Ex-racers - pros & cons pls? Suitable BD/BS? Success stories??

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Toby773

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Have pulled this thread from CR as no-one has come up with any ex-racers currently on the BScircuit. (not copied with names as not necessary)

Quotes "Mines an ex racer too and hes the best I've ever had - hes an eventer and doesn't move flashily enough for pure dressage, but he gets low 30s consistently, may break 20s on a good day. Having said that we have days where he just looses the plot a bit, especially in atmosphere, and it all goes down hill from there...

Mostly though hes a sweetie, and is boldest most honest horse...I think hes had one XC fault in the 4 seasons I've had him. He was a pretty weedy 5 year old when I bought him and it took til 7 for him to grow up - hes 10 now and doing **. It'd be a lie to say hes the easiest, but he tries his heart out always - as you can tell I wouldn't be without him!
He came from newmarket orginally - but do be careful, because there are a lot out there that come out of racing not altogether sound - even mine has some dodgy bits from his racing days!

"....and win adv medium dressage BD"

"....I know of plenty of ex-racers here jumping in the grand prix classes and at top level dressage. Its not that uncommon to see them really performing and I know numerous people with horses jumping from 1.30m upwards..as well as doing high level dressage"

Perhaps it would be benefitial to name some names so that Catembi can check BS and BD records and satisfy herself that we are all just not being biased!!

Lots of nice stories here: http://www.ror.org.uk/success.htm

Remember, you're buying an individual, not a breed so it's the suitability of the horse for the job that counts. If it's the right build (see PrincessSparkle's post), sound, and has a suitable attitude for what you want, then it's a suitable horse regardless of what it says on the papers. (Custom sport breeding doesn't guarantee every horse is suitable for sport, it means more of the horses produced should be suitable for sport. And just because race breeding means more of the horses bred will be suitable for breeding, it doesn't mean some won't be very suited to other things.)

One thing you might do is look into lines that have had success in sport, as this might help you narrow your focus when you're looking. Also, if you understand a bit about where the horses are coming from, that might allow you to judge more accurately when assessing horses in, or only recently out of, training.

I bought one last year after my pony didnt look like he'd come sound and would have to be retired.

He is an ex hurdler and certainly has alot of talent on the over jumps and on the flat (was doing flying changes on the spot today while bucking!). He is very well mannered and bombproof in traffic.

I would agree with the others though that they get upset easily. Mine does, if he does something wrong or something upsets him, he gets all wound up but does settle down and he learns very quickly!

I took him to a showjumping rally today, his first 'party' and to say there was alot going off and he'd never seen anything like that before, he was very well behaved, and will get even better with time. Like all ex racers when i go him, i had to explain the mounting block to him and standing still, but he learns so quickly it wasn't really an issue.

Love them. But same as any horse really - look for a sound one that moves well. Beware of straight hindlimbs (my ex racer had a straight hind limb and had PSD both hinds) and also flat feet/collapsed heels which TBs are prone to.

@ TTC - I would mention names ony I live in an entirely different country and would think it vaguely pointless :P though for sure, if records are needed I can show them?

Either way, looks like the OP has decided on looking at ex-racers So thats good

Yeah, don't worry, I'm convinced... just trying to find one now & then I'll be away!!

Ok, Catembi is convinced but for others who may be similarly thinking, how about some horses from the UK being named? For example who is currently jumping an ex-racehorse on the BS circuit?" End of quotes
 
i think where alot of people go wrong with ex racers is that they forget they are trained for racing and hence need re-training for another job. If thats done correctly then theres no reason why they cant be successful (health permitting) in another job. But they do need re-training both for riding and their management routine. Even basic things like standing whilst being mounted need to be taught as many racehorses have their jockeys legged up at the walk.
 
I've had my ex racer for one year today.

very calm and sensible with a 'been there, done that' attitude. perfect to take to shows, hack, could put a total beginner on him. mine was with another lady before coming to me but sounds like he was quite easy to retrain, he never liked racing and refused to race on several occasions before they retired him. he is now successfully competing in prelim dressage (when sound).

however VERY delicate as i think all tbs are. its just been problem after problem with him. prob not best day today as been in vets with him having x rays and ultra scans all morning.

I personally wouldnt get one straight off the track but would look for the many who have already undergone some schooling, but thats due to experience.
 
im the opposite, having had one where 2 people had tried and failed(big time) to re-train her, id now go for straight off the track (current boy came via one other owner but she hadnt done anything with him schooling wise so he was still a blank slate).

i disagree that they are all wimps etc-my previous mare may have been a fruit loop but in 4 years saw the vet only for yearly vacs and one shot of antibiotics, she was NEVER lame, worked barefoot and was tough as old boots.she is now living out as a broodmare and is by all accounts fat as butter, hairy and happy!

