Ex Racehorse - What shall I Do?

[Bella1991]

Got myself an ex racehorse, she’s been with around 3 months now. Not expecting the world and taking it nice and slow.

taken her to venues and she was amazing.

Now the issue..

i have a friend that rides her for me as currently out of action due to shoulder injury. All the horses were being turned out and my friend and a fellow livery took them out for a hack. Now whilst I appreciate she hasn’t done much..

She walked out lovely, stood and waited for a while.. this is the same route she always takes. Then completely out of the blue to exploded.. no rhyme or reason to it. She reversed, span, kicking out, trying to kick the fellow liveries horse!
I’m going to speak to my vet about getting her scoped.

but any advice welcome

 

[AmyMay]

Could be something as innocuous as a fly bothering her. What did her rider say?

 

[fankino04]

Many years ago mine did this at a show, she was so bad I had to put her back in the box and take her home again, never had anything like this happen with her again so we assumed she had been stung.

 

[TheMule]

I expect she was stung or had a nasty fly, I wouldn’t hold it against her and I wouldn’t jump to assuming the worst

 

[Barton Bounty]

Yeah dont read too much into it, sounds like a fright from a sting as the other ladies say ?

 

[Goldenstar]

I would get her out hacking as much as possible and see how she goes .
I would be throwing the vet at it yet .

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

Dont be so hasty to get her scoped.Maybe a sting - take her out again and see how she behaves - could be a one off.
Thoroughbreds can be OTT with things - dont rush for the vet yet.Repeat the hacking out and see how she goes.

 

[Bella1991]

It’s not really first time she’s turned herself inside out.. she has previously done it with me.. don’t if it’s pain related or anxiety driven?

 

[Melody Grey]

Perhaps worth giving your tack a look over for fit and comfort? I’ve had incredibly sensitive TBs (and welshies!) who can react to creased girth sleeves, saddlecloths needing a wash etc.

 

[Bella1991]

Perhaps worth giving your tack a look over for fit and comfort? I’ve had incredibly sensitive TBs (and welshies!) who can react to creased girth sleeves, saddlecloths needing a wash etc.

Thank you, I will do! Everything all
Up to date but will try again

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Could it be when she stood and waited for a while she then thought she might be racing the other horse? An acquaintance of mine has a tb that if you apply any sort of pressure to his mouth he runs backwards.

 

[Ratface]

Could be something as innocuous as a fly bothering her. What did her rider say?

Fifty-plus years ago, I was riding a big young TB up a nice grassy hill in the sunshine. Both of us totally relaxed, on the buckle, striding out. Suddenly, she stood up, practically vertical, lost her balance and fell on top of me, breaking part of my pelvis. A wasp had landed on her neck and stung her. I remember seeing the wasp, but it stung her before I could brush it off.
Ever since, I have made very sure that horses that I'm going to be riding are well covered with fly spray.

 

[Barton Bounty]

My TB is the most sensitive boy ive ever came across, to the point if I dont girth up slowly and make sure there are no crinkles, I will know about it in half an hour ?

 

[TheMule]

It’s not really first time she’s turned herself inside out.. she has previously done it with me.. don’t if it’s pain related or anxiety driven?

Ok- your OP read like this was the first time she has been anything but perfect so can you expand on this a bit more?

 

[fankino04]

It could be as Fern said that it linked into hanging around at the start of a race etc, there is probably still a fair bit of "unlearning" to do. My girl used to get upset very easily if she didn't understand and once she was in a tizz couldn't concentrate, she wasn't dangerous like this just fizzy, however one day (about 6 months into having her) I went for a canter up a wide grass verge that lead to a big posh house (lots of locals used it as a canter track and had always done it on my pony, owners perfectly happen with this), at the top we had to turn around and come back down, I didn't think anything of her racing history and when I turned she bolted with me all the way back down, over the road and jumped the hedge on the other side into a field.

 

[Carrottom]

What happened next? Not being judgemental at all but how did your friend deal with this very difficult situation?

