Exracer training - next step jumping

[melv1lle]

After six months of flat work with my ex steeplechaser my instructor decided we were ready to try out jumping. So I thought I would share our before and after photos from the start and end of the lesson. After years of hurling himself over hedges at a gallop you can see he thought the small poles were a bit beneath him

But by the end he was going very well (I think). We had to stick to jumping out of trot though as my instructor is a bit worried if we go into canter he may get back into race mode and land up jumping out of the school! I think his only limiting factor when it comes to jumping is going to be me

 

[BBs]

WOO HOO!

Haha your instructor sounds like my old boss - he always worried about me jumping my ex P2P in canter too! the rails at the end of the school never seemed high enough!

Well there is definitely improvement thoughout thos pics - he makes a good shape and is actually using his shoulders!

I think you are doing a grand job! he is lovely! and I still want him

 

[Heidi1]

Oh my god, he has a pop in him, well done for all the hard work you have put in and I WANT HIM, he is so lovely............

 

[Scoopy]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm i have a pic like that somewhere !

Well done you, he is some cracking horse, a real credit to you !

 

[SillyMare]

He is lovely - jumping really sweetly in those later pics! What a clever boy to improve so much in one session.

 

[JoBo]

Well done you! He is going to be fantastic, look at that pop!

 

[ExRacers]

Looks fab!! I jumped my ex racer for the first time since I got him last year (no facilities at home!) in a small s/j class & what a star!! OK he was quite excitable but he didn't pull & when he got to the fence made every effort to tuck his feet up despite my horrible riding!! I was well impressed & he was placed 2nd!!

Sure you'll have loads of fun too!!!

 

[melv1lle]

I'm not letting him go I am afraid, I love him far too much now

Do you honestly think he looks good (please ignore me I haven't jumped for about 14 years since I had my last horse when I lived at home!) - bringing on a horse I am learning all about deevloping him rather than me so I am very interested to hear experts thoughts on how he is going.

I was pretty pleased with his shape though considering this is what he used to jump ...

 

[BBs]

He looks absolutely fine!

Gutted you dont want to share tho!!

For someone who hasnt jumped for 14 years OMG you are doing incredibly well!

Your legs are fine just dont need to lean so far forward over those fences thats all!

He is one hell of sexy horse!

 

[Tempi]

hes so gorgeous!! your mega lucky!!!!! and he jumps so nicely-makes a really good shape over them.

 

[KatB]

Lovely horsey, you're doing an amazing job of him! Enjoy reading your Blog too....

 

[barkinghorse]

I'm just drooling over the yard!!!

 

[kerrylou123]

me 2 bh

 

[filly190]

Well done to both of you. Ex racehorses are lovely and as they have had loads done with them right from a foal in preperation for the yearling sales and two year old breeze ups, they have seen and done most things by the time they retire.

I have had five, where I have been given them to bring on and then find good homes for. I dont do it anymore as it is heart wrenching. Trainers are always looking to find good free homes for these horses and so many people are afraid to take them on.

I feel so proud for you, maybe in a few months time you will give us a post of your first show, it would be really nice if you could keep us updated of your progress and perhaps other people will feel inspired to give these poor horses a home.

There are ex-racehorse competitons and please correct me if I am wrong but do HOYS do this, I could see you both going far.

 

[melv1lle]

Thats why I keep a blog in the hope it will make people realise that you don't have to be a top rider to take on an ex-racer (although that is me assuming anyone apart from my mum reads it

)

I am thinking of doing some ex racehorse stuff one of these days to see how we do. Although to be honest, seeing as I got him cos I outbid the meat man by 50 quid he makes me incredibly happy with just the little things we achieve at home

 

[SilGathien]

What a lovely boy, with a definate improvement!! Well done!

How long did he race for?

It's really interesting to see how others do with their ex-racers as I have one too. I suppose it depends on how long they raced for to how they jump, because mine never quite jumped like that, but each to his own.

