hunting ex racehorses

[Clarebear*]

hi i am interested in getting an ex racehorse, which i would like to hunt, team chase and do rc activities on. How many of you hunt ex racehorses? and how would you go about choosing an ex racehorse with my aims in mind, what are the best preparations for hunting an ex racer and how did you go about it? also would you recommend a jump racer or flat racer with my aims in mind?

 

[pinklilly]

I would recommend NH / ex p2p for the jobs you wish to do. There's quite a few pointers coming up for sale at the moment that aren't good enough to be kept in training, they should have hunted but ask as some will not. I had several ex pointers in when I was a hunt groom and they took to the job well enough, they were good to ride and lead, good in traffic, hunted all day and well mannered to handle.

My ex trains pointers and hunts his to qualify, the only ones that have been a problem to hunt has been one or 2 that has come off the flat and haven't settled to the job. Some of the ex pointers will have hacked alone, hunted and done some hunter trials but just depends where they have come from.

 

[Drakerath]

I enjoy hunting ex RHs. I find their stamina and speed such a lifeline out hunting BUT they are more high maintenance through tough hunting seasons so I tend to find I need 2 RHs for every one traditional hunt-bred horse!

I would avoid flat RHs. Invriably they have not had the time pre-racing that jump horses have had invested. Go for family yards where horses are slightly more precious to them and have been handled in a way more in line with how you are going to handle yours. Check your potential horse well when you try him for the usual RH hang ups.
Don't expect every RH you take on to take to a change in career. 3 out of 4 do fine with a career change but some will never make the grade.

 

[Renvers]

I did read the title and wonder if it was as an alternative to foxes

I know a few ex NH/P2P who hunt and like it. As with choosing any horse for a specific discipline the nature, build and character are paramount, being an ex-racer is more of a secondary consideration.

 

[Girlracer]

I have an ex flat horse who is the easiest horse I've ever hunted. Although I'm not overly brave so don't jump massive things but he's great fun and he certainly seems to cope well with hills in comparison to warmbloods I've hunted previously.

 

[hnmisty]

I've just bought an ex P2P, think he left racing just before he was 5m he's coming up now. He seems to think he's a beach donkey...apparently until you take him hunting and he hears the horn. Then he remembers he's a TB who can shift it! Not my personal experience, but what the lady selling him told me. Apparently he's just VERY fast

 

[The wife]

I had my best days hunting on my little ex-racer. Absolutely fantastic. We took him cubbing once to gauge his reaction and would have continued to cub if he'd not taken to it like a duck to water . I'd say personally ex NH would be better, they are 'generally' much sensible and have a few more gears than flat horses. I also found, although my fella could be keen that as soon as everybody else pulled up, he did too.

Just take your time with them and introduce everything slowly, don't go all guns blazing at opening meet and expect a perfect day

 

[Sparkles]

Big lad, at he rip, was truly awesome to hunt. Bold, mannerly, front or back and jump anything.

 

[Baggybreeches]

In the most part the best horse you will ever hunt on! My big lad gets a bit fidgety at the meet so we unbox him just before moving off, my other boy (RIP) was an absolute gent to hunt.

 

[GoldenOrlaith]

I work in a NH yard and for what you're looking to do, you want an ex jumper! Be sure which ever horse you buy though they are fit for the job- hunting is hard on legs and wind if you tend to go all day and some ex racers are retired generally because their wind is rotten or their legs have had tendon trouble. Also racehorses have their shoes on and off every time they run as their road steels are swapped for aluminium "plates" so their feet tend to be quite hard worn, and when you select an ex racehorse you need to take a good long look at their "wheels"
I would advise out hunting the first time you take a babysitter who doesn't mind if you tuck in behind them.. ex racehorses settle a lot better with something to follow and sit in behind that you know won't kick!
I have had some amazing days out on an ex-grade one racehorse who was so sane he could even do gates.. and I have had the worst day of my life on a failed point to pointer who jumped ahead of the entire field and hunt master within 2 fields and 4 hedges. It depends on the individual! Good Luck!

 

[Baggybreeches]

I have had some amazing days out on an ex-grade one racehorse who was so sane he could even do gates.. and I have had the worst day of my life on a failed point to pointer who jumped ahead of the entire field and hunt master within 2 fields and 4 hedges. It depends on the individual! Good Luck!

That's exactly it!

 

[Antw23uk]

If i can interupt instead of starting a new thread ... Has anyone hunted on a pin fired ex racer? I have a 7yr old ex long distance flat racer and I#'ve always thought of hunting ... more of a pipe dream i guess .... but speaking to his 2nd owner at the weekend (I'm his 4th) apparently he was fired as a 3yr old but been sound ever since.

Thanks in advance

 

[pinklilly]

Antw23uk I had a pin fired one, a bar fired one and an unfired one with a bowed tendon in hunt kennels, all 3 ex-racehorses, all were used for hunt staff to hunt hounds or whip in on and none had problems with their previous injuries.

