Lolo, I have a bone to pick with you:) re x racers

[showpony]

I have always followed your posts about Al & Reg & now the new addition since I joined HHO late last year...

I am in the position over the next few mths to take on a second horse who initially was going to be a 15 hh connie to do working hunter on. HOWEVER , I am now very much considering taking on an X Racer thanks to all your posts on HHO about them!

So what do you think, would I be able for one? I have a 5yr old ISH whom I have owned a year, first 6mths were very rocky , past 6mths have been amazing, my confidence is sky high jumping ( well not very high about 70 cms or so ) and I have zero confidence issues on the flat.. Lateral work has been established & have taken my time... Im in no hurry.
We have been out to do some dressage & local shows & have a full packed schedule for next couple mths - ultimate goal is to event next year when the both of us have matured.

I have an amazing instructor whom is invaluable in my training & thinks taking on a second horse is a great idea as the more Bum time in the saddle the better...

Now here is the big IF - I cannot cope with a horse that rears, bucks, spins on a regular basis or that is very " hot" as my nerves kick in big time after a bad accident 12yrs ago that made me give up until last yr BUT have quiet hands and a quiet seat & would be a sympathetic rider ( so Im told ) ....

So do you think an Ex Racer may be a good choice as a second horse?

 

[Mince Pie]

I'm not Lolo but thought I'd add my tuppence worth! My 16.2 ex racer was more laid back than my cob! There are some sane, lovely TBs out there but I would suggest getting one that is being/has been reschooled rather than one of the track.

 

[Tnavas]

So long as you are confident that you are taking on raw material then you should be fine.

They are just ordinary horses who have been given a specific job to do.

Most arrive with minimal understanding of the riders leg - so either scoot off at 200 miles and hour or plod because they just don't understand your leg. The same goes with rein contact - they have been used to working with bridged reins set low on their necks.

One thing that most do if you can try to trust them is to stop/calm down if you drop your reins and kick your feet out of the stirrups - to them it means work is finished. Ex jockey taught me that one!

If straight out of racing it is beneficial to turn them out for a couple of months - allows them to chill and reduces their fitness level a great deal. DON'T feed them hard feed until you have developed some trust/bond/schooling - sugarbeet and balancer are all they need for a while - once you get to know your horse then you can start to feed IF needed.

Here in NZ TB's generally find homes as riding horses once their racing days are over - prior to the invasion of the warmblood it was pretty much all we had available - kids go on them from ponies with few problems. All my horses bar one at the riding school were ex racers - one in particular raced until his teens - he was one of my best horses.
They are generally quick learners with active minds that need to be focused by changing the subject regularly when you are schooling - if they hit a block and start to get unsettled go back to a different thing they do well before returning to the problem.

Like all horses there are sharp one, dull one, dittsy ones and the odd screwball! Just treat them like any other horse and you should get on fine.

Just have to show you pics of my friends lovely ex racer - first season out won Supreme Champion Park Hack (over 14.2 under 15.2) at Horse of the Year and now recently eventing - this pic where he came 5th in Young Eventer of the Year - only his second outing at an ODE

 

[ghostie-x]

I have worked in racing and with thoroughbreds for the past 5 yrs. Not all are hot or diffcult. As said above there are sane and sensible ones out there! My boy I have had for nearly two years, he retired at 7 then had 3 yrs in the field before I got gifted him. He's been a joy to retrain so far, he is generally even tempered although can have some sharp moments, but not malicious at all.

And my mare that I got gifted is 9 but has been a broodmare for the past 5 yrs! So not ridden since running as a 3 and 4 yr old. I've recently brought her back into work and look...

Asleep! Maybe I'm just lucky! haha No there are seriously lovely ones out there and they are extremely rewarding to work with. As long as you are a quiet, sympathetic rider with experience you should be fine.

 

[showpony]

WOW , fab pics! don't mind re minimal understanding of leg at all or rein contact.... both easily fixed with time & empathetic riding.... this second horse would be my last for a number of yrs & would be kept forever so just want to get it right! BUT I want to event & an ex racer just fits the bill - stuff working hunter lol

So long as you are confident that you are taking on raw material then you should be fine.

