Ex-racers? Why do people make them sound so special?

Enfys

Enfys

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I keep seeing this recently, and am curious.

What makes an ex-racer some uber special specimen compared to other horses then?

Aren't they still just horses at the end of the day?

:)
 
Well....racing bred TBs are naturally....generally....fairly nuts. Very high strung, temperamental, quirky and sterotypically bonkers.

So....to have an ex-racer, and bring them onto being a sane, manageable horse that is capable of competing against and beating horses specifically bred for a sport.....is incredible.

An ex-racer has had their whole mental attitude to work completed retrained. And been taught how to shine at something other than going really really fast.
 
Everyone thinks that their horse is special and the best, I just think there are more ex-racer owners as there are a lot of ex-racers around so there are a lot of people saying how special they are so it's more noticeable.

I think they are like any other horse; you get good ones, bad ones, talented ones, dobbins and whatever else.
 
i don't think they are any more or less special than any other breed. the challenges involved in retraining them can be very demanding and i think a lot of exracer owners find comfort in the support from others facing the same challenges, so maybe the term exracer jumps out a bit more on the forum.

i think they are fab as its such a challenge to get them mentally and physically retrained to be eventers, dressage etc, it involved me taking on a lot more skills than i ever had to use with my old connie xhunter, mainly in trying to psychoanalyse the best approach to use!!

a lot of people at my old yard said it must be like training a youngster, and its absolutely nothing like that. its a completely different situation, where you to take their whole body carriage and mentality and completely reshape it and alter the way they think and react to being ridden. i think they are really special, but when i had my old horse i thought he was the bee's knees too!
 
But isn't stereotyping TBs as being nuts a bit old now? I thought it was generally more widely known that /not/ all ex-racers are like that - a lot of what makes them that way is surely management, fitness, feeding, the works. In which case, your average rider is going to have them much less fit, hopefully wont over feed them (the wrong things too!), etc. Plus, how can they be completely barmy when they're worked in environments that would send most peoples happy hackers insane I bet?! In snaffles at that? xD
Hmm. I don't know *shrug* Just more random thoughts, I have no issue with them being wrong xD
 
Kokopelli said:
I think they are like any other horse; you get good ones, bad ones, talented ones, dobbins and whatever else.
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I completely agree with this ^^

I have previously owned 2 racehorses, bought straight off the track. Both were complete gentlemen, very easy to do and never a problem.
 
my ex-racer is the dopiest most chilled out horse I know. She would stand on the lorry all day eating hay, we had a loose horse bolt past her whilst tied up at the lorry at a show and she just looked up, tutted and carried on eating. she stops to your voice and I can canter her up the woods on the buckle end. She's always been like this which is prob why she's an ex-racer. I didn't go out looking for a TB, infact last thing on my wish list let alone an ex-racer but as others have said it's bloody rewarding - thats when your not crying tears of frustration.

I don't think they're any more special than any other horse / type just they're mentioned more in the press.
 
Sol said:
But isn't stereotyping TBs as being nuts a bit old now? I thought it was generally more widely known that /not/ all ex-racers are like that - a lot of what makes them that way is surely management, fitness, feeding, the works.
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Lol. My sister has a TB. And an ex-racer at that. I'm not saying they are ALL nuts. I'm saying, that is their stereotype. But everyone, come on now, everyone knows they are a hot headed breed. Our TB is a total gentleman 99% of the time. But he is very sparky.
 
nikkimariet said:
Well....racing bred TBs are naturally....generally....fairly nuts. Very high strung, temperamental, quirky and sterotypically bonkers.

So....to have an ex-racer, and bring them onto being a sane, manageable horse that is capable of competing against and beating horses specifically bred for a sport.....is incredible.

