has anyone bought a horse to be told its not right for them.

EMC said:
What happens if you've ridden your ex-racer on the gallops everyday in training and got on fine, so much so that you saved every penny and bought him. Now you both have to learn to ride differently and he is knocking your confidence by being more badly behaved than he ever was in racing on race feed etc.?? Is it just a change of scenery/regime etc. or something more??

My boy is being re-schooled by my YO and due to injury (not from him) I'm now not able to ride for the next month.....and I have to say I'm not as heartbroken as I'd thought as he had become so unpredictable it is like I have a different horse!! YO loves fizzy horses and see's no problem with spooking but I want my mellow boy back :(

I can just hear the 'over horsed' comments being whispered now, how do I get my confidence and that of my boy back?? OP you have my sympathies, afraid I can't give you any advice other than chin up chuck.
Click to expand...

The big difference for your horse, other than the general changes if lifestyle is that he is now feeling better, most horses while they are in training work extremely hard every day, this keeps them relatively quiet, they are fit and well fed but the daily hard work on the gallops knocks the edge off them. Mondays is the day most are a bit more buzzy, following Sunday off, it can be entertaining driving through our village when dozens of fresh horses are going down the road Monday morning, Tuesday is altogether calmer.
Your boy should settle, plenty of work, a good routine and occupy his mind if you can't do enough with his excess energy.
 
amymay said:
Damn, because you know what I was going to say.............:p:):D
Click to expand...

its annoying though - this is what we did yesterday

Snapshot901-11-201217-54.jpg


today i'm a hobbling wreck on pain killers :o
 
Amymay....I've racked my brains and tried all sorts, so here is our regime:

Turnout:
- Daily, in a herd of geldings.Overnight as well when the weather is mild and dry. Previously solo turnout.
- Stabled on aubiose now as he was extremely wet on straw. Salt lick, haynets etc in stable to keep him occupied.

Feed:
- Pure Feeds for low starch/sugars/protein. Pure Condition currently for weight gain as he is now in work 6 days per week and lost condition over the past two weeks. Previously on Pure Easy. Coat condition is fantastic and hooves very good too. He is now on 2.3kg of this a day over two feeds on PF's advice to increase weight. PF's contain balancer, chaff, pre-biotics etc. all in one feed. I am very wary of feeding him too much but my YO insists his feed is upped to take into account his increase in exercise and subsequent weight loss, I'm always having 'Calm & Condition' shown to me :)

- Initially Marksway High Fibre Halage, switched to hay on YO's advice and now back on half a bag of Devon High Fibre haylage in a double net to increase eating time and also I leave a haynet out (compromise with YO) of hay incase he gets through the haylage which he often does.

- For the past two months he has been on NAF Magic liquid calmer, tried Global Herbs initially but no difference. Not entirely sure if this is having any benefit, I'm thinking it isn't a magnesium deficiency as Pure Feeds are quite extensive in their ingredients.

Work:
- He has been out of racing now since April, at our initial yard I did lots of groundwork (poles, manners, free schooling) riding in the school (very basics) and just spent time with him.

We moved to a new yard in July as the vet said he needed plenty of straight line work to build up his uneven back end and the new yard has access to offroad hacking. The school is being built but is taking ages we have only been able to hack either solo with my partner on a bike or with the YO.

- He is now being schooled 6 days a week for 1/2 each time by the YO out hacking. She is trying to get him to work in a basic outline, using himself correctly and not poking his nose out. She is also working on his 'bending' and his reaction to leg aids. I would rather hack out on a long rein, even bitless again, but our yard has lots of competition types and they feel he needs to start working properly.

I learn't to ride at the BRS so I have little expertise in conventional riding/re-schooling and am happy to let a professional re-school him which was my initial aim.

He was brilliant initially but since moving he has become increasingly spooky, and has started spinning at tractors etc. which he never even did in training (hence why I bought him!) He hacked out alone for 8 miles with my me and my partner on a bike very well at first, even stopping off for a much of grass in the local country pub so I'm not entirely convinced it is just the whole 'race horses work in a group' issue.

It has got to the point where I never know what kind of ride we'll have, I can stay on but regardless I don't want my daily ride to be a chore. He really reacts to my adrenaline levels but try as I might, if I know he is being silly I do get a bit worried hence the downward spiral. I don't hold onto him too tight though, riding racers taught me that!!

Sorry for the long post but that is his regime....I can send more info in a PM to save anybody else having to read my moaning??
 
but our yard has lots of competition types and they feel he needs to start working properly.
Click to expand...

Others may disagree - but all the racers I've seen during transition literally just hack about learning to relax and work on a longish rein, with no pressure. I wonder if this could be part of the problem?

I'd also be having a think about whether he needs as much hard feed as you're giving him - and /or if you could feed a more high fibre diet instead?
 
