Owning an ex-racer - experiences please!

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AbFab

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I'm looking for as much info as possible on what it is like owning an ex-racer, whether it be just off the track, further on in its career or one from the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre (or somewhere similar). I've plenty of experience in the past riding ex-racers, just not since I've been old enough to know if I get injured I'd struggle to keep a roof over my head!!

I'm looking for a horse to do BD with. I do up to novice with my current pony but I'd like something a bit bigger with better movement to progress up the levels (although ponio is going nowhere because she's wonderful!).

Any opinions or experiences much appreciated!
 
I'm on my second :) my lovely first boy had quite a few issues, mostly to do with separation anxiety - he couldn't be stabled alone and was a nightmare to hack out without company. Couldn't keep weight on him, he stressed the weight off and was also really fussy about what he would eat.
New boy is a bit of a dream - very chilled out and willing, hasn't put a foot of out place since I got him. Also a bit chubby and loves his grub! very sensitive skin and needs his fly rug on 24/7.
So both very different characters. Similarities which may stem from racing include an inability to bend, lovely manners on the ground and a tendency to stick their heads in the air when you ask them to speed up. Both unbalanced in the school.
I would definitely say go for it and just judge the horse as an individual. Deano is 8 but more like 5 in terms of schooling - means there's plenty for me to work on.x
 
I had one years ago. He had a fantastic temperament and fantastic breeding (grand sire was Nijinsky). He would do anything for you, including lowering his head to put his bridle on, waiting till you told him he could eat (??!), really lovely gentlemanly horse. however, out hacking with another horse, ask him for canter and you got flat out gallop, full pelt 45mph, not stopping till you literally hit something and ended up nearly getting killed - seriously dangerous. He used to get his tongue over the bit, so I bought a hackamore, hacked him out for hours on his own (he was absolutely bombproof and I reckon you could have ridden down a motorway on him). Riding out with other horses was just too dangerous, but we had some lovely lonely times together.
 
I've got one! He's my first horse :) He is 6 years old and a big 16.3 Irish TB.

Had a few issues originally getting weight on and bad behaviour when he put the weight on.. Basically if you keep up with a routine, he is fine. He windsucks, which isn't so much of an issue anymore. He had terrible feet, they are now much better - even though he is a sod with the farrier. He is 100% to load/travel and catc, great for the dentist/physio/vet. He doesn't like being alone, whether that be bringing him in when there is noone else in, or leaving him out if everything else is in.. He's awful to hack on his own, needs a nanny! Awful in open spaces, as he just wants to run! A little spooky, but more insecure than anything else. He has some bending issues, will school perfectly on one rein but struggles to bend the other direction. We have a lot of work to do, as I am no professional, but we are getting there!! He has brilliant big flashy paces, his trot is to die for!

We have started jumping, which I am struggling with as I am useless and he was a flat racer so never jumped. He needs grids to help him at the moment, can't quite manage just a jump on its own. But I've done about 1m and he is showing lots of potential. Basically in the right hands he will go far, in my hands it might take a while!! :rolleyes:

He is very pretty though and everyone loves him! He hasn't got a bad bone in his body!! Just a nervous wreck half of the time! Here he is...

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Mine was a flat racer - he was 9 and didn't have a clue! He would happily run through things and knock them down obediently but he didn't know how to take off!
 
Mine's ex p2p. Crazier than a wet wolverine, but not dangerous. Every year he costs me more in vet bills than I paid for him. He spends more time off work than in work, and eats me out of house and home.

Love him though ;).
 
So if I did decide to go for one, I should buy a load of bubble wrap too? :D

That's fab, thank you so much for all your input. I haven't really heard anything 'bad' about them yet. I like a bit of a challenge and am definitely not afraid of putting a lot of hard work in if that's what it takes. I'd just prefer not to do it with a horse that has no sense of self-preservation or respect for human life :)
 
TwoStroke said:
Mine's ex p2p. Crazier than a wet wolverine, but not dangerous. Every year he costs me more in vet bills than I paid for him. He spends more time off work than in work, and eats me out of house and home.

Love him though ;).
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this!! haha!! rings very true, we work at a rate of about two weeks on two weeks off but my ex racer is the most amazing horse ive ever had and I wouldnt swap her for the world!!
 