They are just ordinary horses who have been given a specific job to do.

Most arrive with minimal understanding of the riders leg - so either scoot off at 200 miles and hour or plod because they just don't understand your leg. The same goes with rein contact - they have been used to working with bridged reins set low on their necks.

One thing that most do if you can try to trust them is to stop/calm down if you drop your reins and kick your feet out of the stirrups - to them it means work is finished. Ex jockey taught me that one!

If straight out of racing it is beneficial to turn them out for a couple of months - allows them to chill and reduces their fitness level a great deal. DON'T feed them hard feed until you have developed some trust/bond/schooling - sugarbeet and balancer are all they need for a while - once you get to know your horse then you can start to feed IF needed.

Here in NZ TB's generally find homes as riding horses once their racing days are over - prior to the invasion of the warmblood it was pretty much all we had available - kids go on them from ponies with few problems. All my horses bar one at the riding school were ex racers - one in particular raced until his teens - he was one of my best horses.
They are generally quick learners with active minds that need to be focused by changing the subject regularly when you are schooling - if they hit a block and start to get unsettled go back to a different thing they do well before returning to the problem.

Like all horses there are sharp one, dull one, dittsy ones and the odd screwball! Just treat them like any other horse and you should get on fine.

Just have to show you pics of my friends lovely ex racer - first season out won Supreme Champion Park Hack (over 14.2 under 15.2) at Horse of the Year and now recently eventing - this pic where he came 5th in Young Eventer of the Year - only his second outing at an ODE

 

[showpony]

Love your Grey!!! Think I may be ready for the challenge

I have worked in racing and with thoroughbreds for the past 5 yrs. Not all are hot or diffcult. As said above there are sane and sensible ones out there! My boy I have had for nearly two years, he retired at 7 then had 3 yrs in the field before I got gifted him. He's been a joy to retrain so far, he is generally even tempered although can have some sharp moments, but not malicious at all.

And my mare that I got gifted is 9 but has been a broodmare for the past 5 yrs! So not ridden since running as a 3 and 4 yr old. I've recently brought her back into work and look...

Asleep! Maybe I'm just lucky! haha No there are seriously lovely ones out there and they are extremely rewarding to work with. As long as you are a quiet, sympathetic rider with experience you should be fine.

 

[ghostie-x]

Thank you! I've known her for 5 yrs but only owned her since November. She is very pretty and she knows it. She is American born and bred and acts like a typical Hollywood movie star! Another one to convince you to get an ex-racer...

 

[Mince Pie]

Oh well, if we're doing photos...

 

[showpony]

Oh god, Connie working hunter option is being thrown in the bin! I want an X racer if he or she jumps like that!

Oh well, if we're doing photos...

 

[AmiRobertson]

Can I join in please! Mine was apparently never race trained but was passed around race yards before winding up at ascot market! She is 4 very green but very loving and incredibly honest I love her and love thoroughbreds! Dizzy can have 8 weeks off and I am able to get straight on and she will be cool as a cucumber and remember what she has been taught previously She teaches me loads as well!

No exciting ridden ones because we just do groundwork work and plods around the block at the moment while we are sorting her feet out

 

[Lolo]

My heart literally stopped when I read the title, lol!

You get all sorts- we've had the full spectrum it seems, from Reg who is as affable and kind as can be, to Bee who could have out-thought Einstein and enjoyed the challenge. Smokey never hit the track so doesn't count!

In the end, Al has loved them all- it's not been easy but it's been fun!

Are you ready to take on this sort of wild beast though?

(I'm amazed my posts have had any effect on anyone's opinions, as so many have been reports trying to see positives where most people would see none. But Reg has been a truly amazing horse, he is very much a treasured pet before anything else and no matter what happens he will be Al's number 1. One in a million, and he's converted us to the world of ex-racers.)

 

[BeckyD]

One thing that most do if you can try to trust them is to stop/calm down if you drop your reins and kick your feet out of the stirrups - to them it means work is finished. Ex jockey taught me that one!

