Racehorse to Riding horse
- Thread starter Hamlet
- Start date
Wow so many lovely TB’s here! Can’t wait to hear how you get on. (This is not helping my want for another one 😍).
my ex racer is old now. 26 in February although been retired nearly 5 years. She raced until 6.
I think she got passed around a lot before I got her, a lot of names on her passport and my farrier said she was in a poor state when she came to the islands. When I went to view her she was very subdued. Some turnout with the ponies helped her come out of her shell… a lot!! 😂 she has started my love of TB’s although she’s never been the most popular horse and all my friends dislike the breed 🙄 I just think they are stunning and so athletic
best of luck all with your lovely equines.
here is my rather grumpy but lovely Flo.
my ex racer is old now. 26 in February although been retired nearly 5 years. She raced until 6.
I think she got passed around a lot before I got her, a lot of names on her passport and my farrier said she was in a poor state when she came to the islands. When I went to view her she was very subdued. Some turnout with the ponies helped her come out of her shell… a lot!! 😂 she has started my love of TB’s although she’s never been the most popular horse and all my friends dislike the breed 🙄 I just think they are stunning and so athletic
best of luck all with your lovely equines.
here is my rather grumpy but lovely Flo.
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- 5 April 2017
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I have Henry who is a 2013 tb. He raced twice and was too slow so he retired and I bought him at 3.
we started out with the intention of eventing, and had 2 seasons at the lower grades which we enjoyed but we were both a bit stressed by. This year we will focus on show jumping which he is much happier doing, with a bit of dressage thrown in too.
He is a lovely boy, very easy to do everything with and was lovely to retrain. I am working on building his muscles and strength back up after the better part of the year off, and he has been so easy to bring back into work. He was also the first horse I rode after having my baby.
we started out with the intention of eventing, and had 2 seasons at the lower grades which we enjoyed but we were both a bit stressed by. This year we will focus on show jumping which he is much happier doing, with a bit of dressage thrown in too.
He is a lovely boy, very easy to do everything with and was lovely to retrain. I am working on building his muscles and strength back up after the better part of the year off, and he has been so easy to bring back into work. He was also the first horse I rode after having my baby.
Not to encourage you anymore…but get another 😆 Flo has clearly thrived with you, so nice that she now gets to enjoy her retirement with you, she’s got a lovely face 😊
Henry looks great, if mine looks like him in a couple of years time I’ll be really pleased! It’s lovely that you’ve worked out what he truly enjoys instead of trying to force something he’s not comfortable with, what a lucky horse!
Henry looks great, if mine looks like him in a couple of years time I’ll be really pleased! It’s lovely that you’ve worked out what he truly enjoys instead of trying to force something he’s not comfortable with, what a lucky horse!
So many really lovely Tb's, and all doing so well in their new lives!
I need to work out how to post photps - I have a really scrummy gelding ( not that I'm biased ) currently off work with an SDFT injury, ( fell over a cavalliti !) and my daughter has a little mare, just turned 5, who is just a little superstar.
I need to work out how to post photps - I have a really scrummy gelding ( not that I'm biased ) currently off work with an SDFT injury, ( fell over a cavalliti !) and my daughter has a little mare, just turned 5, who is just a little superstar.
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The hard thing is once you get him on the course, he’s great, he really settles in. He just can’t handle the warm up and the high adrenaline of it all. But show jumping and dressage warm ups are fine. He might settle as he gets a bit older but for now we will stick with where he is comfortable
There’s not much of a Darcie update as we’re just waiting on the saddle fitter. The long lining is slow progress too as although she’s ok with the line behind her she doesn’t like it touching her when she’s on the move. But we’re getting there, she’s a quick learner. We did do some in hand walk poles this evening though and she was very good, even rolled a couple and didn’t panic which considering the reaction to the lunge line was quite surprising!
Obviously I can’t post an update without a cute picture.
Obviously I can’t post an update without a cute picture.
Shamelessly bumping this thread - Also I'd never realised that the horse who holds (and has done for over 70 years) the record for the highest jump, 8ft1, was an ex-racehorse and was 16 when he did it. He was retired from racing due to being too slow and was then aimed for dressage until he had a serious injury to his hindquarters that affected his trot movement and so he turned to jumping.
I do have a bit of an update from this week! Darcie has been doing lots of ground work and walk poles, even managing some raised trot poles this week and she absolutely flies over them, madam can really move! We have also had the saddle fitter.
We have had 2 rides this week, one was terrible and one really good.
She has developed a strange attachment to a mare she is turned out with, if the mare is in the stable or on the yard, you can take Darcie away and it’s not a problem. However if they’re in the field and you take Darcie away she is a different horse. It blows her mind and she just can’t cope all she wants to do is get back to her friend. So for now I’m just sticking to working with her after they’ve come in from the field…but struggling to think of a solution as they’ll all be out soon 24/7 so she’s going to have to cope with her friend being in the field and her not at some point! If anyone has any ideas on that, they’d be very welcome!
We have had 2 rides this week, one was terrible and one really good.