EMC said:
It has got to the point where I never know what kind of ride we'll have, I can stay on but regardless I don't want my daily ride to be a chore. He really reacts to my adrenaline levels but try as I might, if I know he is being silly I do get a bit worried hence the downward spiral.
Click to expand...

amymay said:
Others may disagree - but all the racers I've seen during transition literally just hack about learning to relax and work on a longish rein, with no pressure. I wonder if this could be part of the problem?

I'd also be having a think about whether he needs as much hard feed as you're giving him - and /or if you could feed a more high fibre diet instead?
Click to expand...


I'm with Amymay on this one. Shame you're not in Kent/Sussex EMC as I know the most brilliant man who would be able to help. Hope it all works out for you.
 
Thanks Amymay...good advice.

I've tried lowering his hard feed, initially he only had barely two scoops a day but due to his recent loss of condition my YO has insisted on upping his feed lest he loses too much weight before winter. She always has his best interest at heart so I do worry that if I drop the feed levels then he will end up a skinny rake with 'I told you so!' ringing in my ears!!

PF's are designed to be high fibre and with High Fibre Haylage I'm not sure what else I could give? Is there any particular feed you can think of?

He has now been moved to a new field which has lots of lush grass (here we go again!) so I now have a good reason to lower his feed so will give that a go :D

Thanks Suzi, any help would be great but Kent is a bit far!! I used to race sidecars at Collier Street in Kent, hence the injury but a lovely part of the country!! On the plus side, he does travel relatively well in a trailer so might be worth a road trip.
 
Last edited:
I'm not familiar with PF feeds, but have heard good things about them. So that all sounds good if they're high fibre based. Is he on full livery?

Sounds like he needs a good nagsman on his back to just ride him around for a couple of hours a day. Boring, boring, boring etc.

Does he have adlib hay?

Is he clipped?
 
The opposite. I fell in love with littlun but head said it wasn't right (wrong breed, height, build, age, unhandled). My heart and those around me convinced me that she was the one.
If I doubted it and it was destroying my confidence and the horse would get more from someone else and was sellable, then I'd sell.

Takes more balls to admit you made a mistake and do best for you and the horse, than it does to keep quiet and carry on.

Last awful one I saw, everyone I know including myself said the horse or rider would be dead by the end of the year. Forward a few months and rider was briefly paralysed and horse a few weeks later was dead.
It's not worth risking either of your lives over or putting people you care for through dealing with the horse, or you being hurt.
 
Getting a bit off the OP's topic, but some TB ex-racers can be difficult when they are asked to use new muscles that don't come into play whilst doing just fast work and road work. They can become sore in the neck, back and thighs and (being dramatic TB's) can associate the soreness with work. I'm not saying don't work in an outline, but be judicious and allow time to get used to what is an entirely new balance, musculature and way of going.
 
He's now on part livery due to my shift work, he was on full livery but I missed the grooming/mucking out and felt like I lost a bit of the bond we had. It's a bit sad but I'm so used to being his 'lass' and having my way of doing things for him that I'd rather do him myself, sadly DIY isn't an option.

I see him once a day during the week and twice at the wknd so the YO rides, turn's him in/out and feeds as necessary (hence why I can't change feeds without her questioning.) She is brilliant really, can't fault her knowledge and all the help she is giving him.

He isn't clipped atm, just starting to get a furry belly and neck now so won't be long. He hasn't been returning very sweaty from work though.

Cortez...that makes sense, I get really grouchy if I'm stiff and definitely would not want to work properly!
 
Of course the answer could always be that he needs to do more work, and is simply bored stiff.


I'd be inclined to put a separate post up in Competition Riders about this. Lots of ex-racers on there, and I'm sure there'd be some brilliant advice.
 
amymay said:
Others may disagree - but all the racers I've seen during transition literally just hack about learning to relax and work on a longish rein, with no pressure. I wonder if this could be part of the problem?

I'd also be having a think about whether he needs as much hard feed as you're giving him - and /or if you could feed a more high fibre diet instead?
Click to expand...

The last ex racer gelding I knew, was told that if he takes off, drop the reins and will pull straight back in. The mare I had knew that if you brought the reins in it meant we were about to go too. Even little things like I used to tap my feet in the stirrups lightly once before we were going to go fast and my mare used to know what this meant. I wouldn't have a horse I wanted for hacking on a competition yard either, I tend to find they wind each other up far more.

In addition to the hard feed (and careful if switching to calm and condition, I've known several to lose weight badly on this) why haylage? I'd be feeding hay as lots of horses fizz up more on haylage.
 
I know you think that the YO has his best interests at heart, but if you look at all the evidence I think she sounds very interfering and the yard combined with the YO may well be the main cause of the problem!

You said your horse was fine out hacking at your old yard, yet now he's at the new yard he is getting worse and is spooking at things he never used to. Your YO sounds like she interferes a lot as well, telling you what he can and cant eat, do etc - he is your horse at the end of the day and if you want to try something slightly different in his routine then that is absolutely fine, she shouldnt have a say in it.

And if this is a competition yard, as others have said this could be having a negative impact on your horse making him more tense.