Oh! That explains a lot! I nearly fell off my ex-racer a couple of times when cantering and kicked my stirrups away and he then stopped very abruptly. I wondered who the hell had taught him that. Feel a bit silly now

Having said that he was virtually bomb proof to hack (even as a 4yo), acted as nanny to a few horses at that age, and such a charming horse to ride. Really tried his hardest in everything. He wasn't easy on the ground though, and required confident and epxerienced handlers, but that was just him and I know plenty of ex-racers that are dope-on-a-rope on the ground.

Happy horse hunting OP! As everyone says - like every type of horse you get good ones, great ones, tricky ones and mental ones amongst ex-racers the same as any breed. I've managed to end up with an IDx that is nowhere near as easy to ride as my ex-racer

 

[TarrSteps]

As above, it's such a broad term you cannot generalise. I do find many of the scatty ones actually have a physical issue though and you need to be aware of how 'maintained' many racehorses are now. Even quite ordinary horses that are perceived to be 'under performing' can have quite a lot of maintenance which will not be obvious, even with a vetting. Add to this that there are many horses racing that go in a way that would not be acceptable in a riding horse. Just because you can get on and ride it around in 'race horse mode' pleasantly doesn't necessarily make it a good candidate for retraining.

This point can also cancel out the 'cheap option' aspect of an ex-race horse. I ride a very lovely one, who is sweet as pie, but despite his relatively inexperienced owner being able to ride him straight out of training, it soon became evident he needed quite a lot of 'help' - vet, physio, training - to be the horse she needs him to be. She has easily bought a much more expensive horse on an instalment plan! And could have had, for the same collective money, a more suitable horse much more quickly. He's lovely and she's both committed and sensible so it's working but she often says she can't believe they survived the first year.

Which is not to put you off, just to inject a note of caution. Yes, everyone is telling you their success stories but there are lots and lots of people with less cheery tales. I can think of half a dozen people off the top of my head that have ex-racers they simply never ride because the horse is simply too much, not right for the job, or not functionally sound. (In one case the horse had an op I bet the current owner knows nothing about, not because the trainer was actively deceitful, but because it's almost business as usual in his stable.)

If you can source a horse through connections or through a rehoming scheme I think that's best unless you are very experienced and have a high capacity for risk. Some trainers are notably more 'horse friendly', employ more sympathetic riders etc and ideally you want a horse from a program like that.

 

[pinklilly]

I have just started rehabbing mine, at 6 and broken at 2 in a racing yard he's very green and never went into full training and he has done little since. Temperament wise he's fab, happy to go out alone, sensible without being a plod. He's also extremely clever and once he's learnt something once he's learnt it for good ( bad habits included! ) I can get on him after 9 months or longer off without him batting an eye. He's also very quirky and needs very careful management as he's the most fragile horse I have ever come across which is a shame as he'd be very easy to school and make a cracking little competition horse if it wasn't for soundness issues.

That horse aside, I have had and worked with many and and there's quality horses and a lot that aren't so, most have had physical issues, that hasn't stopped them doing a job. I would look for something that has only been lightly raced and preferably straight off the trainer.

 

[Firewell]

Tbh my ex racer is a complete babe and has been since day one. He's had far less issues than other supposed 'normal' horses I have ridden in the past! Yes I get his back, teeth, saddle blah blah done regularly but I would do that with any horse. He did need building up slowly but he was 4 when

I got him! Any 4 yr old would need time and 3 months after I got him he was placed in his first show BD prelim with 64% and since then has gone on to give me immense pleasure in all disciplines. Eventing and jumping especially as he has insane scope although he loves dressage as well.
I even felt safe to ride him all through my pregnancy up to 37 weeks. Out hacking on my own the works.
Maybe I am just lucky but I have put my best effort into bringing him on to be my perfect horse.
We have had 4 ex racers in my family now and not had one duff one. All are clever, kind, brave horses that would do anything to please. They can have the odd excited moment of course but nothing that a bit of common sense and a half decent seat can't solve. I'm a wimp and I would not ride anything that could put me on the floor trust me!
Read back over my posts and there are lots of pictures and reports on my beautiful boy.
What I would say though is be picky when choosing. Choose one you feel safest on, like any horse. They are all different. I chose mine because I had that instant 'I know you feeling', he had great confo and feet, had only raced once and had the cutest face I had ever seen .

