Ex Racers and TBs

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What do you think and would you have one?

I am toying with the idea of having a TB, i have always said in the past that i would never have one due to most of them being loonies, hard to keep weight on and easily injured etc etc! However, i am probably one of those people that has competely misunderstood the TB, just most of the ones i have seen have been 'not so nice' :( I have always liked the chunky hunters/maxi cobs (my old boy is a Shire x TB), but now i am looking to get another horse i have decided on something a little more lightweight (the Welsh D i had on loan dint work out and i sent him back!)

I have read some successs stories with ex racers that have gone on to have successful lives and careers outside of racing. What do you think of the rehibilitation centres for TBs, i have registered with Darley Rehoming, they seem to have some very nice looking animals which are picked to suit each individual applicant.

I have had a TB in the past, it belonged to my godfather, he was bred for racing, with very good bloodlines, but was an unruly youngster. The few yards my godfather sent him to for training he ended up coming back as none of the riders/jockeys would ride him! I personally think the racing world just wasnt for him because in the 6 months i had him i never had a huge problem with him, he did have a tendancy to rear unexpectedly but this didnt happen all the time. He hacked out and schooled well. Anyway cutting a long story short i have had some experience with TBs.

All opinions/suggestions welcome :D
 
after ages of saying i wont ever have a TB, i went and brought an ex racer. ive only had him a week and so far hes been lovely. a bit of a dope actually and a bit thick? lol. i have a NF and he is smart as anything. and the Ron stands there like duuuuuuuuhhhhhh. but he is ver ykind and very gentle and has been a pleasure so far. ask me again in a few months and im sure it will be a different story ;)
 
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there you go! i brought him because he was cheap. i was looking for something to play with over summer. unbacked or unfit. i didnt care and because he was the price i was after, i went to view him and fell in love :) hes just a very lovely person to have around. my plans with him and lots of hacking and XC and possibly some hunting. he does have a 'big knee' due to racing but it doesnt effect him and hes even better now hes shod.
 
Depends totally on the TB like any horse tbh!! I have had 2 ex racers who I retrained to event- one I had for 3 years took him from straight off the track to novice level eventing- he was so mannerly and perfect in most ways but a bit grouchy on the ground!! The other was a bit crazy but incredibly talented!! Both horses taught me alot an their were numerous pros to having them as they were both incredibly good in traffic, to load, to shoe and to catch!!

BUT and this is a big BUT I had numerous lameness issues with them, the first was just on and off would get a bruised sole, then would lose a shoe, then would have a hot leg etc etc however I did manage to event him with an old tendon injury. The second kept going lame when in hard work, after a year of investigations and vet bills fianlly the cause was found... and he ended up being given away as a hack. Don't get me wrong I loved them and the feeling they gave me when going XC and they were so easy in so many ways, and I don't want to generalise as I am sure you can get alot that are sound as anything :) and you can find very unlooney ones.... in order to event the first one he was fed pure oats and kept in at night all year round to give him some extra speed. But I think this says it all I now have a full 15hh connemara who is rising 4... and guess what no lameness issues as of yet!!
 
I have a 4 yrold ex racer and she is amazing.

I also ride racers in training and they are not all loons. Brilliants horses and you won't look back.
 
BSJAlove - he looks lovely, good find ;) Hope all goes well with him :D

native eventer - that is my fear, the whole injuries palava! :(
 
The first livery yard I was on, the yard owner bred racehorses, every couple of months one or more horses would come back to the yard after not making the grade which most of them were sold on to the liveries. Good friend of mine came down one night and asked me if I liked his new horse and to come and watch him ride it, he didn't even get into the paddock as it was repeatedly rearing at the gate! After he put the work into the horse, it was jumping BSJA, would jump anything you put in front of him, clearing 1m50 at home. I bought an ex-racer 6 months ago, she had had a little work done with her but needed it carrying on and other issues. My mare is the quietest, nice natured chestnut thoroughbred mare I have ever know and wouldnt swap her for the world :)

If you are willing to put the work in, go for it!

on the injury side, she does come in everyday with a new scuff/patch of fur missing but *touch wood* that has been it!
 
darley rehoming are fab! only ever heard good things and i put myself on the list. a few weeks back my friend was offered a lovely little horse called samson.
 
BSJAlove said:
darley rehoming are fab! only ever heard good things and i put myself on the list. a few weeks back my friend was offered a lovely little horse called samson.
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I have had a look at some of the horses they have now and i like the look of a few on there. I know they match you to the right horse tho and you dont necessarily get the pick of the bunch. Most of the current ones are 'in the field'. How long have you and your friend been on the list?
 
ive been on the list for a few months when i first started looking for another. my friend was on the list for quite a while. i think it all depends on what your after.
 
