Ex racehorse owners..

Woooo - was he a show off when we got off the box - head up, tail up, prancing and dancing, calling and looning about. Tacked up - tried to get him to stand still - no way - so got on and eventually got my stirrups - then I put my leg on and after 5 mins he settled and was very well behaved the rest of the time - but rather nosey as he was raced in blinkers.
 
quite as a lamb, abit spooky but nothing out of the ordinary, but he has a good temperment.
 
Same as Gingerwitch says! Very interested in it all, but it was a while after he had stopped racing. I think he was pretty good - probably because he had been introduced to the buzz of lots of horses at a young age. I think it helped, rather than hindered him in terms of coping with it. I should imagine it would be easier for an ex-racer than a horse who had never been to anything before in some ways.
 
haha aww bless him :) so nothing too bad then?
reason i ask is ive got a just turned 5yo ex racer and im really nervous about taking her to her first show!!
just trying to prepare myself :P
 
Mine was eyes out, snorting like a dragon and generally 2ft taller until I got on, and then she settled down like she'd done it all before.
 
I would much rather take an ex-racer to any place than an unknown quantity.

The worst was actually getting on he just wanted to GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

My priority was to get on and get him moving, I did not bother about stirrups at first, when i eventually got them I give him a job to do, lots of rein changes, transitions, walking round and about - I actually ran through a dressage test on him a couple of times as it also gave me something to think about and i also spent a few mins working on my positon - ie making sure my "core" was stable, my legs were not gripping and i kept thinking "chicken flaps" for my arms.

He will be fine if you are!
 
oh good :D haha

whilst you're all here... do any of you have problems when unloading them?
my mare loads fine, but will panic and try to gallop out as if she sees it as a starting stall.
 
Taken a few ( not all mine! ) been a bit excited but nothing dramatic! Just walk her round a lot, mine would never stand for long, and it keeps them calm.

Good luck!
 
Not sure if you have a box or a trailer. In terms of unloading, I now reverse my horse out of the trailer - despite having a front unload. He goes much more carefully, no barginess at all.
 
Thank you so much! That's my ex-racer! Hope you post some pics of your girl? Reversing works a treat for us. We had some issues with loading, so I had someone come to help us. This was part of what she taught us. Both my horse & Mum's horse are so much calmer for it. They don't get panicky waiting to come out anymore. We can leave them in there until we are ready. Definitely worth a go! :D
 
I took my most recent racehorse to hopefull event pony transformer to her first none racing party last weekend, which was a sj comp.

She got out and did have her eyes out on stalks, then stood shaking but as soon as I got on her she settled right down and was a angel.

The others I have taken out have all been pretty good.

Good luck
 
My lad was very excited (but not naughty as such), just lots of dancing around and pawing the ground. He was fine, if a bit fresh, when I asked him to work but was placed in his first SJ class and won his second so can't have been too wound up!! He was much calmer at his second show and has been brilliant ever since. He's out again for the first time in 6 months on Sunday so I hope he's still well behaved!!

I'd second the reversing out the trailer - I never unload forwards and he has always been fine. Might be worth getting an extra long leadrope and knotting the end if you are a bit concerned.

Good luck :-)
 
here are some picturessss
(sorry there are so many, i couldnt choose :p)
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trot.jpg
 
brill :D i'll only do dressage for her first so hopefully she'll behave herself! she is usually quite quiet anyway - only way i can find out is if i try, right?!

thanks for all of your replies, made me feel much much better about taking her out now :)

good luck for your next show :D
 
Make sure you take him / her out to plenty of lessons, hacks etc away from home before hand and keep it all low key. Then you will have had plenty of experience of travelling and loading and unloading your horse as well as how he behaves away from home before you decide to take him to a show. Good luck with yours. I have a new ex-racer too!
 
Im sure she and you will be fine. I agree with who ever earlier had said about taking a exracer to a show i would much rather take a exracer than any other they have seen plenty before so they will cope.I always think tha the bigger the deal you make the bigger the deal they will make of it. What was her race name?
 
thanks, my instructor has offered to come along with me too so that will make me a lot more confident!
she only did 2 races and i dont have a clue how she did. her race name was Redefine
 
From what I can interpret off the racing post, she raced twice in 2008. She came last both times bless her! :( Don't worry. My boy's track record isn't much better! She is absolutely beautiful! :D
 
aww bless! she is bloody lazy! ahahaha thats so cute though! :D
i was kinda worried incase she had a fall or something because shes had loads of problems with her back...
how did you find that out? thanks so much, it will give everyone a laugh at the yard tomorrow!
 
Go to www.racingpost.com. In the search box, type her racing name, then in the drop down box to the right, select horse, then search. I think there were 3 horses called Redefine - but you said she is 5, so I selected the top one (born Feb 2005). Once you select this, her details come up - sire & dam, birth date, colour etc. Her racing history is below. She raced at Lingfield (as did my gelding) and one other course. It shows the finishing positions (8/8 and 15/15), and if you are lucky (I didn't check) you may be able to see videos of the race if there is a play button next to each race! Happy searching! :D
 
1st show-dope on a rope to handle, was tense and did a lot of jigging and jogging but no antics......

2nd show....dope on a rope to handle, few small spins/half hearted rears and a tiny 2 inch buck.....

3rd show-dope on a rope to handle, was fine initially, then heard the loudspeaker and E-R-R-U-P-T-E-D big styley!

has improved since then each time and is now sharp for ten mins and then patent safety.

have always found that if they are ok at first show, but sharper at the second then the third one will be awful, maybe the fourth too and then they get in to the swing of it.

of course some are fine and some are always hot heads.

he's only 5 now,and i think in another year will be foot perfect. he is always captain sensible once in the ring, its other people cantering past that gets him wound up.
 
Mine was fine! I took her over to a friends place on her first trip and just worked her in her school. I had hacked her loads on her own which I think helps as well. I also hired an indoor school with a friend. I took her to a dressage competition as her first show and I think the main issues for her were the other horses passing too close in the warm up(so nothing different to a normal youngster going out for the first time). I made the effort to take her out every weekend for a couple of months so it wasn't overly exciting. She now events and is a real doll and stands at the lorry like a donkey now - she's by far the easiest horse I've ever had. Good luck and enjoy! I always think baby horses can give the greatest pleasure as your expectations of them and yourself isn't very high and you find enjoyment in the smallest things!!
 
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