Retraining ex-racers thread

[ycbm]

It's not looking good for Charlie. Now noticeably lame on an arthritic fetlock only 5 weeks after steroids were put in. Arthritis, probably caused by a fractured sesamoid bone from a long time ago, probably at 2 or 3. He's only ever been in light work and only intended for light work, but he just isn't up to it.

No suggestions for how to keep him going please, I'm only writing this in the spirit of complete openness about the risks you take buying an ex racehorse that's been laid off after finishing racing "because he lost the love for it" (a common expression in racing) and nobody has bothered trying to find out why.

My advice to anyone reading this thread is if you intend buying an ex racer, then buy them straight out of training a short time after they finish their last race sound and do the layoff yourself.
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[humblepie]

I’m sorry about the news on Charlie.

 

[ponyparty]

Oh bummer @ycbm what a bloomin shame.

I am totally with you in that it's the risk you take, in taking on an ex-racer though. I have gone into it with my eyes wide open and with a certain level of detachment. Don't get me wrong, I love my girl, but I'm taking stock of everything as she comes into work and will be monitoring carefully.

And that is good advice there for anyone looking for an ex-racer in the future.

Very sorry to hear this about Charlie though, it was all looking so positive. He'ss lucky to have landed with someone who could detect this issue early on. As devastating as it is, perhaps that offers some small comfort.

 

[BACR]

It's not looking good for Charlie. Now noticeably lame on an arthritic fetlock only 5 weeks after steroids were put in. Arthritis, probably caused by a fractured sesamoid bone from a long time ago, probably at 2 or 3. He's only ever been in light work and only intended for light work, but he just isn't up to it.

No suggestions for how to keep him going please, I'm only writing this in the spirit of complete openness about the risks you take buying an ex racehorse that's been laid off after finishing racing "because he lost the love for it" (a common expression in racing) and nobody has bothered trying to find out why.

My advice to anyone reading this thread is if you intend buying an ex racer, then buy them straight out of training a short time after they finish their last race sound and do the layoff yourself.
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I'm so sorry to hear this ycbm, he's such a quality horse what a shame that this old injury happened. At least he landed with you who has the skills and knowledge to investigate.

We recently had one at our yard who was in very poor condition and came up lame, the owner sold it on. Completely heartbreaking and really sad for the horse as he's gone from one clueless idiot to another and who knows what will happen in his future. At least you can guarantee that won't happen with Charlie.

 

[Hamlet]

So sorry to hear about your boy YCBM.

Totally agree, it’s the risk you take when you take on an ex racehorse. “Treated like kings” they like to say, until there’s an expensive medical issue to sort out. The sheer amount I looked at when viewing that had their down time and were ready for a new home…that weren’t sound on trot up. The soundest one, just finished racing and still at the trainer’s yard (wasn’t sound mentally but that was another issue).

 

[Cragrat]

It really doesn't seem fair (and I know life isn't about 'fair') that someone like you, with soooo much knowledge and uncommon sense and good heart, gets these beautiful horses, such lovely characters, who then need you to be so strong and carry out the final kindness. They are of course incredibly lucky that they end up with you, but bloomin hell, I wish it didn't have to be you!

 

[IrishMilo]

.

 

[MummyEms]

Just thought I would update that my ex racehorse has recently been so very soft and round in her myler . Just feels so supple and round recently

 

[BACR]

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a lovely time over the festive period.

Se and I had a very productive time, I recently bought my own trailer so can get out and about a lot more often. We did a show jump arena hire, hack in the forest and arena eventing clinic (plus lots of hacking from home). He was mega, even at the clinic when the hunt went past and everything else was going mental. He got a little bit excited but then he knuckled down to work. Some of the jumping was sketchy (sometime as much from me as him) but he took everything on and did a brilliant job.

We've got our regular biweekly dressage lesson this weekend so looking forward to that. I hope you all have lovely productive weekends.

I'll do a goals for the year post tomorrow if anyone is interested. It would be great to know what everyone else has planned for 2024 with your lovely ex-racers too .

 

[ponyparty]

Lovely update! My festive period wasn’t as productive, it seemed to be either storms or busy with family commitments. I managed to do a bit though.

Going back a few weeks - we were hacking out but having issues with napping, which escalated to standing on back legs. My fault entirely, I pushed her too hard when she didn’t have the confidence. She was just as nappy in-hand - it’s as soon as she’s out of sight of her friends, essentially. So I’ve taken it completely back to basics and had a brilliant local horsemanship trainer out a few times since then, working on her confidence and groundwork (teaching me as much as my mare). She’s very quick to learn, you can almost see the cogs in her head turning. We’re back out in-hand hacking, and her go-to response is not now to plant! We have forwardness! So that’s big progress. Trainer is coming again this weekend and we might introduce long lines then (or perhaps at his next visit - he’s coming every other weekend as that’s when I’m child free). I haven’t had the confidence to do much long lining (too worried I’m not doing it right and going to mess her up) so I’m looking forward to this.

