Tell me about ex racers...

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Ok so long story short, I have a friend who was looking for a confidence giver type, she's young and not ridden properly for a while since her first pony retired. She was a very good little rider before, galloping and jumping etc out hacking. but not confident. We began looking for something 15hh and chunky, a genuine safe hacker.
Long story short, a family friend has talked her dad in to having a 3yo tb who was bred at newmarket, but too chunky and slow to race. The horse is apparently a saint, but not ridden for a while. Now I will stress that I have lectured them for hours about how it's an insane idea and that someone could get seriously hurt, I am not getting on it when it arrives! The horse hasn't been ridden in a while, but apparently anyone can get on for a sit.

The girl needs something proven to be safe and sensible in all situations. I have tried my hardest to talk them out of it, the horse is coming to the yard where I am , so I have to make the best of it and make sure everyone is kept safe. I insisted they see recent ridden videos (it's coming unseen), if the horse is that genuine then they should be happy to hop on for a spin surely? but let's not let that detract from the fact it's a 3yo horse bred to race, being given to a girl with next to no knowledge of young or green horses.

What the **** am I going to do to make sure this doesn't go as badly as it should? I have a lot of experience with youngsters, but no experience with racers at all. Apparently the friend is close to the family and wouldn't send anything dangerous, but they don't seem to factor in that horses, especially young, hot blooded ones, are unpredictable.

*FACE-DESK*
 
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Cripes. How utterly stupid some people are, with their own children. There are some dopey TBs, but any young horse needs correct schooling and at least an awareness of their needs. This is when I think that maybe there should be some sort of licence before people can buy a horse!

What about the girl that was recently awarded £millions when riding someone else's ex racer, that didn't even seem to do much to unship the rider? Are the parents aware of this, or do they never read the papers?
 
my fairly nervy friend (teenager) has just got a 5yr old ex racer who is a saint, utterly laid back and nothing too bad has happened. She even galloped on the beach in storm ewan (?) with success. Maybe no one will end up in A&E???????
 
The young girl is pretty horrified. It's not quite what she had in mind, to say the least! I'm close to her and don't want her getting hurt so I have to do something. I know youngsters can be saints, I have had some brilliant 4 and 5yos, but they need schooling and he's never even hacked out . I will probably be looking after him anyway as I am around most of the time. I don't believe any 3yo (if he's even 3 yet) is going to be a bombproof saint for a child. There is a huge difference between that and a 5yo.

I have told them I am not getting on the horse, he's also 16hh+ and growing. You couldn't make it up.
 
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I'd stay well out of it. If you step in to help you could drag the situation on longer than it should last. Even if you help out, the girl could still have a serious injury on the horse. Even the quietest tb can still have a quick reaction and spin if spooked. If you help out you are enabling the situation.
 
Unfortunately I will have little choice as I'm the only one on the yard, and the girl hasn't got a clue really. She will be there with me, and I will have to help her.

I can't actually believe what I'm typing!
 
Ignoring the inexperience of the girl I would encouragingly say most of the racehorses around here are pretty bombproof by 3. They are out on the road daily and happily walk through the village. I've only seen one have a 'moment' and that was with the postmans trolley thing which is pretty legit as it squeaks.
Fingers crossed they'll grow together and it will all end happily ever after. At 10 I was taking a just 4 yo to pony club and by the time I was 16 (and still to this day- he's 21 now) I can ride him largely with telepathy we know each other so well) Hopefully they'll develop a similar relationship.
 
Llewellyn said:
Ignoring the inexperience of the girl I would encouragingly say most of the racehorses around here are pretty bombproof by 3. They are out on the road daily and happily walk through the village. I've only seen one have a 'moment' and that was with the postmans trolley thing which is pretty legit as it squeaks.
Fingers crossed they'll grow together and it will all end happily ever after. At 10 I was taking a just 4 yo to pony club and by the time I was 16 (and still to this day- he's 21 now) I can ride him largely with telepathy we know each other so well) Hopefully they'll develop a similar relationship.
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Agree that this is entirely possible. Have always ridden ex-racehorses and have sold a couple on as beginners horses because they were so slow and laid back (one we put someone's never-ridden-before husband on for a video and the horse lolloped round a 6acre field on a loose rein). Others i wouldn't let anyone on other than a competition rider because they were so reactive. If this horse is coming anyway, then please ignore its past and just treat it as any young 3yo. Yes it is absolutely daft that they are doing this, but if you boost the girl's confidence and make sure the horse has plenty of turn-out then there is no reason why the pair don't have a good chance of forming a bond. In my experience the 3yo's are better than some of the older TB's, as many of them seem to 'wake-up' when newly turned 5 and realise they are grown up.
 
What a tough situation for you HP.

You've pretty much described a horse on our ROR yard at the moment. He's 4, impeccable racing bloodlines but failed his barrier trials because he's too slow and chunky to successfully race. About 16.3 and still growing. No schooling, we're just starting to do that with him now. Beautiful horse, anyone who sees him just goes gaga for him (including me admittedly, I'd love to keep him). I'm sure that with the good education he'll get from us and a bit of maturing he'll be a very fine horse. But ye gods, he is in no way now a horse for an inexperienced kid, even if they have been a confident and reasonably skilled rider. And to get him anywhere near that point he's going to be exclusively in the hands of full time professionals.

If the horse is coming anyway there's not much you can do. You've said your piece and made it clear you won't be riding it. Worst case scenario, probably the best you can do is keep an eye out and only step in when the girl is in danger. At this point it sounds like the only thing that will change the minds of the parents is a close call or two with their daughter.

