Tips for retraining the ex-racehorse

Always-Riding

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After a long time of uming and ahing over whether to get an ex-racehorse a good friend was told of an lovely little mare who is looking for a home as her owner cannot afford to keep her racehorses anymore due to medical issues.

I had thought of getting one who had started some sort of retraining but apparently this mare is so straight forward the trainers daughter hacks her out alone.

Shell be going to a friend to "assess" first but if all goes well and she is as straight forward as they are saying she'll be coming to me.

So what are you tips?
 

Firewell

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Awww she sounds a poppet!
With ours we treated them like babies (which some were but my mums were older 8-9). With my mare she liked hacking (had never been in a school) so I started with short hacks in company, taught her all her schooling out hacking. Started lunge work and in hand work in the school, it took her a while to learn to lunge properly. Then progeessed to ridden work in the school doing the things she learnt out hacking. 15 mins of proper work was enough for her at first. Then once she could canter nicely and balanced, poles, then jumping. She did her first show after 6 months and was good as gold. She was a sensitive little thing.

My mums 8yr old G had been turned away after racing for 3 months before we got him and was hairy and unfit. We started with in hand work in the school and then short hacks and schooling sessions with lots of breaks and days off in between mostly at walk/some trot and built up slowly over several months. He did his first BD after 6 months, was an angel and came 2nd :).

My boy was weak but easy. He was a 4yr old and I treated him like any 4yr old. He had to learn how to stand to be mounted but with someone helping that only took 2 week's. Again short, sweet sessions, little hacks. Building up slowly. If I thought he had done something very well he would then get 2 days off for his muscles to grow and for the lesson to sink in. He did his first BD 3 months later but he was particularly easy, he was so well behaved.

My mums current racer was more tricky, he was 9. A nervous, sensitive type who needed more unravelling. Worth it though :D. Took him a year before he was ready to compete. Again same formula as the others, he's good out hacking so did lots of that. Could be spooky in the school so took that slowly so as not to put too much pressure on him. Ask him something new and then back off. Never pushed a point just came back to it another day.
He would get nervous travelling so my mum took him out in the lorry after 6 months for weekly lessons which helped him no end to realise he wasn't racing. First proper show he was a bit excited and nervous but he settled once he got going and then won! He then won 7 more rosettes in 3 shows winning 2 other classes and a second (showing and dressage). My mums had him over 18 months now and he's lovely, worth the effort, rosette machine. The judges love him and he's much calmer and happier in himself.

Routine helps them as they are used to that. Not too much high energy food goes without saying. Ours have always liked a varied life doing different bits and bobs so they don't get bored. All have loved hacking. Just common sense really and if they do have a flighty day for whatever reason just stay calm and not worry. Ours have all been 'good' horses who try to look after us best they can. TB's are a thinking persons horse imo. If you are sensible and use your head they are easy.
Ours have given myself and my mum fun, confidence and immense happiness. They are so rewarding as they are so clever and desperate to please. Enjoy!
 

maxine1985

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Awww she sounds a poppet!
With ours we treated them like babies (which some were but my mums were older 8-9). With my mare she liked hacking (had never been in a school) so I started with short hacks in company, taught her all her schooling out hacking. Started lunge work and in hand work in the school, it took her a while to learn to lunge properly. Then progeessed to ridden work in the school doing the things she learnt out hacking. 15 mins of proper work was enough for her at first. Then once she could canter nicely and balanced, poles, then jumping. She did her first show after 6 months and was good as gold. She was a sensitive little thing.

My mums 8yr old G had been turned away after racing for 3 months before we got him and was hairy and unfit. We started with in hand work in the school and then short hacks and schooling sessions with lots of breaks and days off in between mostly at walk/some trot and built up slowly over several months. He did his first BD after 6 months, was an angel and came 2nd :).

My boy was weak but easy. He was a 4yr old and I treated him like any 4yr old. He had to learn how to stand to be mounted but with someone helping that only took 2 week's. Again short, sweet sessions, little hacks. Building up slowly. If I thought he had done something very well he would then get 2 days off for his muscles to grow and for the lesson to sink in. He did his first BD 3 months later but he was particularly easy, he was so well behaved.