Current boy seems to have a skin issue (recurrent cellulitis, now under control with turnout chaps) but hasnt been lame in the year iv had him and again works barefoot.

my advise would be not to make too many allowances in conformation and movement, for it being an ex racer/tb. if it stands downhill, moves on its forehand and cant show even the slightest bit of suspension, it aint gonna change *that* much. look for a diamond in the rough by all means but some people DO have rather high expectations of how much the horse will change, once out of training.
There are a HUGE variety of types-from the very downhill tubular sprinter types, to the rangy national hunt types, and there ARE short coupled and uphill flashy movers too, you just have to look a bit harder to find them!
 
i have an ex racer thats about to start BS

he can be a bit of a dork, but a sweet one, and god can he jump.

had him a couple months, to start with i jumped on and did basic go & stop (hadnt done one before so new for me!)

then i got really busy plus snow etc., so he just spent a month on the pessoa, i sat on him yesterday for the first time since i just started pessoa-ing him only,not riding, and omg the difference is unbelievable, i got really excited !!

i have high hopes now put it that way - before i was bit thinking - oh my god what is this moose of a horse- i was seriously impressed with how he had changed, so to feel how good he felt and what he could be like with more work was a real eye opener for me as i'd dismissed him an a bit of a wreck (that'll teach me!)

so i guess it just shows put in the groundwork and you never know what might happen!!
 
I've had two ex-hurdlers. The first one we bought back in the 1980's and the poor sod had had his tendons fired and they were in a bit of a mess, but he was a very sweet horse and was sound for his purpose, being a hack. We'd had him a couple of years, but one day completely unexpectedly, he came in from the field with one tendon erupted, and he had to be pts. He must have been hoolying round and maybe slipped, we don't know.
My current boy is also an ex national hunt racehorse. I've spent a year working on slowly re-training his muscles so that he will be comfortable working in an outline. He's now balanced enough in his flatwork to start re-training him to jump coloured poles, which he won’t have seen before. He is great for me. I’m having so much fun with him, and there's nothing I won’t do on him, although he is not everyone's ride, as he is super sharp and has a hell of a buck on him when he gets excited. I prefer hacking him alone, as he is far worse behaved if we go out in company (most horses relax in company, but mine gets more excited). He will improve in the summer when turnout and exercise can be increased, but he's a bit of a live wire at the moment. I also suspect that he hadn’t had a lot of turnout before, because he acts like a baby in the field. He has to have individual turnout, as he got into trouble daily, and was upsetting all the others, but he was the the one who got hurt. We persevered, but he got so many injuries in the end I had to electric fence his own isolated area off, and (touch wood) he's been injury free ever since.
With correct training my horse is talented enough to do anything. He's already at Novice dressage level, he'll jump anything rustic in the field. We haven't started the coloured poles yet, but I'm sure once he understands what's expected he'll be good at that too.
 
I think poles are the hardest thing for an ex-racer to comprehend. My sister is now riding an ex-hurdler and he's used to taking large brush fences which are in his eyeline from a big galloping stride. Now, he's being told to look down and trot over stuff and he finds it a bit difficult (and there are occasional tantrums and mix-ups when he attempts to jump an entire line of trotting poles in one go... it's nice to know he's scopey, but some warning may have been appreciated!!).

However, hopefully in a year or so I'll be coming back and telling everyone how lovely and careful he is...
 
Read about swift alliance in this article- winner of foxhunter BSJA and now being aimed at 1m35's
http://www2.chichestertoday.co.uk/pdf_advert/equestrian018.pdf

In the UK it is harder to find the good showjumpers because the majority of showjumpers refuse to believe or consider that they will make a good showjumper, and hence thye are not given the chance.However in austrailia and nz and some parts of the USAt hey are widely used and dominate all the horse sports especially in Oz.

Good TB showjumpers of the past include Gem Twist, and in the USA, in the 1980's the racehorse Caro consistently produced international showjumpers that were previously racehorses, such as Tashling, Charming wind and Ping Pong
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think poles are the hardest thing for an ex-racer to comprehend. My sister is now riding an ex-hurdler and he's used to taking large brush fences which are in his eyeline from a big galloping stride. Now, he's being told to look down and trot over stuff and he finds it a bit difficult (and there are occasional tantrums and mix-ups when he attempts to jump an entire line of trotting poles in one go... it's nice to know he's scopey, but some warning may have been appreciated!!).

However, hopefully in a year or so I'll be coming back and telling everyone how lovely and careful he is...

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen to that! lol mine is a little bit too 'reknown' for his 'special' jumping style lmfao, bless him.
 
all i will say is william fox pit. he has a string of exracers he events. and so do alot of top riders now. i have 2 and 1 i hope to affiliate maybe this winter depending on how the summer season goes. she is certainly capable of jumping BN if not higher but its just keep her head together through a course. there is no reason an exracer horse can't do as well if not better than some the these warmbloods on the circuits. its down to the individual horse
 
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