So, what is it with Racehorses?

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minkymoo

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Just read the thread about the 6 yo racehorse who needs a home and there were loads of comments about being the right kind of person for one.

I would consider myself a novice, I have a 10yo Anglo Arab who can be sharp but we've been working really hard with an excellent trainer. TB's aren't my thing personally so I never considered one.

This isn't a dig but genuine curiosity. Why would an ex race horse not be suitable for some and more expensive than any other type of horse? What type of rider/person should think about one?

Thoughts?
 
I don't think there more expensive than other kinds of horses, infact they are generally cheaper.

I have a TB, he wasn't my first horse and i'd say i had a decent amount of experience before I bought him. Most of the time he is super laid back, easy, genuine and very willing. However occasionally he can be very sharp and decide that airs above the ground are very exciting especially at clinics and competitions! He is also a pig to hack, stubbon and nappy! However i bought a horse to compete not to hack, hence why i bought a tb, which have a bit more go and his talent lies in jumping.

Like any kind of horse, they are all different but I believe most of them require someone experienced and confident due to the sharpness that alot (not all) come with.
 
there are people in the horse world that think they know everything, have far too much to say for themselves and like the sound of their own voice.

xxxxx
 
the main thing i found with mine was that you need to gentle and endlessly patient with him as it tends to be one step forward, two steps back a lot of the time. He is like a child that needs constant reassurance. I never had a horse who looked to my reactions so much and if i get tense he gets super nervy. I also have to consider psychologically what he's thinking, which i never had to do as much with solid hunter types. He just seems more neurotic in general! On the good side he is an absolute pet, doesn't have a bad bone in his body, and i have a much more intense bond with him after a couple of months, than i had with the horse i had for decades! I have learnt so much on him, mainly about my confidence and mental attitude when I'm riding him.

I know a few people who have rehomed racehorses and the ones that come on best seem to go to the quieter gentler owners. My lad freaks out if he thinks he is doing something wrong, so i can see how a harsher rider might completely overface him.
 
Depends why its coming out of racing? Is it sour,slow or psycho?

TBs are notoriously difficult to keep weight on- saying that sister has 2 and one of them just looks at food and gets v fat! so there is expense of feeding them.Many have bad feet-again more trips to farrier!
Also a horse out of racing has been ridden in a particular way eg. take a contact on a riding school horse not much happens, take a contact with an ex racer chances are you will be in next county in 5 mins? Likewise as jockeys and the lads/lasses in yards ride short they are also a bit unsure about legs wrapping around their girth:rolleyes:
Had ex racehorses and enjoyed the lot of them..but they are sensitive and very intelligent and the people who buy them are not always intelligent enough to own them? does that make sense? lol:rolleyes::o:)
 
they are generally cheaper to buy but the keeping costs of one is usually more. i spend £100+ a month on food alone to keep him looking well this time of year. They take abit of a battering being started and raced so young. some even younger than 2 year olds with the ageing on the 1st jan rule. They tend to be more prone to things going wrong in later life.
Mine has ended up with navicular, kissing spines and DJD in both hocks and i cant help but think some of this stems back to being started and raced so young. And maybe its just mine but his small pea sized brain doesnt process info and he seems to walk into accidents!! usually expensive ones to!!

just to add- i think that they are a man made breed has caused many problems aswell, such as bad feet which someone has mentioned and the selective breeding and the amount of breeding of tb's for racing that goes on. just a thought
 
^^^^^^^^
Agree

I was not a novice equine owner, when I was ' Given my TB' but was a novice TB owner.

I had not had much to do with them really, but my experience is that they are not really the same as most horses.

I equate them to my choice of dog, Weimarners.

They tend to not say ' what can I do for you?' but.. ' if you give me that , I might just do that for you, if I feel like it'? ' whats in it for me'

That is only my experience, but I was one who swore never to have another TB, but since finding this out, I seem to get on with them quite well.

Just equate them to the grumpy old man, and you wont go far wrong.

IMHO xxxxxxx
 
Would agree with all of these posts! My boy is now 8 and came out of racing 3 years ago - he was never super fast and also had an injury; I've had him now for just under 3 years.

