Rehoming a racehorse

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Silent Knight

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Just a couple of questions

What are the chances of an ex racehorse becoming a trustworthy sensible horse for a novice? and if so would this take time or can you get them fresh from the TRC?

I am aware that they request references. Do they actualy follow them up and what sort of questions will they ask.
 
Chances of an ex racehorse becoming a novice ride? Next to none for a LONG time.
Most need time to be turned out, and to be "let down" and mature.
Once thats happened you can then start from scratch with reschooling.
Long process but one that IF you have the time, patience and experience, is an extremely rewarding one!
 
I buy and sell a lot of OTTB, many of which - with careful reschooling - could be suitable for novice type homes. Obviously getting one straight from the track, or with the cursory 60 days 'retraining' wouldn't be a good idea though.

Not sure about the charities over in the UK, but here most give a horse 2 months (inc break/let down from racing) then turf them out, at a point where most aren't capable of going into an unknowledgeable home. However, if your plan is to either get one that has been properly reschooled for a novice, or get it -> reschool yourself -> sell to a novice, it could work.
 
The TRC re-train their horses, so they are not fresh off the track. However not many will be novice rides as such, even if they are quiet and sensible. They do however sometimes get horses back from private homes when the owners/loaners have a change of circumstance and you may be lucky and get something for a novice. I would phone them first and have a chat, they are very friendly and helpful.

They do follow up references and make regular checks on their horses. They will also visit the yard where the horse is kept and make absolutely sure that you are aware of the expenses involved in keeping a horse if you haven't had one before. They do their best to match a horse to a suitable owner as it is not in the Charity's interest to have horses returned as unsuitable.
 
Are you to do the reschooling yourself and who is the horse for?

If you a fab rider go for it, if not I wouldnt advise it. My last ex racer went from a rehoming centre to two novice homes before he finally came to me - they had completely ruined him so only take one if you're more than competent.

I recently lost my boy in horrific circumstances - absolutely gutted as we were finally getting somewhere with him .... BUT we decided to rehome another in the hope of giving them another chance in life. We pick her up Friday and she is coming from the racing yard.
 
We have just got a 4yo ex-racehorse as a family horse. I am relatively experienced (if out of practice) but other half is novice (although confident) and touch wood so far so good.

She had done a year with an experienced friend mainly hacking/doing polo sets and just started dressage schooling. She is a lovely little soul and very quiet. Having said this I wouldn't put my OH on unsupervised by himself yet as he is a bit unbalanced still and the kids are only allowed to walk with supervision/leading so far. Taking it all slowly as no hurry and she is still getting to know us/new routine/yard!

I guess it depends on each horse's temperament but my friend said she was quite jumpy/panicky initially when settling and unable to canter normally when she arrived fresh from training so I'd assume a novice might want something that has had the initial reschooling done until proved safe and sane. I'd NEVER have looked at something like her just from an ad as on paper it sounds like an awful idea; only because she was through a friend who assured us she was a laid back girl did we go and look! You never can tell I guess! And I wouldn't undertake it unless you have a lot of professional help/guidance around to get you going if you do decide to. Good luck!
 
An ex-racehorse is totaly unsuitable for a 'Novice Type Home' and is a serious accident waiting to happen.
Hopefully the racehorse re-homing charities would thoroughly check out the potential new home and rider.
 
wouldn't say novice ever really - unless it was a total dope on a rope (rare)

i had mine straight from racing - turned her away for a month then brought her back into work ..and these were baby steps at first, still learning 2 1/2 years later. She is very good now but wouldnt ever let a novie take her out ... shes a ginge mare mind ;)
 
The horse isnt for me. My stables are already full of projects.

A girl who visits the yard has applied for one. To be honest I don't believe that she is experianced enough at the moment for a sharp horse. She would not pass her stage 1 riding and her stable management has been on some dodgy yards.

She has been to the TRC and it appears that they are willing to sell / loan her an ex racehorse.

