ex racehorse changed behaviour

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crystal

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Not sure if anyone can help but I have an ex-racehorse who I bought for my daughter last summer and he was amazing, very well behaved and a dream to ride. She took him on fun rides and even hunted him with no problems at all.
He has now been out of work on and off since December with various lameness problems and is currently seeing a remedial farrier. He is mush better now and so we have started to bring him gently back into work but he is like a different horse!!
When we lunge him, he takes off in a gallop, when we ride him he is mega-spooky and bucks and leaps and refuses to stand still. And the last straw was this weekend when I got on him he reared vertical and threw me off!

I really don't understand what has happened. I have never dealt with a thoroughbred before so am not sure if this is to be expected when he has been off work for so long and we just need to take it back to basic lunging for a while or is there something else going on??

He is booked in to see the vet next week to check his back and teeth but I just wondered if anyone had any similar experience and could offer some help??

Any ideas very welcome....
x
 
They are not all like this. My ex racer was off work for months and he was fine when I got back on him. Has he been stabled or in field.
 
Having owned three TB's as riding hacks previously over a 30 year period, owned racehorses, worked in racing stables and having friends who all owned TB's the majority (not all) do tend to get a bit fizzy if out of work for too long. He must be feelling good and hence I think is simply letting off steam. Possibly too if he has been turned out he is used to doing his own thing and not so happy to be having to answer to someone and do what he is told (they are a sensitive and at times stubborn breed and need someone confident to re-establish where they should be in the pecking order). Some can be downright bullies given the opportunity.
I found that after mine hadn't been ridden for more than a couple of weeks I had to cut back on hard feed and lunge, lunge, lunge to get the sting out of them before I could safely ride.
As a breed I've found them to be a little more edgy than others and more than a little spooky and naughty after a break.
Don't lose heart. They are a highly strung breed (not saying they can't be docile and reliable) however its a rare TB that can be out of work for months then come back and be sensible and calm to begin with (from my experience anyway).
You will need patience and lots of ground work but it will certainly help you to get back your once quiet neddy. As long as he is given regular work of some kind then he should quieten down somewhat.
 
OP - my TB mare sounds very similar to yours. She was a dream to ride and then suddenly started napping, rearing and generally being a pain in the arse. She had no lameness to begin with and then started with lameness issues which unfortunately mean she will never be fully up to full work again although we are now back in light work after a few months off. It sounds like yours may have an underlying problem - or it could just be a case of high spirits!

My old TB ex-racer had over six months off work with a fractured radius. When he came back into work, I got back on and he didn't bat an eyelid - but then he was very unique.
 
Thanks, thats kind of what I was thinking (hoping)! At least with the lighter nights we can start to do abit more groundwork with him and get back our lovely calm TB again!!
 
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