His bad points:
bad handling and treatment means he is bad to handle on the ground - bites and kicks and I have the scars to prove it LOL!
Trying to keep his weight up in winter costs me a small fortune!

The good points:
He is the best horse I have ever had! Not a bad bone in his body, fantastic to ride; wouldn#t part with him for the world :)

However....the first six months or so weren't easy - I've been bitten, booted, pulled over, barged and so on but....with lots of patience, love, understanding and TLC I have a fabulous best four legged friend who still has his issues but is loved to bits regardless!

Guess you just have to be prepared to deal with a lot of possible problems so if you dont have the patience and/or undertanding an ex-racer might not be for you.
 
I personally, wouldn't have a TB (ex-racer or not), if you gave him to me (I had a very bad experience with one when I was in my teens), BUT, each to their own and I would never tar them all with the same brush - I know some psycho ones, and I know some really laid-back ones......

However, I do feel that to have an ex-racer, you need to have bags of patience, and lots of time - it helps if you are a laid-back kinda person yourself....... you don't necessarily have to be mega experienced, but if you're not, then have an experienced friend on hand to help.

If you are a stressy, impatient person, then I think you're on a road to no-where, and you should steer well clear of any kinda of 'hot-blooded' horse
 
to echo others on this thread - you ask a TB not tell. They are usually fairly intelligent (although I did own one who was truely stupid) and like to please but they are strong minded and prefer to be asked nicely rather than being shouted at. As someone else has also said, they pick up on how you feel very quickly and respond accordingly so you have to be confident with them all the time. For example, if my current TB shies and I either get cross or start to shorten my reins and tense he will up the shying by 100% and in 2 minutes we are both nervous wrecks. If I just ignore him or laugh and give him a pat he stops and we walk on as if nothing has happened.
They are not difficult, just different!
 
yeah mine is a walking disaster for accidents! the first two months i had him he managed to mess up his mouth eating a twig and was off for a weeks, got dermasephelis (?!) so i had to spend my time picking scabs off him and covering him in sudocream, he got bitten on the cheek, the sides of his mouth are sensitive and need attention all the time, he doesn't like poll pressure so has has a fluffy guard, he can't use certain types of girth so he has a fluffy one, and now his rugs have started to rub him so he has to wear a bib!

He also loves sticking his head into anywhere it will fit, its annoying but hilarious, i can see him eyeing up any gaps in walls or hedges and he pokes it through. its happened so much he knows not to panic if his head gets stuck and just waits for someone to guide him out!

On the plus side, i had expected him to be a disaster to keep weight one, but he eats like a champion and is even slightly porky now (for a tb). so im sure il end up with a fat lamanitis ridden cotton wool covered walking vets bill.
 
Our ex-racer is a lovely, gentle chap who tries hard to please most of the time.

However, he is also a complete t!t at times. He's stressy, needs careful handling as he's prone to going a bit OTT about silly things, and can get himself in a real state when ridden where he winds himself up to the point that all he can really do is canter round a field for a while remembering himself. With a competent jockey, he's all but stopped having such moments but with someone who got scared or worried he'd be a bit of a runaway right now!
 
I have two and look after another 3 at work ( ex-racehorses now hunters ). Also worked with p2p'ers. In general I find them better behaved on the ground than non tbs, so easy to do, easy to clip, bath, shoe etc. Lovely manners. I ride and lead on the road, again, well-behaved. My lot don't have any more rugs, feed, shoeing than the non-tbs. They do a full days hunting, either hunting hounds or whipping in. My bay as a 3 year old you could happily ride him round bareback, a little star in terms of temperament. (He's wintered out ).

They all have very different personalities and their own little quirks, so does any horse! One of my hunters is so laid back he's almost horizontal, its hard to keep the weight off him! I went flying and fell flat on my face bringing one in from the field and he stood completely still until I got back up and sorted myself out.
 
