FOF'ex-racers' thread: How, do you think, racehorses in training are treated

Cuppatea

Cuppatea

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2010
Messages
3,879
Location
by the Irish sea
www.facebook.com
Follow on from the 'ex-racers' thread yesterday: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=418392 for those outside of racing, how exactly do you believe racehorses are treated and cared for whilst in training? Really interested to hear peoples opinions and beliefs.
Please dont read the thread link i have posted till you have put your opinions down.
Thanks.
 
mostly with 'awe' and a good dose of 'ef me, is it going to blow up on me?' TBH, I havent got a clue. Ive always treated them as I would any other horse. Why, are they different?
 
All the ones I've had out of racing have been very well cared for and their lads/lasses have been sad to see them go- some have even kept in touch.
Sure there will be exceptions and some won't be kept how they should be but I think the vast majority are very happy horses within their routine and certainly get the attention they need.
 
Having two lovely ex-racers, I imagine they are treated extremely well. I think the lads and lasses who look after them are devoted to them. The only thing I don't like is that they don't get much in the way of turnout, but to be honest, they are athletes at the peak of their training and like human athletes, they have to be taken care of not to get any further injuries. The only thing I don't like about racing is how disposable the horses are at the end of their careers. Not the fault of the trainer, but usually the owners - often without much knowledge of one end of the horse from the other who don't give any thought to what is going to happen to the horse at the end of it's racing days.
 
I can't say I really know tbh! I would think they are treated well, but maybe more like livestock than somebody would treat their horses on a private/recreational basis, but I suppose I think that because of the sheer numbers of horses in the industry. When I say livestock, I don't mean that badly btw :D
 
Very Well! Where my girl came from she had a horse walker, a sea walker, all the relevant treatment. She had a lovely huge box with lovely bedding, ad lib hayalge, plenty of rugs and was well cared for. Her coat was sooooooo Shiney!

The syndicate owners all petted her and gave her carrots (although she hates carrots!)

The trainer loved her and so did the yard manager. They are all regularly wormed, have racing plates on and are groomed, washed down e.t.c. My girl wanted for nothing! Her temperament speaks volumes. She is a real poppet to handle.

She still wants for nothing and think she is enjoying being a riding horse and having daily turnout. Yes she can be a four year old madam to ride sometimes, but hey she is only four.

I think buying an exracer is a great way to go (if you have backing and training experience). You get a quality horse for peanuts, the sellers are totally upfront about temperament, attitude to work, foibles, health e.t.c. The vet who vetted her was the yard vet and the yard were happy for him to disclose her vet history. It is a way to buy a horse from genuine sellers.
 
I think this is a difficult question - some racehorse owners love their horses. The late Peter Monteith is a good example, he would go and get branches for horses on box rest to give them something to do and always highly rewarded any horse back from the races. Sadly too many though are money only incentivised. When I bought my ex racehorse a well respected trainer/owner said to me in effect well done as you are basically rescuing them from a *****y life. That's coming from someone in their forties who's been and worked in racing all his life. I knew mine was loved by his groom, she threw her arms around him when we took him and was sobbing - I felt terrible for her. The owners however *fibed* to me about his pasted life and things like telling me his teeth had just been done when in fact they were so sharp the above man I was talking about, pricked his finger on them and told me they hadn't been done in years. I could go on! The trouble is human beings are greedy toads and racing is a business. No they are not all like that and if there were more Peter Monteiths in the world I would have no problem! I do totally accept there are places where they are loved and treated well though, and like anything in life, shouldn't be tarred with the same brush.
 
There are good trainers and bad trainers, so it varies, but unhappy horses don't win races. If you are a trainers and you have rubbish form, owners will go else where.

Regards to turnout there are a couple of trainers near me (was at her yard yesterday) and all the horses where out in the fields (with rugs on!). A lot of the trainers are turning out more now (obviously not so much when the weather is like this!).
 