I feel awful just saying this, so I can only imagine how you must feel. You have my sympathies.
 
I tried another tactic, after speaking the girl again and listing everything that could go wrong, her dad rang a professional groom who explained the problems and I think he has listened. Phew! he's not changed his mind yet, but has considered other horses now.

Just spoken to the girl and she is very relieved. Just got to hope he has listened, I think non horsey people think a horse is a horse, and anything will do. Fingers crossed anyway that the message sunk in
 
The other thing is that if the girl is already doubting it all the horse isn't going to take any confidence off her as a rider so it's even less likely to work.
So many lovely horses round she could have fun with. Really hope they listen op!
 
Give him a copy of press reports of the recent case where a TB bought by a novice paralysed a young girl in a fall. The novice owner ordered to pay €5 m. That should sober him up. It's a crazy idea for a girl looking for a confidence giver. Ex racers are definitely for those who can ride well.
 
I am experienced with racehorses in and out of training and I have one that is saintly...however, my much less experienced OH had a fall from him which was down to a simple miscommunication between them and ended up in hospital for 5 weeks and nearly dying. I love ex racehorses with a passion, but wouldn't recommend them for a novice.
 
It's one thing to get a tb from a family type home who has been happily doing the job you want him for it's completely another to get a young untried one who could mature to be anything I so glad they are thinking again .
 
Blinking heck! Is this something that appeals to the dad because the horse is free/cheap? If so, would exposing him to the costs of getting a suitable professional in to help the girl train the horse, and the cost of caring for and exercising it if/when she is injured something that might help him see sense? Or is his assumption that you will be doing all this for free?
 
So far it seems the horse is still coming , I have insisted on videos of him being ridden first. I am happy to help, but am strongly against it . Micropony, yes sort of, they want the girl to prove she is dedicated before purchasing one that is pricey... I think the horse would be coming on a loan type agreement to begin with. I think it is assumed I will do it , I look after their elderly pony already and do not mind at all, I am happy to help! But my help involves telling them when something is an insane idea and bloody dangerous.

The horse may be a saint to walk in a field, my late horse was too. The girl could have walked him round the yard all day long, but if she asked him to trot on grass she would have been airlifted to hospital in about 10 mins. Turnbuckle I will pm you. I have highlighted the costs of keeping and training him, but he isn't horsey so doesn't really understand.

I can only hope it doesn't come off for some reason, but after speaking to them today, it still seems to be going ahead.
 
Is it too much to hope that that she falls off in the first few days, and breaks something easy to fix
like a mid radius or collar bone with a non displaced fracture, and puts an end to this madness?

Poor child with an idiot for a father.

Hoofprints, what a terrible situation you are being put in. This ticks about ten 'never in a million years' boxes, doesn't it?


PS I've had several dope-on-a-rope ex racers. One was a saint until her feet hit grass when she was insane. One was a saint until put in a group situation when she had an amazing 180 degree feet-don't-touch-the floor-spin. One was perfect. But I would never, ever, have put a child on any one of them.
 
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I would hate for her to get hurt as it's not her fault, I doubt she will even get on him to be honest. She isn't very confident and he looks a big 16hh from the photos.

Oh I know, I said to him "It's everything you don't do! with knobs on" . I've seen them before, my friend has one who is only 15.2 and was too slow for the track, it backflipped out hunting and lay down in the floor when we set off. This horse was a kick along in the school :(

The best scenario is that he decides against it, but I am fully expecting him to turn up next week. I bought a 3yo who was from a family home and a dope, but when he first arrived it was like flying a pony shaped kite- he was just acting like a youngster in a new place! I had to sit a few bucks and then he was back to being a sweetheart. And that is a bombproof type with a faultless history of being a novice child's ride (which he is)

Anyone can say their horse is great until they're blue in the face, you don't just believe it and ignore the red flags hitting you in the face.
 
At least the girl sounds sensible enough not to get on him, confidence or no confidence. I feel for her too. How can she prove to this idiot dad she's dedicated when she's smart enough not to ride this horse?
 
I think it's great that you are willing to help the girl, however would the father still be considering such madness if you told him point blank that you were having nothing to do with it? Surely even he must see that they couldn't do it on their own.

To be honest, this is not a situation that I would comfortable being involved in at any level. The Dad sounds like he values a bargain over this daughters well being.
 
Sounds like the father is as much a problem as whatever horse they buy.... My ex had a cob and me an exracer, his novice son went on the ex racer as I never trusted the cob to look after him out hacking. It as ever all depends on the horse and exracers are generally bombproof out hacking as that what they know. You won't know till the horse arrives, maybe its better the daughter has some lessons elsewhere to get her confidence up - any horse will spot a nervous person and it sounds like he wouldnt pay the money for a confidence giver in any shape?
 
My novice friend's ex racer (17hh and chunky)was too slow to race and in 2 pf his 5 races refused to leave the start. He's the quietest horse on the yard and another livery's novice husband is learning to ride on him. However, he was 12 and we knew ALL about him when she bought him as he came from an acquaintance.

I would gently encourage the daughter to stand up to her dad and tell him she doesn't want this horse and will be scared of him. He's not listening to you, maybe he'll listen to her.
 
I know she's on your yard, and you want to help. but i honestly wouldn't be getting involved, the dad sounds awful. And he sounds like the type that if something DID go wrong you could get landed in trouble. Even something simple like 'she said she had lunged the horse before my daughter rode, but then it bucked my daughter off, we thought it should be safe after lunging". All i would see in this situation is red flags.
 
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