She has developed a strange attachment to a mare she is turned out with, if the mare is in the stable or on the yard, you can take Darcie away and it’s not a problem. However if they’re in the field and you take Darcie away she is a different horse. It blows her mind and she just can’t cope all she wants to do is get back to her friend. So for now I’m just sticking to working with her after they’ve come in from the field…but struggling to think of a solution as they’ll all be out soon 24/7 so she’s going to have to cope with her friend being in the field and her not at some point! If anyone has any ideas on that, they’d be very welcome!
Great thread!
I have had two TB mares now, loved them both. Lost my first one sadly after trying everything to get her sound.
Miss E is my lovely 2012 chestnut mare. She didn't officially race, just trialled and was bred at a stud not far from where she lives now. I took up contact with her breeder and he kindly replied and told me how she would jump the gate out of her paddock as a yearling! I bought her as a very late 3 year old and educated her as an eventer. We did great for a few years and she loved it! Can jump as well, super temperament. You can do anything with her.
Sadly a few years ago at XC practice she started bucking and acting up. NOT normal for this horse at all. I treated her for ulcers and rested her from eventing, but the end effect was x-rays showing kissing spines, and probably SI and suspensory issues too. Devastating as she is just a lovely horse and the only real way she told me was switching her canter leads behind. She's had just over 2 years off in the paddock and I intend on restarting her to be a general riding horse with no pressure. It will start with rehab and a course of a new arthritis medication on the market here (I suspect arthritic hocks too). I suspect she'll be more comfortable well muscled so I hope we can get back to having fun riding soon
If she tells me no, she will continue on her current regime of being silly with my other horses and trying to avoid fly masks
I find myself searching the online TB auctions every now and then as I would love another and (dare I say) have a spare spot in the paddock. But it would need to be a really special one with certain bloodlines to tempt me again!
I have had two TB mares now, loved them both. Lost my first one sadly after trying everything to get her sound.
Miss E is my lovely 2012 chestnut mare. She didn't officially race, just trialled and was bred at a stud not far from where she lives now. I took up contact with her breeder and he kindly replied and told me how she would jump the gate out of her paddock as a yearling! I bought her as a very late 3 year old and educated her as an eventer. We did great for a few years and she loved it! Can jump as well, super temperament. You can do anything with her.
Sadly a few years ago at XC practice she started bucking and acting up. NOT normal for this horse at all. I treated her for ulcers and rested her from eventing, but the end effect was x-rays showing kissing spines, and probably SI and suspensory issues too. Devastating as she is just a lovely horse and the only real way she told me was switching her canter leads behind. She's had just over 2 years off in the paddock and I intend on restarting her to be a general riding horse with no pressure. It will start with rehab and a course of a new arthritis medication on the market here (I suspect arthritic hocks too). I suspect she'll be more comfortable well muscled so I hope we can get back to having fun riding soon
If she tells me no, she will continue on her current regime of being silly with my other horses and trying to avoid fly masks
I find myself searching the online TB auctions every now and then as I would love another and (dare I say) have a spare spot in the paddock. But it would need to be a really special one with certain bloodlines to tempt me again!
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Your mare is lovely Northern! I really love chestnut mares.
Thank you, certainly looking better as the rain scald and mud fever has cleared up 😊 I’m trying to think of when it started, she was fine for the vet which was the first week of jan and then a little bit shouty when she had the dentist on the 15th of jan and then an absolute psycho for the physio on the 19th where I had to go and get the other mare in to stand with her! So it could be seasons but she’s still doing it and it did get gradually worse. I’m going to try today to do some ground work with her in the field, get her listening and then take her out the field for a little graze and pop her back in, see if I can gradually get her to understand it’s not that big a deal.
Thank you, certainly looking better as the rain scald and mud fever has cleared up 😊 I’m trying to think of when it started, she was fine for the vet which was the first week of jan and then a little bit shouty when she had the dentist on the 15th of jan and then an absolute psycho for the physio on the 19th where I had to go and get the other mare in to stand with her! So it could be seasons but she’s still doing it and it did get gradually worse. I’m going to try today to do some ground work with her in the field, get her listening and then take her out the field for a little graze and pop her back in, see if I can gradually get her to understand it’s not that big a deal.
Posted on the week's update thread, but also posting here because I just love him. Simon having his first XC school of the season on the surfaces at Somerford yesterday. You can't beat a good thoroughbred cross country! Aim number one of the season is to go and do a 2* Long (Houghton is the target) and then to the INROR championship class for ex racehorses at the Gatcombe Festival of Eventing in August. Fingers v much crossed!
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Very nice.
Great video RachelFerd! He looks like lots of fun.
Finally getting in some proper work with my boy now his foot is much stronger. I just love the TB brain, he is so quick to learn and is really getting the hang of relaxing a bit more in the school now, such a joy to work with! Finishing every ride feeling so lucky at the moment. Hoping to start doing some jumping soon..
Finally getting in some proper work with my boy now his foot is much stronger. I just love the TB brain, he is so quick to learn and is really getting the hang of relaxing a bit more in the school now, such a joy to work with! Finishing every ride feeling so lucky at the moment. Hoping to start doing some jumping soon..
He's an absolute delight - and very far from most of the stereotypes of TBs. Not a silly, tense or hurried horse. More woah than go and I can ride him very 'fast' because he doesn't dream of pulling or rushing!
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RF , that is a lovely horse .