I'm not 100% sure how they are treated. I think I came to the conclusion that the good runners got treated better then bad runners.
Going off Ollie, he is bad with the farrier which I find really odd being a racer and when i got his teeth done I was told they hadn't been done for almost 3 years and he raced last year!
I dont know completely if the farrier issue was there before he went to a friend or not, so cant completely judge on that front!
I do have to say Ollie isn't completely with out issues which is a shame but we are working through them :D
 
well the majority of opinion on here is that racehorses are generally very well cared for and loved. So why is it then that there are so many 'ex-racer' threads on here that suggest they are treated like slaves and have no idea what a kind word or a soft pat is? I know there are some yards where standards could be 'raised' somewhat but there are yards like this in every discipline and in the human workplaces too, so why is it racing that has the bad name?
 
Sorry, I read the link first as I was being nosey...but I COMPLETELY agree with you, having worked in racing myself.

I worked on a small family run point to point yard, so we only had a few in training at one time. All of the horses have such great personalities, and each member of staff had their favourites that they rode and looked after and developed a huge bond with. I developed a huge bond with 2 of the horses. One would fall asleep whilst I groomed him, yet was a fidget and box walked with everyone else. And developing these bonds helped us to notice any slightly odd behaviour from the horse that may require the vet or physio etc....just like any other horse and owner!

The horses were not broken in until 3/4 years old, turned away and then brought back into work just as any other horse. They had daily turnout together so they could socialize with eachother just like other horses!!

They were all rugged accordingly, fed the best quality meadow hay, straw and feed money could buy, apples and carrots in feeds etc. They had the best farrier in the area, regular visits from the physio, dentist and saddler....they all had their own made to measure general purpose saddle, racing saddle, and dressage saddle!!! Not only were the horses point to pointers, but they were also dabbling in fun rides, eventing and dressage during the summer months and hunting a bit in the winter.

They were all treated like absolute kings, and probably better than anyone else would be able to treat them. None of them were ever sold after their racing career...which could take them into their young teens...but they were then either just used to hunt or went on loan for low level eventing etc. Should they have an injury which meant they could not be worked anymore...there was a field and shelter with retired horses in too.

However there is also bad in the horseworld. But I have learnt that if you want the horse to be successful in it's job...you have to treat it well! Some people seem to think all race yards are horrible and the horses just treated like machines.
 
Last edited:
I think, in part at least, and I'm sure someone will shoot me down, that when racers retire to a new home it is rather different to what they are used to. They are used to absolute routine, knowing exactly what is what, knowing what is and isn't acceptable behaviour ( we loved ours but we had no time for silliness either) and when they go off to be someone's pet it confuses them.

It probably seems very strange to them and so to begin with they seem stressed and like they've had a hard time. Then they get used to it all and new owners think '' oo I've worked a miracle and now he's so friendly and lovely'' when in fact he was always like that. He just had no idea how to be himself in this strange new place where people turn up late on Saturdays and Sundays and want to spend hours grooming him and playing funny games with him.

Just my opinion of course!
 
I am not saying his racing history is to blame for the issues with Ollie as I can't! I am still trying to find out his racing history. I know his main issue is trust and that is what we are working on. I also know he has had a pretty bad year before he came to me which is probably the cause of some of his issues.
 
jesstickle said:
I think, in part at least, and I'm sure someone will shoot me down, that when racers retire to a new home it is rather different to what they are used to. They are used to absolute routine, knowing exactly what is what, knowing what is and isn't acceptable behaviour ( we loved ours but we had no time for silliness either) and when they go off to be someone's pet it confuses them.

It probably seems very strange to them and so to begin with they seem stressed and like they've had a hard time. Then they get used to it all and new owners think '' oo I've worked a miracle and now he's so friendly and lovely'' when in fact he was always like that. He just had no idea how to be himself in this strange new place where people turn up late on Saturdays and Sundays and want to spend hours grooming him and playing funny games with him.

Just my opinion of course!
Click to expand...

I have to say I completely agree with this :D
 
I worked at a racing yard for 6mths and they are very well looked after. We all treated them as if they were our own. I am sure like all places there will be good and bad
 
jesstickle said:
I think, in part at least, and I'm sure someone will shoot me down, that when racers retire to a new home it is rather different to what they are used to. They are used to absolute routine, knowing exactly what is what, knowing what is and isn't acceptable behaviour ( we loved ours but we had no time for silliness either) and when they go off to be someone's pet it confuses them.

