How best to restart an ex racer?

[BuzzyBea]

After much thought we have decided to take on my friend's ex-racer/broodmare. It is a first for us and I am keen to get her re-schooling off to the best possible start.
It was our friends' glowing reports of her fantastic temperament and personality that persuaded us so fingers crossed she will be willing and hopefully capable too.
She is 9 and flat raced as a 2 year old for just over a year in 5 races.
Since then she has been a broodmare for our friends and has had 4 foals.
She should be with us in the next few weeks as soon as she has weaned her current foal.
On the basis that she has not been sat on for six years (as far as I know) and will have no riding fitness what would you suggest we should be doing with her in the early days?
Thanks for any ideas.

 

[be positive]

I would treat her as if she was unbroken so start completely from scratch but bear in mind she may need some help to get her core strength built up having had several foals this could take longer than if she was a young horse being started for the first time. I think some input from a physio would help you get her off to a good start, lots of simple stretches to lift her back and help her supple up before she gets to the stage of being ridden.

 

[BuzzyBea]

I think you are right that we need to work on the ground with her first. Also treating her as unbroken has to be the way forward

 

[BuzzyBea]

Would it best to build her before even attempting to get or would it be an idea just to sit on in the earlier days to get her used to having weight on her back again?

 

[ljohnsonsj]

Treat her like a youngster, When we get them off the track they have 4-5 months out depending on the horse to 'be a horse' and put some weight on. I know yours isn't fresh off the track but maybe a little 'break' after weaning the foal will make her nicer to work with in the longrun. We always get ours to a good shape with decent weight and then start introducing tack/longreining until some fitness is built up then we hack a few times a week until happy with the fitness level.Then we begin work .

I always find thoroughbreds/ex racers so lovely to work with, they always seem much more willing than the warmbloods! Good luck and keep us updated

 

[BuzzyBea]

Thanks so much that is very helpful advise and I'm really looking forward to working with her

 

[maccachic]

I have a mare I started last winter who was an ex broodie just treat them like any other breaker - only thing with her is she struggled with having been her own boss and giving up her independence compared to the young horses I have started I had to fully rebreak her as she hadn't been ridden in 5 years and didn't accept gear etc.

I do use a chiro to help support the transition.

 

[BuzzyBea]

That is a similar situation to me then in that she wasn't ridden for 5 years and interesting to hear that she wan't very accepting of tack etc. I have been wondering if this will be case with our mare. I will work on the assumption that it is and start from scratch. Thank you maccachic!!

 

[maccachic]

That is a similar situation to me then in that she wasn't ridden for 5 years and interesting to hear that she wan't very accepting of tack etc. I have been wondering if this will be case with our mare. I will work on the assumption that it is and start from scratch. Thank you maccachic!!

No probs Brenda was very independent when I got her (think she was just a broodie mare and didn't get much attention) and used to go and hide down the back of the paddock when I would go and catch her it took a year before she decide I could be her friend. I found the parelli DVDs and Buck stuff very useful. She just threw different challenges at me which is great as I like to have to think. She was green broke at 3 and put in foal so didn't have much work under her belt.

 

[bonny]

Personally I don't think horses ever forget what they've learnt, no matter how long they've had off so as long as she's physically ok I would just tackup her up and see how she reacts. I've known several brood mares who you could just get on and off you go so I wouldn't worry too much about how long she's been off.....

 

[Tnavas]

Treat her just like any other horse. Restart her as if she was unbroken as some horses are not so good to ride if they have had a break. I've known some that even with a short break of a month will behave as if unbroken until they have a few days of ridden work and others that you can leave for months without riding and they behave as if they have never had a break.

 

[Firewell]

If she was mine I would get her in a routine and crack on right away. I'd start the first few days with brushing and handling to get to know her. Then I would do some in hand work, maybe some long reining and gentle lunging with tack on for a few days and if she seemed Ok I would ask someone to stand by her and hop on!
Trick is little and often as she will be totally unfit and you don't want to overwhelm her or physically make her uncomfortable so ten minutes gentle work will be enough at first.
Obviously this does all depend on the horse but she sounds like she has a super temperament and she has been broken in before.
I always start like that and they soon tell you how ready they are to progress. If she's not happy with the saddle on or long reining you know to take it slow.
If shes absolutely fine and after day three you are wandering her around the arena then fab!
TB's are clever they love to be busy and have a job.
Good luck and have fun!