Retraining ex-racers thread

[toppedoff]

Interesting new class for Cornbury year after next - a 2* for ex racehorses with a £50,000 prize fund

NEW EX-RACEHORSE CLASS WORTH A PHENOMENAL £50,000 TO BE RUN AT CORNBURY HOUSE HORSE TRIALS IN 2025 - British Eventing - News

Jayne McGivern and Cornbury House Horse Trials today announce an exciting new class for ex-racehorses that will be run at Cornbury House Horse Trials in 2025,

news.britisheventing.com

Well that's pretty convenient for me with an ex racehorse who is nicely established at 2* - but I really hope it does encourage more professionals to take on ex racehorses with such a big prize pot to aim for... trouble is they've now got two years to aim for it. Even I now have itchy fingers for getting another TB in, hehe!

That's brilliant news!

 

[toppedoff]

Is 2* eventing intermediate level?

 

[RachelFerd]

Is 2* eventing intermediate level?

No, it's international novice (tends to be a bit more up to height and technical than a normal novice)

 

[toppedoff]

No, it's international novice (tends to be a bit more up to height and technical than a normal novice)

Ohh I see
Thank you so much also discovered your YouTube channel, what a delight to watch!

 

[LEC]

I am just not convinced it will change the profile of the riders who get them. Piggy only had Our Old Fella because he was owned by Jayne McG.

Let’s be honest for a pro to keep a ROR horse for training they need to find £15k a year minimum to support it as would need to cover wages, time etc as well as day to day costs of the horse. Then they need to decide it’s worth it. Most RoR will be a 3 year project to get to 2* if everything has gone well and a lot won’t be good enough or worthy pursuing with. Which is £45k….. then there is a poor resale value Vs a young Irish sports horse.

Winning that class will be an older TB who has been round the block and maybe dropped down some levels for that £50k

I think it’s a good idea but this bitty approach dilutes it all. The pros come out in force for RoR showing because it’s a unified approach with clear goals like HOYS.

The eventing should be a single unified approach that justifies RoR up all the levels with a proper elite sitting at the top. This should be in my opinion decent prizes at 4/5* for horses taking part. If I had unlimited reach I would do the folllowing.

Bin the unaff series as just stupid by RoR.
Have a proper champs at 80/90/100/N run on a single day in a nice location. Qualifications would be MERs so as long as eligible you can go.
Have proper decent prizes for the elite £1k to best RoR at 4/5*L comps.
Have a BE league so consistency is rewarded at 80-3*.

 

[ycbm]

Charlie went to his first party today. A pole clinic with two friends. First time off the yard since I bought him 4 months ago.

He loaded well but travelled hot and was dripping sweat so it's a good job we were (deliberately) early. He was as calm as calm until a very long freight train went along the railway 100m away. He was very scared, but still all he did was pull back, not hard enough to break anything. Then he circled and circled once I had pulled the quick release, until the train was gone. He is absolutely immune to huge haylage making/ bulk delivery/ arena grading/ muck pit emptying vehicles at the stables so this was a bit of a surprise.

Interestingly, he refused to allow me to put the bridle over his ears for the first time in more than a month, and I had to undo it to get it on like they told me when I bought him.

"Never mind" said everyone, "we don't usually get trains to the quarry at this time of day, there won't be another".

So we cracked on with trotting and then cantering over poles and he was far, far better than I had expected him to be. I learnt a lot about him today as well. He can be very switched off, schooling, and have to be persuaded to use himself with constant changes of pace and bend. But give him something to really tax his brain and he was right there with me the whole time.

Until the second train! Really scared, didn't know where to put himself. One of my friends placed him between the fence and her horse, with the train behind her placid, calm mare, and then suddenly half way down the fence line he dropped the tension, worked out the train was harmless and watched the rest of it go out of sight (they're very long trains! ).

And then he jumped, and it was really clear that he's going to love it! He didn't chuck himself at them like many racing TBs do at first, he carefully took stock, kept his weight back off his forehand and said "I'm going for this". I can't wait to do some more next week, and I'll be popping a few xc fences on the farm ride from now on.