I was probably the complete opposite of what most people would consider a "suitable person" to own a tb when I bought my ex racer! I had never owned my own horse before, although I had ridden all my life. And I had little if any experience of ex racers. However, I had always wanted one and so I did lots of research. I met someone who had one and asked for lots of advice. I think I have a fairly typical ex racer, in that he is more than a little neurotic, can be sharp and could even be labelled by others as nasty because he has a tendancy to bite and kick! What I would say is that he doesn't suffer fools gladly! I have an excellent farrier and with the right feed and care his feet are pretty good and he doesn't cost me more than any other horse on our yard. He keeps weight well with a good quality diet and decent rugs. And with kindness and patience we have developed a very strong bond, he is becoming a diamond to hack and although schooling isn't his favourite past time he's improving all the time. He does have the unfortunate ability to self harm fairly regularly but that asside for me owning an ex racer has been a childhood dream come true and I wouldn't want any other now.
 
If I were a TB - I would rather have an open minded novice with good support and a willingness to learn, than a very experienced person who's head is up their bum.

I am on the last glass of wine;)
 
I disagree with anybody elses poor experiences!!! I must have found the only ex-racehorse without any of the aforementioned "issues"!!! He's 2.5yrs old and only ran four times so this is perhaps why he's an utter pleasure to own so far as he'd not really 'got into it'? He's got really good feet and is better barefoot, doesn't cost a fortune to feed (runs on two nets of haylage a night, a breakfast of two handfuls of chaff and same for tea) and has kept weight on, doesn't kick, bite or scowl, no vices, is super laid back (he got trapped in the field gate a few weeks ago and when he twigged I was trying to help him he just stood there) and was a gem to ride when I tried him, both times. Ok, it was only in the school but i've walked him out and about in hand in traffic and round country parks and he's been sound - only thing he was cautious of was cows!

:)
 
they are all so different though arent they, and that i think is the issue-to be able to asess what is due to racing, what is due to temperament, and what can be changed, takes a fair amount of experience.

my boy is genuine to a fault-you can easily *tell* him and he would take it, so a bolshy rider could easily push him too far too fast and ruin that lovely genuine horse. even being actively held back, he has just turned 6 and is now starting tempi changes and will do mediums and adv mediums this year, he doesnt have to try at this at all and could so easily be over faced and made sour.

so to say you have to *ask* is not always true, on the contrary i find them full of heart and will try and try and try even if the rider is at fault.

good as he is at his job,mine is also sharp as a tack to hack, and it needs a rider with balls and balance to sit quiet and ride forward softly-someone who hasnt ridden a lot of horses would struggle to keep their balance centred i think, and would end up scaring him.

mine is also barefoot btw, excellent feet and not a horrendously poor doer either. and is never sick or sorry.

i love my TB's but think they are awfully misunderstood.
 
I think the right TB is fine for anyone in the right situation.

OH (still mastering trot) has a Tb, an ex racer. OH is competent on the ground, i'm an instructor so it works. Tb is great in the school and to hack out so is teaching OH while he's teaching Tb. And they make a great combination.

However a lot of TB's are highly strung and comig out of full fitness, therefore need an experienced rider and handler, hence the comments of needing "the right person."
In the wrong hands they can be disasterous, but so can any other breed of horse, if the individual requires certain handling/riding.
 
I wouldn't say I'm by any measure an experienced horse person, but I do have decent confidence. My first (and current) horse is an ex-racer which I bought because he was running circles around his previous owner. He's *very* smart and he does use it. Pretty much echoing what's been said. He catches on quickly, enjoys learning, gets bored if you don't keep his mind going, will take the piss if he thinks you're not worthy :P but most of all, after a few challenges, he's the most loyal creature I've come across. I wouldn't change him for the world.

Sometimes he likes to remind me that he *can* be aloof, though.
 