 

[GoldenOrlaith]

If he's been sound since having been pin fired, then I would feel confident hunting him, the only thing to look out for is being sensible with the going. If the ground is rock solid or bottomless then it would be a major risk to take your lad- but that is pretty much the same for most horses. Also the ground in front of jumps would need to be sound.. that's when the biggest risk of tendon injury is on already fragile TB front legs. :O
Also prevention being better than the cure, make sure to do plenty of road work before hunting your lad, strengthen up his tendons. plus personally after a days hunting if you could get some Clay or "Ice Tight" on his legs that night and cold hosing when you get back then you reducing the risk of heat and sprain or strain.
hope any of this advice helps.

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Just a note about clay/gels, make sure it's one that can over cuts and grazes or else it causes legs to 'blow up' and obviosouly little cuts and grazes are common out hunting

 

[TeamChaser]

Don't expect every RH you take on to take to a change in career. 3 out of 4 do fine with a career change but some will never make the grade.

Would agree with this. Sadly I have one of the 1 in 4!! Never took to hunting and would just refuse to stand still, throw himself about, run with sweat and generally be a prat - mind you, he's a bit of a knob about most things Just wasn't much fun with him. If you could have kept moving the whole time, he'd have been fine and was never particularly keen so easy when on the move.

As others have suggested, ex pointer may be good place to start and try and get bit of the history. With these things, you don't really know until they've been tried at it so if you can find one that you know has been there and done it, all the better. In my experience, if they don't have the brain for it, they don't really improve ... but that might just be mine! Friend of mine has had a few that have been brilliant - including Masters horses so if you can get a sensilble one, you'll have loads of fun

 

[tootsietoo]

I'm going to be doing it this winter too! The general consensus seems to be that there is not much better than a good Thoroughbred. We are in quite heavy country, so I am a bit worried about his legs, although he's got a fairly good amount of bone. If you are in hilly country then a TB will probably be spot on. Mine did wave a leg at a friend's horse out hacking the other day, so he will be ribboned up like a christmas tree.

I had a different ex-rh a few months ago who I think wouldn't have been suitable at all - too stressy. This one is horizontally laid back, so I'm hoping he will have the same attitude out hunting. I would say that what they've done in the past is probably less important than their personality and attitude.

 

[Antw23uk]

Antw23uk I had a pin fired one, a bar fired one and an unfired one with a bowed tendon in hunt kennels, all 3 ex-racehorses, all were used for hunt staff to hunt hounds or whip in on and none had problems with their previous injuries.

If he's been sound since having been pin fired, then I would feel confident hunting him, the only thing to look out for is being sensible with the going. If the ground is rock solid or bottomless then it would be a major risk to take your lad- but that is pretty much the same for most horses. Also the ground in front of jumps would need to be sound.. that's when the biggest risk of tendon injury is on already fragile TB front legs. :O
Also prevention being better than the cure, make sure to do plenty of road work before hunting your lad, strengthen up his tendons. plus personally after a days hunting if you could get some Clay or "Ice Tight" on his legs that night and cold hosing when you get back then you reducing the risk of heat and sprain or strain.
hope any of this advice helps.

very much appreciated thank you. He is sound as a pound and has been since the pin firing as I spoke to his pre owner owner at the weekend. He has had a blown abcess which my farrier thinks was about 8 ish month old .. so now 10 ish months old and growing out nicely but It doesn't bother him and cant see it being an issue on the field

 

[Kittykat100]

Though my thoroughbred is now 9, he did come from a racing yard apparently. But he is so good to hunt. Does get excited but then all horses do. Can tank off sometimes which is rather terrifying but got a new bit in him which has sorted him out. Definitely recommend.

 

[solitairex]

Mine is best behaved out hunting! They're great, definitely get a P2P/NH over a flat though, as they are usually crazier and not as good at jumping! x

 

[Herbieboy]

My mum hunts a ex race horse and it is good as gold

 

[Rose Folly]

Think you also need to look at the type of country /pack you are going to be hunting. I've hunted in Northumberland and Somerset, and it really is 'horses for courses'. I've hunted an ex-flat racer with the Tynedale, but with the Haydon and the Mendip Farmers would definitely want an ex-NH horse.

We were once lent the wrong horse from a friend's very large number of racehorses. The poor fellow's face when he was pointed at his first jump - park rails - was one of amazement. We'd been lent a 'flattie' and he'd never jumped in his life. But he did it, bless him, albeit a leg at a time!

 

[Antw23uk]

Yes the jumping bit we are working on now. He hasnt really jumped in his 7 years other than once with his previous, previous owner with a rider getting him to about 3ft once ... Everything else was hacking and dressage. I dont think his previous owner jumped him because he really doesnt seem to get it yet!

We have been practicing at home over coloured poles and he attended his first clear round jumping at the weekend. In the warm up he was concentrating so much on being in an outline and on the bit he didnt even see he was being taken to a warm up fence! Then the penny dropped and he did a couple of rounds over small jumps and we called it a day. He behaved with impeccable manners

Gona practice more over poles and then go to the neighbours who have a XC training paddock to get him over some solids and see how we go. Would LOVE to be able to take him hunting this season although obviously nervous as hell