It’s a learning curve for me. My old horse was very nappy when hacking alone - but he was established and tricks like reversing in the direction I wanted to go, waiting it out, sitting quietly and then giving an almighty push forward, getting off and leading, or following a foot-soldier worked… I’ve had to change my thinking and methods with Beryl. It’s so interesting and I hope I’m giving her a solid foundation with the help of this trainer. Wish I’d enlisted his help before!

I think she is/was shut down to a degree, she’s starting to show a bit of spark and brightness in her eyes and personality, which is just wonderful to see.

I’m not entirely happy with her hoof progress - being out 24/7 in the wet isn’t helping, I don’t think. I don’t have a hard surface to stand her on to get good hoof progress pics but her hinds look suspiciously low in the heel and bullnosed to me, so I may end up taking her for hoof x-rays at the vets at some point in the next few months to see what’s going on in there and whether we’ve got NPA. Issue is I’d need to travel her there and we really need to work on loading, but I haven’t got a trailer yet and even if I bought one today, the ground is so wet it’ll churn up the yard bringing one on to practice with. When is winter over?

Lack of facilities at my yard is annoying but it’s SO convenient being 3 mins from My front door (walkable if roads impassable - which seems ever more likely with the flooding round here!) and means she’s out 24/7 with friends and shelter - she’s happy and settled, so I’m reluctant to look into moving. Just got to get through these next few months…

 

[BACR]

Thank you @ponyparty. It's really difficult to understand their brain sometimes when you don't know exactly what they've done in their previous career and how they were managed. I treated Se as if he'd never been alone, our initial walks round the block in hand were hilarious and he would scream his head off for the whole way round. I'm very lucky though that he's never been nappy, he's not one of these buzzy types but forward has always been the answer with him. It's just time and patience to get the trust. I don't have facilities where we are either so I use lots of annual leave at this time of year to get him going. It's so tough in the depths of winter and this year is so wet, I do question my life choices on a regular basis at this time of year.

I'm determined to get him out and about now. I've had him for 2 years and I've taken things really slowly so now he's ready to do more. I think that taking my time with him has really paid off, he looks to me for confidence rather than getting clingy to other horses out and about so that's perfect. The arena eventing clinic I went to last weekend started off as a complete shambles. The hunt went past about 50 m from the arena, other horses were going mad, rearing broncing and pulling away, Se was bouncing around and fired up but I got him on a circle and he knuckled down to work. Really chuffed with his attitude to everything. He jumped his first corner and skinny brush, it wasn't stylish but we got it done.

Dressage lesson was really good today, my trainer hopped on him for the first time. We had a change of plan and decided to try and sort his contact issues out. He sometimes goes between leaning and going behind the contact and I'm too wishy washy with him. We kept the contact really light and insisted he go into it, it worked really well and we had some beautiful work from him. I've got homework to be more consistent with him and make sure the signal is very clear and praise and release when he's doing the right thing. It's a really light and fragile contact at the moment but we can develop it with time. Really happy with his progress, got to get brave and book a little outing to a prelim in the next couple of weeks!

 

[IrishMilo]

I boxed to my old yard for a lesson a few days ago, Koby was such a good boy and looking at these I can appreciate how far he's come in 6 months. Jumping absolutely did not come naturally to him but he tries so hard!

https://imgur.com/zfDsgd8

https://imgur.com/pW1FafX

 

[Taliesan]

I've watched this thread for ages and really enjoyed reading all about everyone's ex-racers.

I'm very lucky in that one of my friends has recently given me her ex racer to work with as if he was my own to see how far I can get with him.

He's called Alfie and he finished racing in August 2022. He started racing in October 2018 and raced 33 times in total. In the nicest possible way, he was never anything special on the racecourse and ran in the lowest class races throughout his time on the track.

He was bought directly from the trainer in approximately the Spring of 2023. In that time he hasn't been ridden, has done bits of groundwork and for the last two or so months he has been turned out in 20 acres with a mixed herd.

His back has been x-rayed and he has kissing spine across pretty much all of it. It is especially bad where the pommel and cantle of a saddle would sit. There is also another bad area right where your bum would be if you were riding treeless. It is pretty much lose, lose, lose for him in that respect. The positive is that the vet said the x-rays aren't that horrific (although I appreciate what looks awful on an x-ray an individual horse might not be bothered by, and vice versa) so there is every chance that, with correct work and time, he will be ok. Equally, there is also every chance that he might not be ok and he might never be able to be ridden.

