Ex Race Horses

Shavings

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I know a lot of you out there own or have owned ex race horses

i had one when young he was 18 and just a little happy hacker, we brought him of a lady who brought him from racing in Ireland

so my question to you all is these

were do you get your ex racers from?

they are not all crazy are they? ( I don't believe they are but i have heard a number of people say my old boy was 1 in a million for being sane)

and finally is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding?
i do know they need turning away for a wile but is it just braking again or is it a different process

Please don't shoot me down i am just looking in to this as next year we are planning another little horse and would like an Ex racer but have to see if they will be suitable for what we want, don't want to get a horse we cant do justice
 

Meowy Catkin

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I know a lot of you out there own or have owned ex race horses

i had one when young he was 18 and just a little happy hacker, we brought him of a lady who brought him from racing in Ireland

so my question to you all is these

were do you get your ex racers from? I was given her by a friend

they are not all crazy are they? ( I don't believe they are but i have heard a number of people say my old boy was 1 in a million for being sane) No, they're just as sane as any other breed. They've just got a bit more sharpness, but there are exceptions and some are very ploddy

and finally is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding?
i do know they need turning away for a wile but is it just braking again or is it a different process There are some very good books about retraining ex-racers.

Please don't shoot me down i am just looking in to this as next year we are planning another little horse and would like an Ex racer but have to see if they will be suitable for what we want, don't want to get a horse we cant do justice

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Resc...1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324999059&sr=1-1-spell

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Trac...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324998940&sr=1-2
 

Lolo

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Reggie is not insane by a long shot. He raced (point to point, hurdles) until he was 7, then spent 2 years chilling in a field before my sister started reschooling him. He's a dope on a rope out hacking. He initially was bit looky at things like braying donkeys, but is pretty much the nicest horse to hack around- Al says she would put a total novice on him to go for a canter and trust him to be a gentleman.

This isn't typical, but isn't untypical either I don't think as any 2 horses are alike. Some horses are like Reg- gentle souls who like pleasing people- and others are slightly less fuelled by the desire to be told well done! You just have to pick carefully :)

ETA- time off to relax is really important!

Maybe contact Heroes or somewhere like that for advice? Or RoR?
 

ivandenisovich10

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Or go direct to trainers they usually have some that are needing new homes that are too slow or just don't like racing. I have two my 3 year old who is having a year off and a 5 year old who is honestly the quiestest horse I've ever owned can be grumpy pulling faces but never nasty. We have just been plodding around lanes this winter and will start schooling when the day light picks up. If your prepared for them I think they make the nicest horses
 

Wagtail

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I have had eight ex racers and have also retrained others for clients. I love them. The main thing you will find if you come straight from the track is that they do not understand about rein contact. I have never turned them away before starting training. I bring them on slowly with long lining and lunging in the de gouge or pessoa, and then move onto side reins before starting the riding. I actually think that they are incredibly easy. The most difficult to retrain was an eleven year old steeple chaser. I think that was due to his age and the length of time he was on the track. He became a very nice dressage horse in the end.
 

ChwaraeTeg

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I know a lot of you out there own or have owned ex race horses

i had one when young he was 18 and just a little happy hacker, we brought him of a lady who brought him from racing in Ireland

so my question to you all is these

were do you get your ex racers from?

they are not all crazy are they? ( I don't believe they are but i have heard a number of people say my old boy was 1 in a million for being sane)

and finally is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding?
i do know they need turning away for a wile but is it just braking again or is it a different process

Please don't shoot me down i am just looking in to this as next year we are planning another little horse and would like an Ex racer but have to see if they will be suitable for what we want, don't want to get a horse we cant do justice



so my question to you all is these
were do you get your ex racers from? ...... :) Racing stables
they are not all crazy are they? .............:) probably not
is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding?..... :) no, not difficult if you KNOW what you are doing.
but is it just braking again or is it a different process ...... :) start from scratch ONCE YOU KNOW the horses mindset

The horse in my avatar and profile is our ex racehorse, acquired as a 6 year old
Have cared for 5 others before her. No two were alike, and each required much calmness and patience.
Hope you find a really nice one out there
Teg :)
 

Carefreegirl

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I bought mine nearly 6 years ago from one of the rehoming centres. She had been there a week and last raced 10 days before going there. The reason I bought her - she was cheap, plain and simple. Mine certainly isn't crazy, she's far to lazy. She's very very sensitive and does take things personally. She was rising 3 when I got her so I just turned her away til the summer then walked round the village lanes inhand and bought her back into work late winter. I just treated her as though I was breaking her again although you obviously don't have to spend so long on the basics. She shows, team chases, Hunts, Dressage's infact I'm going to affiliate with BD in the spring. There's plenty of very experienced people on here and I've had some brilliant advice.
The other good thing about having a TB is if there's someone on the yard you don't want to hack out with you just pull an apologetic face and say'sorry, crazy TB, you know what they're like' :eek:

She's the horse in my signature although I've managed to delete one of the pics

Heres a picture of my 'crazy' ex-racer yesterday at the Boxing Day meet.


