TBs and Ex-Racers

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kitkat86

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My resolution for this year is to find a horse to loan or buy. I have been an owner in the past and now work with horses. I've been saving towards getting a horse for the last 6 months and am so so in love with the idea but terrified of the actual horse-seeking process if that makes any sense?! I've seen a lot of ex-racers being advertised recently, often at the lower end of the market (my budget is 3k max, ideally including some tack). I would like to do some dressage and eventing. I'm not looking to go straight out and compete though. I do ride as part of my job but it tends to be excercise work, hacking and lunging competition and livery horses. I know I need to improve my riding and have lessons and it's part of my tentative plan to spend a fair amount of time just getting to know whatever horse I end up getting, finding where all the buttons are and working on the basics. I really like the idea of giving an ex-racer another 'go', and I'm not a particularly ambitious person so any horse of mine will not have a huge amount of pressure put on it to go out and perform 200% all the time.

So while it all sounds like a good idea in theory, unfortunately I have no real personal experience of pure TBs at all. The horses I have known and owned have mainly been native and Irish crossbreds, and Warmbloods more recently at work. I don't think I would want to get a horse straight out of racing, as it would be pushing it to assume I could get anyone to help me retrain a racer from scratch. I don't really know what sort of conformation and health issues to anticipate for either apart from that TBs can be skinny. I have put the idea a couple of knowledgable people at work and they are not opposed to the idea of me considering a TB or ex-racer, but want me to make sure I make a fully considered choice. I'd really appreciate any information or advice about what to look for in thoroughbreds or hear any stories from people who have taken on ex-racers. I've seen some really lovely looking ads that seem genuine enough. I really just want to be able to make an informed decision on whether to include ex-racers and TBs in my search for a horse or not. Thanks for reading.
 
TBs are wonderful beasties if you can get on with them :-) I love them!!!

They'll do both jobs you want, and they've got the spark to do them well.

Only thing I'd watch for is bad feet, some have wonderful feet, many do not.

Personally, if looking for something to event I would pick one with a shorter back, making for a nice compact TB- excellent for corners and balance!!!

Good luck :-)

Oh- and most of the time they're fairly easy to keep weight on, you just have to constantly watch them!!!
 
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Hi,

I own a ex racer and I worked in racing for 10 years. I've had my boy just over a year, he mainly raced as an 2 year old. Looked awful when I took him on, he has grown so much since retiring. I haven't had any issue's with him at all, straight forward and very willing to please. He had a long holiday and I started him off from scratch. Best thing to do IMO.

I think as long as you have a good surport and have regular instruction you will be fine. Darley re-homes ex racers, they have a web site and I think they are about £100? They will match a horse to your ability and I think they have already had a break and have started to be re-schooled. Might be worth a look?

I know I would rather have a Tb over anything else, there's nothing quite like them!
 
I love my TB. He's what some would say is "typical TB" by having flat soft feet, humongous wither, powerful Hindquarters, sharp to ride and occasionally spins!

He's an absolute pleasure to have around.

And he's not dropped any weight at all over the really cold spell! He's gaining slowly but not dropping :D Looks fabulous at the mo. Tidying mane tomorrow.

I'd have another ex-NH horse tomorrow if I could :P
 
TB's are lovely horses and you are right to look into it carefully (owning any horse!) My advise would be to take everything slowly and don't rule out having a horse straight from the track as they are usually very well mannered and not ruined by being 'retrained' as is so often the case.

Good Luck
 
I was fortunate enough to get my ex racer through the Darley rehoming scheme (www.darelyrehoming.co.uk) He had already been "wound down" from racing and his retraining had already started. There are a lot of people who will say that TB's are mental, spooky headcases with rubbish feet and a self distruct button! I will say though that getting George was with out doubt the fastest and steepest learning curve for me from day one. But I have been lucky enough to have found for me my perfect horse. True to type hecan be a little sharp and can be spooky about silly things like a road sign out of place but will completely ignore the heaviest of hgv or tractor! His feet are not bad and if you employ the services of a really good farrier who knows tb feet then you should get on fine. He has been a little accident prone but I doubt any more so than any other horse that pulls off the odd shoe or takes the odd knock in the field. You'll also hear that they are difficult to feed and keep weight on. Again this can be the case in any type or breed. My boy looks amazing and gets comments from everyone that sees him. He gets good quality hay, a balancer, HiFi and speedy beet. With a few cool conditioning cubes while the grass is non existant. Hardly complicated lol! A good instructor that knows a bit about ex-racers can help you with a plan for getting the best out of your new aquisition and I would say that with your background and experience you should deffinately go for it! I had dreamt of owning my very own racehorse since I was a little girl and I haven't been disappointed! Good luck!!
 
I have a beautiful TB who didn't make it into the racing world, she came to me a 3yr old (little did i know i thought she was 6) traced her through her microchip and found out all about her past, she originally came from ireland and had been through many sales at such a young age :( she was very green but safe and exceptionally sensible for a tb :p
She was poor when she came and it took a long time to get the weight on her, last winter she came down with colic after an injury brought it on so she had a bit of a tuff time. Summer time came and she bloomed and managed to grow an extra 2 inches :) she looks fantastic now and i have many compliments on her conformation and temperament. However she can be a handful at times and needs to be in a routine otherwise she goes nuts! shes fab at jumping and her flat work is coming together. There has been times where i have thought about selling her on, but when it comes to the crunch i always change my mind!
Shes a challenge but she really is the sweetest mare :)
I love my TB :D
 
I'm a complete ex-racer convert too! I always had a huntery strong type, but now am obsessed with my tb. He is a lot of work, but has been the most fantastic learning experience. The only thing i'd say is that mine takes a lot of my time, as he needs a really solid routine and to be worked consistently 6 times a week or he goes nutty. Brilliant temperament though and great ground manners.
 