The trainer was very complimentary, said his partner was looking for one of Charlie's quality but that they are difficult to find, which was nice to hear. I was so hoping for some pictures but the lens malfunctioned on the camera, so that will have to wait, but he's really coming into shape now.
.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Happy to hear an update on Charlie, ycbm. Granted, I haven't been paying attention, so there's that.

He truly sounds like a wonderful mount. Looking forward to seeing how he develops. I had a TB ages ago that sounds similar to him (a bit smaller though), and while they do exist, they're not soo common. Absolutely ruined TB's for me. Hard to find another after him I can still recall the feeling I had with him XC and jumping in general. He was superb.

Also nice to have a placid horse there when you needed one!

 

[ycbm]

Water is his weak point! I have managed to persuade him to walk through one of the 5 ponds on the xc schooling, and one on the farm ride. But can I get him through a tiny steam? Not a chance. Not with a lead, not with me getting my feet wet, just quietly and emphatically "NO". I may have to take a whole day and a book and wait him out. And carrots, he goes wild for carrots. He will walk through any puddle of any size after rain, its just the man-made ponds he won't do

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Water is his weak point! I have managed to persuade him to walk through one of the 5 ponds on the xc schooling, and one on the farm ride. But can I get him through a tiny steam? Not a chance. Not with a lead, not with me getting my feet wet, just quietly and emphatically "NO". I may have to take a whole day and a book and wait him out. He will walk through any puddle of any size after rain, its just the man-made ponds he won't do

Coincidentally, I fell off of my TB due to water ...so he wasn't a fan either. Got over it eventually, but it was a slow and steady grind.

 

[humblepie]

My previous one did event then I bought to show. He did not do water. At the Royal Show one year all done up to go in the ring, walking quietly past the heavy horses and we came to a patch of water. I had to get someone to lead us over it . Superstar in every other way and just have done water when he evented as he did BE novice. Think it was eyesight as always eyes darker patches of tarmac suspiciously.

 

[criso]

Mine will go through water if i lead but not ridden. The bottom of a hill was flooded on a hack and i had to jump off and lead him and then legged up by a random person driving past as i can't get on from the ground anymore

He's better with artificial water than natural water.

 

[ycbm]

Mine will go through water if i lead but not ridden. The bottom of a hill was flooded on a hack and i had to jump off and lead him and then legged up by a random person driving past as i can't get on from the ground anymore

He's better with artificial water than natural water.

We could have one good one between us

 

[ycbm]

Stop press we have recovered some video so check for photos tomorrow!
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[criso]

Just a thought.

I was at a show and there was a huge puddle coming out of the carpark. I didn't want to walk through with my posh boots and transporter didn't have the right shoes on either.

So she backed him in and once all 4 feet were in I turned him round and walked out the other side. She'd worked with racehorses a lot and swore by reversing as a technique. However you need a safe gentle slope in not a step.

 

[ycbm]

It's a great trick. I tried it with the pond and the stream, he wasn't having it
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[Gamebird]

A wee catch up with my horse... So he came to live with me at the end of May, did a couple of weeks walking, then went out in the field for a couple of months. He's been back in for a couple of weeks now, and done a mixture of longreining and riding. Mostly lobbing round the school on a long rein doing not very much.
I had an invite to a friend's for pizza and beer, and as she has great hacking (and I have virtually zero hacking!!) I wangled it so that he came with me, and we had a lovely first hack out round her 100% off road routes. Fabulous afternoon, and not a foot wrong.




Today it was a second trip away form home to hire an arena, and I picked him up and asked him to work for the first time. Wow! He's inclined to be a bit scared at home - worries about going through gaps between jumps, gives fillers a wide berth - but he didn't worry about anything today. Felt like a very smart horse! I also sneaked half a circuit in canter on each rein as it is a lovely big arena, and he does much worse out in the field , and I LOVE his canter! It will have been his first canter under saddle since he won at Punchestown in April, and he was very polite. I am even thinking about having some lessons to do him justice, as he makes me look fairly agricultural, and I haven't really had any lessons since my eventing days. You could probably describe my style as 'effective' . Anyway, very happy with my new horse! Please excuse the fuzzy still from the video.