I didn't think that it would have progressed to this stage, but thought maybe my thinking was old fashioned and biased (based on the nutters andriders with broken backs that I have encountered).
 
Depends... Reg is probably not a novice ride when it comes to where they are atm, which is at BE100 aiming at Novice. Because it's totally unchartered territory for both him and the (teenage) rider. But he is a sweetheart, safest hack around, totally snaffle mouthed at all times. Al took him galloping out hacking bareback as she couldn't be bothered with the fly rug removal... He'll go sweetly for anyone and would probably do quite well as a horse for someone to adore and play around with as long as they were nice.

He may be a one off. But he was fresh off the track when Al started riding him, and they've had a great time. He's special though :D
 
Here in NZ that is what happens to many of them and has done for decades.

I had a few in the Riding School. They were really good at their job. They are just horses and though some will be real get upand go types the majority are pretty easy going.

This guy was one of the best school horses I had he would be a ploddy treasure withthe beginners and give the more experienced a run for their money. He won a few races before being retired.

This is him 6 months off the track with a 12yr old rider at her first show.
HuggyBear.jpg


He cost me $2
 
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One of mine you could put a complete novice on ad he will take them for a walk and trot - he is bloomin hard work to get to canter! And he was a 6 furlong sprinter - WTF?!? Lol! I wouldn't let a novice near any of my others as to me they are normal donkeys I worked with them when they were fit as fleas and racing so I am used to what they do. A novice would probably tense up and make them prat about because they could.

I wouldn't suggest that a novice got a horse straight out of training or from the rehoming centres. I would suggest they got a nice quiet cob type beast which is a bit of a schoolmater.
 
Im sure they still charge £600 for the ‘loan’ and you need to set up a direct debit to them … surely there must be loads out there quite cheaply she could get especially coming up to winter? What are her reasons for wanting an ex racer? x
 
My boy was £578 loan fee with a £5 a month direct debit, He had a year down time in the field and had only been at the Trc 3 months b4 I rehomed him, He deffently was not a novice ride then but 2 years down the line. A little 13 year old girl rides him and he's a complete donkey. Not a care in the world to him. It takes a lot of patients and trust, and quick reflexes :) I'd do it again tho He's turnt into a fantastic horse :)
 
Victoria25 said:
Im sure they still charge £600 for the ‘loan’ and you need to set up a direct debit to them … surely there must be loads out there quite cheaply she could get especially coming up to winter? What are her reasons for wanting an ex racer? x
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Reading between the line ( not had a straight answer) I think its because they are pretty and cheap.

I can see it ending in tears, but heyho, when does anyone ever listen to me:rolleyes:

If the TRC are happy to give a horse to her then so be it. I am assuming that they are bursting at the seams.
 
EKW said:
One of mine you could put a complete novice on ad he will take them for a walk and trot - he is bloomin hard work to get to canter
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I had one of these, he was a 4yr old, and I would have put a novice on him to go for a trot around, took a bit of skill getting him to canter :p
Not a clue why he was flat raced, he only raced once, and I saw the race online. He came last, and not by a short distance :D

He's not around any more bless him, but you'd never find a more lovely, cuddly, happy boy to take you for a peaceful wonder.
 
I have a friend who bought an ex-racer and so far it has ended in tears ! The woman is in gher 40's and not physicsally strong enough or mentally strong enough to deal with the fresh ex-racers nature. Lovely horse for an experienced rider but she thought well he is cheap and if i dont buy him the owner said she would put him to sleep *face palm* Anyhow she started schooling him and he reared and fell ontop of her and she has a broken collarbone and is terrified to ride him, he has now become a field ornament !!


So i would genrally say definatly not a fresh youngster but something older that has been worked with possibly maybe could be ok. You have to remember they were bred to race :)
 
Let's hope the TRC invite her to come and try a few and are then able to gauge her riding ability/competence to re-school/stable management.
All sounds a bit troubling to me.
 
