Ex Racers

[Pigeon]

Thank you for all your replies . Keep them coming.
Re choosing the right ex racer, how did you choose/come across yours? Did you take an instructor with you? Did you just have a feeling that would be the right horse? How did you go about choosing your ex racer, when especially there are so many available nowadays?

If it's unfit, go for something quiet. They tend to get a bit more about them as they come into regular work, and then turn into dobbins when they're unfit!

I just decided on mine because he was cute. He has really nice conformation, a couple of blemishes (white scars, a capped hock and a heamatoma) but they've never caused any issues.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

Thank you so much for all your replies. There's just so much variation between everyone's experiences and it's great to read! Again purely out of curiosity where would you say are the best places to buy them? Straight off the track from the racing yards, or from a private seller that buys and sells on the likes of sound ex racers that were too slow/not appropriate for racing?

my OH has an ex racer. He is a total darling. We didn't buy him right out of racing though but as an 11 year old who had been hunted after racing but who was not really standing up to lots of hunting. He does find it hard to work physically correctly for dressage esp in canter - not helped by the fact he is HUGE at 17.3 and finds the schooling arena small. but this is far outweighed by the fact he is a gentleman in every way - he jumps, xc and showjumps (ok not going huge but he does it willingly), he goes on fun rides without going nuts, he hacks alone and in company, he lives in or out - is not crazy if not ridden for a week. i love him and I don't really like TB's

 

[kandm]

Just out of interest (if anyone knows), where would be the best place to source an ex racers around 3/4YO in southwest area? More towards Gloucestershire. Again just curious as around Newmarket there seems to be a lot, same around Yorkshire way.

 

[wench]

Go to your local trainer, or one of the sales!

 

[toomanyhorses26]

the sales are awesome but you will want to come home with ten so if you do take some sensible eyes . My first was given to me by my dads boss and the other two I found through wanted ads neither of which was what I actually wanted - I was after a 16.2hh+ 5/6/7 year old gelding pref nh bred/type and I got a 14.3hh flat bred just gelded colt and a 16hh mare My 3 yo went up over a hand in height between the ages of 3 and 4.5 so if you are wanting something to get going relatively rapidly I would go slightly older if you can - it seemed the moment he got a bit of food and some time to do some actual growing - he really did . He also went up 3 saddle sizes as well in that 18 months.

 

[anna22]

I have had a few, mostly on loan but I have owned 3.
Christian: we got as a 19 year old who had hunted and team chased after finishing pointing, and was going to the knackers. He is AMAZING on the ground, lovely to hack/flatwork, but show him a SJ and he is the biggest **** in the world! Now 28, still a pain but you know what, he's honest, he likes some stuff, and hates others. And if he's told you, don't bother trying to persuade him otherwise cos you'll loose!
Gizmo: Heart of gold, amazing both on and off the ground. Unusually had Puissance (ISH) as his sire but still raced. Would do anything for you, jump anything, try anything... but ask him to hack alone and all hell broke loose, the driver around my area certainly have more respect for horses since he was out on the road! Sadly got diagnosed with suspensory desmitis and navicular as an 8yo so went on loan to a lovely family who all hacked out together and he was a saint. I loved him to bits as they did, so when I got the phone call at 3am one morning to tell me he'd died of a severe colon torsion i was mortified
Ollie: 5yrs, off the track this summer, super smart, super cocky but he is undeniably MY horse. The trust and desire to try that this horse has is like none other I have met. Never lights up unless I ask him, flatwork to die for, hacks anywhere with anyone/on his own, will walk into, over, under anything, infront or behind. BUT he can be difficult to handle, he will push the boundaries on the ground, he BITES... and gets upset if handled by other people. Everything was going swimmingly and he has gone and done his suspensory in front being a pillock in the field about my dog?!!? Joy

As said, they are a real case of amazing highs, and crushing lows. But I doubt I'll ever have anything other than a TB All have quirks and a spark of their own. You will need patience, confidence and compassion... but in the right hands they are truly amazing animals.