 

[Lois Lame]

Fifty-plus years ago, I was riding a big young TB up a nice grassy hill in the sunshine. Both of us totally relaxed, on the buckle, striding out. Suddenly, she stood up, practically vertical, lost her balance and fell on top of me, breaking part of my pelvis. A wasp had landed on her neck and stung her. I remember seeing the wasp, but it stung her before I could brush it off.
Ever since, I have made very sure that horses that I'm going to be riding are well covered with fly spray.

I've never bothered with fly-spray, but this makes me think. I know from experience that a wasp sting feels like a red-hot needle.

 

[Bella1991]

What happened next? Not being judgemental at all but how did your friend deal with this very difficult situation?

Sorry, im only just catching up with the thread, my friend got off and walked her back to my yard, she was stressed, trying to kick out, joggy, she took her back in the school and she didn’t put a foot out of place

 

[Bella1991]

Ok- your OP read like this was the first time she has been anything but perfect so can you expand on this a bit more?

I do apologise for being vague. I think it’s napping.. I tried to walk her out only on a different quiet track, a car came flying around the corner and panicked her. Queue the reversing, not wanting to walk forward, get herself so wound up she wouldn’t listen. So again, got off and walked her forward back to the yard. I don’t know whether she is testing.. or just generally being a moron ?

 

[Cowpony]

I had an ex racer many years ago. Out hacking with a small group, she was fine until she saw some horses from another yard in the distance. Although she didn't know them, for some reason she wanted to go with them, and she got herself into such a state she reversed into some bushes with me. I couldn't do anything with her until the other group was out of sight. Luckily the other horses I was with were rock solid and eventually she consented to go forwards and we finished the hack perfectly.

 

[Regandal]

don’t know whether she is testing.. or just generally being a moron

She’s not. ‘Something’ is bothering her, pain or bad experience. Are you 100% sure of the saddle fit? My horse could lose it over the most seemingly trivial thing. Turned out to have sore hocks and ulcers. Didn’t take much to push him over the edge.

 

[maya2008]

My first thought would be bite/sting. My old TB actually bolted one summer - I turned her around at the end of a blocked track and something got her as we turned. I ended up clinging desperately to her back (minus one stirrup!) as she ran, completely beyond reason, full pelt back up the track. Luckily, the track was long and she eventually calmed down to the point where she could respond to me again.

Horses also communicate in ways we cannot always detect. A couple of weeks ago, I had three ponies grazing peacefully in our gate area while we tacked up. Same routine as always. My mare wandered over to chat to my son’s gelding. All fine. Well…until he somehow majorly offended her and she backed him into the corner, angry as anything, kicking like mad. Ponies removed, no harm done, but very similar to what you are describing. Same used to happen between my horse and husband’s NF many years ago - NF thought tickling the TB and making her explode at her was funny… ?. Must be a NF thing as current mare likes to bite the bottom of anything in front of her ?.

To be fair though, horses aren’t robots. They take a dislike to others, have off days, see scary things in hedges, decide that today they don’t want to go in front… Part of growing up for them is testing boundaries a little, just as much as it is for children.

TBs can also be particularly explosive. When young, my old TB would also explode if:
- not in front on a ride and being asked to canter;
- asked to wait around somewhere it looked like we could canter;
- generally not getting enough canter work (I have a video of her with her hooves somewhere near the sky, bucking for all she’s worth because the previous two weeks had been FROSTY. I mean, how dare they? So as soon as the ground defrosted she literally jumped for joy!).

Horses also change shape at the drop of a hat, so the saddle that fitted yesterday might not today.

The thing that worries me most about your post, is that you and your friend are worried by this behaviour and cannot identify yourself whether this is excitement/boredom/annoyance at horse behind/actually something wrong. Please get some in-person, real life help.

 

[Leandy]

Sorry, what do you mean "stood and waited for a while......"? Do you mean that having stood around doing nothing for a while the horse then exploded? If so, I would think it just thought it was time to be getting on with something? If this is a horse recently out of training, why were you expecting it to be able to stand around for a while? I wouldn't expect that. I'd expect to need to keep it occupied. I may be on the wrong track though as there is not much detail in your post.