An ex-racer has had their whole mental attitude to work completed retrained. And been taught how to shine at something other than going really really fast.
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To be honest I don't agree with this. OH is a trainer so we have a yard full of turbobreds and while they can be sharp etc my warmblood is the most challenging ride in the yard which is saying something when my OH has a reputation for doing well with quirky oddballs. Of these quirky oddballs they all ride properly, all do basic flatwork/lateral work, all have good manners. I have coached a number of people with "mad" ex racers....all thats wrong with them is they act as their owners expect them too as they are treated specially due to being an ex racer. If a horse is an ex racer it is usually because they are not good enough, don't have the speed/temperament/ability/desire or soundness to run. In terms of their mental attitude to work being retrained...work is work so essentially their attitude should on the whole remain the same regardless of what they are doing. I competed one fo ours at some local dressage last year in the week he was between two races just to give him a change of seen. Judge had to be emailed link to his most recent race video before she would believe he was still in training. I know of another chaser that went eventing with the owners granddaughter between races as her horse went lame and she needed a last minute replacement. As for saying they are naturally fairly nuts...MASSIVE generalisation and not at all accurate. Any horse that fit will be sharp. Look at your sister's CS...he is a super horse and is sharp but IMO that is as much to do with him being a fit and talented horse as opposed to him being an ex racer. I know I'd sooner ride a fresh racehorse than any other fresh horse!!
 
Because they are special, they have come from an environment that is institutionalised taught to gallop and jump at 30 MPH. To be able to channel all that into a sane and sensible safe and happy horse is not easy. To be able to hack out quietly on their own, to be able to compete on their own, their mind set has to be turned around. As far as I am concerned there is not a nicer horse to ride than an ex racer!! To be able to achieve this, is the most wonderful feeling in the world. They are not for everyone, but that is what makes them special.
 
nikkimariet said:
But everyone, come on now, everyone knows they are a hot headed breed.
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But actually they are not....any horse at top fitness level will be sharp and sparky. Come ride roadwork at the start of the season on our sharp sparky ones....dopes on ropes would be a generous description!
 
amage said:
But actually they are not....any horse at top fitness level will be sharp and sparky. Come ride roadwork at the start of the season on our sharp sparky ones....dopes on ropes would be a generous description!
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But they are a 'hot blooded' breed so even when un-fit they can still be as lively as a non-racing horse. My tb was unfit when we got him and he was still very lively, if anything has calmed down now he is fitter (sort of) :p
 
Just thought I 'd mention that when I turned mine out today after riding she did a one horse mexican wave across the paddock, so cute.
 
I'm riding two ex racers at the moment and both are very well mannered, responisive and sensible in the school - one has buckets of talent and generally nice horses to have around, both hack in company and alone. My Hannoverian x Hollstiener is by comparision a nightmare, spooky in the school, won't hack alone and 'quirky' to handle. Understandably ex racers need some time to learn a new job apart from that theres not much difference to any other horse, I don't think you can tar them all with the 'nutter' brush.
 
Kokopelli said:
But they are a 'hot blooded' breed so even when un-fit they can still be as lively as a non-racing horse. My tb was unfit when we got him and he was still very lively, if anything has calmed down now he is fitter (sort of) :p
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But not all are like that! It comes down to the individual horses personality/management/parentage same as all other breeds!
 
While you're on that theme you should maybe ask why people bother mentioning breed or type of horse too, also whether they're a dressage horse, eventer etc.. They're all just horses after all... :p :D

I don't think an ex-racer is better than other types of horses. However, they do present a fabulous opportunity for people to acquire some lovely horses at very reasonable prices - obviously as long as they have the knowledge to deal with them - and are helping to reduce the 'waste' from the racing industry, which can only be a good thing. I'm all for success stories being plastered everywhere if they encourage other people to go down this route. :)

I've maybe not been reading the same posts as you but I haven't noticed people refering to them as 'special' in comparison to other horses. I think people do tend to mention it though as often they're proud of what they and their horse have achieved together, despite often not having the best of starts to life. I know tons of people have horses of all breeds and types who they have reschooled or brought on in some way, so this isn't something unique to ex-racers, but these people often like to mention the difficulties they may have had too!

Oh and I would agree with other posters that a lot of ex-racehorses are actually pretty sane and easy-going beasts. My chap is very chilled and generally on the lazy side and I've known several others who were all very easy to handle - both on the ground and in the saddle.
 
nikkimariet said:
AHHHHHHH. *goes and bangs head on wall having remembered why I never post in NL*
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lol, i know what you mean!