Thank you all for your lovely replies :) I'm a pretty cautious person and buying a horse is a huge thing for me since I sold my old boy in '06. I really like the look of the Darley people, and it's nice to also hear from someone who has had a horse from them. TBs seem to be sensitive individuals who appreciate a routine and a good farrier! Luckily for me the yard at which I work would offer me a staff livery and all the horses here are very relaxed because we have a good routine and a nice atmosphere. We also are visited regularly by an excellent farrier who does specialist shoeing. He is rather expensive but is probably the best farrier I've encountered. We also tend to boot up for turnout so that's not a big deal.

I have seen a few horses arrive from dealers/importers looking like hatracks. I suppose it depends very much on who you buy from and on the sort of horse as a stressy, poor-doer would probably drop condition in the process of being taken away from its usual regime even if it wasn't underfed. We have a few skinny youngsters in the field at the moment that we are feeding up, and the timid one is definitely taking longer to gain weight. It's nice to hear that not all TBs are poor-doers though.

I really appreciate your stories and advice. I'm glad I don't have to exclude ex-racers from my search criteria and I hope I can find myself a nice horse like you all have!
 
I've got two ex-racers - a 20 year old who I bought at the age of 12 and a nine year old mare I bought straight from racing. The 20 year old was quite easy because I was naive. I had no fear of just getting on and hacking out and as it is, it worked. Like another poster put, he's got no fear of traffic - he would walk into it if he was allowed to, but if something is out of place, he can spin round, although I've learned to just let him stand still and look at it - he cannot be bullied past. He also pulls faces in the stable and doesn't like cuddles - he is bloke and he doesn't see why he should!
The nine year old mare is totally different. She is even built differently. The gelding has a very long neck and body, so he's hard to hold together. The mare is very short coupled and deep chested, is an angel in the stable and loves being fussed.
If I was buying, I would just check what the feet are like and have a feel down the legs for any heat or lumps and bumps. They are great horses and I would never have anything else!
 
TBs make good allround horses, although if you are looking for a horse with a budget, i will say that although a TB will be cheap to buy, the chances are you will spend a small fortune on feeding a TB and they usually need shoeing more regularly than your hardy native type.
They can also be quite flighty and neurotic about being left alone, etc.

This is just my experience of TBs, and i know you get very good ones and ones that are good doers, but if your looking for a cheaper option, in the long run you will save yourself some money buying a native cross or an irish horse that hold condition better and aren't so high maintenence.
 
if you are used to warmbloods then you will find a TB (ex-racer or not) forward going, intelligent, supple, willing, responive.......i can gon on! So long as the horse gets enough work you shouldnt get any of the problems that most people complain about with TB's and blame the breeding for.
If you want one thats easy to keep weight on (and most of them on good feed and haylage can, its not that hard) then keep an eye out for ones sired by 'beat all'. They tend to have a natural ability to put weight on while your back is turned! :D:D:D
 
My lovely TB has allowed me to reach my goal of BE Novice eventing and is a real gem. Her feet aren't fantastic, and she needs shoeing every 4 weeks and has gel pads when eventing in the summer - so that is a real expense. However, she is the most straightforward horse I have ever sat on. She's not overly spooky or sharp to ride, but I agree with the person who said they thrive on a routine - if something is amiss in her little world she can be very dramatic (like when I stupidly brought her companion pony in from the field before her - she jumped over the field gate)!
 
Thanks again for the replies! The livery package available to me includes feed, so while I would buy any supplements needed I would not have to buy in my own hay/haylage or feed. Shoeing problems might be an issue potentially but any horse can have foot issues. My old boy was an Irish Draught who went on to develop navicular and I recognised the signs in a livery horse at work who is now having to have remedial shoeing for the same condition. Horse hunting feels like a very big gamble at the moment!

It feels like a huge step but I honestly can't wait to have my own horse to look forward to seeing every day. With any luck I would be able to ride in my work hours, so riding 6 days a week would not be a big ask. I work at a reasonably busy dressage/livery yard (up to about 30 horses), there is always something going on and people around but it has a very nice atmosphere. I had previously been used to much smaller DIY yards (3 to 10 horses) when I had my old horse but I think it is nicer for the horses when they have more friends around and a more stimulating environment with a good routine.

I'm going to go through the horse ads once again and review my bookmarked ones. I have no idea what sort of horse I'll end up with but I'm feeling a lot more positive about it than I was. It's nice to think I can consider a TB rather than discounting all of them. Thanks again :)
 
I have 2 ex racers and they are both smashing boys, both different though! One keeps weight on a little too well and the other needed a boost after being a bit skinny when i bought him. They are a pleasure to own even when naughty, the 8yr old is a sweetie in every way and loves cuddles (can be a bit sharp hacking out but nothing major) and the 4yr old is like a boisterous boy who isn't so cuddly. yr old is ex NH (raced 3 times) and the 4yr old is ex flat and had one good season and one rubbish one!

I love seeing them turned out galloping round the field or paddock together with their tails up look like big foals, guaranteed to make you smile. They really seem to give back what you put in and will try anything once they trust you (4yr old will try anything anyway!). They are both intelligent and quick to learn. I never set out to by TB ex racers but I'm glad I did :D

happy hunting :)
 
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