I'm hopeful that I'll be able to help Alfie and get him into a good place with correct and thoughtful work aimed at building up his body in a positive way. Only time will tell though and I'll be led by him with regards to what he can and can't do in terms of ridden work.

I've taken some photos and videos of him as a starting point, as it is easy to forget where you started from when you see them every day. When I've got some more to compare I'll share them as, at the moment, he doesn't look at his best!

 

[ycbm]

Good luck Taliesan, he's a lucky horse his problems have been found by people who care.





IM he's starting to get some nice bounce in that canter, isn't he?
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[Taliesan]

Good luck Taliesan, he's a lucky horse his problems have been found by people who care.





IM he's starting to get some nice bounce in that canter, isn't he?
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Thank you - I suspect both me and Alfie will need a fair bit of luck alongside slow, consistent and positive work if he is to end up with any chance of being OK.

He isn't a lucky horse in many ways as his body has been broken by things people have done. If he'd had a different start in life maybe he would have been luckier. However, I am glad that he ended up with my friend and, by extension, me as he is exactly the sort who would have had a good chance of ending up in a very bad place.

He is such a kind, sweet and intelligent soul. It is hard to reconcile that brain and attitude with the body attached to it at times...

I will do absolutely everything I can for him and, if he is unable to live a pain free life, then I will make the only decision left to me. He will not be leaving my care one way or another. I owe him that.

 

[J_sarahd]

Thank you - I suspect both me and Alfie will need a fair bit of luck alongside slow, consistent and positive work if he is to end up with any chance of being OK.

He isn't a lucky horse in many ways as his body has been broken by things people have done. If he'd had a different start in life maybe he would have been luckier. However, I am glad that he ended up with my friend and, by extension, me as he is exactly the sort who would have had a good chance of ending up in a very bad place.

He is such a kind, sweet and intelligent soul. It is hard to reconcile that brain and attitude with the body attached to it at times...

I will do absolutely everything I can for him and, if he is unable to live a pain free life, then I will make the only decision left to me. He will not be leaving my care one way or another. I owe him that.

Please keep updating us on his progress. My mare was diagnosed with kissing spine in November and I am trying to surround myself with other people who have been through it/are going through it because it is tough and sometimes I feel alone in it all

 

[Gamebird]

Having rather rashly put our names down for the RC Arena Eventing team in a couple of months time it suddenly struck me that the total collective jumping experience of my new racehorse and I was a couple of grids, and some trotting to X-poles. I mean individually he is obviously capable of tackling regulation chase fences (with someone slightly more capable on board!) and I have done most things to a decent level (but not for the last couple of years), but as a pair we have done very little indeed! Definitely time to a) see if we could actually canter to a fence and b) see if solid fences, other than chase fences or hurdles, were something that he could cope with.

Time for plenty more practice yet, but I think we're going to be OK...!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Having rather rashly put our names down for the RC Arena Eventing team in a couple of months time it suddenly struck me that the total collective jumping experience of my new racehorse and I was a couple of grids, and some trotting to X-poles. I mean individually he is obviously capable of tackling regulation chase fences (with someone slightly more capable on board!) and I have done most things to a decent level (but not for the last couple of years), but as a pair we have done very little indeed! Definitely time to a) see if we could actually canter to a fence and b) see if solid fences, other than chase fences or hurdles, were something that he could cope with.

Time for plenty more practice yet, but I think we're going to be OK...!

Oooh, I like him!

 

[humblepie]

@Gamebird Very nice, he looks like he has a lovely attitude as well.

 

[MummyEms]

My ex racehorse mare is the very sensitive forward type but she is absolutely insistent that she would not like me to fall off

 

[BACR]

Having rather rashly put our names down for the RC Arena Eventing team in a couple of months time it suddenly struck me that the total collective jumping experience of my new racehorse and I was a couple of grids, and some trotting to X-poles. I mean individually he is obviously capable of tackling regulation chase fences (with someone slightly more capable on board!) and I have done most things to a decent level (but not for the last couple of years), but as a pair we have done very little indeed! Definitely time to a) see if we could actually canter to a fence and b) see if solid fences, other than chase fences or hurdles, were something that he could cope with.

Time for plenty more practice yet, but I think we're going to be OK...!

He looks great Gamebird, he's very natural over a fence isn't he.

 

[BACR]

My ex racehorse mare is the very sensitive forward type but she is absolutely insistent that she would not like me to fall off

She looks lovely MummyEms, is this at Boyton Hall by any chance? I was there a few weeks ago and it looks very familiar.