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Shavings

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Thank you all :)
this has brought me some hope in that we maybe able to find one suitable
this would be are first time having an Ex racer that would have not been retrain
I have how ever been part of braking horses before, so I know some things
will probably go very slowly until the trust is there really, that and wile I read every book I can find to please :) (thank you to who posted the book its now on its way to me!)
will let you know who we bring home and how we get on, I'm sure I will have a lot more questions when he or she arrives
:D
 
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If you are prepared to put the hard graft, blood, sweat and tears into a retired racehorse then you will be hard put by to find a better horse!

I have 4 at the moment, each of them at different levels of retraining. I do have the advantage of working with 3 of them during their training. These 3 were trained as National Hunt horses. All started on the flat, one in America, but with the basic flatwork they had to do to learn to jump they were all fairly well schooled before I got them. The 4th one is a project. He is a 5f sprinter who has never had to work in an outline or trot much really but he is learning and he is learning fast. He can now do most basic flatwork excercises well enough.

Not a one of these horses are barmy. Kyle is scared of BIG traffic but he will go past happily with another horse between him and said vehicle. The other 3 are bombproof in traffic. Jeff and Laurel wouldn't know how to spook. Gray only does to make sure people are looking at him (He's a bit of an American 'Pretty Boy' shall we say ;) ) and even then it's a mere sidestep with the eyes on stalks.

If it's your first time venturing into rechooling a horse then I would honestly suggest you go for a 7-10yo National Hunt horse as they have generally had basic schooling and pole work. Plus they are more used to a sedater pace and way of life. Flat horses tend to come out of their box and go from A to B very fast and then back in their box. They take more time to adjust. That is what I am most certainly finding with my 5f sprinter. He had to learn about going out in a field again and as a doubl whammy he had to learn that a Shetland Pony is there to be his friend, not to kill him or eat him :D They are truly very quick to learn.

I always find it best to go straight to trainers and ask if they have anything leaving the ranks that may be suitable. They will tell you the horses in's and out's as it is their reputation on the line. Plus you have a blank canvas to start how you want. With my sprinter I got him injured so he spent a month in a box during which time we got to know each other quite well. He then spent a month walking out in-hand with me in the field, again another big learning curve for the both of us. I finally turned him loose and sat on him a week later. I didn't bother with rebreaking. I don't even think I lunged him to be honest with you. I'm not a fan of all that jazz - it gets the horse half fit before you even sit on it and give it more of a reason to explode.

Slowly, quietly and patiently is most definitely the way forward. But when you get there you will now it has been bloomin worth while!
 

cumbriamax

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mine is the most sensible horse I own!

Get from the trainer, I have had two from the trainer & another who had raced then been a broodmare but I think she had roughed it as a broodmare so she took a while to gain condition but she was a lovely type & was bombproof.Mine have all been good in traffic shoe,box,clip etc.

Its a bit of a shock when you get on take up rein & they shoot off, this happened when I fist tried one out.
 

caramel

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I know a lot of you out there own or have owned ex race horses

i had one when young he was 18 and just a little happy hacker, we brought him of a lady who brought him from racing in Ireland

so my question to you all is these

were do you get your ex racers from?

they are not all crazy are they? ( I don't believe they are but i have heard a number of people say my old boy was 1 in a million for being sane)

and finally is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding?
i do know they need turning away for a wile but is it just braking again or is it a different process

Please don't shoot me down i am just looking in to this as next year we are planning another little horse and would like an Ex racer but have to see if they will be suitable for what we want, don't want to get a horse we cant do justice

Where did I get mine from? Melton Mowbray sales
they are not all crazy are they?? No not at all, if they are retrained and schooled properly.

Is it difficult to bring a horse from racing to normal riding? No, again if it's done properly. My boy is a prime example of not being rested/retrained. My understanding was he was bought, then thrown straight into 'normal riding', and so they had so many problems. He became 'unrideable' and 'dangerous'. I went back to basics, with lunging, correctly fitting tack etc.

Just remember they are taught different aids to what we normally use. I know that to slow mine from a canter, I soften the contact, and lighten my seat. He stops. Pick up the contact... head goes up and he's off! He can work in a contact but it's never for long, so lots of long and low for him.
Mine's safe as houses, escorting children on the roads, nervous horses/riders on hacks, picks things up very quickly. He's a sharp horse, and very sensitive. Not a novice ride at all!
I take things slowly with mine and finds he gets fit rather quickly. He holds his condition too.. not an ideal first horse, but he's amazing nonetheless!
 

