Ex-Racehorses

ktj1891

ktj1891

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Where did you all gets yours? What job did you purchase them to do? What was you specifically looking for in the horse i.e. temperament, conformation, ability etc?
 
Mine was free. She's mine because she was a witch and a bit slap happy with humans and was due to be pts. She is still a witch but brave and brilliant and a total dude! She does dressage, happy hacking and helps keep me sane :-) x
 
Two from the owner, one from a trainer. All free, all super. Turned with no effort into family horses, going hunting, doing Pony Club, happy hacking, long distance, and cuddly duddlies! Perhaps we were just very lucky.
 
Through a friend who got her from the trainer (for her boss who planned to retrain her for polo then he gave up). I was looking for something bigger and probably not as young as 4 but fell in love and she is ace. Just wanted something to happy hack and dressage/tiny bit of jumping but the fact she polo schools is an added bonus!
 
got mine from his old owners. i used to look after him and when he retiered they gifted him to me. i had looked after and ridden the horse for 4 years so i knew all his quirks and how to get the best out of him....make it seem like it is all his idea or he strops. he is now spending his days hacking and hunting and being retrained to do dressage/showing.

my old boy i got from a trainer. he was an a**e when i tried him but there was something about him i loved so i picked him up 2 weeksa later. never looked back as he was such a character and taught me so much. the first thing my mum said when he saw him was "my god he is a big ugly brute!" he was very much an old fashioned NH horse complete with a roman nose. i thought he was very handsome. he was never going to be a world beater, could see that when i viewed him. and although his conformation wasnt perfect i just couldnt walk away from him.
 
Reg and Bee were from their owner- they kept Reg after their racing career had ended and were looking for a loan home, and then when Bee came out of racing Al was asked to take her on as the rider rather than a loaner.

Smokes came out of racing before he hit the track (he's 15.1hh now, just, and aged 3 would have been a pony still!) and went to a polo yard and then was a pity buy out of there as he was never going to be good as a polo pony (he's not one for rough and tumble!).

All 3 were destined for eventing: Reg is pretty decent at BE100, although won't go higher, Bee was looking rather special until she had to be PTS (huge ovarian cysts causing massive obstruction and damage), and Smokes is hopefully going to be rather good :D But all the boys definitely could do whatever from PC to happy hacking to eventing... Bee though was very much a 'career' horse, and not one for a pleasure rider!
 
I got mine from a rescue charity - didn't know he was an ex-racer until I started trying to trace his history. Chose him because he was a lovely character to work with on the ground, and whilst he's had his moments under saddle and been probably the most difficult horse I've ever owned and/or ridden, he is now coming to be as lovely and sweet under saddle as on the ground...

Looking to get him eventing - he's not the bravest horse over coloured poles once they get over 90cm, but I think that is partly due to *me* still expecting him to stop. I don't think he'd be brave enough XC to do higher than 100, but am looking forward to giving it a go. We also do dressage and SJ.
 
All 3 of mine I took home with me from work when they retired.

Kyle slipped the tendon off of his hock, his owners didn't have the first clue what to do with him so I took him home. He is a total dude - hates being ridden, won't even walk over a pole on the ground led let alone sat on he hates jumping that much, has crap feet, is technically lame but I wouldn't be without him! He is a retired field ornament now at the age of 13, well he has been retired for the last 4 years lol! But he will live with anything and anyone.

Jeff and I went through hell and high water in his racing career and there was no option when he retired that he was going anywhere else but to me. He is now a show horse abd has never stood lower than 4th in a class. He has had 2 years off due to injury and lack of time but he will be back out and about this year - when I get a lorry! He's only a wee 17.2hh Hocamaffe with claustrophobia!

GrayMo - the moment he stepped off the truck I turned and said to his owner that he was my show horse when he retired. 4 years, 3 tendons and 4 wins later he came home to me with a banana leg lol! And apart from his first ever ridden class where he deservedly came last he has never been out of the places, more often winning. He is a truly stunning stunning horse with a look at me attitude - I call him the American poof! Give him a mirror and a pot of hair gel and he will be there for hours!
 