 

[ponyparty]

Update on my recent purchase.
Beryl had the vet out on Monday for her 2nd vaccs and teeth (dealer claimed she’d had her teeth done… knew she was lying, glad I had them done myself to check). Vet commented how good she looks compared to last time she saw her (same vet as the one who came to treat for fat leg due to mud fever in my first week of owning her, in early August). I hadn’t noticed a difference, it’s hard when you see them every day! I’ve attached some comparison pics… I know the quality of pics isn’t great, I’m hopeless at getting decent ones

Getting physio out next. Have started walking her out - once in company, once on her own, so far. She can be a bit backwards when in doubt - I’d rather that than exploding/pissing off though! We can work through that. My old boy was similar so I’m well versed in it. Going to try her on long lines tonight as I think she’ll go better being driven from behind. Have roped OH in to help/be at her head, for the first few times at least.

Her hoof handling is now practically perfect. My perseverance paid off! Farrier came last week (different one as I’ve moved yards). There wasn’t much to take off, but he went through the motions with her as practice, and she was pretty good. He said her feet will come good with a bit of time - just need to grow out the flaring/stretching forward caused by them being left untrimmed (before I had her) for so long. Lovely new angle growing down, and I’ve got her boots now for work.

So, a few weeks of walking out/long reining, and core condition exercises; and once physio has been, I will get onto a saddle fitter. Exciting!

Realised YO used to teach at a place I used to go for lessons, she’s actually taught me a few times, so I’m in good hands there she’s very supportive, I am so bloody grateful to have found this place! 3 mins from my front door. Doesn’t have a school, but we have great hacking and I can always hire if I really need to.

Pics as promised… top pic early August, bottom pics the last couple of days. I’ve tried to pic similar poses for comparison purposes.

 

[ponyparty]

Bonus pic of my son giving her a cuddle last night - he is, somewhat surprisingly as he claims he doesn’t like horses, smitten and loves to “help” feed her. She is exceptionally sweet natured and tolerant. I’ve had the whole family down to see her (including dogs, disabled adult sister, my child…) and she’s taken it all in her stride. Loves a scratch and gently grooms you back. She’s an absolute darling

 

[ponyparty]

Long reining attempt 1 done. Roller I got second hand at a tack sale is rubbish and her field mates helpfully galloped up and down the fence line as I long reined her up the track. But she is definitely familiar with it and more forward than being led in hand.

Took her for an in hand walk (didn’t want to risk long lines as I’m out of practice and want to have it nailed before hitting the road) and she was golden again.

Physio now booked for in a couple of weeks. I’m actually quite excited to get on her… I might go and have some lessons between now and then, I haven’t been riding regularly and I’m seriously rusty, which is not what she needs!

 

[ycbm]

Update on my recent purchase.
Beryl had the vet out on Monday for her 2nd vaccs and teeth (dealer claimed she’d had her teeth done… knew she was lying, glad I had them done myself to check). Vet commented how good she looks compared to last time she saw her (same vet as the one who came to treat for fat leg due to mud fever in my first week of owning her, in early August). I hadn’t noticed a difference, it’s hard when you see them every day! I’ve attached some comparison pics… I know the quality of pics isn’t great, I’m hopeless at getting decent ones

Getting physio out next. Have started walking her out - once in company, once on her own, so far. She can be a bit backwards when in doubt - I’d rather that than exploding/pissing off though! We can work through that. My old boy was similar so I’m well versed in it. Going to try her on long lines tonight as I think she’ll go better being driven from behind. Have roped OH in to help/be at her head, for the first few times at least.

Her hoof handling is now practically perfect. My perseverance paid off! Farrier came last week (different one as I’ve moved yards). There wasn’t much to take off, but he went through the motions with her as practice, and she was pretty good. He said her feet will come good with a bit of time - just need to grow out the flaring/stretching forward caused by them being left untrimmed (before I had her) for so long. Lovely new angle growing down, and I’ve got her boots now for work.

So, a few weeks of walking out/long reining, and core condition exercises; and once physio has been, I will get onto a saddle fitter. Exciting!

Realised YO used to teach at a place I used to go for lessons, she’s actually taught me a few times, so I’m in good hands there she’s very supportive, I am so bloody grateful to have found this place! 3 mins from my front door. Doesn’t have a school, but we have great hacking and I can always hire if I really need to.