Waffles

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Haven't read all the posts but I had one years ago (though an ex flapper from South Wales valleys). He was amazing (his grandad was Nijinsky) but absolutely nuts/red mist when it came to galloping and I had several accidents on him. He was fantastic on his own and I rode him bareback in a bitless etc. They are all different, I guess, like all horses!
 

circuit dancer

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i got my boy from the TRC Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre up in lancaster. hes 12 in march, raced till he was 9. they do loans so u dnt buy them, he cost 585 loan fee n thats it. they give u feild officers to check on u and the horse, and at any point, if u cant afford to keep or dont want anymore they go back to the TRC. iv had dancer for over a year and hes a donkey, really good to ride, shoe, hes learnt to jump as he was a flat racer
 

BombayMix

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My little exracer I owned was perfect - he suited me fantastically because when I was busy I could leave him for a couple of weeks without being ridden and he would be just as lovely to ride and the main thing for me was that he had a beautiful temperament. It broke my heart to sell him but it wasn't fair to pick him up and put him down so often and he is now having the most fantastic time hunting, eventing, showjumping, dressaging and actually being a bit of a donkey! :)

Personally, I think there are enough exracers being thrown out of racing to be able to find some nice ones and the ones that aren't as nice are often just a product of the lifestyle.
 

Prince33Sp4rkle

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i bought mine privately, but before that he passed though doncaster sales.

he wouldnt be everyones cup of tea as he doesnt hack safely at all, and is sharp as a tin tack to sit on for the first 15/20mins, but he's 7 in 2012 and will debut at PSG, cant ask more than that can you! barely and 7yo warmbloods doing psg at 7, let alone ex racers! he's phenomenally talented, but quirky with it.

this is why we dont hack:
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but this is why i dont care:
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to be able to sit on something this good,every day, he blows me away :)
 

Grey_Eventer

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Im regularly offered racehorses- ring up some local trainers or go to the sales, you'll pick one up very cheaply.
Alternativley go through retraining of racehorses or similar who start them off into normal life which might suit you better, but obviously will be more expensive!

Weve had some lovely ex-racers over the years. All re-trained to play polo and hunt. All turned out to be lovely horses. Most have been sold on now, but one is out on loan as a hack and occasional hunter. The easiest horse to look after!
 

tallyho!

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Wow princesssparkle!!!

Gorgeous!

p.s. despite wrinkling my nose at tbs... have to say he looks amazing.
 

Mince Pie

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I got mine from her breeder who got her back from the trainer when she finished racing. She is completely sane and even after 6-8 weeks off has been absolutely fine to ride. She's a bit iffy to hack on her own but we're getting there, in company she's fine - we nannied two 3 year old babies out on their first hack a couple of weeks ago and she was a star.
 

MCTM

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I got my little 5 yo mare earlier this year. She'd been out of racing for about 18 months and had been really well re-trained (they got her straight from the trainer). I'd had her for 3 weeks and took her to a riding club dressage where she came 2nd! She is absolutely fab to do - easiest horse I've ever owned and very affectionate, a real poppet. I've taken her gently this year but with rosettes along the way in everything we did - highlight was being placed at the final unaffiliated ODE of the season at Tweseldown.
So to summarise - no they aren't all crazy, each will be different, just like any horse.
 

Holly Hocks

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thanks :)

he's my absolute horse of a lifetime.

That horse is phenomenal - both you and he are supremely talented. I wish you all the luck in the world and wouldn't it be fab to see a TB up there competing at GP level? I have no doubt you will get there.

OP - no they are not all nuts. I have had two of my own and helped retrain another one. All directly from trainers. The horse in the black and white photo was my horse of a lifetime who I lost earlier this year. He was the easiest horse to ride in the world - could hack anywhere, did a bit of low level dressage and I very much doubt I will ever find another one like him.
The very thin dark bay is my current one (she is now overweight!). The photo was taken six days after she came from a trainers yard where she had been turned away. She has a temperament to die for, but my hacking exploits were similar to those in Prince33Sp4rkle's first photo. In the school she showed tremendous promise but unfortunately she has an old suspensory ligament injury from when she was in training which I wasn't told about, and she also has navicular, so her riding days are probably over now.

Picture241.jpg


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kirstyl

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Would just like to add to this post. I've had my exracer nearly 2 yrs. I bought him 4 months after he'd finished racing, hurdling. He was turned out in one of the most severe winters + was skeletal when I bought him. 'he moved well and lovely nature' was my excuse! I took it very slowly + did lots in hand before getting on board. He's been brilliant and has won and been placed consistently prelim dressage. I've been really poorly for 2 wks, lunged briefly and got on today, and he really looked after me.
Exracers can be wonderful. Don't take on an unschooled one if you haven't the experience to do them justice. But they come in all shapes, sizes and temperament, find one that suits you!
 