I am one of the annoying ones who has a sane sound and easy going TB...they do exist! His only 'issue' is he cribs but we dot stable himfor more than a few hours and he does need more haylage than you would expect of a 'normal' horse...other than that he is the easiest horse in the world. His sire is Spectrum currently standing in south africa and his grand sire was Rainbow Quest and he was a flat horse...better if you want to do any jumping as they dont need to be retrained out of racing jumping style.
 
I currently have 2 :o one who was not successful and the other ( who arrived with me yesterday) was a VERY successful chaser - and have had others in the past. I love them, but they do have their quirks. If you do decide to get an ex-racer, I would recommend getting one that has actually done a fair bit of racing..... they are used to travelling, manic situations and cope with most things that others find terrifying. Generally they are well handled, and have manners on the ground to die for, BUT they are not used to working alone and may have issues with that, pretty much everything means 'go faster', they are totally unbalanced and have no idea about leg or rein aids. That said, they are usually fast learners and can become totally devoted to you.

My older ex-racer has trust issues and is a bit of a stress-head (probably why he never succeeded on the track) but he is the most loving and devoted horse I have ever owned. The new boy belonged to my Mum and she asked me to take him when he retired (huge sentimental reasons) He arrived yesterday, I rode him alone in the school today for 30 mins - he is totally unbalanced and got a bit worried being on his own but he tried his little heart out when I asked for a bit of flexion and started to work long and low...bless, he was totally out of his comfort zone, but was unfazed by the grain drier / tractors / combine harvester trundling past!
 
Waffles, Who sired your boy? I also have a TB, grand sire of Nijinsky, came off the track at 9 and was a complete nutcase until he was about 14, still going strong at 17 and strong as an ox :)

My girl however is also full TB but never raced, very very chilled out and easy to do but recently diagnosed with SI injury. Just goes to show some are weaker and more prone to injury/illness than other TB's.
 
Hi I have a ex racer he's is a dream to do schools hacks loads does bit of dressage and showing he is now 18 so having a quiter life goes out on his own or with others only downfall is struggles with weight and wind sucks but lovely temperament and just wants to please think the word of him x
 
mine is a plod in the school and actually pretty laid back if i ride in the field. not tried hacking on her own but would imagine she would be spooky:o she had major anxiety when she first came but is settling well and ive popped her over a few jumps (she was a flat racer) she actually bends to the left pretty well as she was trained left track, to the right is another story but she certainly isnt a go faster type, they are all so very different but would say on average

dont like being alone
dont hold weight that well
rubbish flat feet
more injury/ailment prone
more sensitive to handle/ride, lots dont take well to smacks, being shouted at

BUT

they are very loyal once you build a relationship
versatile once retrained
lovely floaty paces when schooled
good characters


hmmmm. trying to fing more good thoings to say.lol mine hs already cost me vets bills in the 2 months ive had her and discovered she has arthritis and she is only 6 :mad:

so i would say if you want one to event etc, have it vetted even if its cheap as you may end up with a horse like mine that will over ever be light riding club until her legs tell me different :o
 
If you are seriously wanting to go up through the levels dressage then you will, in my experience of owning both, have a lot more difficulty doing that on an ex-racer than on a warmblood, or even a nice IDx.

They can be lovely horses, but you specifically mention wanting to do Elementary and higher and if that's a goal that matters to you and you are the kind of owner who thinks that when you have bought a horse you should stick with it, then it's a risky strategy to try and do it with an off the track TB.

There are two sisters who post on this forum who have them. One does well at Novice locally but the horse blew up emotionally at the Regionals. The other has got to PSG but again, the horse explodes from time to time, possibly when under pressure. I would say that their experience is very common of ex racer TBs asked to do serious dressage.

If you want a cheap nice all-rounder, they can be great.
 
Thank you so much for all your input :) I still haven't heard a bad story!

