Went to view a ex-racer with a friend....

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Horsey_Gal

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Went with a close friend to view a horse which she's looking to buy. It's 16.2hh black tb mare, 4yo, has been raced, has been lunged and ridden at present home. The current owners have been completely honest with my friend as she has the horse's best interests at heart and we could tell she absolutely adores this mare! The reason she's selling this horse, they bought it cheap at the sales near where the mare is stabled with the idea for her daughter to bring on (the daughter is yard manager on a livery yard so i'm guessing she knows her stuff!) the daughter spent time lunging the horse and getting to know it first of all, she then decided to start with the ridden work. The horse has been ridden several times but on 2 occasions, it has bolted when the daughter is getting on. The saddle used is a saddle that is used on her other horse.
Is this a common problem within ex-racers? could it be the saddle doesn't fit properly? would she need it professionally schooled? My friend's last horse was an ex-racer but knew it's stuff a little bit more.
 
when they say 'bolted' do they mean literally galloped off? It's common for an ex racer to be 'quick off the mark' when mounted but I would be worried about it bolting!

The saddle could be causing discomfort but would have to be really really badly fitting to cuase that (I would have thought)

My first thought is that she's very cold backed?
 
Racers aren't used to being mounted from the ground, their riders usually get leg-ups so this might be the problem.

Irish horses can be similar as their riders vault on at the shoulder - I remember my friends Irish youngster having similar issues. I think she had to use a tall mounting block for many many months or have a leg up.
 
Daughter mounted from the mounting block. I gather it just bolted off when she had 1 foot in, and she fell off, hit the wooden fencing around the menage and is off work for 6-8 weeks! what is cold backing exactly? I have heared of it.
 
I agree could be cold backed,
but try another saddle first if you dont think the one there using is helping!
 
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Daughter mounted from the mounting block.

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Blimey, does your friend know you're her mother?
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Agree re the irish horse thing, mine still freaks if you have a leg up and that is 2.5yrs later, and took me ages to teach him how "proper" horses are got on!!
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Pleased someone else has experienced this too!!
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Re OP, sounds like the horse is a big skittish, I have known several horses like this, and it has stemmed from them having discomfort/misunderstanding of what is happening. In this case, if the horse was physically fine (vet checked) I would go through the route of efectively rebacking, so starting with leaning over /long reining and regaining trust. Sounds like she has been hurried a bit and has never realised being mounted isnt a stressful occasion
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funny i just spoke to some one today about a friend and friends sister they have taken on x racers , one is very cold backed and takes time but shes getting there , she rides her in a treeless saddle aswell now check back out , this is not common for them to bolt when getting on
there is a problem here me thinks
 
personally I wouldnt touch it with a barge pole! if daughter is YO then reasonably experienced I would have thought. Could be cold backed but some ex racers can just be hacked off at being ridden again having had a break!

Could turn it away for 6-12 months and start again, always a good thing for ex racer....

Sounds odd that it is bolting off, we had ex pointer, he didnt bugger off and ex racers in the past have not either...

Its either major pain, but more than likely attitude, some of these ex racers do not cope well under pressure of any kind, ie new environment, they almost need time to go and be a horse in a field then come back and learn something new.

How long since its last race??
 
Sometimes getting on from a mounting block by putting your foot in the stirrup still upsets the horse. Try a taller block when you can put your leg over and sit across, then take up the stirrups. I'd still have someone holding the head end though as you've then only got a split second to get your feet in the pedals.

In some ways in this situation it's safer not to have your feet in the stirrups then having them in. I think.... having been in a similar situation with one of mine. Had some of my worst injuries falling off horsey that I hadn't really even got on, just foot in the stirrup and leg half way over. Things improved when I plopped on from above, though that was balancing on the 4th rail of a gate which wasn't really sensible either!!
 
Not really connected but it is hilarious-go and view horses 99% of the male riders will just hop on no matter what the size, then we mere mortals have to grab a mounting block!
 
My horse proper bolts when mounted and panicks til you come off again. We thought she was unridable but I was advised to mounted on concrete in an enclosed area of yard. Do this now and ride her into the school - have a lovely schooling session. Not saying it would work for everything but apparently it does for alot with mounting issues. Still can't get on my horse in a school though!
 
Initial thoughts...
Has this horse had it's back and teeth checked recently?
May sound obvious but, does the saddle fit this horse well?

