformation, temperament etc

I would say - buy something that was started later or hasn't raced much
My old boy raced for 11-12 years and was still sound, jumping 4ft plus at 21, but he started racing at 4 as he was a chaser
I've know a few that flat raced, started young and were broken down by 9 years old

On the plus side - buying an ex racer got me a completely bombproof horse that could be clipped/shod/wormed/injected with nobody holding him and that jumped 5 bar gates for fun!

Have you tried the usual for sale sites? Or maybe contact one of the ex racer charities

 

[Racing_Gal]

I work with race horses and ex race horses, most of our ex racer have injuries, most can be ridden put have reacouring problems, mainly tendons. We have a few who are sound and totally uninjured that we are bringing on to hunt or event. There a great project just make sure you have a full vetting done. They are mostly very well behaved as there is no time for a naughty horse at a training yard so they learn manners fast (most anyway!). What are you hopeing to do, jump, event, hunt or just hack and have some fun?

 

[Kentisheventer]

[ QUOTE ]
I work with race horses and ex race horses, most of our ex racer have injuries, most can be ridden put have reacouring problems, mainly tendons. We have a few who are sound and totally uninjured that we are bringing on to hunt or event. There a great project just make sure you have a full vetting done. They are mostly very well behaved as there is no time for a naughty horse at a training yard so they learn manners fast (most anyway!). What are you hopeing to do, jump, event, hunt or just hack and have some fun?

[/ QUOTE ]

hoping to have a bit of fun doing everything, with an aim to event

 

[madiz123]

I might go for an adverse opinion on ex-racehorses - simply because i went to look at a couple yesterday for polo and it didnt go too well.

I found that one of the ones I rode, a 15.3hh 7 year old mare, had real trouble breaking the habit of going straight into a gallop, and was impossibly strong sometimes. I could only just about get her to canter on the left leg. I only say this as a I decided that I simply couldn't work with a horse like this - and reschooling is harder than initial schooling. I'm not saying this couldn't be reschooled, I just thought that I wouldn't find it fun.

On the other hand, I also rode a 15.2hh 4 year old mare, who was very confused about the whole reschooling affair but was much quieter to handle, but I think this could have been the result of being quite thin and therefore had little spare energy. However, I felt this pony would be easier to reschool and would actually make a lovely horse given time - though not a polo pony as she was being sold as.

I'm not saying it can't be done - I thought before that retraining a racehorse would be an excellent way to get a new polo pony - however now I feel that it would be too much for me to handle.

As for finding ex-racehorses, I would look for something with an excellent and trainable temperament, and possibly one that wasn't too good at racing, simply because they probably didn't enjoy bombing off!

As a result I'm considering buying a coloured 3year old mare who was broken in october

 

[Taboo1968]

Now I would actually say you've got more work buying a three year old than you have reschooling a racer! But thats my experience on it talking..... I have had many ex racers and turned them round in no time at all.....

My boy now, who I've had for four years next month, was reschooled by me and was out doing his first dressage test 3 months later, very successfully too I may add!!!!

I think ex racers are very versatile and can turn their hoof to anything and after having the BIG warmbloods, the natives etc, always end up going back to the good old Thoroughbred!