With regard to them being very sensitive/exploding under pressure, I can't emphasise enough how slowly I work with horses. I'd make an appalling producer :P With Saffy I have done everything so carefully and slowly with her and we're now at the stage where we can do pretty much anything and she stays chilled and happy. Any time I have done something that she didn't feel comfortable with, I've backtracked and worked on whatever the issue has been so that the next time we attempted it, it was a more enjoyable experience for both of us. She is quite the opposite to a TB though and just refuses to do anything by planting her feet and ignoring me if she feels pressured, but still, same principal :)
 
My boy is learning quickly desperate to please and soft as grease, though he does like to keep a hoof in and pull mean faces. I wouldn't swap him for the world, which we plan on taking over shortly. In terms of training him out of race jumping style, he was pretty easy just trotted him over his first few fences and he rapidly stopped hurdling them. My boy is bit different though. We met while I was working for trainer and he was doing quite well. I adored him and he was very soft with me given his grumpy reputation. After i left he decided not to run and they offered him to me. I still get tears in my eyes sometimes when I look at him. No idea how far u'd get dressage wise but I love mine.
 
cptrayes said:
There are two sisters who post on this forum who have them. One does well at Novice locally but the horse blew up emotionally at the Regionals.
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It was his 8th dressage competition. I think with that little experience, any horse has the right to go tense, never mind an ex racer :)
 
Agree with what other people have said! But would also add that my experience was that my ex p2p was totally wonky donkey in his back, neck and sacroiliac. Would recommend that anyone taking one on has a good chiro and/or physio check out and treat any issues early on.
 
Spotsrock said:
My boy is learning quickly desperate to please and soft as grease, though he does like to keep a hoof in and pull mean faces. I wouldn't swap him for the world, which we plan on taking over shortly. In terms of training him out of race jumping style, he was pretty easy just trotted him over his first few fences and he rapidly stopped hurdling them. My boy is bit different though. We met while I was working for trainer and he was doing quite well. I adored him and he was very soft with me given his grumpy reputation. After i left he decided not to run and they offered him to me. I still get tears in my eyes sometimes when I look at him. No idea how far u'd get dressage wise but I love mine.
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Oh that's lovely to read! Made me well up :)

charmeroo said:
Agree with what other people have said! But would also add that my experience was that my ex p2p was totally wonky donkey in his back, neck and sacroiliac. Would recommend that anyone taking one on has a good chiro and/or physio check out and treat any issues early on.
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Got my physio on speed dial :)
 
Why not get a unbroken TB or just broken Tb? So many nice ones going for ten a penny at the Tb sales. So many people just can't afford to put them into training anymore.
Then you have a decent quality horse that hasn't been hammered and hasnt got all the miles on the clock.
If you would rather have something that has more life experience, I would prefer a NH horse over a flat racer any day. The flat horses start at 18 months old& some studs/ breaking yards do daily lunging and putting them on the horse walker with them for a few months, before they go into training at 2... Then they are galloping before they are even 2 and a half..
So prob better off to start of with an ex NH horse as they start at 3 to 4 years.
Also some trainers have a very tough training regime& I would not touch a horse that came out of their yard.
Some bloodlines are sounder horses than others.
 
I had an ex P2P, he was ace. Very loyal, very very brave, although quite sensitive and you had to be very careful how you ticked him off for things as he took things very personally.

Unfortunately at about aged 18 he started getting laminitis (skinny as a rake but apparently due to concussion from his racing days - we mainly did local level dressage and hacking, occasional showjumping), and he was eventually retired after several relapses. Ever such a kind temperament though, and very different from my 4 yo now who is a stubborn git! (Welsh x appaloosa, I know I'm mad).
 
nikkimariet said:
It was his 8th dressage competition. I think with that little experience, any horse has the right to go tense, never mind an ex racer :)
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I did not say that he was not inexperienced or that he had no right to be the way he was.

I said that compared with your bog standard IDx, off the track TBs are far more likely to explode physically and/or emotionally when under pressure. That is my experience, from having ridden many of both types for longer than you have yet been alive.


.
 
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known and ridden many, personally owned one and got rid, the funny thing with a cob is when it gets a nick you cold hose it and tomorrow it is scabbed over and done with, the TB well that was another matter, the smallest nick turned in to an infection, then you needed bandages and cold hosing then there were the vet bills - what a pain in the ar*e. but yes they are very beautiful animals but hey how the cob is so much easier to deal with on a daily basis.
 
hear hear - Seabiscuit. Having read all of the posts now, TB's do plant, infact they do it very well when they have had enough or decide to be TB.
 
i love my ex-racer to bit - you couldn't meet a lovelier chap. But just facing massive vets bills over the next while to deal with spinal issues, and hock issues from his racing days. Might have to look at retiring a gorgeous healthy horse with bags of potential, due to these issues - heartbreaking.
 
