Ex-racers???? Following on from my last thread

[Bay TB]

I brought my ex-racer from a friend of a friend last year. He had come back to them after being on loan for a couple of years and they couldn't do anything with him. If he couldn't be sold she just wanted rid of him!! so I paid a measly sum and took him off her hands.
Bearing in mind this was my first horse (I had loaned previously and ridden other peoples), and the fact that I had only recently got back into riding after a number of years off and was not the most confident rider, I'm not sure this was the brightest idea but never mind!
He had serious teeth problems, napped very badly and was the grumpiest thing in the stable (apparently he had been kept in all summer as the loaner had been unable to catch him when turned out!). After a lot of patience, plenty of turnout, firm and consistent riding, a year later he is a changed horse. He comes running up to me in the field, can be hacked out alone and in company and has improved no end in the school and we have just started jumping him.
I would say go for it, as long as you have people around you that you trust that can help you when needed (not even particularly horsey people as my parents would walk out with me on hacks just to give me more confidence while I was trying to stop his napping when hacking alone) you will be fine.
I don't know where else I would have been able to get such a fun, loving, intelligent horse from for a few hundred quid!

 

[biggingerpony]

As a rule of thumb, novice or riders with any kind of nervous disposition and ex-racehorse thoroughreds is a recipe for disaster. More often than not, I can't see it ending well.

Nice as pie as some horses are, thoroughbreds are known for being a bit sharp at times. Not only that, but when they come out of racing there are further quirks that may need to be 'broken down' before you build them back up.

A crap horse costs as much to keep as a good one, infact thoroughbreds frequently cost more than others in the first place (not often good doers and injury rate can be startlingly high) that I would always suggest nervous riders go for something safe, steady and not flashy rather than waste a paltry amount of money on a failed TB racer.

If you feel your only option is a failed racehorse, then you should get one that never even made it onto the track but as a nervous rider, expect to feel many moments of nervousness before you feel those moments of confidence!

Ooooooo wow you haven't met my ex-hurdler mine is barefoot lives out all year on good grazing so needs minimal hay and feed (1 small scoop of fastfibre and a small handful chaff). I only hayed when there was snow on the ground and only then about 1/2 slices per day. Shes come out of winter looking great!

Up until last year we had absolutely no soundness issues at all, (last year she went out on loan and got a hoof abcess with futher complications) For a 20 yr old girl that's not bad!

Temperament wise shes a good girl, never kicked, bucked, reared (she did once with a friend when the bit ring got caught in mouth), bolted etc. She can get lively out on hacks but its all bark and no bite! She hacks out alone or in company and is fairly easy to bring her back after a canter or gallop

I'd say her only downside is she can be fairly clingy with other horses, but I can't begrudge her of that really

Forgot to say that she was only my 2nd horse and I was a fairly nervous rider as well but she improved my confidence so much.