Pics as promised… top pic early August, bottom pics the last couple of days. I’ve tried to pic similar poses for comparison purposes.

She's standing a whole heap better on the back end in the second set, and looking very improved throughout.
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[toppedoff]

Not an ex racer owner but anyone here have one with long pasterns? We got a racer in training who has such faulty pasterns and i am curious to know how it affects them long term?

 

[Gamebird]

Not an ex racer owner but anyone here have one with long pasterns? We got a racer in training who has such faulty pasterns and i am curious to know how it affects them long term?

I know one with hideously long pasterns (like I can't bear to look at them) who has been successful in grade ones, run at the big festivals over hurdles for the last few years, and has now just started a winning chasing career aged 9. Would I buy him? No! But he hasn't had any more issues that I know of than any other horse. Looks hideously fragile though!

 

[Northern]

Hello all! Your TBs are all looking great

My TB (kissing spine, SI issues, locking stifles plus 3 years off) has a saddle fit next week after about 8 weeks of lunging/hillwork and I am super excited to find something to fit her so we can crack on properly. She has gone from being unable to canter a circle on the lunge without disuniting, to correct canter leads and holding the canter well (and under saddle the few times I have tried). It's been a slow build up, but I think I'm breaking the weakness/unstable cycle with consistent work to build up her weak areas. I have also been doing her feet myself for well over a year which has had a positive impact, she seems to suit being done every 2 weeks rather than every 6-8.

I am pleased with how she is looking coming out of the end of winter. Her topline needs a lot of work, but she feels good and I am optimistic she will build up nicely from here, barring any unforeseen circumstances. She is no conformational marvel, but I have had her for 7 years and she will never leave my ownership!



I now have another TB here to work up and sell for a friend. 14 year old gelding who has had 4 years of very sporadic work with a nervous novice. He needs to learn to trot forward and soft, plus stand still around other horses (that was challenging yesterday!) and not jog home. He's very sweet actually, and tries very hard. I will be primarily riding him on trails/hacks as that is the home we will be aiming him at.

 

[humblepie]

That is good news and what a sweet face the one you are reschooling has.

 

[Gamebird]

My chap's last competitive outing was a win at the Punchestown Festival this year. Yesterday he went to do some dressage (mix of BD and Unaff - I was firmly in the second category!), and managed to follow that up with another win! I've only taken him off the yard 3 times since he came, so everything is new. However he worked in well, both on his own and when the warm-up filled up, was just a little wobbly in his tests. Plenty to like though, and good enough for a reasonable score.

A wee video snippet from when I'd just got on. Please ignore the jockey - although I've done dressage to a moderate level in the past, I have spent most of the last ten years with very short stirrups galloping at big hedges! Pleasing attitude, with plenty to work on I think.

 

[ycbm]

Charlie has started jumping, don't get too excited they are 18 inches high xc fences on the farm ride But he loves it, has a powerful jump, and I haven't felt a horse latch on and carry me to a fence, because he wants to and is confident of his own power, since the horse in my avatar (which is 25 years ago now ). He's looking for them now, too. "That one over there, are we doing that one? "

I thought I was happy to give up jumping. Maybe not.

He is a flea bite away from being able to hack without boots on a track with stones in. Getting him onto a full dose of copper/zinc/magnesium seemed to make quite a difference in the concavity of his feet. I'm expecting another improvement as the line from where he came to me hits the ground at the toe. It's already there at the heel. Then it's obvious from the shape coming down now that there's another improvement to come as a full foot grown with the minerals reaches the floor.
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[IrishMilo]

Koby went barefoot about 2 weeks ago so he's had some time off which is really not good for someone like me who has 0 patience and wants to do everything yesterday! I'm hoping in a few months we'll be out and about doing his first couple of shows!

 

[ycbm]

Koby went barefoot about 2 weeks ago so he's had some time off which is really not good for someone like me who has 0 patience and wants to do everything yesterday! I'm hoping in a few months we'll be out and about doing his first couple of shows!

He's lovely IM. Remind us how old he is?

 

[IrishMilo]

He's lovely IM. Remind us how old he is?

Thank you! He's a poppet. He's 5.

 

[ycbm]

Lovely age, he's going to be very smart filled out.
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