New ex-racehorse - keep him ticking over or turn away?

minesadouble

minesadouble

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I have just bought another ex-racehorse (don't even ask, wasn't looking and takes our horse head count into double figures - gulp!), we are picking him up on Tuesday. He last ran 3 weeks ago and his owners had chucked him out for a fortnight and done 1 week of very basic schooling with him when we went to see him.

For a horse who has spent the last 5 years doing nothing but race he felt very trainable with really good paces and seems to have a good brain. He is carrying no flesh, just skin, bone and muscle. So my dilemma is do I turn him away totally or just keep him ticking over and gradually learning with some light work a few times a week?
 
I have kept all thee of my ex racers ticking over tbh - one had raced abouta month previous, one two days :O and the other had been out in a field for 3 months. Nothig to high presure - little hacks,10/15 minutes in te school etc just to keep their brain active mre than anything
 
You're likely to get lots of different responses to this one! My inclination would be to do something with him for the next 4-6 weeks and turn away over winter to drop some of the racing muscle and pick up condition whilst giving his brain time to adjust. Then bring him back in early spring and ask for some proper work.
 
I'd be inclined to chuck him out and bring him back in work early next year... Both Reg and Bee had a decent break after they came out of racing (Reg had 18 months, Bee had 5 months) and neither have really displayed much 'racehorse' mentality in terms of ridden work and were both pretty relaxed about life...
 
Lolo said:
I'd be inclined to chuck him out and bring him back in work early next year... Both Reg and Bee had a decent break after they came out of racing (Reg had 18 months, Bee had 5 months) and neither have really displayed much 'racehorse' mentality in terms of ridden work and were both pretty relaxed about life...
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Agree with this. I turned mine away when I got her, she'd raced 3 weeks before I got so was still racing fit and looked like a whippet. She was however rising 3 (in non-tb terms) I got her in the Feb and she was 3 in the April so younger than OP.

I think I'd still be inclined to turn away though even if I got something older, give them a chance to unwind and also learn how to be 'normal' horses in a herd if that makes sense :)

Good luck.
 
I would agree with those that said turn him away. Not much will be achieved in a short period of time... and he will benefit from complete downtime after working so hard.
Then bring him back when you are ready to start him off.... :)
That's what I would do.
 
I got my TB 3 weeks after her last race. I rode her out in walk for two weeks to get a feel for her and then turned her away for 9 months. I really believe she benefited from the long break and then restarting afresh.
 
Mine was 3 and a half, 2 weeks off the track when I got him of August 2010. All I did was hack him out once a week for 30 mins to an hour and for the rest of that he was turned out till March the following year to get his head level. Probably the best thing to do is turn away and bring back in to work early next year :)

SS x
 
I got mine a month after his last race and kept him ticking over. I hacked him out regularly and it was a way of letting him down gradually whilst still keeping him active. He adjusted easily but had he been a real stress head I may have turned him a way for a while to let him mentally unwind.
 
I'd personally do a few things with him, get him used to his new life and then give him a little time off just to regather his thoughts. You'll be surprised how different they are after a little holiday and enough time to get all the corn out of their system. Have fun!
 
Personally... I would keep on doing very small bits with them, ie lunging once a week in "normal" tack/groundwork/going out for a walk in-hand.

Just to let them know their not at a holiday camp, and they will still be expected to do some kind of work.

If my old tb was out of work for any period of time, he was a real nightmare to bring back into work. He was a lazy toad, and the toys came out of the pram when we re-started any kind of work.
 
It really does depend on the horse. Loll is the "family racehorse" and we've owned her throughout, last summer we gave her the summer in the field and if anything she went back which wasn't a great start to go into training. She raced twice over the winter (having run her first in Feb 2011) then after her 3rd and last race in Feb she came home to become my riding horse (her pulling herself up after 3 hurdles being a big sign she didn't want to race any more :rolleyes: especially as there was nothing wrong with her).

On coming home she had light work just hacking out (with a sheet on as she was so poor :eek:), all very relaxed and limited by the time of year; ad lib haylage and fattening but not heating grub. As she started to look better the workload increased and we've done fun rides, xc schooling and last week ventured to show her some coloured fences, despite the increased workload she's now fat :rolleyes:

If I'd turned her away back in Feb being the type she is I do think she'd have gone backward again and we wouldn't be nearly so far forward now. Starting her in light work with some turnout and gently upping it across the summer has done the trick and I have a lovely happy mare that hacks out on a loose rein and enjoys what she's being asked to do.

If I was you I'd just do little bits and pieces and let his brain down whilst keeping his bod ticking over - the main key will just be dropping the corn from his diet!
 
My TB ended up being turned away for 8 months as I found out I was pregnant 3 weeks after I bought him :rolleyes: Turned out to be the making of him, he was completely chilled out when we restarted ridden work at the beginning of the summer.
 
I think perhaps a little walking on short hacks just to let him/her get used to the area. Start off in hand, then under saddle, then in hand again and throughout winter spend as much time bonding and grooming and getting to know each other, that way if when spring time comes and he/she is a bit nutty, you will know if it's out of the blue or pain related if that makes sense.
I would just enjoy getting to know eachother's ways for a little while and let them do some growing up over winter too! :)
 
Forgot to add*
Maybe just once a week a short schooling session(just very basic walk trot and maybe canter) just to keep them sane and make a change from a stable/grass. When it is really skippy and awful I would just forget about riding completely and focus on keeping weight on! That's a challenge in itself!
Good luck with your new project :)
 
The yard where I'm based regularly rehomes its racers whose racing careers are over. The trainer always recommends that the horses are turned away for a holiday and to let them down and get all the hard feed out of their systems. We normally suggest a couple of months.
 
boxcarhorse said:
The yard where I'm based regularly rehomes its racers whose racing careers are over. The trainer always recommends that the horses are turned away for a holiday and to let them down and get all the hard feed out of their systems. We normally suggest a couple of months.
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This is really good advice. The other thing to consider when a horse comes straight out of training is that it may be carrying some sort of injury / muscle strain etc etc... to expect him to start new work under a different saddle with different aids / expectations is a LOT. If you can turn him away... and start again this will allow him to unwind / relax and any aches & pains to either subside or show themselves.
Always the way forward.
 
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