darley rehoming ex-racers

Kati*89

Kati*89

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Hi,

I am interested in buying and retraining an ex-racehorse possibly in the near future, I was looking at Darley Rehoming as they start the horses in the new routine of general riding etc etc

Has anyone rehomed from here, or have any feedback on them or just retraining at ex-racer!?
 
I'm not an advocate of the re-homing centres as they can be just the same as the training yards the horsess came from - ie the horses do this in a certain way, do that in a certain way and so long as the results are acheived the means to get their rarely vary between horses.

I would normally suggest going straight to a trainers yard if you are an experienced rider, have owned a horse before and are looking for a project. So long as you understand fully what you are letting yourself in for then there really is no reason to go through the re-homing centres.

Plus I'm a Coolmore gal and I think that Darley horses aren't always the prettiest ponies on the planet :D
 
Darley Rehoming can be a bit vague from the experiences of friends. I have bought and reschooled two ex-racers, I bought one from Ascot and one from the trainer I used to work for whom I had ridden as yearling upto 3 year old. I sold both on to non Thoroughbred related homes, one is doing RC and the other is hunting. It is a labour of love and you do need to know what you are doing. I have worked with TB's for 10 years and have a good understanding of what they have been through and how to mould them into 'coping' in a non-racing home. Little things like standing at a mounting block, being turned out in a field surround by electric fencing etc.
ETA I have worked for both Coolmore and Darley so not influenced for or against one or the other!
 
I have a darley rehomed ex-racer! Have had him for 2 & 1/2 yrs now & no he may not be the prettiest pony in the world, but he successfully jumps round BN & Disco tracks & does BE90 eventing & only turned 6 this year (he hasnt been rushed!). Very relaxed chappy, who jumps whatever you point him at & is a dream to look after!!!

PM if you want any info on them! I found them great & am in contact with the Jo the new manager who also seems nice (altho I have never met her!)

Karen (& Lyme Regis) xx
 
I cannot recommend them enough, they have given me a beautiful boy who is doing extrememly well at dressage........ jo and all the staff are lovely and they do a fantastic job of matching horse to rider
 
Hi All, I am in a similar situation, looking for an ex race horse. I have re trained loads for my friends and now looking for one myself. I am trying Darley at the moment but I see they might take a while getting back to me so does anyone know of any trainers that sell their ex race horses? I am in scotland but will travel for the right horse. I dont want to use any other rehoming places because they tend to only loan the horses out and I want to own mine. Can anyone help?? I also dont have loads of money saved up so needing something under £1000.
 
strike18 said:
Hi All, I am in a similar situation, looking for an ex race horse. I have re trained loads for my friends and now looking for one myself. I am trying Darley at the moment but I see they might take a while getting back to me so does anyone know of any trainers that sell their ex race horses? I am in scotland but will travel for the right horse. I dont want to use any other rehoming places because they tend to only loan the horses out and I want to own mine. Can anyone help?? I also dont have loads of money saved up so needing something under £1000.
Click to expand...

Follow Derek Shaw of Facebook- he puts his ex-racers on his profile page. Based in Grantham. If you need a sofa bed for the night let me know! I'm only 10 mins from the yard!
 
I am currently in the process of looking for an ex-racer too. I have signed up with Darley and hoping to go and see a horse in a couple of weeks.

I too don't like the idea of having a permanent loan, so Darley really was the only place I was willing to go to as after a 3 month trial they give you the opportunity to buy the horse.

I did phone around other rehoming places to enquire, but Darley stood out as being the best place to go to. I will let you know how I get on in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed!
 
How did you get them to give you a time to come see the horses? I also think Darley sounds the best but I am in scotland so will need to book flights down. Are you phoning them or emailing? I have called and left a message and emailed then and havent heard anything back yet. I hope they just busy coz I really like all their horses and have experience enough to take a one out the field.... getting so disheartend with this horse hunting :( been waiting 20 years to be in a possition to buy and everyday with no news is really depressing :(
 
I sent my application through the website and then called the following day to discuss. Jo said straight away that she had a horse in mind for me but he was only just starting with his retraining. That was back at the beginning of January, and only just heard from her that I can go see him in a couple of weeks. Even if I do like him, realistically I don't think he will be ready to leave Darley until March.

When I phoned it took me a few goes to get through, I guess they're just really busy.

Be realistic in your application about what you want. I said that it wasn't vital it could jump, but if you want a horse that can jump I guess you'll be waiting quite a while.
 
Ok, might call again :) dont want to sound like im bugging them to much! I am literally just looking for a sound horse all behavior problems should be fixable :) Good luck with getting your horse!! please let me know which one you get! So far I think Austen is my type but It would be hard to choose between them all if they were all a perfect match!
 
He has already gotten back to me! Love it when ppl reply fast hehehe might have a 3 year old coming up for sale so will wait and see thanks for giving me his name!
 
strike18 said:
I dont want to use any other rehoming places because they tend to only loan the horses out and I want to own mine. Can anyone help?? I also dont have loads of money saved up so needing something under £1000.
Click to expand...

Hiya, sorry i dont want to be nosey but any reason why you are against having one on permanent loan rather than owning?

Personally for me i'm not interested in selling on, but i have peace of mind that if anything happens to me or my situation changes he goes back to the home i.e. he has a home for life.
 
I really just want it to be completly mine and If in 10 years time If things change I want to pick the horses new owners. My whole life I've brought on other ppls horses to a good standard and they have sold them under me so I'm paranoid that's all :)
 
To all those who already have a horse from Darley:

What was the process when you went there to meet a horse? Did you just ride that one and if you liked each other you came back to ride it again/collect it?

What happens if you don't get along with the particular one that has been chosen for you, do you get to try others or is it just goodbye and wait again?

Any additional info would be really helpful.
 
When I went to try my boy at Darley I did have the very unusual choice of three horses to try. I rode all three and it was decided mutually that the one I have now was most suitable. (I should say that this was when under previous manager and I was lucky to have been recommended to them by a friend)
I found the process of being watched to ride a little daunting (I am quite self concious and hate to be judged but that is just me personally not a reflection of how I was made to feel)
I went back a couple of days later to spend some more time with "the chosen one" lol. Groomed him and tacked him up. Then took him out for a short hack with the girl that usually rode him.
After this the points of taking him on were discussed and I went home to think about it. After a couple of hours I decided to take the plunge and the rest as they say is history....
As to what would have happened if I'd walked away and wanted to try again, the point was never raised so I don't know. Good luck with finding a Darley boy for you.
N :-)
 
Thank you for this, and I am so happy you found yourself a Darley boy :-)

How long have you had him now? Have you had any problems with him?

Do you keep in touch with Darley?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
I do a lot of rehoming for trainers and also ex racers that have been out of racing a while but are struggling to find their 'niche' in life. They vary between size, age and potential but all are safe to be around and low priced as I do not need to make a living from them. Many can be on loan if needed, some are for sale but all are ready to go to a new home and not complete nutters. Feel free to send me your requirements, I get a lot of emails from private people needing to move horses on as well, but I don't take on horses over 1k in price as I feel they can probably find a home themselves without my help. Be warned though, most have a 'clause' in them, be it sharp/nappy/lazy/inexperienced/or mardy when eating. Or just plain janes! But all the ones I help to rehome are good in most ways and not evil nor dangerous.
I do advertise sometimes when the owner can't wait too long to move them on, but I try not to. I'm fed up with the 'why are you selling him so cheap' questions. That is what they are priced at, but I can stick a nought on the end if you prefer.... is my latest retort!
 
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