Ex racer doesn't like trotting

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Vodkagirly

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Posting this on behalf of a friend as I've noticed a lot of people on this board have ex racers. She has bought a horse who is believed to of raced in the past though his history is a bit unclear. She is having lessons but not a lot of improvement so far. He will work nicely in a walk but when it comes to trotting it all falls apart both in the school and on hack. He really seems to not want to trot at all and rushes/canters/panics. He has passed a 5 star vetting, back, saddle and teeth all have been checked and clear. She has been told that racers do most there work in walk, canter/gallop hence don't trot much. Any suggestions to how to overcome his fear of trot and how have other people coped?
 
Others may be able to help more but to a racehorse collecting up the reins is a sign to go on normally into canter so if you use the normal process of shortening the reins before going into trot that may be triggering it.

I would think taking it very gradually, very very gradual aids and just asking for the slowest shortest bit of trot and back to walk. Perhaps if working in a school ask for a gentle trot on the short side of the school so that the fence/wall is backing him off.

Am sort of inventing this so will be interested in other replies!
 
Hi

I have two ex racers. My old one aged 20 had a strange trot when I got him as a 12 year old, but had a fantastic walk and canter. I did lots of lunge work with him which seemed to sort him. Don't shorten your reins too much as they like to take a strong contact against the reins. If the horse pulls in the trot, don't pull back, try to give the rein and go back to walk.

My new girl isn't too bad, but still has quite a short trot until she relaxes. I find lots of walk, trot, walk, halt transitions are working, but also lots of work on the lunge and then ride just for 5 minutes. It will get better, don't worry!
 
I found the best thing with a couple of ex racers I have had is to try and find good ground out hacking and just trot :D Nice and slowly with slow rising from the rider and allowing the horse to take you along as such . I have found it stops thepanic that you get from some and they don't have the issue of cornering like when you are in a school . If the horse tries to canter then as people have said slightly longer rein contact and ask the horse back to a slower pace again.
 
My ex racer didnt know how to trot either when I got him. It took about 8 weeks of hard work doing a squillion walk trot transitions, fast troting then slowing it down, letting him go again etc before we finally cracked it. It will come, just have to be patient and like others have said dont take a firm hold just give the horse the reins.
 
If the horse has a passport, then it should be a Wetherby's one, which will show his racing name, then pop that in to the Racing Post database, and the racing history should be revealed. If it has another passport - then I wonder why?

Re trotting - I have current racehoses (pointers) and have had ex racehorses - all do and could trot fine - it is usually canter that proves to be a problem........
All of my horses are taught to trot up hills slowly with theur heads down as part of their fittening work, muscle strengthening.
I would suggest that your freind does lots of work on the road prior to working loads in the school - I once schooled an ex racehorse for dressage without setting foot in an arena. Lots of shoulder in etc.
Racehorses, because of the work they do, i.e. mostly in straight lines, find arena work V tough, and usually favour one rein over the other. Do use a back person reguarly, even if the horse passed a 5 star vetting.
If a horse is finding an exercise difficult it will evade, by rushing etc.
It does take time, but can be V rewarding, so your friend needs to be patient.
 
Thanks, its reassuring to hear others have had the same problem and suceeded and very similar ways to crack it!
He hasn't got a Wetherby's passport but the passport he came with doesn't match the other history the owner has uncovered by contacting past owners. Wrong age, Sire died 10 years before he was born etc!
 
If he was born in or after 1999 and is a UK racehorse he will be microchipped so next time your vet is out ask them to run their microchip scanner over him. A friend of mine had a horse which turned out to be an ex racehorse and only knew because the vet found the chip.
 
I worked in racing for a national hunt yard and few flat yards and i felt like i trotted miles everyday especially out of season to keep flat horses ticking over they have 2-3month trotting. NH and P2P horses seem to do a lot of trotting when they start getting fit

The way exercise riders trot is with a very loose rein and many riders mainly ride off of there neck strap. A saying that i had always been told is it takes 2 to pull. I also agree with the quickening of a racehorse is done by shortening of the reins so as little fiddling (sp?) as possable would be done.

Hope this is some help to you
 
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