Definately another one in favour of ex racers and they desperately need new jobs which the majority tend to adapt to very well

Do your homework though xx
 
I'm a complete numpty novice and the last thing I wanted was a TB, let alone a chestnut ex-racer. Oh god no the things you hear about them and to be riding a TB when I'm used to a shire X... Gulp.

Sleepy was in need of a home rather quickly. He was also a big softy from day one (apart from the usual trying the boundaries when settling in), a real kickalong ride nearly all the time. He really can't be bothered, unless he knows there's a nice big bit of flat grass up ahead on a hack and then it gets interesting :)

I love him to bits and I've been told the bond we've got going is something special - I've also been told this is generally true of ex-racers though I may be wrong. I'd go for it cos if you get the right one you will never look back.

BTW - riding him is quite different to riding my wife's section D, obviously but - If he bucks or messes about it is actually slower and far more civilised. The other difference is I feel I'm sitting right on top of the horse rather than in it :D Like sitting on a fence. He's a nice size at 16.2

If I knew then what I know now I would have absolutely no hesitation at all and god forbid if I ever had to look for another horse I'd go straight for one.
 
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My horse is from Darley rehoming. I was very happy with my experience and they were very helpful, knowledgable and honest. It may take a while for them to get in touch and it may benefit you to call them to follow up your application. They do try to match your requirements as much as possible so you need to be honest about the type of horse you would like. I love my lad and couldn't be happier with him but he does have the sensitive TB/self harming gene as previously mentioned. He even managed 4 weeks off work with 3 weeks box rest for just a sore sole/tight fitting shoe! He is Sentinelese on their website stories page x
 
Nickles1973 said:
My horse is from Darley rehoming. I was very happy with my experience and they were very helpful, knowledgable and honest. It may take a while for them to get in touch and it may benefit you to call them to follow up your application. They do try to match your requirements as much as possible so you need to be honest about the type of horse you would like. I love my lad and couldn't be happier with him but he does have the sensitive TB/self harming gene as previously mentioned. He even managed 4 weeks off work with 3 weeks box rest for just a sore sole/tight fitting shoe! He is Sentinelese on their website stories page x
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Thats good to hear. I will keep in touch with them. I stated that i would like a general allrounder and soimething with good bone rather than the finer type. Stated my height, weight and experience and what my intentions were for the horse ;) It was all part of their application anyway ;) I did say that i am in no hurry to find one as i would rather wait for the right one :) They are a fair old distance from me tho as i am based in South Glos so i am also keeping an eye out on closer centres as well ;) I will have a look for your boy :)
 
What are you wanting to do?
Maybe an ex-pointer might be an idea as they have hunted etc. I am glad to here you are considering a TB. There are so many TB's out there with an array of different temperments etc. p.s not all are poor do-er's. I have seen my fair share of fat ones! :D
 
TB's/ex racers are like any other horse, but with an accelerator.

I have had two now and they have been very much individuals ..... this is my current beastie

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Both mine were individuals and treated as such..... my old boy had rotten feet, but we managed that to enable us to keep sound and happy and he was an evil bugger, but again he needed to manged a certain way

Madam above is very different, is a sweetheart both to ride and on the ground, but she has her quirks.... all manageable.
 
i have an ex racer and would get another! i dont think i would get a tb (that hasn't raced) ex racers get so much life experience at a very early age. If you see all the horses at the races the other day, they dont move a muscle when being tacked up, nothing more than an excitable jog in the parade ring. my tb x ish mare would have completely freaked in that atmosphere. When my tb was competing he was sooo well behaved no matter where he went although he was excitable, he was never dangerous. I do however feel that the health issues he has now are down to being worked hard at such a young age. he is only 13 and has bone spavins in boths hocks, kissing spines and navicular. he has had the best part of a year off and is still lame so is having another year off.
 
I was another one who totally misunderstood TBs and always said I'd never get one. I got one in December and he is fantastic. He has his nutty moments but its nothing major and I think that's just him not the fact he's a TB. :)

Although he didn't race properly he did pony race which is near enough the same thing. I love him though, he's so willing. For example today I was loose schooling him and he walked into the jumping lane when my back was turned and attempted to jump the 90cm jump at the end. He made a right mess of it but he's so trying.