Having had 2 in my field with my horse as liveries for the last year im going to weigh in on this. I wouldnt buy one. I would say no thankyou if I was given one.

The two of them used to gallop about at the drop of a hat, I was frequently told by neighbours that they could hear them charging about at all hours, my mare was often absolutely knackered and I could only put it down to being herded about.

They are a completely different kettle of fish from both ground and ridden to ANYTHING else. Unless you have worked for a race yard I really dont think you should get one. They are churned out of the industry cheap as chips, bodies seriously traumatised at a young age, a penchant for injuring themselves and a flipswitch in their brains that makes no sense to anyone watching.

One of the two in my field was killed when the two of them were having a mad gallop session, no visable reason to set it off, and they ran headlong into each other. One had a broken shoulder and was PTS. The owner, novice I might add, then went and bought another one who came full of mudfever, had a fractured knee, then got kicked on the hock and has been on box rest for 12 weeks and still not right, it has an unknown skin condition, hasnt put any weight on despite being out 24.7 and to be quite frank looks so poor I just dont think its worth keeping going pumping drugs into it :(
 
As I think Chameroo said, get the back done. Might not only be your physio...it might need the whole works.

Mine hurdled for 5 years, only ever raced and trained to the left and although in early stages of retraining the back issues didn't represent very strongly, now that she is using herself properly, and becoming more flexible, she is feeling it more, so we have had to take a step back while she has a course of phototherapy and massage. Just muscular thankfully, but very much affects her ability to be soft through the back, especially in canter, so if you get something that has trained or raced, regular visits to get back, neck, shoulders and quarters checked is a must if you want to help the horse.

That is the only drawback with Fly. Other than that and ok...the odd overreaction to a tractor, she is amazing to be around. She is extremely quick to learn and willing. She has a character to die for, can be ridden by a beginner in the school and has incredible paces. I took her on because of her confirmation and feet. She is, as my vet put it, "the perfect stamp of a TB" and so he urged me to breed from her, which I probably will next year.

Just go into it with your eyes open...all the usual issues are being raised on here and expecting them...as well as expecting the unexpected is how you help make it successful.

Good luck :-)
 
We sadly had to have ours pts a few months ago. He was not your typical ex racer at all. Lovely temperament and very chilled! He raced as a 5 year old. We bought him as a 10 year old so had been reschooled. He loved jumping and fun stuff. Not so keen on schooling and did have bend issues. He could be stubborn in the school too - nothing nasty, just if he didn't want to do it, not much persuading him otherwise! Was generally always on his bad rein though (the bend issues!) and got better the more supple he got. Hacked fine and sanely. Never tanked off in open spaces. Very mannerly actually. They aren't all loonies!
 
Can't believe people generalise so much! I've ridden and reschooled several exracers and can say they have all been willing. They are bright so can try to push things, if you're patient and clear in your training, they work through it, like many other breeds. My current tb who I have reschooled and owned for 2.5 yrs has been extremely trainable and successful in prelim dressage. I moved him to a small private 5 horse yard 18 months ago and he became a nightmare - v unsettled in his stable to point of broncing and kicking holes in the walls. He was unpredictable and becoming dangerous to hack and take out. I moved him back to the original yard 3 months ago. He gave a huge sigh of relief on arrival and has never looked back. Thank goodness I moved him and wish he could have told me how unhappy he was. Think he needs a busy yard where he doesnt feel he has to be in control of the other horse's movements! My horse qualified for riding club regionals and the experience blew his brains. I am sure in time he will learn to deal with busier (not to say manic) situations, as I'm sure nikki marriet will agree. Many horses would respond in exactly the same way in this situation so certainly don't dismiss a TB.
 
I don't think it's about generalisation, it's about the odds.

If you take 100 ex racers, especially the mares in my experience, and 100 IDx's, then a far higher number of the ex racers will give their owners problems with either temperatment or physical fragility or both. I think it's something that people need to be aware of before they take one on.

Many of them make lovely riding horses and I love them. But my experience is that there is a higher risk with them than with crossbreeds. The OP posted that she has her heart set on progressing up the British Dressage grades. If that's her goal then I would say that an OTT TB is a much bigger risk of not achieving that aim than other breeding.
 
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