I think you need to take thenm for what they are in front of you. My 9 year old is a real mixture of characteristics - he hates being tied up tight,people holding his head collar instead of a lead rope and can be endlessly spooky so in this respect he needs a calm but firm handler who is happy to take the lead in situations but equally when he is in full work he has fab paces,a huge jump and loves to show off and tbh most of the time is pretty decent to ride. He has made me look at myself both as a rider and a handler and hopefully I am now better for it. However I also had a three year old bought as a project this year who was possibly the most precocious little horse I have ever met. Happy to hack out alone /in company ,with a novice on his back or a competent dressage rider. Nothing was too much and he went everywherewith the attitude of 'oohhhh look at that ,isn't that fun !' apart from an issue with shoeing he was by far the more suited to a novice person than my older horse so I don't think they can be judged as a group. Also I have found that most coming out of racing that I have dealt with are coming out because they lack that 'killer' instinct to win and are generally nicer personalities than the more successful horses - massive generalisation but just my own personal experience :D
 
We have an ex-racer at our yard and she is a typical moody mare! She pulls the horribest faces but doesnt actually bite or attack you, she is a sweetie deep down tho! she has a fantastic jump on her and really enjoys the attention she gets. (secretly tho! :D)
She was underweight when we got her, and her feet were AWFUL! never seen hooves like it! they were like ridged dinner plates. She wouldnt stand still when being mounted and would back up once you got on her, never standing still.
However after paitence from everyone, she has put on weight, her feet look great, she now stands quietly, behaves herself, and is SO easy on the ground, shes very polite.
I think becuase of their 'fizzy' reputation they are seen are a more difficult breed to look after, that can be true but not in all cases, they are usually very good when reabilitated correctly :)
 
Of all the one's we've had and still have they are real triers. We can hack them out when my horse is spooking at the odd coloured leaf or blade of grass these soldier on past.

The only tension we have found is when we first started taking out the ex racers to a competition. They Think they are there to race, not out to have a lesson, or do a dressage competition. Ours looked for the starting gate on the first few outings.

The rider should be fitted/suited to the horse they buy and not every rider suits every horse. So if you are looking to buy something give the TB ago, you may be surprised ;)
 
Ive had a fair few ex racers of my own and some of them have been more sensible than others, but that can be said about any breed or type of horse.

The one at the moment (shes in my sig, the bay on the right in the school)would not be suitable for a novice as she is sharp and sensitive, on the other hand she is not naughty, she wont do anything nasty to you but you do have to put on your kid gloves to ride her!!

I think it boils down to the horse, it takes a certain amount of sense from a horse to have a more novice rider and thats what you might not have in some ex racers!! I suppose its about being capable enough to stay calm, stay in the saddle and deal with them when they have a moment! I think the only difference is that a TB moment will normally happen about 4 times faster than a non TB moment!!!!!!

Also it comes down to if the horse has already been reschooled from racing as then it would be a question of is the rider capable of restarting 1, undoing and changing the behaviour they have already been taught. My friend has 1 who is about 18 now, came out of racing at 5 and he really is anyones ride.

I should add too that mine is barefoot and has the toughest feet ever, she didnt even noticed that I have taken her shoes off!! She is also not a poor doer, shes not fat, but not tricky to keep weight on. She was horribly thin straight after racing though but she got fatter.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
they are all so different though arent they, and that i think is the issue-to be able to asess what is due to racing, what is due to temperament, and what can be changed, takes a fair amount of experience.

my boy is genuine to a fault-you can easily *tell* him and he would take it, so a bolshy rider could easily push him too far too fast and ruin that lovely genuine horse. even being actively held back, he has just turned 6 and is now starting tempi changes and will do mediums and adv mediums this year, he doesnt have to try at this at all and could so easily be over faced and made sour.

so to say you have to *ask* is not always true, on the contrary i find them full of heart and will try and try and try even if the rider is at fault.

good as he is at his job,mine is also sharp as a tack to hack, and it needs a rider with balls and balance to sit quiet and ride forward softly-someone who hasnt ridden a lot of horses would struggle to keep their balance centred i think, and would end up scaring him.

mine is also barefoot btw, excellent feet and not a horrendously poor doer either. and is never sick or sorry.

i love my TB's but think they are awfully misunderstood.
Click to expand...

Prince33Sp4rkle I think you have summed it up very well!