With regard to being cold backed, this is a link to a very helpful article http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/34845.html
I have worked with, and ridden plenty of racers and ex-racers and have never come across this problem of 'bolting' as in galloping off at full tilt when being mounted, I could understand the horse moving off as it is being mounted though - as already said by others racehorses are nearly always mounted by a leg up, often while the horse is walking forwards. An exracer will often need to be carefully trained to be mounted from a block which can take much time and patience.
I personally wouldn't discount his horse on this basis alone aof what you have been told without knowing more about the circumstances and it's physical state.
Your friend may find this forum very helpful for specific exracer advice http://z3.invisionfree.com/Horsedirector...4aa&act=idx
All the best!
 
One of mine is cold backed, but they both stand by a mounting block (they have to!!) I did start by getting people to hold them and be legged on, then once they were ok about being legged on for a few days we would just stand by the block and hop on. I do try to be a quick as possible, but that said both of my exracers will stand happily next to anything for me to get on. I would be a bit concerned about the bolting too.
 
There is no such thing as cold backed - it is as a direct response to pain or as a direct response to remembered pain. A lot of racehorses - flat in particular are ridden in half tree pads which dig in to the spine right under the jockey. This can be extremely painful. also as a racer it would be used to a jockey being legger up and then move off as they were being legged up. My own ex racer is fine at home now - but when he gets into stressful situations he will set off in canter as I get on - we have solved this by aiming him at the back of the lorry while I get on. he has nowhere to go. I have come off several times but now we have it sorted.

I would not be too worried about the issue - I would however want it's back checked by someone I trust and make the decision from there
 

Maybe the transition from groundwork to ridden was too sudden. I work have physical problems ruled out - check back and saddle etc.

Then I would go back to the groundwork, preparing the horse mentally to be relaxed and enjoy being ridden before attempting to get on again. As I always preach, (sorry to anyone who's getting sick of listening to me) if the horse's problem lies in the head - fix it from the ground and THEN get on and the problem has usually ceased to exist! The get on and sort it out attitude is not my way.
I don't mean this to sound snotty, but anyone can own a livery yard
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Your friend should view this as a challenge, (maybe subject to a vet check)
Is your friend capable of re-schooling a racehorse?
Send the mare my way if not!
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I agree with HIPP.... I have a cold backed ex racer (and I mean very cold backed to the point this mare turns itself inside out to get you off) but she does not bolt.... most cold backed horses, rear, buck or virtually sit down!
 
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There is no such thing as cold backed

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Tell that to my mare, who has had scans, x rays, back people, massage people etc...

However would love to see you aim her at the back of your lorry, cos by the fifth buck, you'd be embedded in the ramp!!!
 
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Racers aren't used to being mounted from the ground, their riders usually get leg-ups so this might be the problem.

Irish horses can be similar as their riders vault on at the shoulder - I remember my friends Irish youngster having similar issues. I think she had to use a tall mounting block for many many months or have a leg up.

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LOL Not all irish riders - I couldn't vault onto a shetland!!!
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[ QUOTE ]
Racers aren't used to being mounted from the ground, their riders usually get leg-ups so this might be the problem.

Irish horses can be similar as their riders vault on at the shoulder - I remember my friends Irish youngster having similar issues. I think she had to use a tall mounting block for many many months or have a leg up.

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Absolutely agree with this! Most racers aren't even asked to stand still for mounting; the lad will just be chucked on as the horse is led by!
 
As others have said, it could be an ex-racer thing. Some of them are extremely difficult to mount from the ground/mouting block. A year later and Ronnie's still not 100% with mounting block - I climb onto it and he reverses away. It could be a lot of things unfortunately.
 
I keep my horse at a racing yard, and have owned 2 exracers. I wouldn't say that 'bolting off' when being mounted from a mounting block was a 'normal' reaction for a race horse.

As has been said above, a few won't stand still when you're mounting and will walk straight off the second they feel you're coming down into the saddle. But "bolting off" sounds a very extreme reaction and probably related to fear / pain.

If you really love the mare - there are specialist trainers who rehabilitate exracers - have a look on www.ror.org for a list as maybe she needs some expert help? I would be wary of taking on this project without help and support.

Have you got the horse's racing name? You could ring her last trainer and ask them whether they know anything about the problem? You can look her up on the Racing Post website very easily.
 
All race horses should be turned out for 4-8 months before they make the transition, and then work back up slowly! With this horse I would ride it in the stable first, and then venture out from there.
 
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