 

[Angua2]

another one with an ex-racer!!
I suffer terribly from nerves too and wouldn't change mine for the world, she does most activities from hacking, to jumping, side-saddle and trec and does it with such gentle acquiescence you do sometimes wonder if she is a Thoroughbred

 

[RCP Equestrian]

I'm an ex ex racer owner

I got my girl when I was 14 and she was only 5yrs old, not good on paper but she was exceptional! I had very good and experienced help at hand and my instructor at the time also had an ex racer which was a bonus!

I evented with her and competed for our RC nationally, she was a true all rounder and turned her hoof to everything.

Personally, I think she was and always will be my only ex racer, now I showjump and have turned to my warmbloods, but I certainly would never not recommend them to the right people.

I do think they are streotyped quite a bit, a minority are a little bit crazy but I know more that arent and are very talented little beasts when produced correctly.

As we're doing pics, heres one of my pingy princess

RIP my gorgeous girl

 

[Scarlett]

I have 4 of them, and I love them dearly as they really have taught me so much as rider and owner, but I wont lie that there aren't days that I would happily swap them all for just one horse that doesn't have the same issues mentally or physically.

They all have quirks and need different management, sometimes it's frustrating when an issue from their racing days is preventing their riding horse progress, and sometimes its their racing days that are helping us progress. Swings and roundabouts.

I think the biggest part of exracer ownership is the management - getting their feed and routine right makes a huge difference. Most of the 'nutty' ones I've met have had a reason. Mine are all super chilled and obedient rides for 99% of the time, but it's took me a long time to learn how to look after them, and I made many mistakes along the way.

I'd never discourage someone from getting one, but I'd try to make sure they go into it with their eyes open!

Good luck OP!

 

[Lanky Loll]

As others have said you get quiet ones and those that aren't so. Personally I love TBs. Loll is my current one and she's so laid back she's pretty much horizontal. I'm 7 months pregnant, stopped riding about a month ago because it was making me feel sick but would have happily continued riding her.

My friend's dad (late 50's/early 60's) is currently riding her for me and can't get over how well behaved she is. He's an ex-jockey so used to TBs but hadn't ridden properly for years (in fact I can't remember seeing him ride before and I've known him 30yrs ). He's taken her on 2 fun rides now and keeps asking to buy her as she goes in front or behind his youngest daughter on her 13.2, doesn't mess, doesn't pull, jumps whatever is there and is just an alround star

 

[Lolo]

To echo Scarlett, keeping Reg on the road and happy in his work is an art form and my mum and sister are seriously careful with his management.

He has his bionic hocks, which require monitoring to see when he needs them oiling again. It's taken 3 years of careful, correct work with lots of input from both a physio and a vet to sort his back/ neck issues from a fall he had racing. He eats his own bodyweight twice a day, as well as what seems to be a field of hay on top of good quality grazing. His feet were truly awful- he was flat-footed, he had sand cracks and seedy toe and they splay so badly. He's passable now, but god it's taken ages!

He is an amazing horse, and is worth the effort for us because he is such a star. His affable nature and good humour mean that he is a pleasure to be around and to care for.

 

[Scarlett]

To echo Scarlett, keeping Reg on the road and happy in his work is an art form and my mum and sister are seriously careful with his management.

He has his bionic hocks, which require monitoring to see when he needs them oiling again. It's taken 3 years of careful, correct work with lots of input from both a physio and a vet to sort his back/ neck issues from a fall he had racing. He eats his own bodyweight twice a day, as well as what seems to be a field of hay on top of good quality grazing. His feet were truly awful- he was flat-footed, he had sand cracks and seedy toe and they splay so badly. He's passable now, but god it's taken ages!

He is an amazing horse, and is worth the effort for us because he is such a star. His affable nature and good humour mean that he is a pleasure to be around and to care for.

I have one just like Reg, dodgy hocks, dodgy back, dodgy feet, he has special rugs, acupuncture, his diet monitored and a strict work routine to keep him strong and 'sound'- though with him sound is a relative term. He is, however, quite simply the best horse I could ever have, with the most wonderful attitude to work and life. He's my OH's best friend and a pleasure to own, even if it feels like a full time job in itself at times.