How long did you give your exracers off?

ktj1891

ktj1891

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Basically what it says in title.
So many people are telling me how much time to give off, so just wanna see what your tried and tested methods was?
 
My four year old had six weeks. Sometimes they can be a bit institutionalised and need a little while to 'wind down'. He's changed from an uptight boy in to a very gentle, friendly and willing-to-please angel. I think that they are all different though, no hard and fast rules.

I started leading him out a few weeks ago and he is now being re-schooled for polo....baby steps!
 
Well we retired one beginning of the Summer and I'll be bringing him back into work in the New Year. My gelding didn't have any time off, because he's stressy and hates being stuck out in the field or in a stable not being worked! And my mare had a Summer off.
 
Mine will have had a yeah but that is due to the fact he had an injury and now when i can get to the yard it's either to dark or shocking whether or my back is playing up something cronic! So he will be brought back into work into the new year either before or after my back op :D
 
Mine had about 3 months before i bought him as a 4yr. Then after reschooling for 3 months he had another 6 weeks off togive him a wee break.
 
I bought mine in April and she had already been turned out since before last Christmas. I rode her about ten times and since then she has spent more time in hospital than with me due to illness and now a fetlock operation, so by the time I hopefully get back on her in March, in total it will be about 18 months and nearly ten grand in vets bills up to now. So much for a project to sell on! I think she's another one who will be with me for life!
 
Holly Hocks said:
I bought mine in April and she had already been turned out since before last Christmas. I rode her about ten times and since then she has spent more time in hospital than with me due to illness and now a fetlock operation, so by the time I hopefully get back on her in March, in total it will be about 18 months and nearly ten grand in vets bills up to now. So much for a project to sell on! I think she's another one who will be with me for life!
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Oh no what's happen to Blue now? xx
 
My most recent one had about 3 months off out in the field but she hardly had a illustrious long racing career, having only done 2 bumpers! She started her reschooling very slowly too as she was terribly thin
 
Chellebean said:
Oh no what's happen to Blue now? xx
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Hi Chelle

About two weeks before she was due to go for her sinus check, I noticed that her fetlock on a back leg was swollen and was getting a bit worse....so I e-mailed the Prof at the hospital and he said that they would have a look at it for me when I took her - anyway, she had a large bone chip in there....it's damaged the cartilage, so not sure of the long term prognosis, but should come sound - six weeks box rest and then in hand walking - what joy!......got to go back in Spring for CT scan on her head which should give a bit more of an indication of what's going on in the sinuses!
Went down tonight and the lad has also got a swollen back leg and it on anti-bs.....I swear I will never ever have another horse when these two go!
Is Ollie getting on ok?
 
I gave mine about 6 weeks off, he came straight from the racing yard and was very thin (race fit, if you prefer. We turned him out and left him to it. He was very nervous and jumpy when I started riding him out, but after a few months started to trust me a settled down. He still prefers to go out in compnay but is now safe to ride out alone. Although, take him onto open grass and ask for a canter and you'll get a flat out gallop with no brakes - something we are still working on.
Make sure you are in a safe area the first time you canter yours, try in a school first to be on the safe side.
 
Mine finished racing in Sept 09 and was then turned out, sadly without enough food or rugs and was extremely thin when I bought him in Feb this year. Until April, he was fed plenty and did lots of basic groundwork, and once his condition had noticably improved, I started riding him! Have taken it very slowly, getting the basics firmly in place and he is going so well! Seem to have stopped since this awful weather though!
 
Holly Hocks said:
Hi Chelle

About two weeks before she was due to go for her sinus check, I noticed that her fetlock on a back leg was swollen and was getting a bit worse....so I e-mailed the Prof at the hospital and he said that they would have a look at it for me when I took her - anyway, she had a large bone chip in there....it's damaged the cartilage, so not sure of the long term prognosis, but should come sound - six weeks box rest and then in hand walking - what joy!......got to go back in Spring for CT scan on her head which should give a bit more of an indication of what's going on in the sinuses!
Went down tonight and the lad has also got a swollen back leg and it on anti-bs.....I swear I will never ever have another horse when these two go!
Is Ollie getting on ok?
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Oh sweetie I'm so sorry! I told you earlier about Ollie and him doing his check ligament in! He was trying of course to get to his girly lol
Vet has said to put him on box rest until he isn't lame in walk and then can turn out in a field where he cant trot but can move. looks like he'll be out of work for another 3months :( but hopefully I'll have been operated on by then and can ride again :D
 
