My first Ex-Racer arriving next week

J

jm2k

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 January 2011
Messages
210
Visit site
I have an ex-racer arriving this coming week. Never had a a racer before but after much deliberation and investiagtion i decided to go ahead.
He is almost 4, 16hh, well bred and ive had good feedback about temperament and nature's from both sire and dam. He seems to be a laid back, easy going chap - retired sound after being too slow, coming nearly last in his 9 races (bless)!

My current horses were all purchased as either foal or under 2 year old and have been with me for over 17yrs so i do have experience of youngsters, nervous, inexperienced horses etc but not with the complete re-training of a horse. His last race was Oct. He has been at livery since with day turn-out and some gentle hacking out, all of which he has dealt with easily. good to shoe, load and travel as you would expect.

So......the first few weeks - what does everyone suggest as a very slow and basic starting method for him?
Bit info esp useful. i ride my 18.2 MW in a fat eggbut french link so want to try keep his biting as light as possible.

Thanks in advance :D
 
exciting although can't offer any advice as I've never had a TB let alone an ex racer...

sounds lovely though and best of luck with him oh and don't forget the piccies.... :D
 
i had a TB mare who come from a dealer aged 6 or 7 so we had no history about her what-so-ever. she was stabled for 3mths with chronic flu when she arrived and had me dosing and jabbing her with all sorts so our relationship had a very poor start. she was fairly neurotic, nappy to the point of rearing but once out of yard she would be ok, just constantly jogged. loads of patience and understanding and over the years she finally relaxed a bit but could never catch her (same as my other mare!, my boys you can do anything with!!). I ended up working away a lot and they were all 'retired' for 6 years. She died (RIP Xara) very suddenly just over a year ago hence this new arrival now im not working away at all :D

Pics will defo follow :)
 
[QUOTE As for bits I'd just be tempted to start off with a loose ring snaffle and go up from there if need be :)[/QUOTE]

i was thinking the same as thats what he would have trained in, thanks
 
You'll be fine! Take it slow, just do what you would normally do with any rising 4yr old, light hacking with a friend, basic school work and enjoy :)
I find they normally like as light a bit as possible, a hollowmouth snaffle or French link loose ring.
:)
 
How exciting! I got my ex racer this time last year. She sounds very similar to yours; she came nearly last in every race and is very laid back.

For the first month I did a lot of basic handling with her and took her for walks out in hand. Your's will probably be fine to ride out (mine was in too poor a condition).

I found that she stays laid back if I am straight with her and if she has a regular routine. She tends to get a bit anxious if things change!

A lot of TBs don't like the nut cracker action of a normal snaffle so it might be a good idea to start in a lozange snaffle. Have a look at your TB's mouth size and shape and then you can decide on an appropriet bit width. Mine has a tiny mouth and fits the next bit size up from my 13hh pony, she also preferes a thin bit as her mouth is small.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
my little lad is arriving TOMORROW!!

still full of the usual 'have i done the right thing' nerves lol, but never mind, he is coming and im looking forward :/ lol.
will have a good look at his mouth when he is settled and get a bit sized for him.

ok, this is sounds a bit silly to me but - i know you dont pull on the reins to slow/stop as you would usually as he knows it means to go faster - so how do i get him to stop at the beginning when im starting his basic training?
im lucky that i have a lot of lanes and fields surrounding us, before i need to go on a main road, but still want to get it safe first. also, speaking of fields, how long would you leave it before going into an off-road track type area?

please feel free to swamp me with even obvious suggestions.

thanks all :)

(pics will be here very soon) x
 
Although my boy isn't technically an ex-racer because he did PC alongside his pony racing career, he still as the ex-racer tendencies.
He goes brilliant in a french link loose ring snaffle and seemed to really dislike the nut cracker action of a single jointed bit. He is also quite sensitive to even small changes so any change must be very gradual.

Don't forget that he has been in a racing yard aswell where everything will have been the same routine everyday so if I was you I would try and find out this routine and stick to it as much as you can so he feels more settled as you won't disrupt his routine too much.

Best of luck with him and can't wait to see pics :)
 
jm2k said:
my little lad is arriving TOMORROW!!

still full of the usual 'have i done the right thing' nerves lol, but never mind, he is coming and im looking forward :/ lol.
will have a good look at his mouth when he is settled and get a bit sized for him.

ok, this is sounds a bit silly to me but - i know you dont pull on the reins to slow/stop as you would usually as he knows it means to go faster - so how do i get him to stop at the beginning when im starting his basic training?
im lucky that i have a lot of lanes and fields surrounding us, before i need to go on a main road, but still want to get it safe first. also, speaking of fields, how long would you leave it before going into an off-road track type area?

please feel free to swamp me with even obvious suggestions.

thanks all :)

(pics will be here very soon) x
Click to expand...