Lady La La said:
I had one of these, he was a 4yr old, and I would have put a novice on him to go for a trot around, took a bit of skill getting him to canter :p
Not a clue why he was flat raced, he only raced once, and I saw the race online. He came last, and not by a short distance :D

He's not around any more bless him, but you'd never find a more lovely, cuddly, happy boy to take you for a peaceful wonder.
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Oh dear! Mine raced 20x and won 4 of them but he has clearly taken to his new, chillaxed life very well!
 
Murphysgirl said:
Reading between the line ( not had a straight answer) I think its because they are pretty and cheap.

I can see it ending in tears, but heyho, when does anyone ever listen to me:rolleyes:

If the TRC are happy to give a horse to her then so be it. I am assuming that they are bursting at the seams.
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The TRC DO NOT give horses away, the horses are on permanent loan and always remain the property of the TRC, neither do the TRC sell TB's. When a horse is loaned a one off up front donation is made and there after monthly donations.

The loanee is carefully assessed in terms of riding ability. They are asked to ride the schoolmaster and then they will need to ride the loan horse they are being suited to on several occassions.

A thorough check of the references and yard where the horse will be kept is made, and then 3 and 6 monthly follow up visits. At anytime the loanee can talk to the TRC if things are not working out and the horse can be returned.

Even if the TRC are bursting at the seams, for them it is vital that horses and riders are suitably matched so that the loan can work! There will be a few who are not 'fresh' from racing but have come back from previous loan homes. Why don't you take some time to look at their website and the work they do as this might ease your worries and concerns for this girl.
 
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IMO the biggest issue a novice will have with an exracer isn't the riding but the management. I've seen a fair few exracers that can be ridden by novices - I have 2 that have taught numerous folk to ride - but they are kept a very specific way that seems to work to keep them calm, happy and settled... and that's something that took me longer to learn than how to ride them...! The wrong managment choice - not enough turn out/ill fitting saddle/wrong feed - and suddenly they are a very different beast.

My Oh is a novice and has only ever had exracers, his current boy is 14 and still thinks he is 4 and is as sharp as a tack at times, however OH leaves the care decisions to me and thus it all works out ok... Left in the wrong situation his horse would certainly not be suitable for him or any other novice.
 
Dab said:
The TRC DO NOT give horses away, the horses are on permanent loan and always remain the property of the TRC, neither do the TRC sell TB's. When a horse is loaned a one off up front donation is made and there after monthly donations.

The loanee is carefully assessed in terms of riding ability. They are asked to ride the schoolmaster and then they will need to ride the loan horse they are being suited to on several occassions.

A thorough check of the references and yard where the horse will be kept is made, and then 3 and 6 monthly follow up visits. At anytime the loanee can talk to the TRC if things are not working out and the horse can be returned.

Even if the TRC are bursting at the seams, for them it is vital that horses and riders are suitably matched so that the loan can work! There will be a few who are not 'fresh' from racing but have come back from previous loan homes. Why don't you take some time to look at their website and the work they do as this might ease your worries and concerns for this girl.
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:) I have looked at the web site and I have rung the center. There was nobody available to answer my questions, hence i have posted on here. I hope for everyones sake that the vetting procedures they have in place are followed through.

You sound a bit defensive. Please don't assume that I am in anyway putting down the good work that the TRC do. I am not. I am suprised that the application from a novice is being processed for a TB as a first horse. Although I suppose the girl in question could have told them anything.
 
Some of there tbs have never been raced or even backed. And are schooled befor being put up for loan.

The application process will have loads of questions so the can know better wich horses cud be and match and wich ones won't be. :)
 
Murphysgirl said:
:) I have looked at the web site and I have rung the center. There was nobody available to answer my questions, hence i have posted on here. I hope for everyones sake that the vetting procedures they have in place are followed through.

You sound a bit defensive. Please don't assume that I am in anyway putting down the good work that the TRC do. I am not. I am suprised that the application from a novice is being processed for a TB as a first horse. Although I suppose the girl in question could have told them anything.
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Nothing is being assumed, the points you raised needed to be addressed. Did you ask for a call back? and are you going to follow up your concerns?
 