It probably seems very strange to them and so to begin with they seem stressed and like they've had a hard time. Then they get used to it all and new owners think '' oo I've worked a miracle and now he's so friendly and lovely'' when in fact he was always like that. He just had no idea how to be himself in this strange new place where people turn up late on Saturdays and Sundays and want to spend hours grooming him and playing funny games with him.

Just my opinion of course!
Click to expand...

Yes I would agree with you on that. The horses I worked with are absolutely lovely, dopes on a rope. I used to lead 4 of them in/out of the field, and they are all quite big and well built!

If they were to go to a new home where there was not much of a routine, and only ridden a couple of times a week, and not as heavy work as they are used too, I could see some of them becoming stress heads and then eventually settling...and the owners may think they have worked miracles. At the moment they are used to having a good work out...be it hacking,the gallops, schooling or jumping. They also have a routine they are very used to....it doesn't even change on Christmas day! Horses still get exercised and looked after as normal etc.
 
I suppose it is a different mindset. I think flat horses are just a commodity at yards I've been to. Some of the lads, love their horses, but these 2/3 year olds are moved on very fast and hammered.

Facilities are irrelevant to the horses, spas, solariums, fabulous stables are far less important than a social life, good diet and lots of turnout. I think a 2 year old with no turnout, masses of hard food, limited forage, a one mile sprint with limited warm up twice a day and a rider who is likely these days to be a poor rider (on minimum wage from Sri Lanka or similar)- is not a great life.

Could be worse, they could be hammered up and down the road in harness from 18 months like a gypsy horse, but I don't think it's a great life.

My peception is that things vary greatly from yard to yard and from flat racing to jumping.
 
I think it all depends on the yard and the staff. A friend of mine has worked in racing all her life and I have seen first hand how pampered the horses were in the yards she worked on.

I have had 2 previous ex-racers, both of whom were very well mannered and friendly. The one I have now, however is a different matter. The trainer I got him from told a few porkies about him, his teeth (according to my dentist) had probably never been done (he is 7 and did his last race 3 weeks before I bought him) and from some of his behaviours, it is clear that he has been hit in the past - if you move too fast he totally panics.

Saying that though, certainly doesn't mean I think racehorses in general are poorly treated and I think it's a real shame that a few negative examples lead to some people believing this.
 
I think normally they are treated very well in racing. Obviously there are going to be good yards and worse yards but isnt that the case with almost every set up.

I think that mostly its just the change from moving from a normally busy racing yard to a more normal set up that sometimes takes them a while to get there heads round. Its almost like there a bit institutionalised! But I dont think thats because there unloved or misstreated, its just different.

I know that the lads and lasses love their horses. My most recent ex racer was brought by her lass after her 2 failed racing attempts and then a few months later she then sold her on to me. There was no doubting how much she loves her and she still keeps in touch with me about her.

The other thing is the grooms etc on the racing yard dont normally get paid mega bucks for doing their jobs so the main reason they do it is for the love of the horses and the industry.
 
heidirusso said:
When people say race horses are very well cared for and are pampered etc... What exactly does that mean though??
Click to expand...

Well here is the life of our flat horses;

fed by head lad at 6

first lot on the walker at 6:45

first lot exercised at 7 when we all turned up (we were lazy bums I'm afraid)

first lot washed down and rugged and put back in stable which was magically mucked out whilst they were out of it

Huge haylage net fed on return to box

Second lot on walker whilst first lot ridden so carried on like this most of the morning

Lunch for all horses in work

Anything being backed was done in the afternoon as was all lunging.

Our horses were turned out for afternoons on a rota so after lunch rugs on and out.

Horses left in thoroughly groomed and petted

Horses out brought in, legs washed off, groomed, rugs on

All stables skipped out

More haylage fed

Dinners

Last check

No different from my own horses really. They probably get more human interaction than mine do as I'm at work all day.
 
