rehoming ex race horses

diggerbez

diggerbez

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 March 2008
Messages
8,052
Visit site
the little bay in my siggy (the one jumping the blue and white fence) is an exracehorse. i've owned him for 6 years and had always said that i could never sell him (he was my first horse etc) however, its becoming harder and harder to justify keeping him...i have another horse who takes up all of my time and TBH i don't really want two horses, as well as the obvious financial committment that comes with having 2
crazy.gif

he's 13 and would make someone a super happy hacker- so long as they were calm with him- like most ex racers he does have his 'moments'...he does jump and loves XC but wouldn't stand up to lots and lots of jumping (which is why i stopped competing him)- he's totally sound but wouldn't stay so in lots of work. his flatwork is average but with practice it would get better- TBH i've pretty much ignored it for the last couple of years and he's just been hacked out. to handle he's a gem but is difficult to clip (needs sedating) and really panics in a trailer- but will travel fine in a box or an equitrek trailer. so the problem i have is what to do with him? i could sell him (i realise that he's worth not very much at all) but i'm really worried about him not going to a good home- this is far more important to me than getting money for me....
crazy.gif
are there any thoroughbred rehoming places that would take a horse like this and rehome? obviously i'd be willing to sign him over to them but i would really feel better about him going somewhere like this than to sell him privately....anyone got any ideas/experience?
frown.gif
this is a really difficult decision for me and i just want to make sure he goes to a good home
frown.gif
 
I think its very caring and responsible of you to be thinking of him like this making sure he would go to the best poss home, I am sure the re-homing place's would take him or at least know someone that would want him? maybe worth trying them?

If I had the spare cash at the moment and better money coming in I would def be intersted as am also considering taking on an ex-racehorse..how long have you had him?

Wish I could help you more but sadly can't right now.
 
hi kezz

i've had him for just over 6 years. he's really a little gem and wouldn't need much work before they could send him out to a new home as he's not got behavioural problems or anything like that...its just i don't have the time or money to do him justice, he loves being groomed and hacked out but i don't have the time....i'm going away for a week but then i think i might ring around the rehoming places- maybe they won't want to take him because he isn't a problem horse but guess its worth a phonecall before advertising him myself....
confused.gif
 
Re-homing places are for genuine rescue horses. Yours is not a rescue, you have decided you dont want him anymore. Sorry but IMO that is passing the buck.

If you want to secure his future then you will have to loan him. Otherwise advertise him for sale but you will have no control over his future. However if you are honest about the horse and are meticulous about choosing who buys him then he has more chance of a permanent home. Realistically, people who just hack that can cope with 'moments' are fairly hard to come by. You just have to be patient and hopefully someone will come along.
 
[ QUOTE ]
He looks lovely and sounds like a little superstar.

Have you thought about loaning him out? Where abouts are you?

[/ QUOTE ]

i really don't want to loan him out. its something i have thought about and decided that whilst there are good loan homes there are also bad ones as well and i really couldn't handle him coming back to me in a complete state if he wasn't looked after properly. its going to be very hard to see him go and so i think it needs to be final...financially as well i can't risk him being sent back when he's older as then i'll be back in the same boat....
crazy.gif

i'm in lancashire
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Re-homing places are for genuine rescue horses. Yours is not a rescue, you have decided you dont want him anymore. Sorry but IMO that is passing the buck.



[/ QUOTE ]

thanks for your post. its really made me feel like [****]. why can't people on this forum just be nice or not say anything if they have nothing nice to say?!! the whole purpose of my post was wondering whether a rehoming centre would take him for precisely this reason. i am well aware that he's not a rescue case, hence why the query. if i was "passing the buck" i would sell him to the next inexperienced 12 year old that comes along and wants a pretty looking horse, i wouldn't be telling the truth and i wouldn't be worrying about his future. as i said this is very difficult and upsetting for me (its something i've been putting off for 3 years) and posts like yous are not helpful.
frown.gif
 
My post was not meant to be bitchy, just stating my opinion. It may not be 'nice' but it wasnt meant to be horrible.

Im sorry but sending him to a re-homing centre is passing the responsibility on to them. It is your responsibility because you no longer want him, for whatever reason. Yes, it would be much easier for you for a re-homing place to do it but that is not what they are there for. Yes, you could just dump him on the nearest 12 year old but passing him over to a re-homing centre is also an easy option, just in a different way.

Loaning or selling him is harder but IMO it is the only option to take.
 
well the chiropractor that treats my horses thought that they might take him and rehome for me in return for a donation of say £500. so to me its worth a phonecall to try and ensure the best possible future for my horse. sorry if you don't agree.
frown.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Circumstances change and nothing is forever, for different reasons people need to re home their horses, at least you care where your is going, dont get upset you dont have to justify yourself to anyone x

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks lisa. i'm sat here in tears
frown.gif
even thinking about him going really upsets me but i can't afford him and i just want him to go to someone who will give him a great home. its crap
frown.gif
 
can you not put him on loan with a view to buy or sell but do a monthly payment agreement or something? he sounds like quite a few people would be interested
 
yes that could be a possibility
smile.gif
i suppose i am just going to have to put an advert out there if the rehoming centres can't take him, and see who rings. i it comes to it he can stay til a suitable person comes along, its not like i'm facing homelessness or anything like that (yet
shocked.gif
smirk.gif
)
 
ah diggerbez i feel for you I really do. Just read those posts of those who offer rather blunt advice and accept that people will have different opinions. Sometimes we know what the options (bad, ugly, sad and good) are and have gone over and over them in our heads and suffer guilt when faced with the not so good options but others will still offer up their opinions and its not nice to hear - a public forum has many pluses and unfortunately some downsides....dont let them get you down

He sounds absolutely lovely and fine for a happy hacker - if you sell him you dont have to sell him to someone who you dont trust / like / offers you the largest amount of money. If I was you I would try the loan route first. There are genuine loaners out there, I have just taken a mare on full loan and have no intention of pulling the wool of the mares owner.

Circumstances change and you have given him a great life - why cant someone else benefit from him? Such is the way with owning horses - we cant all keep horses forever...... Good luck
 
I really do feel for you ,it is really hard to make a decision but this must be a situation that is becoming all too common .I have been put on short time and am struggling to produce 2 ponies I bred with sj in mind ,when I put the mares in foal 5 years ago who would have guessed how things have turned out .I wish you luck .
 
Awe nooooooooooo you can't sell the rockster
frown.gif
nooo not trying to make you feel bad before peeps av a go at me
wink.gif
gawd chick I feel for you
frown.gif
frown.gif
will keep my ear to the ground to see if I know anybody..
 
QR - The rehoming centres are so full at the moment they don't even have a waiting list, so I wouldn't even bother ringing. TBH, you wouldn't want him to go there if I told you what went on with one of mine!
Sell him yourself. Believe it or not there are plenty of older people about who still enjoy a TB to hack about, but can do without the excitement of anything else!
Just advertise him for a decent price(even if you don't care about the money), not too low and not too high. Hopefully you can weed out the cheapskates, and anyone looking for something to compete before the phone calls.
 
I would be very interested in your horse if you would like to PM me - I can give you my phone number and we will have a chat if you like ! I live in Warrington and I am looking for something to tootle around on / a couple of fun rides a year / keep my mare company as she is 16 in foal and crazy I don't ever plan on bringing her back into work.

Things do change but there are always people out there who genuinely do just like the company of a good horse. for your own Piece of mind re home him yourself x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top