I shall do mine as well now. Got my boy through a girl I knew working as a groom at local race yard. He was straight out of racing, literally less than a week from his last race. He has just lost all interest. He was bought initially as a project but has just stuck with me. He was bought to do a bit of everything but the aim is to eventually go BD. He's a lush boy so sane and sensible you would not believe he race. He comes with his quirks and vices, but he has the most gentle nature- except around his food!
 
Got mine from his owner, on loan when he was 15yrs old, as a hacker. Had him for years, and then owner gave him to me to keep to the end of his days. He was a brillaint hacker and baby sitter for young horses. But we also had a go at a prelim dressage test just the once, when he was 30yrs old. It wasn't all that bad either, tho did get quite a few " a little too enthusiastic" comments from judge!
 
Zara came to me through a friend who picked her up at auction. How a horse that moved like that could end up ina bin-end auction is beyond me but never mind... She was supposed to event and had a fantatsic attitude but I lost her to Wobblers.

Brave came from Darley. A right stroppy so and so but with a heart of gold. He is just hilarious as he is such a diva! Not sure what to do with him. He is very clever and picks up anything very quickly but has zero talent over jumps. Very, very enthusiastic but no style or technique at all! Will probably do dressage with him (paces are average but has fantatsic lateral work and very good attitude to work) but pop him over a few clear rounds every now and again just because he enjoying levelling show jumps!!

I love ex-racers. I bought a TB cross as I couldnt find the right sort when I lost Murph. I love him to bits but just doesnt quite have that zing that a racer does!
 
Got a few straight off the track that we retrained into lovely all rounders/showjumpers. Had another from the meat man just as a companion. I remember buying one straight from the trainer that ended up making a stunning dressage horse. Ex racers are the best IMO! :)
 
Lolita said:
Got a few straight off the track that we retrained into lovely all rounders/showjumpers. Had another from the meat man just as a companion. I remember buying one straight from the trainer that ended up making a stunning dressage horse. Ex racers are the best IMO! :)
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I think so too, I am hoping to get another towards end of year however, even though I love my boy it was a spur of the moment thing and this time I don't want to just rush out and get any old one.

I have a few definite specifics I want in the future one and I have no idea how I will be able to do this and what sort of price I would be looking at for one! Think what I want is gunna be impossible!
 
Ditto PercyMum re mine! He was a reasonably successful 2-miler (flat) so I taught him to jump & he loves it but is always a bit random. His party trick is knocking a pole out & then treading all over it & nearly falling over. He will also do *exactly* as told, so if I can't see a stride & sit there like a lemon, he will happily *not* jump & just plough through because I didn't *tell* him to take off. He cannot think for himself at all. It really is quite a harsh mirror to my (lack of...?) riding ability because I get *exactly* what I asked for, even tho it wasn't necessarily what I wanted! Whereas Adrian or Catembi (both ISH) would have gone, 'FFS mum, let ME do it' & sorted it for me!

T x
 
I found out about some horses for sale via a friend on here, she pointed me in the direction of a FB page and a lady who I called and spoke to about a dirty brown TB in the FB photo's ...

Then i called her back when the penny dropped and I realised it was someone I had been chatting to on here for ages and she was helping to sell a lot of horse and ponies due to the owner having a life changing accident. So I went to see this roughed off odd shaped ex racer which she had moved to her yard and somehow ended up buying him AND getting livery with her as well :D I still remember walking away with my OH saying 'have I just brought that horse?' :D

A good scrub and some TLC later he is the complete apple of my eye and I adore him. Will have owned him a year in May and we do a bit of hacking and dressage and he is starting to understand what jumping is so we will do a bit of jumping this year and then some hunting at the start of next season :)

Can't imagine not having him but if that day ever comes I wouldnt hesitate about getting another ex racer. He will never be a world record breaker but he has a heart of gold and is a sensitive soul and we just seem to click and enjoy each others company :p
 
Absolutely love ex racers

We have 3 and we take care of a fourth.
Destiny we bought from a point to point yard, he can jump anything you put in front of him but simply won't hack out....just turns around and comes home when ready..... but dressage xc and SJ great except a loon when waiting for his go... Heart problems meant he is mostly retired now but does a bit of rider training teachs them not to kick or pull as he just gets very very fast till u hold buckle end and take legs off...really shows up would be riders!

