Buying an Ex Racehorse

[Beckie65]

Hi everyone im new to these forumz, i was looking for some advice, i have always owned a horse, but 6 years ago i became pregnant. and had to sell, i haven't ridden or been round horses for that long, i feel ready to go come back and buy again. i was thinking of an ex race horse, what am i to expect?, im not a novice rider but have lost my confidence a little as i've been out for 6 years. any suggestions or comments appreciated

 

[Divasmum]

Throughbreds can be hot to ride and on the whole are probably more suitable to people who haven't had a break from riding. There are of course exceptions. Have a look on www.heroscharity.org

 

[spike123]

I would start by having a few lessons to get back into the swing of things again. I had a 7 yr break when I had my kids so I know how nerve racking it is when you return to riding,especially as that maternal instinct kicks in and suddenly you are all too aware of how important it is not to get an injury. I returned by having a horse on loan.She was a tb mare,ex racer and although not a difficult horse probably not the best horse for me to go straight into the responsiblity of having horses. I would stick to riding something relatively well schooled to begin with as ex racers often have lots of issues,be they under saddle or due to injury and therefore don't make the best horses to have after a long break away from the saddle. If you intend to buy your own there are plenty of cheap horses out there at the moment due to the recession so you should easily find something in budget that isn't straight out of racing.

 

[Kenzo]

From what you have said, yes I’d buy an ex racer they make wonderful horses and can turn there hoof to almost anything but baring in mind what you have said I’d be very careful what you buy, for example not buying one fresh off the track from a trainers yard, or the sales, nor the ones that are advertised and only done limited schooling….half cooked or failed projects so to speak.

There are a lot of ex racers out there that have been out of the game for a while, been in private homes doing RC activities and happily hacking about , basically had plenty of experience and are already good riding horses, those are the ones that if I was you, I’d be looking at.

You do need to be experienced, confident and know what your looking for when buying an ex racer, they do make wonderful horses if they land in the right hands and are brought on correctly, unfortunately many don’t because people buy them because there cheap or free and don’t get the right start in life to enable them to become good at something else.

You also have to consider what sort of racing the they have done, what past racing injuries they have had…if any etc because these injuries can rise their ugly heads later on…again can be a costly thing or lead to further disapointment.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

if you have been out of horses for 6 years and are not sure about your confidence the last thing I would do is buy an ex-racer!

 

[Equestrian92]

Hi Hunny,
Welcome to the forum.
My initial thought, "Dont buy an ex racer"
Ive had quite a bit of experience with them, I have owned my own. Like you said you haven't been around horses that long currently, obviously they can be wonderful, i shared many happy times with mine but they can be very stressful and a lot of hard work. I personally wouldn't recommend you buy a TB after having a break let alone an ex racer, ex racers are used to hacking out in a big group (not alone) a lot of people face a problem when trying to hack alone, this was my old horse's problem, he used to rear, he'd go a little way then rear, vertical! He was very stressed even when on the yard alone or if a horse wasn't standing right next to him.
Another one I had just wouldn't stop jogging like he was on speed or something! Constantly like it. You can be on a cross country ride or something and your horse will see a horse a mile away and still believe he's got to catch it! And it is all in their mind its not an easy job to rehabilitate an ex racer.
Im not saying they are all bad because mine turned out a dream but with a lot of hard work and pain!
I personally would try something a little less maintenance and something a little hardier. Good luck sweet x

 

[L&M]

I bought an ex racer as a 'first' horse after a break from horses for 6 yrs due to career committments. Although I am sure there are exceptions, for me it was a big mistake. The main issue was that he wouldn't hack out on his own and would rear up on the road if I did actually mangage to get him out the yard. He also was very stressy in the field as only had intermittent company and became a nightmare to handle. I don't fully blame it on the horse as my yard circumstances were not suitable for a horse of his temperament, but I do believe that not hacking out on their own is not uncommon in ex racers as they are only familiar with being hacked out in groups.
I was fortunate to sell him to friend for hunting, and as long as he wasn't asked to leave the field on his own, enjoyed the job. I then bought a lovely cob x who gave me all my confidence back and helped me 're-learn' horses in a far better manner and have never looked back.
Good luck!

 

[Beckie65]

thanks girls maybe i may have to have a re think x

 

[millitiger]

i really doubt an ex-racer is what you are looking for as a slightly nervous rider who has been out of the saddle for 6 years.

i would be much more inclined to look for something which knows it's job backwards.

 

[alsxx]

Why dont you share or loan something for a while to get you back in the saddle?

 

[Luci07]

another one for the share option to start you off.... give you time to ease yourself back in, a clearer idea of what sort of horse you want and less of a shock to your time/money losses!!!!