Ex-Racehorses - Persuading them not to gallop flat out!!

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Christmas Crumpet

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I have recently got an ex-racehorse and apart from last night he's been brilliant. I've cantered him every day and its usually been a very nice bouncy canter and he stops when I ask him to.

Last night we were out exercising and on our ride there is a long stretch of about 1/2 mile we canter up. He'd never been up there before and we started off at a hack canter which was lovely but he got faster and faster and almost started galloping blind. We had to turn in a few circles at the end before we stopped and it was quite scary. I know that I must have confused him when asking to stop by changing hands etc but how do I get him out of it?
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I have got him to take him hunting and am scared that he might do that out hunting and something awful happen. In every other respect he's been great. Obviously the jumping needs work but I've got all summer to work on him and myself.
 
takes a leap of faith but you have to almost drop the contact and sit back. Start to pull and they pull right back and go a hell of a lot faster
 
I have two ex racehorses which I hunt and have also worked in racing yards. I find it really helps to ride them off the neck strap, as it stops you interfering with their mouths and they soon learn to settle as they will only be pulling against themselves. You may need to use a stronger bit to start off with, just to help out with your confidence, it's no fun thinking they're going to take off with you is it!
 
It just sounds like a case of mixed messages. I had exactly the same experience when i got my first exrace horse - I was totally ignorant and started pulling one rein and then the other - basically 'changing hands' and he got faster and faster.

He probably thought the place that you took him was a gallops - its sounds like a similar sort of set up. I always had problems with mine on tracks that go round the side of fields - he always thought they were gallops!

I think that in that sort of environment it's a lot to expect him to understand you just want a steady canter. For the moment I'd stick to cantering across open fields, or areas that don't resemble a gallops at all. Perhaps just start walking him up that particular track for a month or two - so he gets the idea its not for galloping, then gradually introduce some trot and so on. But take your time - re-educating them is a slow process, you've got to be patient.

I don't think he's likely to do the same out hunting, it'll be more instinctive to stay with the field and it won't be in a racetrack environment - but do take him cubbing first that should help and give you confidence.

If you want to stop the way they're trained is if you stand in the stirrups and press your hands down on their withers.

Good luck, sounds like you're doing great anyway.
 
Thank you everybody!! He's such a darling horse and hasn't had the easiest time of it judging by the state he came in BUT my lovely vet came over on Friday to vet another horse I was selling and said "Go on... trot him up" so I did very tentatively and the reaction was AMAZING!! Vet said what a fantastic mover he was etc and how he couldn't understand why some people spend thousands on horses that can't move anywhere near as well.

I'd forgotten the neck strap bit and to be honest it did look as though we were going up the gallops so no wonder he hooned off. Not to mention the changing hands thing which I was doing. He's in a loose ring jointed snaffle at the moment but I did consider putting something a little stronger in. It appears that he'd never had his teeth done before Friday and he hung completely to the left. He's also probably getting used to his new teeth!!

I'm sure I'll be on here lots for advice but he's very different to all the hunters I've had and also ridden for people because he's only come out of training 2 months ago and I need him to become a horsey horse again.

Fingers crossed!!
 
Try teaching him to stop using the neckstrap/ body language. Hold the neckstrap, stand up in stirrups and pull back (on neckstrap not reins). Do this lots in a menage / similar first and they soon get the hang of it. My TB would hair off as soon as I was on but she learnt as soon as I reached for the neck strap it ment slow down. Amazingly it works a treat on my welsh x too. (thanks Chris bartle!)
 
Our ex racehorse does this (he's 24 now and not ridden alot), it's quite bizarre like he times/measures the distances himself. We gallop on local stubble fields and he gallops steadily brilliant for a certain amount of time along side his mates and then suddenly it's like he's racing he just switches up a gear, his head goes down and he's off! He's not actually hard to stop (fortunately) but it's amazing and he feels fab when he goes but it's almost like in his mind he's back on the gallops and knows exactly how long to go for at what pace.
 
I am so pleased with him - rode last night and we cantered across quite a few fields and he was lovely. He's got a canter to die for. We also jumped a telegraph pole 3 times and he went through the river which was quite high without hesitating. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is when you achieve small steps with a green horse having had my wonder pikie pony who did anything and jumped anything without blinking.

I love my new horse!!
 
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