I have owned and ridden lots of different horses including TBs, TBx and other interesting breeds! All breeds have quirky ones in their midst. I currently own my 3rd TB, an 8 yr old ex racehorse. He raced in Hong Kong as a youngster, and then hurdled in the UK, reasonably successfully. He has been the most trainable horse I have had the pleasure to work with and will hopefully be out doing some unaff dressage soon. He is extremely polite to handle, even when he is very excited, he holds it together because he knows he needs to do the right thing! He has really good feet, shoeing every 6 weeks and hasn't lost a shoe in nearly a year of owning him. He maintains his weight well, adlib haylage with 2 feeds of horse and pony cubes, alfa a and beet. He does crib at feedtimes and can boxwalk if he's feeling on edge, but hey, I might have a few vices had I been subjected to flying half way round the world and kept in a multistorey stable!
Please don't be so quick to say that slaughter may be the best thing for horses coming out of racing. Of course, the best thing would be for the owners and the racing authorities to take more responsibility for the care of horses coming out of a multi million pound industry. Some TBs will not be suitable for retraining due to temperament and/or physical problems but the there are so many that are, and could suit lots of owners that enjoy different activities from hacking and endurance to dressage and eventing
 
I think racehorses in general have a bad name. I've worked with some stunning ones. Yes they are abit quirky, but it think its much more a case that bad news travels better than good

-we hear the bad news but not always the success stories! And its the poor racehorses losing out.
The problem in particular with racehorses (not just tb's that haven't raced) is that it really doesn't take much to get their blood up, and some of them become quite excitable which is why they aren't necessarily a novice ride - if you get tense they will get worse.

The ones I know are all sweethearts to handle, and fine to keep weight on :) One is a little accident prone though...
 
There are major misconceptions about ex-racers - rather like the idea that every Rottweiller is a killer looking for his next meal. Ex-racers are horses like any other!! They are all individuals, and while some can be very stressy, skinny and looking for the next sharp object to impale themselves upon, the majority are sensible, (quite often lazy) types. The ones I've had over the years have all been (or become) very kind, sensitive horses, eager to please, not runaways or whatever, and good doers. Like others, my TBs have wintered out. Frankly, from my angle, and ignoring what I might want the horse FOR, I'd choose an ex-racer over an Arab or a self-opinionated small pony any day of the week.
 
My once in a lifetime boy was an ex P2P and he was (I am a little biased!) just amazing. We had plenty of lows in all our highs. He had the most wonderful temperament on the ground, a real gentleman. He would have his little strops like any TB but I tended to find these funny after a while more than anything else. Out at competitons he was a star. He did incur some injuries along the way (!) and it cost alot to feed him. Through all the bad things though, I would never have changed him for the world. He was my best friend and now he is gone I am absolutely heartbroken. I of course can't comment on a fresh of the track ex racer because my boy had 2 years stuck out in a field off the track before we found him. Also, I am only going on my experience of one so of course I am sure there are the slightly neurotic ones out there, like any breed. Overall I think there is just something that attracts people too them - a project in some ways and even though they require hard work, the rewards in the end when you can look back, with the reins on the buckle out on a hack, and think, he used to be a complete nutter! (Can't remember who posted it but the comment about grumpy old men - I agree!)
 
As already said..they can be a pain to keep weight on in the winter, they have crappy feet so cost more with farriers, feed etc. They are so accident prone it is untrue! Thin skinned, non hardy, need more rugs as hardly get a winter coat, skinny legs & don't take much to go lame!
My gelding can be very stressy if others are turned out before him in the morning or if some of the others in the field are brought in before him even though he's never left on his own. VERY sensitive ride, I have to be calm & patient as he can read me like a book. My mare on the other hand you ask & absolutley cannot tell her but maybe that's just a difference between mares & geldings? BUT..they are so bright & eager & I have such a bond with my gelding that he follows me round like a puppy & as for the speed of a gallop..it's amazing!!
 
I thinks people over hype the whole TB thing

Probably over 50% of polo ponies are ex racers (albeit the majority are young ex racers and short under 15.3hh)

Both polo and polocrosse require speed and agility, so they make the ideal candidate.

Also for what its worth, the majority of polo ponies have their shoes off in sept and are out in fields over winter, generally with no rugs. So TB's can survive without mollycoddling and keep weight when they are happy.
 
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