I love TB's because they are so sensitive! Ex-racers especially because they are usually forward and off your leg, which is the basis of any good work. To slow down, just use your seat to half halt! Mine barely needs me to use the reins at all :), if he gets a bit keen I do small pulls periodically but to be honest just sitting up and using my seat is enough. Don't try and take one long pull because they tend to set against it and get unbalanced/strong/faster but it depends on the horse as they are all a bit different.
School him/her as you would any horse, any youngster should respond to your seat before hand anyway. Be light with your aids and you will be fine! Its only when they sense tension or you confuse them with your aids that they get anxious. Honestly they aren't that different from getting any young blood horse. If anything he/she will seem really mature as they have experienced so much :)
 
i think im just getting the pre-arrival nerves and jitters! when he is here, settled and i know him a little bit i think i'll calm down lol.

i always use some type of french link, never single joint snaffles, the milder the better as far as i can see and then work out which design is the best for the horse.

im going to get out of my head, re-training, and just think schooling. then i should be ok :D
 
I have retrained seven ex racers. The most difficult one, and the only one I have had to ride in anything other than a french link, was a steeple chaser who raced until I got him age 11. He was just sooo strong. But even he was successful at dressage (rode him in a french link hanging cheek for dressage and a dutch gag for hacking). He was really high stepping and smart. The other six were much younger. All the young ones were incredibly easy and I had them working beautifully over their backs within two weeks. The most difficult part is lateral bend. They all tend to be quite stiff and just not used to having to work in circles. They feel so wobbly and unbalanced, but that all comes with time. Canter work is always a challenge with an ex racer. As someone else has said, taking a pull on the reins can make them speed up and set against you. Use your seat and voice and only intermittent gentle checks on the reins. Ex racers do not understand the concept of working on a contact. They take a while to pick this up, but when they do, they are usually very light and easy. Good luck!
 
jm2k said:
ok, this is sounds a bit silly to me but - i know you dont pull on the reins to slow/stop as you would usually as he knows it means to go faster - so how do i get him to stop at the beginning when im starting his basic training?
im lucky that i have a lot of lanes and fields surrounding us, before i need to go on a main road, but still want to get it safe first. also, speaking of fields, how long would you leave it before going into an off-road track type area?
Click to expand...

To stop, pull on the reins. Its not quite as bad as people think about pulling the reins making them go faster! Also as someone above mentioned, use your seat, its more the weight shift a jockey does that slows the horse not letting go of the reins. A jockey stands in his stirrups above the neck and the horse goes forward, he moves his weight back, or up, or into the saddle and off the neck, and the horse slows. Remember this when you have a canter - if you hunch up and lean forward, that is the sign to go fast! Relax, keep your bum heavy in the saddle and your shoulders BACK and you'll be fine! :DThe horse has been out of racing long enough and partially re-trained by the sounds of it to be able to go hacking etc so he should know that a pull on the reins means stop!
As for how long till you take him in a field, it depends on how comfortable you are. If you are worried by it, wait. you will be more likely to wind him up. If you are happy with him and not nervous on him, do it! Only you will know when the time is right.
Tack wise, just put the very very basic tack on. You can always add things IF needed but if you put all the gadgets on you could quite easily freak him out. Less is more with TBs!
Let him settle into his new surroundings before you start working him. a relaxed horse is much more compliable than a stressy one. Keep a good work routine with him, they tend to be naturally fit (to a certain degree) and can take a lot of work. People mainly get problems with ex-racers due to not working them enough and they getting bored and playing up.Its a human fault, not a breeding fault! Keep him interested, lots of different things to do/places to go, dont always work him in the same school etc etc.
Good luck and hope you have found yourself a great mate. Any questions/problems feel free to pm me! :)
 
well, the morning is here, they are due to box him about 10am ready for his long journey to south Wales :D .i have a silly smile on my face lol.

sounds good if the french link works for him plus im not a gadget freak at all, only OR boots (brushing when schooling) saddle and bridle :)
i have read some humerous stories about the initial schooling around circles and not being able to bend etc so there will no doubt be a little bit if fun ahead!! im a very calm, easy going rider so even if faced with a monster im super chilled so at least that (hopefully) will be picked up with him and we progress fairly easy. will aim to get a beach ride in when the weather is a bit warmer, nice little goal for us.

cheers guys, will update pics soon, and no doubt add more on if and when we have any issues in the coming weeks :D
this site is fab x
 
Exciting!!!!!!!! Have fun!

I got my boy about 18months ago, he had finished a full racing career (steeplechase). I had never had an ex-racer. He is fab. He jogged a bit to begin with but wasn't strong, never really had a prob with the rein contact, although he likes to stroll along on a loose contact best! I have him in a loose ring neue schule lozenge bit. Started off with a loose ring snaffle but found that a bit severe to tell the truth! Never had a prob at speed, did same as you have already been advised and sat in the saddle at canter, now I can easily canter xc style without him speeding up, just took a bit of time to get our communication systems working right. I absolutely love him. He never spooks or is silly.

Good luck with your new one, bet you will have a wonderful time x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top