One thing I have always been told by owners of ex-racers is that outlines often never come, so if the YO is out hacking him daily trying to force him into an outline no wonder he isnt happy! Racehorses are not trained to work in an outline, so sometimes you cant achieve the same 'outline' as you would get with a non-racer. One lady I know with an ex racer spent 2 years trying to get her gelding into an outline, it was a battle and the lessons were not great. Then her instructor decided that they should move on and just work on being forward, improving his paces and responsiveness to aids etc, low and behold he puts himself into a natural outline (still nothing like you would get with a non-racer though).

In my opinion (just my opinion though - I may well be wrong!) it sounds like the yard is wrong for you and perhaps moving elsewhere would be wise. Somewhere with good hacking but a school as well so you can differentiate for your horse - hacking is fun, on the buckle and relaxing, whereas when you get in the school that is time for work. I think horses need that idea of 'time to work' and 'time to relax' - if you hack him out in a relaxing manner but the next rider (the YO) rides him as if she were in a school then its going to be confusing and hard work for him.

I'm a sharer so dont own myself, but so many people told me on this forum when I was first looking for a share that having more than one person riding your horse is bad for the horse, I dont know whether I fully believe it still as I've shared my horse for nearly 6 months and he's come on nicely, however I must admit that since his owner stopped riding him (she's become a bit bored with him and hardly ever rides, perhaps once a fortnight now compared to 3 times a week) he has improved - so there is always that to consider. If you stop the YO riding him and focus on just you riding he may well improve.
 
I bought my Sect D cob 5 years ago and I knew pretty early on that I had made a mistake but he was only 5 and although he still belonged to his breeder he had been on many yards so didn't have the heart to pass him on again. I have worked with him really slowly and to be honest it has not been easy but we are getting there.
 
kc100 said:
You said your horse was fine out hacking at your old yard, yet now he's at the new yard he is getting worse and is spooking at things he never used to.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have made that clearer.....he was great hacking out at the new yard initially, the hacking was one of the main reasons we moved.

Everything you say does sound sensible though.....the yard is quite busy now, with 8 more horses arriving this weekend. He used to be at a small, quiet racing yard where all staff (all four of us!) left by 1pm and the horses just had the trainer there until the next day when I arrived. Maybe it is too busy and stressful for him?

As for the YO....I feel that she has much more experience than me and is only trying to help. I consider her as a friend and know she means well, I should learn to stand my ground.....I don't think my horse's regime is bad (with my original feed levels) but trying to convince her otherwise is hard work and I don't want a confrontation.

Also because of my lack of experience outside of racing, I am loath to take over his training (with an instructor) in case it doesn't go as well as she feels her training of him is going. Does that make sense? People are very quick to say a horse is being spoiled by a 'novice' when things aren't going to plan. My non-horsey OH thinks I should just go back to doing what we were doing before, I'm beginning to think he is right!
 
It's really what you think that matters. She is unlikely to get worse if you've had her for a year already. If you keep getting lessons she may improve as will you.
 
I have owned horses for 15 years, my first guy was perfect even though he was only 5 and 18.2 ! I am an experienced rider but nervous. Sadly I lost him after 2 years. I continued to buy horses that I and instructors thought were right but were not mainly due to my nerves all horses were sold to great homes for their benefit as much as mine. These poor horses were not having much of a life due to my nerves. I finally wrote a wanted ad on Horsequest and was completely honest as to what I wanted and I could offer.

I now have the most suited horse to me, he doesn't care if I get nervous but is not a plod and is great fun to hack and school. My daughters are always pinching him either to hunt, jump or practise their schooling. Don't feel there isn't a horse for you because there is somewhere. And if you are not happy with your horse for whatever reason don't feel guilty maybe you aren't right for her and she could be happier elsewhere.

As for stabled horses going loopy I have 5 horses, 4 are ridden, 1 is a two year old so not. They are kept at home and due to the awful wet weather this year are quite often in. 2 are TB's, 1 WB and mine IDX all of them are sensible even after a week in, although they do get a roll in the sand school but only for as long as it takes to muck them out. So not all horses go loopy just because their in but they are fed accordingly. And 2 are eventers so fit animals.

Good luck and go with your gut for your sake and your horse.:D
 
EMC, if he has only come outbid racing in April then I really wouldn't want to be getting him to 'work' properly. He needs time for muscles to adjust and that can take a very long time. Muscles have a good memory. Also it's nice for them to just chill. He has plenty of time to learn to 'school' right.

With regards to feeding I think he is on too much. Maybe just keep on hay and of he is moving to a new feild grass for a while but of he needs a little extra help with weight gain look at an non heating conditioning feed.
I don't like feeding horses loads of things if you can get it in one or two bags.


Op One of my horses a would not want to hack out after being in the stable for two days. It would make her more fired up than she is. The other one is fine, he had 9 months box rest for lami, 6 months into that we could start riding so we chucked tack on and took him round the fields, on the buckle no problem because that is the sort of horse he is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top