Questions to ask when buying an ex-racer???

[italylyns]

Hi all,
I have another post on here about TB's as i am going to view one this evening and although he has only raced a few times and was far too slow, i am unsure of the correct questions to ask to ensure i dont buy something that will fall apart after a short time lol

He is 6 and won alot of dressage at the end of last year and has hunted this winter!

Any questions you can think of that might help me would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[Footlights]

I think one of the best things to do is get his racing name and do a lot of the research yourself. Look at his breeding, confirm that he only raced a few times, which training yard he was at etc, you can find out a lot from this.

I would also want to know that he is safe to hack out alone and in company.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

 

[be positive]

You ask the same questions you would buying any horse, it has obviously been reschooled so although an ex racehorse it is still a horse and you have the same requirements as any other you would buy.

Good to hack/ traffic/ box/ catch/ shoe/ clip/ any stable vices/ history of lameness etc, etc.

As for whether it will fall apart, vetting will show any obvious issues, as will trying it thoroughly to assess its suitability for you.

 

[Luci07]

No standard questions as other posters have said. I would check exact number of times this horse has raced ( wear and tear) but would also expect to pay more now as this horse has been schooled on and proven for hunting and for dressage. Racer rates don't apply once the work has been put in as the risk has largely been removed! would ask about coloured fences though just because you didn't say it had done this..

 

[italylyns]

When i spoke to the owner the other day i covered most of the general questions like shoe/clip no vices lovely kind temperament ( important as my kids come to the yard!) loads fine and great in traffic.

I think its more the fact they are broken young as racers and some have bad feet!!

Like you say just ask these questions and a vetting should cover the rest ( if i like him!!!)

 

[Firewell]

Just make sure he is put together well and isn't built downhill and that his feet don't look really flat.
Forget he is a TB and judge him as a horse. If he looks nicely put together, with a kind eye and clean legs then your on to a good one.
Go with your instinct mainly. My one was very weedy and weak when I got him but he had no lumps or bumps, was very friendly and moved like an athelete. He had good conformation with his neck set on right. I liked mine the moment I saw him.
All the ex-racers we have had could be confused for being other breeds, sports horses or wb crosses. This is because my mum has a great eye for a horse and chooses real quality TB's, the useful ones that could do any job. Not the upside down, downhill, herring gutted ones with wild look in their eyes lol.
It's a good sign that he has been retrained to do dressage and hunting. If he can hunt nicely and then do a dressage test he sounds a good horse .

 

[lizziebinks]

Check he is ok on his own. Ask to hack out away from the yard on your own. Will he stable on his own or does he panic if no other horses are around him or leave him. Ask the sellers the question first and then test him out later to check seller's honesty.

Check their legs for damage. Check how long the horse has been in work. Ring the secretary of the hunt he hunted with to double check the horse's behaviour.

Look up his racing form. This is easy and free once you have their racing name.

Find out what he is fed. It can be hard to keep weight on thorughbreds.

I like to make sure there is enough bone in the legs proportional to the body. Not keen on spindly little legs!

See if you can find any mutual friends on facebook and ask them if they know the horse or even what the seller is like as a person! respectable? honest? etc

A kind eye (on the horse!) is really important i think. You're half way there then.

 

[Victoria25]

Yes, just go and see if he's SUITABLE FOR YOU ... forget anyone else ... depending on your riding ability, obviously if you're a nervous rider you dont want a steaming hot prancer yet to joe bloggs down the road, it may be perfect ... mine did everything wrong in that I was told he couldnt be ridden, pranced sideways when leading him down the country lane, snarled at you if you tried to brush him and was built like a 16.2 bull (9.5 inch of bone) BUT he's now with us and part of our little family - hacks out like a snail (completely bomb proof), loves being brushed and is a real sweetie so I just say go with your instinct - you'll know when you see the right one for you

 

[Miss L Toe]

Did not read all this stuff, but to be honest I would always buy an ex racer if I wanted a TB. This horse is no longer an ex racer, he is just a horse for sale.
If you can't ride a good horse you don't want a Tb, you need a plod.

 

[wyrdsister]

This may sound unexpected, but do double-check that he's traffic-proof in all situations. I had an ex-racer for a while who was an absolute nightmare in traffic if she had to stand still at all. If we were walking on a wide-road, she was pretty bombproof. If she had to stop in a gateway, she would stand up, run backwards, kick out, generally get herself in a flap - not ideal on narrow country lanes!

Also, watch him being tacked up, ask about stable vices, etc. A lot of ex-racers have ulcers that can make them cranky in the stable.

That said, with the exception of her ladyship, the ex-racers I know are superstars. Good luck, hope this chap is one of them!

 

[Miss L Toe]

No horse is traffic proof in every situation, no horse is perfect, if you want a perfect pony, see "my little pony"
I never came across a horse with ulcers/symptoms when I worked in racing, but then I worked in NH [national hunt]
There were a few who were "hot/mad" but generally they came from "private homes", ie people who were not professionals, they settled in within a few months.