ex racer arriving tommorrow, good vibes needed please

[hopppydi]

Hi, after alot of searching i eventually found what i am hoping is going to be my perfect horse. He is called Red River Rock and is a ex flat racer 8 year old gelding. I have done all the normal vet checks and been to see him loads and had several other horsey peoples advice. I am so excited and have spent all week getting everything ready!! He is a very calm and sensible horse which i know will surprise alot of people but he really is (though im not daft, i know we will have our moments) and has had a winter hacking out and following the local hunt with a 61 year old nervous lady rider!!. Did anyone else who bought a ex racer have such a negative reaction from other horsey people or is it just me

just to let people know i have worked with tb's before and hacked out on a ex racer when i was younger so im not totally green!!

 

[golddustsara]

Good luck with tomorrow - I bet you are really excited. Post piccies when you get him, we all like the piccies

Ex racers can be remarkably calm - DraytonsBarney has an ex national hunt horse that is calmer than my connie! I guess its due to the fact they have seen and done a lot from a young age.

What are your plans for him?

 

[eventing09]

Woooo good luck

Yes you will deffinitly have your moments but there are so worth while when you have a good day, seriously

Again, good luck

Piccies needed

 

[MissGem]

I've got an ex-racehorse and he is quite simply fantastic! I wouldn't swap him for anything!

As a TB, he can be quite buzzy, but I also had a lot of prior experience of TBs, so am not worried about this. I've taught him to jump, he hacks out on his own or in company, goes on pleasure rides, schools in the arena and my husband learnt to ride on him. And he's more sensible than my non-TB Irish horse! (The TB, not the husband!)

 

[Cliqmo]

Pics asap please

 

[hopppydi]

Nobody seems to believe me when i tell them how calm and sensible he is, ex racers def' seem to have a pretty bad reputation, all the negative vibes are making me doubt what im doing and thats not what i want so thanks for the positive comments, I will post piccies as soon as poss. I am not sure what im going to do with him yet, just looking forward to some nice hacks for the next few months and then will see how we get on. Im not that far from the beach so may well do some beach rides, should be fun!

 

[MrsMozart]

Yay, hope you have all the fun in the world

.

The best way to shut up the dissenters is to just get on with your lives together

.

 

[hopppydi]

What amazes me is none of them have had any personal experience with ex racers at all, you are right i am just going to ignore them.

 

[MrsMozart]

[ QUOTE ]
What amazes me is none of them have had any personal experience with ex racers at all, you are right i am just going to ignore them.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are lots of people with the relevant experience

, they are no doubt out and about

I used to ride a couple of ex-Grand National horses

. Great fun

. Just don't let horses come up the side of you on a mad canter

 

[hopppydi]

By the way, i didnt mean anyone on here, just horsey people in my local area giving me bad vibes!

 

[moocow]

Just googled him. there is loads online about him! Best of luck. Love to hear about ex racers finding good new homes.

 

[LadyRascasse]

one of my tb's is a dope on a rope whilst the other one is a bit of a madam, you wouldn't think my gelding is an exracer cos he is so chilled

good luck with yours and ignore what anyone else say negative about him exracers are the more verastile horse out there

 

[swellhillcottage]

How very exciting !! I have just checked out his form on RP and he is actually 7 not 8 and he won !!!
I have a super exracer that i have done pretty much everything with and won on numerous times people slated him in the beginning and now they ask where did he come from and are theyre any more like him
Good Luck i hope you find yours as rewarding as mine !!

Sharonxx

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

We have a very successfull ex racer at our yard and the girl who now own's him struggles to get him to move! He is the most laid back chap you could meet.

Wouldnt think he has thousands of pounds of winnings under his girth!

Good luck.

 

[Kenzo]

Ooow sounds lovely, there are lots of ex racers out there that are complete donkeys....well you know what I mean, there not all looney tunes with more racing injuries than bran mashes lol!

They make wonderful riding club type horses, show horses...hunters and eventers, its just that the majority horse folk are not fully aware of all the successful ones that are re-homed, so the bad news always travels quicker than the good, hence why a lot of people think ex racers are bad news.

Hope you have lost of fun together, you must be so excited, I know I would be!

 

[Wimbles]

I have one that cost $1.8 million as a yearling and is the most laid back unflappable horse I've ever seen. We once took him to a racecourse parade and while horses around him were getting excited he actually lay down at the side of the lorry!!!!! and I had to kick him all the way across the racecourse to the paddock just to keep up. They're not all the bonkers creatures so many people perceive them as. Many have been there, done that and really don't see the point of getting het up.

Just enjoy your new horse, he sounds lovely, and you'll soon be proving all the doubters wrong!

 

[welshied]

When i got my exracer everyone tried to put me off him saying he will be mad in summer etc but he is still really calm and quiet and in 18 months we have only had 2 bucking fits when he didn't want to do something lol But to be fair the people did put me off him and have been trying to sell or loan him ever since good luck and ignore them he will soon prove them all wrong

 

[amage]

By the sounds of things you've really done your homework and i'd say you'll be fine! some people have this attitude about ex racers that is totally unfounded. my SJ mare lives at the racing yard where i ride out! i will quite happily hop on any of the babies to hack out and the ones that are racing are generally very good. if she's fresh good luck to anyone trying to sit her!!!! and she's 13! it is very embarassing having to get a lead down the road from a 2 yr old colt that is worth a fortune....especially when the hwole reason she went out hacking with him was to nanny him!!! i suppose what i'm saying is every horse is individual! enjoy him

 

[ladyt25]

I think a horse is a horse at the end of the day, some are giddy some are not. I think the only difference if a TB is giddy is that everythingis done at speed!

All in all I think they can actually make fab allrounders as, as a general rule, form a young age they are hacked out (on the way to the gallops), are taught manners and it is just expected they accept what is thrown at them. Our 25 yo ex NH horse is the most bombproof in traffic and would never do anything daft/dangerous. His only downside really is his tendency to jog! He's lovely though really.

Hope you have a lot of fun with yours.

 

[hopppydi]

Well he is here and as i thought he was amazingly well behaved and very calm. I have come to the quick conclusion that the way to his heart is through his stomach (typical man)! The saddle fitter is coming on monday so will give him a few more days to settle in and then start doing some quiet hacks. The trainer thinks that will be the best way of us getting to know each other, especially as he is such a good hack.
Its very early days but so far no drama's...infact he is far better behaved than the 'bombproof' childs pony we had to send back not that long ago.
Thanks for all the support...it has really made me feel far more positive about the whole thing.
If anyone wants to see him racing (and winning) you can find him on attheraces...the best race is the one that red river rebel won and my horse red river rock came second in...poor commentator!!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

He sounds lovely

- I hope it all works out for you both. As others have said the fact that they have been there and done it from such a young age sometimes means that they really just appreciate a more laid back life! Having said that I'm sure he will still be able to find a bit of speed when it suits!!!