JoanneH71 said:
I gave mine about 6 weeks off, he came straight from the racing yard and was very thin (race fit, if you prefer. We turned him out and left him to it. He was very nervous and jumpy when I started riding him out, but after a few months started to trust me a settled down. He still prefers to go out in compnay but is now safe to ride out alone. Although, take him onto open grass and ask for a canter and you'll get a flat out gallop with no brakes - something we are still working on.
Make sure you are in a safe area the first time you canter yours, try in a school first to be on the safe side.
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This made me laugh - I don't think you ever can truly train that out of an ex racer! An area of trees on the common had been cut down near me. Foolishly thought it was a great place for a canter - before I knew it we were speeding along, absolutely no brakes. I reckon we must have been galloping at one point. Thought I was going to come off because I was totally unprepared but I managed to stick on and after I thought he was going to slam into the fence and he had spooked at a tree, I finally managed to haul him to a stop. He was a complete nutter for the rest of the hack, on his toes; I think he forgot I was acctually on board! Gotta love 'em.
 
kirstyl said:
Mine finished racing in Sept 09 and was then turned out, sadly without enough food or rugs and was extremely thin when I bought him in Feb this year. Until April, he was fed plenty and did lots of basic groundwork, and once his condition had noticably improved, I started riding him! Have taken it very slowly, getting the basics firmly in place and he is going so well! Seem to have stopped since this awful weather though!
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Oh that kinda sounds like Ollie but his "not enough food/rugs" lasted until september! Ollie was on restricted grazing all summer, now he is getting fat on box rest :D
On the plus side he was very easy to put weight on :D
 
Mine came to me in September from the trainer and finished his last race in August. I hacked out 2 days after he came and continued quiet hacking and small spells in the school. He settled very quickly into his new life, without having a long lay off, we still only hack (alone and in company) and the odd schooling session. He was 5 when I took him on.

He has the life of riley and is a pleasure to own.
 
mine came out of racing, straight into 2 months schooling then i got him and turned him out for 2 months, now coming back into work (when i can ride him because of all this snow agghhh!)

R :D
 
Mine last ran in August, I got him first weekend in September and he's done nothing since. As he's only 2.5yrs I don't intend doing anything with him until after his 3rd birthday in April as he is growing and filling out, growing and filling out and has scrabbled from 15.3hh to 16.1hh since I got him. What two giant feeds a day and as much haylage as you can eat does for them eh?! He has now stopped eating as though he's never going to again but he does his love haylage :)
 
Rose Folly said:
About a week. Two went straight out hunting and loved it, and the third went into Pony Club activities. They were piping fit when we got them, and adjusted immediately.
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This question applies to others who've done similar to you with little time off - what did you do about the "reschooling" side or were they already partially reschooled when you got them?
 
I come of a less 'schoolified' generation. Two of the three were flat racers. My father was an ex MFH and we had free hunting with three local packs, so we just took them out with the pack that had the least jumping and a lot of big galloping fields.The NH horse had the most amazing laid-back nature. I was 13 and took him to Pony Club Camp almost immediately. At the gynkhana on the final day we won the jumping, which wasn't surprising, won the Bending Race, which was VERY surprising and I was SO proud of him as he was 16.2 and not that manoeuvreable. Unfortunately,, in the race whose name escapes me, (where you have to gallop to a table, dismount, eat a sticky bun, drink a glass of lemonade, remount and gallop back to the start), we galloped to the table, the old boy pricked his ears and we flew it! I can still remember looking down as we jumped onto the carefully coiffed grey locks of the District Commissioner! On second thoughts, perhaps a bit of schooling might have helped there.

But overall, the exracers just went straight from their old lifestyle into ours, hacking, hunting, shifting cattle, whatever. They were given a lot of understanding and gentleness in how they were ridden, but, rather like a child going to a new school, we didn't go out of our way to reschool them - they just learnt to adapt. So, happy memories of Finglass Road, Empire Preference, Gambol and Prince of Peace.
 
I see how they go in the first couple of weeks off the track and then make the decision. Because they live out 24/7 in NZ (not while racing) but after we don't need a lot of time off. Some that arrive in light condition will get a couple of weeks off on good grass and then be ready to bring back. One I had I believe had been on sterroids as he was anorexic - a common side effect when they come off them. They may not be legal but it doesn't stop some trainers using them!

I've really found that being out 24/7 is the key to unwinding them ans keeping them sane. Also allowing free access to good grass means they don't need to be hard fed. When I feed them they get crushed barley and meadow chaff with sugarbeet to moisten. I had 8 of mine in the riding school and used for beginners as well as for the more advanced riders.
 
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