EKW said:
Oh dear! Mine raced 20x and won 4 of them but he has clearly taken to his new, chillaxed life very well!
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Reg was the same. The first few shows were a bit goggle-eyed, but he chilled pretty quickly.

I'm not sure how much of his sweetness is down to my mum and sister's amazing management of him, as Scarlett says. I think if he had a less experienced team he could be a total stress head- he lives out 24/7 to help him, he's fed very carefully and everything that's done with him is chilled and happy.

I reckon for every nutter story, there are lots of stories that don't get told about the sweet horse someone owns and potters round on and has a lovely time. But those are boring, so don't get told...

Reckon TRC will match her very carefully. She's not just getting loon fresh off the track!
 
Lolo said:
I reckon for every nutter story, there are lots of stories that don't get told about the sweet horse someone owns and potters round on and has a lovely time. But those are boring, so don't get told...

Reckon TRC will match her very carefully. She's not just getting loon fresh off the track!
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Totally agree! They are not all nutters.

Also the vast majority of HK's riding school horses consist of ex-racers :eek::eek: i.e. you learn to ride (unless you are a kiddie) on an ex-race horse :eek:
 
Scarlett said:
IMO the biggest issue a novice will have with an exracer isn't the riding but the management. I've seen a fair few exracers that can be ridden by novices - I have 2 that have taught numerous folk to ride - but they are kept a very specific way that seems to work to keep them calm, happy and settled... and that's something that took me longer to learn than how to ride them...! The wrong managment choice - not enough turn out/ill fitting saddle/wrong feed - and suddenly they are a very different beast.

My Oh is a novice and has only ever had exracers, his current boy is 14 and still thinks he is 4 and is as sharp as a tack at times, however OH leaves the care decisions to me and thus it all works out ok... Left in the wrong situation his horse would certainly not be suitable for him or any other novice.
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Couldnt agree with this more...my TB bought straight from the trainer is mainly dope on a rope. But...he had a whole year off, has 24/7 turnout, a very carefully balanced diet and we have always dealt with him in a quiet, calm consistent manner. I am not an expert, he was my first horse totally of mine and we kept him at home so had nobody at the beginning to give us advice (which I think may actually have been a good thing). I am also not the best rider in the world but I do know how to ride him and we are both safe and happy. So to answer your question yes I do believe a TB can be suitable for a novice rider...but only if they are in tune with what a TB needs to stay happy and relaxed, and only if they are prepared to take things very slowly.
Forgot to say mine in the wrong hands could be a nightmare, a helpful lady helped me out loading up (had 3 to do on my own) and her 'no nonsense' method of arms flapping and gruff manner really upset him...he would have walked in on his own if she given him 2 secs to just have a think about it. She had far more experience than me but her manner would have sent him crackers and he would probably turn into a problem ex racer in a home like this.
 
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Dab.
I am going to wait and see what happens. If you are correct, then the application will not be approved. If it is,then I will look at my options available.

I have been on this earth (and this forum) long enough to know that rushing around and making a scene does noone any good, especialy when the chances of the worse case scenario may never happen, which was the point of my question.
 
Murphysgirl said:
Dab.
I am going to wait and see what happens. If you are correct, then the application will not be approved. If it is,then I will look at my options available.

I have been on this earth (and this forum) long enough to know that rushing around and making a scene does noone any good, especialy when the chances of the worse case scenario may never happen, which was the point of my question.
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If the application is approved it will be because they consider that a good match has been made. Unless the person in question has lied and sent a ringer to do the ridden work, and got people to lie for the references.

There is a huge responsibility attached to rehoming these horses, just think about it, they are not just shipped out and off to anyone who comes in and asks for one!
 
Mine was a complete dope on a rope, so suitable for a novice ridden but management wise I think the more experienced the better as feeding and dealing with day to day scrapes requires more knowledge
 
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