 

[SEL]

I've watched this thread for ages and really enjoyed reading all about everyone's ex-racers.

I'm very lucky in that one of my friends has recently given me her ex racer to work with as if he was my own to see how far I can get with him.

He's called Alfie and he finished racing in August 2022. He started racing in October 2018 and raced 33 times in total. In the nicest possible way, he was never anything special on the racecourse and ran in the lowest class races throughout his time on the track.

He was bought directly from the trainer in approximately the Spring of 2023. In that time he hasn't been ridden, has done bits of groundwork and for the last two or so months he has been turned out in 20 acres with a mixed herd.

His back has been x-rayed and he has kissing spine across pretty much all of it. It is especially bad where the pommel and cantle of a saddle would sit. There is also another bad area right where your bum would be if you were riding treeless. It is pretty much lose, lose, lose for him in that respect. The positive is that the vet said the x-rays aren't that horrific (although I appreciate what looks awful on an x-ray an individual horse might not be bothered by, and vice versa) so there is every chance that, with correct work and time, he will be ok. Equally, there is also every chance that he might not be ok and he might never be able to be ridden.

I'm hopeful that I'll be able to help Alfie and get him into a good place with correct and thoughtful work aimed at building up his body in a positive way. Only time will tell though and I'll be led by him with regards to what he can and can't do in terms of ridden work.

I've taken some photos and videos of him as a starting point, as it is easy to forget where you started from when you see them every day. When I've got some more to compare I'll share them as, at the moment, he doesn't look at his best!

Alfie's KS sounds like it's in the same place as my little native pony. Saddle fit has been critical for her and it's needed to be a fit that she likes rather than something technically correct.

Slightly wider over the pommel and balance with shims (or air as I have her in WOW now) has worked better although getting it balanced for me was harder. Her whole back shape has changed since she went into the WOW and I think the air gives her back more flexibility.

Wishing you all the best with him - going into rehab knowing what you're working with is helpful I think.

 

[LEC]

It's not looking good for Charlie. Now noticeably lame on an arthritic fetlock only 5 weeks after steroids were put in. Arthritis, probably caused by a fractured sesamoid bone from a long time ago, probably at 2 or 3. He's only ever been in light work and only intended for light work, but he just isn't up to it.

No suggestions for how to keep him going please, I'm only writing this in the spirit of complete openness about the risks you take buying an ex racehorse that's been laid off after finishing racing "because he lost the love for it" (a common expression in racing) and nobody has bothered trying to find out why.

My advice to anyone reading this thread is if you intend buying an ex racer, then buy them straight out of training a short time after they finish their last race sound and do the layoff yourself.
.

I briefly caught the jist of what some people said in another channel/thread, as I rarely venture out of certain areas of the forum. It was highly unfair. You made the right decision for the horse and probably one I would have made myself. We have often clashed with opinions/views but I have no doubt that you took the expert advice and made a good call.

 

[MummyEms]

She looks lovely MummyEms, is this at Boyton Hall by any chance? I was there a few weeks ago and it looks very familiar.

Yes it is!!! Such a lovely arena isn't it!

 

[BACR]

Yes it is!!! Such a lovely arena isn't it!

It is a lovely arena, it's a shame it's a little too far for a regular venue for us. We're mid-Norfolk based so it's 1 hour 45 minutes drive with my very careful trailer towing driving!

 

[MummyEms]

It is a lovely arena, it's a shame it's a little too far for a regular venue for us. We're mid-Norfolk based so it's 1 hour 45 minutes drive with my very careful trailer towing driving!

Boyton is a wonderful place for ex racehorses as there is so much space and I find they relax there pretty well compared to smaller arenas. Like you though it is a bit far for us too now. We're at little lodge farm xx

 

[BACR]

Boyton is a wonderful place for ex racehorses as there is so much space and I find they relax there pretty well compared to smaller arenas. Like you though it is a bit far for us too now. We're at little lodge farm xx

I'm pretty lucky with mine in all fairness with the settling, he knuckles down to work within about 10 mins even in a new place. I did really like the arena there though. We did have a little episode after, when he spotted the mirrors in the dressage arena. I think it's the first time he's seen mirrors so that totally baffled him.

What a small world. Little lodge is lovely, we were there with a friend between Christmas and New Year for a hack in the forest. You're so lucky to have all that straight off the yard, amazing xx

 

[IrishMilo]

The big bear has been put on the market. If anyone knows of someone looking for a safe, kind RC type please let me know. I'd love to find him a home through word of mouth.

 

[IrishMilo]

We are getting so much better at forwards and through. I can't believe how many calls and the interest I've had. Makes me wonder whether I'm being a complete numpty in letting him go...argh!