No2 bought from a trainer and practically perfect in every way teaching a novice boy how to ride, showing and a bit of jumping mainly hacking at the moment as my daughter is pregnant but watch this space.

Boy is my younger daughters horse, she moved from a perfect (yes really perfect) arabxsection c pony to a tb who came out of race training a week b4. Owner gave him to us as no good too slow for racing. a real chunky TB looks more like a cob x ! He is 5 and so far so good, though daughter really has to ride into jumps and ask him not like perfect pony who did everything for her!
He hacks out nicely and the plan is BE he is made for it so steady and brave and beautiful paces.

The fourth is a chesnut TB mare raced for years quite successfully and now is to be put in foal by the owner but she currently hacks out everyday and doesn't look at anything at all. She is sharp but good brakes and a sweetheart to handle very unlike the supposdly typical chesnut tb mare rumours!

I have cobs id and warmbloods too and to be honest the Section D is harder to ride and more wilful than the TBs.....

Not for the fainthearted though when they are bad (destiny) they are very very bad and also they feel the cold hate the rain need loads of grub, and slightest scratch will need a vet, colic at first sign of trouble and shoes fall off if you blow on them....... (generally speaking but not all of them)

ALSO NEVER MEANT TO BUY THE FIRST ONE UP TILL THEN ALWAY PREJUDICE AND SAID NEVER A TB but I never looked back they are addictive.
 
Mine was practically free, nappy as hell, but talented on occasion!

I was looking for something to have fun on at low level in all disciplines AND key was not too strong as previous Section D x had done my shoulder in (I'm an oldie!), so something with soft mouth was number one on the list.

Soft mouth he has, attitude to go with it, and my shoulder is now the least of my worries. Confirmation is great, he is slightly over on both knees but I;m not a lover of showing so it doesnt affect him.

He does most things I ask, and does them well, hence I'm a happy ex racer owner but they are NOT for everyone....!!!!
 
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unicornystar said:
He does most things I ask, and does them well, hence I'm a happy ex racer owner but they are NOT for everyone....!!!!
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This. I love my ex-racer dearly, but he has been VERY tricky as can be quite hot and easily wound-up, and VERY sharp, and not always particularly forgiving... I appreciate they aren't all like that, but that on top of the retraining needed made him VERY difficult. I wouldn't switch mine now, but I'm stiff and suffering from injuries coming off him last summer (I'm only 22 as well!!!), and I did come close to selling him then. They really aren't for everyone, and like any horse pick one with the right personality and level of training as is appropriate.
 
ktj1891 said:
Where did you all gets yours? What job did you purchase them to do? What was you specifically looking for in the horse i.e. temperament, conformation, ability etc?
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Mine was originally a loan from her past owners but we bought her last year for a fraction of the price she was originally up for - absolute bargain. She had raced up until a 4yo then had a year out (where she was basically neglected I have gathered) then picked up again with old owners and did a small amount of schooling.

I bought her originally as a leisure horse with no firms plans of what I wanted to do, just something reasonably young I could put my own stamp on. I basically fell in love with her from the adverts - she's absolutely stunning. I also wanted something 16hh+, bay, a mare, bombproof to hack alone and in company, no rearers/buckers, vices, had good movement and potential. She does have some faults: originally her feet (now BF), weight issues, moody temperament, injuries.

However, her willing attitude in the school and out hacking outweighs all of them. She's now my dressage horse and we're preparing for her début this summer.
 
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