My mums current racer was more tricky, he was 9. A nervous, sensitive type who needed more unravelling. Worth it though :D. Took him a year before he was ready to compete. Again same formula as the others, he's good out hacking so did lots of that. Could be spooky in the school so took that slowly so as not to put too much pressure on him. Ask him something new and then back off. Never pushed a point just came back to it another day.
He would get nervous travelling so my mum took him out in the lorry after 6 months for weekly lessons which helped him no end to realise he wasn't racing. First proper show he was a bit excited and nervous but he settled once he got going and then won! He then won 7 more rosettes in 3 shows winning 2 other classes and a second (showing and dressage). My mums had him over 18 months now and he's lovely, worth the effort, rosette machine. The judges love him and he's much calmer and happier in himself.

Routine helps them as they are used to that. Not too much high energy food goes without saying. Ours have always liked a varied life doing different bits and bobs so they don't get bored. All have loved hacking. Just common sense really and if they do have a flighty day for whatever reason just stay calm and not worry. Ours have all been 'good' horses who try to look after us best they can. TB's are a thinking persons horse imo. If you are sensible and use your head they are easy.
Ours have given myself and my mum fun, confidence and immense happiness. They are so rewarding as they are so clever and desperate to please. Enjoy!

Exactly this, good luck she's sounds lovely :)
 

khalswitz

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A really good source of advice and mythbusting re:racers is www.ror.org.uk . I read up all their info prior to starting my ex-racehorse, and that combined with my breaking experience I just trained mine like a baby but with some additional sympathies... Best of luck!
 

Tnavas

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In NZ the majority of our riding horses are ex racehorses - we treat them like any other horse which is all they are.

If they are stressed then turn them out for a couple of months while reducing their feed right down.

We have them coming off the track and within 6 weeks will be out doing small shows and the like.

One thing I've found is that many react when they hear a loud speaker and want to become racehorses again.

Getting them out and about to low key stuff, keeping them occupied and focused helps a great deal.

Forget they are TB's - they are just horses!
 

NaeNae87

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One thing I've found is that many react when they hear a loud speaker and want to become racehorses again.
Haha this!!!! Although I managed to work around that. I just put my ottb in a yard at a show that he wasn't competing at close-ish to a loud speaker. He went to the show to experience the atmosphere and realise shows aren't racetracks, so I introduced him to as many scary things as I could think of... :) For the first hour or so he got worked up and then as the day went on, he chilled out a heap. Stuffing his face may have helped. He is so good now, the speaker doesn't worry him.
 

Always-Riding

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Thanks. So far the mare is doing really well with my friend who is assessing her. Hopefully she'll be with me next week.
 

lazysunday

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Can only but agree with Firewall.

Had a few ex racers and all been very straightforward and quick to learn, just be wary of mounting from the ground initially!!

Good luck, and keep us posted.
 

Billabongchick

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Ours has been a doddle; she flat raced til 3 then spent a year with a mate who let her wind down then did polo sets with her (leading from another horse) then hacking and polo schooling and then eventually a small amount of normal schooling/jumping to prepare for sale at 4 1/2 which is when we got her. From what mate says she was never really an issue just needed reassurance sometimes and is very laid back generally so we are lucky.

She was fidgety to get on at first (mate had her as one of lots on a large yard so she probably didn't get much time to deal with issues like that on one to one basis) but with a bit of patience and consistently bringing her back to mounting block it only took a few weeks to get her to stand and now I can get on anywhere and she will stand still (dropped whip out hacking trying to do a gate yesterday and was no problem getting on again!)

In the first week I had her she got a bit excited when having a canter with 2 other horses across a large-ish field and took off a bit but I was able to turn and stop her fairly easily and I have never had an issue since and we do lots of fast canters in small groups. I ride her on a very loose contact and don't hang on to her mouth at all. Just sitting up will bring her back down to a trot. She is in a loose ring French link.

It seems the key is to give them time to wind down and then once you are working towards actually progressing then taking it slowly and calmly and not rushing anything too much. Also giving them a good routine and a 'job' to do with regular work to keep them occupied. Am no expert though; just what we have experienced!
 
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