I know exactly what you are saying. To be honest all riding horses are special. As FLIGHT animals who all have the extinct to FLEE danger (aka. wheelie bins etc!) to get a horse to do anything whether it be hacking, jumping, schooling etc etc is pretty amazing! :D

ps. Can i just say, Bruce is absolutely gorgeous...and thats coming from someone who doesnt really like greys :D
 
Kokopelli said:
But they are a 'hot blooded' breed so even when un-fit they can still be as lively as a non-racing horse. My tb was unfit when we got him and he was still very lively, if anything has calmed down now he is fitter (sort of) :p
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Having worked for a bloke who specialized in getting them off the track & retraining them, I've been around loads of ex-racers. And completely agree with the above comment! I've owned one previously and just bought one this week. Do I think he is something absolutely special? Not really. I think he has the potential to be a bit of something special, but that goes for any horse & has to be judged on an individual basis regardless of breed.
 
Didn't realise anyone did make them sound "so special".

Those of us that have them are chuffed with an achievement such as a calm hack out, as I have been today. I don't recollect saying he was particularly special - I'm pleased with an achievement, just the same as anybody else who has done something they either weren't expecting or were aiming for.
 
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Kokopelli said:
But they are a 'hot blooded' breed so even when un-fit they can still be as lively as a non-racing horse. My tb was unfit when we got him and he was still very lively, if anything has calmed down now he is fitter (sort of) :p
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Not necessarily. I've had 2 that were absolute dopes on ropes and I could've trusted a baby on them. On the other hand PF has always been buzzy and always will be.
 
I think they are cheap or free much of the time so far more people find an ex racer accessible to own. This was the reason i had one! I couldnt afford anything else!- Its the reason all my friends who have them have them!

Mine was mental! my friends who came out of racing much later than mine is amazing and my at the time 9yr old daughter started riding him out the week he was sat on after being turned away for a bit when he retired (for being too slow and just not interested in his job!)
 
I've had 2 ex-racers, one was really successful and Charlie now who was ok. My first raced until he was 11 then went to the northern racing college were i then got him from. My second is Charlie who i now have, again raced until he was 10 or 11 and then i got him at 12 after someone bought him to event and realised he wasnt what she was after.

The reason im stating this is because to me whether and ex-racer, ex-hunter, ex riding school, ex polo you are physically and mentally turning the horses life upside down. Maybe for the better but to him he cant understand why he is now no longer doing the job he has always done and it takes a lot of understanding as both an owner and for the horse themselves to adjust.

Imagine working to mid life being one thing then someone then adjusting everything you ever know.

I do think ex-racers are special for this reason (whether axed young or old from racing) and the longer they have done the job then the more special it is when they are re-trained but as above i think this goes for any horse who has changed their role but yes, racers are produced in such high volumes everyone whos someone!
 
I must say I haven't seen people referring to them as extra special in any way. I do think though, as so many TBs come out of racing to an uncertain future, and because they have such a negative stereotype in some quarters (nutty, high maintenance etc), it is not surprising that people who have done well with ex-racers want to let people know about it!
 
I don't think they are any more special nor have I ever got that impression from anyone.

I do think people like to mention it because they like share advice, stories and no doubt feel proud to rehome them, if you consider the amount of horses that come out of training and racing, quite rightly they should feel good about giving these horses another job or be successfull at something else.

I wouldn't say they are any more challenging, there all individuals and like the OP says... they are all horses at the end of the day but in some cases more time and patience is needed and not everyone can offer that.
 
I think everyone thinks their horse is special regardless of the breed :).

In terms of ex-racers I think people are proud of them because re-training any horse to do a different discipline takes work. Also because of their previous lifestyles they are also more of a gamble so when it pays of it is extra exciting compared to say a horse that comes already trained and is a known quantity so to speak.