Okay im going to go sooo shot down for this but i have to say, when i said treat like machines, i didnt mean not care for at all, what they do and how they are looked after revolves entirely around their work, they are bred to do that and they are cared for so they can do that.... a machine is made for a job.... and looked after so it can continue doing this job.

does anyone see my point or am i being incredibly blind to all of this haha! At the end of the day an unhappy horse wouldnt race, so if it wasnt cared for it wouldnt do well! but it doesnt mean it gets to bond properly with an owner and have the same experience that a field non-racing horse would!!
 
harmony_ said:
Okay im going to go sooo shot down for this but i have to say, when i said treat like machines, i didnt mean not care for at all, what they do and how they are looked after revolves entirely around their work, they are bred to do that and they are cared for so they can do that.... a machine is made for a job.... and looked after so it can continue doing this job.
Click to expand...

this would be the same for showjumpers and dressage horses and cart horses and show horses and happy hackers and....and...and....
all horses are bought for the purpose for us to ride, whichever way we choose. and they are looked after accordingly so they can carry on to do whatever it is they do.
Also surely showjumpers and dressage horses have a much tougher and longer work regime day in day out than a racehorse who goes up the gallops a couple of times usually messing around/playing as they go. A dressage horse wouldnt be allowed to 'play' whilst working?
as far as the horse is concerned, im sure their day revolves around feedtime not their work!!!! ;)
 
Last edited:
Racehorses do a job and some are worth an insane amount of money, they are better looked after then the majority of horses that people keep as 'pets'.

Obviously you get your good yards and bad yards but I would say the majority they are very well-loved and well-looked after! My friend lost one of her many pointers and couldn't talk about it for months without crying.

If I'm being brutaly honest I think show jumpers (especially ponies) are treated more like machines then race horses, I think they love their job and it shows when they race they look so happy and dertimined (SP?) :)
 
harmony_ said:
Okay im going to go sooo shot down for this but i have to say, when i said treat like machines, i didnt mean not care for at all, what they do and how they are looked after revolves entirely around their work, they are bred to do that and they are cared for so they can do that.... a machine is made for a job.... and looked after so it can continue doing this job.
Click to expand...

Agree with Rowenna, surely with your logic....every horse is a machine unless it is purely used as a pet?

I think most racers have a better lifestyle than expensive dressage/showjumpers, even some happy hackers, pets etc. At least ours get turnout, are able to socialise in herds rather than single paddocks like most other horses. I have been to a few dressage/showjumping yards in particular...and the horses are not allowed any turnout for fear of injury!

However I do realise that there are good and bad, I have seen a couple of bad flat racing yards. BUT the same goes for other disciplines, and plenty of livery yards!!
 
Last edited:
I can really only speak for mine and he was well looked after at his last training yard. The trainer was female and did her utmost to find him a good home because she had a soft spot for him. However if i had not taken him he would have probably been pts. (as requested by his owners)
 
well i own and exracer and i was lucky enough to do work experience at a racing yard, the horses there were treated like royalty, everything they get is the best. i think overall they are worked hard but equally rewarded well. the only thing i don't like (though is understandable for the value of these animals) is the lack of turn out they get, most were hand grazed for about 10 mins and 4 a day were turned out for 2 hours, so every 2 weeks they got 2 hours out.
 
heidirusso said:
When people say race horses are very well cared for and are pampered etc... What exactly does that mean though??
Click to expand...

it means that they want for nothing. apart from the spa's, the sand pits, the swimming pools, the solariums etc(not saying every yard has these though!), Anything even slightly 'off' with them is reported and 'fixed'. Any little nicks, cuts, soreness etc is noticed straight away and treated there and then. if they are not 110% then they arent going to give their best so it is made sure that they are!:) I know a lot of people believe they their horses want for nothing and no cuts etc are left, they're all treated pronto etc etc,and of course they are! its just that whithin racing this level of awareness and care is heightened even more. Also they are never left alone, anything that happens on the yard/in their stable, there is someone there always to deal with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top