But, saying that, good luck, I'm sure he'll improve a lot more too!

 

[melv1lle]

Was your horse a flat or steeplechaser?

Sam (Torpica was his race name) raced until the age of 9 which is when I took him on last year. He started in flat (his sire was a top flat horse) but then moved onto steeplechasing. I got him when he fell at his last race and badly damaged his tendon. It was either me or the dog food factory - its terrible what happens to most gelded racers but I suppose very few of us take them on

 

[Fiona]

Great photos showing how he improved from the start to the end of your lesson. Who knows where you will be in six months time. He looks gorgeous.

My husband had an exracehorse who had raced until he was 9 or 10 (quite successfully I believe), then evented up to intermediate, and was jumping until he was about 22 or so. Was def his horse of a lifetime, I hope that Sam is yours.

Fiona

 

[PapaFrita]

Lovely horse! he's doing really well. I'm also dribbling over the keyboard at your lovely yard!

 

[MiffyH]

Well done you, he looks like he is coming on leaps and bounds. I am following in your footsteps with my ex-flat racer, although she only stopped racing in March and for a flat racer has one huge pop in her!

Would love to hear your progress, keep your bog up to date I will be reading it and wish you lots of fun and luck .

 

[vicijp]

[ QUOTE ]
keep your bog up to date I will be reading it

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[MiffyH]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done you, he looks like he is coming on leaps and bounds. I am following in your footsteps with my ex-flat racer, although she only stopped racing in March and for a flat racer has one huge pop in her!

Would love to hear your progress, keep your blog up to date I will be reading it and wish you lots of fun and luck .

[/ QUOTE ]


I know I had a spelling issue its early, apologies :0)

 

[SilGathien]

Cont.
My boy raced from the age of 2 on the flat, he also did hurdles and did about 3 chases before we had him, but he was rising 6 when we got him, so easier to train I guess. I've just had him over a year now, and he is working so much better!

Unlike Sam, mine came direct from his racing yard onto my instructors yard where I rode him a few times over 3 weeks before we bought him.

If he had been entire I don't think we would have got him because of his bloodlines (http://www.pedigreequery.com/saposcat).

But bless Sappy, he was such a bad racer. on attheraces.com I've viewed videos and some of the commentators comments are just hilarious, a couple go something like 'and Saposcat had completely tailed off' and 'Saposcat is wandering around drunkenly with his head in the air'.

^ Can assure you, he is not drunken and disorderly anymore .

 

[melv1lle]

Sam had a similar kind of career! This is a comment from one of his better races ...

"Torpica looked well beaten out of the back straight but picked up the bit, racing widest out into the straight. He looked like winning at the last but while the winner stuck out his neck, Torpica did not look as game."

 

[SillyMare]

His prowess as a racehorse is something you can joke about in Horse and Hound when they interview you before you first Badminton / Hickstead / BD Nationals (whichever direction you end up going with him).

My boy failed dismally! Merry didn't even make it onto a racecourse - just spent a year as an ornament on a trainer's yard he cut his losses and got rid of him (to me). Must have been hopeless really (bless him). I think he is too laid back and gentle to ever be a racehorse anyway!

Good luck with yours - I look forward to following your progress.

 

[Baggybreeches]

Wahey way to go! Your boy is damned near as good looking as mine!

. I have two now and you could not find more opposite beasts if you tried:- Sov, gorgeous handsome arrogant talented and a complete arse, or Emerald, head too big for his body but the most laid back willing genuine and careful horse. So far I have had Sov nearly 18 months and in 3 months Em is already able to do what took Sov a year to get his head round

 

[Allykat]

Ahh well done he does look really good and very handsome!

My TB was a "never ran" He and his half brother arrived from the breeder at 18months and it was decided one was more the racing type and one seemed a more pleasant riding type.....That will be Joe. He was put out to grass to grow up and mature before going into NH training. I came along in the meantime and bought him as an unbroken 3 1/2 year old.....best thing I ever did.