They have had bad press in the past as being lame nutters and those people who have ex-racers are keen to prove that they are just as any other horse. We have two who are very laid-back easy souls but that's because they have always been treated well and have good temperaments. I know people who have totally changed their minds about ex-racers after getting to know our boys and that's why I'm keen to blow the trumpet for them. They dont deserve the stigma that is attached to them and more people should consider them as riding horses.

It's like saying all cobs are fat and lazy, it's simply not true, yes some are but equally there are those that aren't.

So we do not think TB's are more special then other horses but we are keen to point out how useful they are, the wastage from racing really isn't fair and lots deserve a second chance :)
 
It does get on my nerves! I think most people with ex-racers who have no involvement or have never had any involvement with the racing industry don't understand that these horses haven't been dragged out of the depths of hell... and that many racehorses are nice well mannered rides that cope very well with potentially exciting situations.

Plenty of racehorses (flat and jump) will hack out nicely in a group or alone, will jump a showjump or a cross country fence, and have been nicely schooled on the flat and do understand canter leads, how to work in an outline and so on.

Someone then acquires said ex-racer takes it 'back to basics' and then thinks its a miracle when the horse manages to do above things without being 'mental'!! Completely not realising this is what the horse has actually been doing all its life.

A couple of weeks ago we were doing gridwork in the arena with a group of 6 racehorses. Some flat horses, some jumps horses ranging from those only just broken to horses who had been in training a few years. These six horses all walk/trot/canter and go over poles as a string. They all stand calmly waiting their turn to jump. All of them jumped well over a grid of 8 small fences. All were fully fit and running in the next month. We looked more like the pony club than a scene full of 'insane highly strung horses'!

All of them are individuals - plenty are lovely, a few have a screw loose. I could say that about most breeds.
 
I think the reason some people, myself included like to sound off occasionally about them is because there are other people who are always talking them down, saying that they are nutters, have leg problems and should be in a can of dog food. so it's not that we're saying they're special, we're just defending them.
They are definitely not nutters - they are an aquired taste admittedly, but I like the taste so much, I have two.
I bought my most recent one in April last year. I was told she had NEVER been on the roads - been in training and been raced twice. Seven weeks after I got her, she got sick and to cut a long story short, I had to start roadwork with her a couple of weeks ago after 9 months off. I tacked her up and took her out on my own. She didn't bat an eyelid at tractors, cars, motorcycles, cyclists, other horses, anything! I have since been doing roadwork six days per week,and been along a busy 60mph "A" road. She is fabulous and in two weeks of just walking has started to carry herself beautifully and is starting to look like a real show horse.

My two won't stay in the field on their own, and don't like staying in the stable block on their own, but I don't see it as a problem, i just appreciate that it's the nature of the beast and avoid as much as possible these circumstances.

Good on everyone who has the confidence to take on one of these horses.
 
RachelFerd said:
It does get on my nerves! I think most people with ex-racers who have no involvement or have never had any involvement with the racing industry don't understand that these horses haven't been dragged out of the depths of hell... and that many racehorses are nice well mannered rides that cope very well with potentially exciting situations.

Plenty of racehorses (flat and jump) will hack out nicely in a group or alone, will jump a showjump or a cross country fence, and have been nicely schooled on the flat and do understand canter leads, how to work in an outline and so on.

Someone then acquires said ex-racer takes it 'back to basics' and then thinks its a miracle when the horse manages to do above things without being 'mental'!! Completely not realising this is what the horse has actually been doing all its life.

A couple of weeks ago we were doing gridwork in the arena with a group of 6 racehorses. Some flat horses, some jumps horses ranging from those only just broken to horses who had been in training a few years. These six horses all walk/trot/canter and go over poles as a string. They all stand calmly waiting their turn to jump. All of them jumped well over a grid of 8 small fences. All were fully fit and running in the next month. We looked more like the pony club than a scene full of 'insane highly strung horses'!

All of them are individuals - plenty are lovely, a few have a screw loose. I could say that about most breeds.
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I wish there was a 'Like' button for this ^

Very, very true. I, too, get frustrated when people stereotype racehorses as nutters. I've been to quite a few race yards in Scotland and the majority do exactly what you have taken the time to explain. Thank you :)
 
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