He's so good to do on the ground as well, he really respects people but its not done out of fear he just does. I'm hoping that he has a bit of a career ahead of him as he has one hell of a jump and his flatwork isn't bad.

He's the little bay in my signature.

The only thing I can say that might put you off is they are fast even the failed racers are still fast. Some of them are really easy to go this fast but some of them might take a kick to go that speed. If it doesn't bother you then I'd go for it. I would definitely buy another TB if I found one small enough. :)
 
I have an ex racer, he is brilliant. I have no trouble keeping weight on him, (infact he is a fatty!!) and he is fed the same as my welsh pony, he is not a loony at all - very laid back about life, much easier than my welsh pony!!!

I took him to his first dressage comp last nov, never been in an indoor in his life/seen white boards etc, didn't look at anything was super calm and came 3rd! Also taken him to pc showjumping rallies, joined in like he'd done it all his life - cantering around jumping in a big group. The first time i took him there he jumped a 3ft course with fillers with no issues at all.

Hes incredibly honest and genuine, would highly recommend them! Wouldn't have anything but a TB now.

This is him:
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And at his first dressage comp: (sorry about the quality it was very foggy!!)
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kokopelli- Those fences look huge! Well done! I thought you were having a confidence crisis but obvs not :D
He has come on loads.
annabel- he looks like a really nice type.
 
We have a TB who point-to-pointed and hurdled. He broke down (did a front suspensory I think) and had 2 years in a field recuperating. Now we loan him, and my sister has ridden him for just over 18 months. He's very easy to handle on the ground and is a lovely to hack mostly- he's currently supremely fit, yet happily meanders along being a nanny to me on a another horse. Easy to pull up, never strong. His legs are clean and hard and he's pretty much blemish free. He's now starting to go out at 1m eventing, and people who aren't generally that optimistic about potential think he could go to Intermediate BE happily. He's sound as a pound (touch wood)!

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He's also extremely agile and brave XC- recently he had a nasty moment when a fence toppled underneath him, and he managed to stay on his feet from a complete faceplant! Love love love him- if you're prepared to work hard and ride almost every day an ex-racer can be a brilliant new horse.

One thing Al won't be doing with him is hunting- he's very funny about horses coming up behind him and gets quite worried, so hunting would probably finish him off! Apparently, when he did his required time out, he went backwards into hedges every 5 seconds...
 
dominobrown said:
kokopelli- Those fences look huge! Well done! I thought you were having a confidence crisis but obvs not :D
He has come on loads.
annabel- he looks like a really nice type.
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LOL I was having a confidence crisis (well it was hardly a crisis I was just wondering if Andy is too much for me) but we were already booked in for Blue Chip so my mum 'persuaded' me to go. Had an awful first day but a good end to it and the second day was brill. :) :p

The jumps were meant to be 1m but they were way bigger but I feel so proud of myself and Andy now! :D
 
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Thoroughbreds have always been my favourite breed, but after being constantly told how prone to injury they are, I have never owned one up until now! After losing my lovely 3/4tb (and then having the 7/8tb that I adored fail his vetting) I realised that every time I got a new horse it had a higher percentage of thoroughbred in it, so I decided to cut to the chase and buy a very sweet little ex racehorse!

I've had him a month now, and he is honestly a star, so easy to handle - very gentle and mannerly, bombproof to hack, and to be honest, a dobbin to ride! He is much more chilled out (and sounder!) than my knabstrupper crossbreed thing, who hasn't a drop of thoroughbred in him. He also has very good feet, which is a bonus. I would recommend one to anybody! The only thing we struggle with slightly is his weight, but we're getting there!

I also went to the charity Heros, and they had a lot of lovely horses and were very professional, so I would take a look at their website if I were you :)

Here are a couple of photos, I can't help myself :D I don't think he had ever been in an arena before I bought him, but after a lot of schooling sessions he is finally starting to look less like a giraffe!

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I've got an ex-race horse & she's a poppet but she wouldn't be suitable for a novice, she thinks that she should be in charge so needs to know who's boss but she is also very sensative & gets upset really easily so she needs kind, quite but assertive handling.
She lives out & has just gone through the winter just being fed on Hi Fi light, she's got reasonable feet & manages well with just front shoes on. We've recently got fully bare foot, not sure if she'll be able to be a barefoot horse but I'm giving it a go.
 
Darley are part of the arab dynasty who support racing in the UK and the rest of the world. They breed and race on a big scale and have taken on re-training the discards from racing. I think they will not be offering loonies to you, they have a reputation to uphold.
 
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