Prince33Sp4rkle

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thank you so much Holly Hocks, what a lovely thing to say.

we are tentatively thinking that if he does well at PSG in 2012, it would be worth going to either the sunshine tour, or vidauban in france at PSG level in 2013 to get a taste for that level, and to see how he compares. world cup/european horse he will never be, but decent small time, small international, maybe.....he certainly keeps pulling it out the bag and whenever we think we've found something he cant do, he takes great pleasure in proving us wrong.
 

Shavings

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thank you every one so much for your help :)
we are really thinking a friendly little ex racer would be a nice way to go as we want to give a horse a loving home and as we all know race horses do work very hard, so would be nice to give one a quieter life.. well providing it can put up with me singing along to the radio!!
I will let you all know how we get on but it will not be for a little wile yet, but i am sure when the time comes we will find a little boy or girl wanting to come home with us, and i am also sure i will have A LOT more questions if you can all put up with me :p

PS all the photos are beautiful well done every one!! cant see all the hard work is worth it :)
 

Firewell

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We got ours through several different sources.
1. Came from the ascot sales programme.
2. We got off a friend of a friend who worked in racing.
3. Off someone on here.
4. From the charity HERO's

No they aren't nutters although each one is different obviously. Some of ours took longer to retrain than others but generally they are ready to do a decent test in about 3 months. We take them back and treat them like youngsters who are just broken and don't know anything, starting off with lots of hacking, short and sweet schooling sessions and pole work. They progress quite quickly I've found.
All of ours have been lovely, genuine, useful horses, they very occasionally have their moments but nothing more than any other clever fit blood horse.

Make sure you choose one that has clean legs, good feet and one that is built uphill and moves athletically. There are a lot of downhill, herring gutted, daisy cutters and you want to avoid those. It might take longer to find a nice one but it's worth it, ours get mistaken for warmbloods as they move beautifully and that's important if you want to compete.
Also choose one that has a nice temperament, one that has a quiet, kind eye.
Good luck!
 

Fiona_C

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Mine came direct from the racing yard he was on. My free to a good home horse of a lifetime. They now have another that has just been retired that is looking for a new career.
Speaking to trainers/p-t-p trainers etc is a good way to find a nice horse.
Good luck x
 

Meowy Catkin

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Being built downhill is a good thing for galloping fast, so it's actually nigh on impossible to find a TB that isn't downhill (when you look at the slope of the spine and not the huge withers). The herring gut generally goes when the horse isn't a lean, uber-fit racing beast anymore. Plus daisy cutting is often thought of positively in showing (you don't want too much knee action), so it depends what you want to do with the horse.
 

Prince33Sp4rkle

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sorry to correct but both mine are built uphill, and move even more so uphill, and herring gutted is more conformational than weight/feeding.....a horse can appear herring gutted if poor/tucked up, but true herring gutted horses dont lose it no matter how much feed you shovel down them and it tends to tie in with a weak loin and second thigh, so generally for me as a dressage rider, something i avoid at all costs and wouldnt take a risk on being able to feed it *away*.

i do agree re daisy cutting, and actually one of mine moves very naturally that way, a real toe flicker. being trained up the levels for dressage has increased his suspension so much that although the toe flick remains, its more up, out and flick, not just floor skimming. our other boy has a much more *continental* rounded knee action trot, more like your stereotypical warmblood.

there are just SO many different types, both mine are flat bred, which tend to be more so downhill and tucked up than NH bred horses, and although one IS very small as you would expect from a flat horse, he is very uphill and with and excellent loin connection. the other is huge for a flat horse at 16.3hh but again uphill and very very strong behind and very deep.

i always say to look at the horse in front of you, not the old wives tales, but remember that feed and time will change no more than its ribs! if its got awful feet, is downhill, herring gutted and weak looking when moving, straight off the track, that isnt going to change all that much after 50 bags of feed......people go wrong with TB's because they buy the wrong type for the wrong job.

Fig is very poor looking stood up currently, but once moving you can see the power, the engagement, the collection, just bubbling under the surface.

we saw another horse on the same day that although carrying more condition, looked weak behind when moving, almost floppy on its hind legs and never once offered to step under and carry weight behind-dont be fooled by how they look stood up, watch them move.....do they ripple as they hit the ground, do they push up off it like a trampoline, or do they stutter and stumble, unless actually emaciated they should give you a decent idea of their potential.
 

Meowy Catkin

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sorry to correct but both mine are built uphill

Photos. :D

You are v lucky to find two uphill TB's.

I used to have alot to do with retraining ex-racers and I agree with you, there is a big difference between a true 'herring gut' and just a lean and fit horse. I found that most of the horses were the latter and we didn't have a single uphill one, but some were very good at dressage (once retrained) as they moved uphill and loved it, which always helps.
 
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