What would you look for in an ex racehorse to event?

Ali16

Ali16

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OK - so assuming that my lovely little mare is sold soon (people coming to look at her tonight :() I would like to get another TB from one of the racing yards in my area.

I have retrained about 10 in my time so far, but never for myself.. always for clients. This time, it would be for ME :p ! Totally used to sharp horses (my best horse was dubbed 'The Naughtiest Horse in Holland' by his breeder!:eek:) so a bit of feistiness would not faze me.

I live and breathe eventing so would ideally like to have something that would event in the next year or two, so other than confirmation.. what would you look for? Any ideas/suggestions welcome! (Kitkat Chunky is all I have to offer atm...!)
 
My advice is go to Ascot for the sales - take no money just go and view as its fascinating. You will very quickly see a type you like - the way it looks, it moves, a certain type of athleticism that it will have and you can get them all trotted up, run hands over legs and ask questions.

You will learn more in 3 hours of doing this than in any other way as you will see them in the raw.

I am also fascinated by breeding there are some names that crop up time and time again in good eventers - Busted, Bold Ruler, High Top, Prince Chevalier, Derring Do, Fappiano.

I tend to avoid horses with a lot of Native Dancer as do not like the way they are built.
 
Thanks LEC - really helpful!:)

Will try to wrangle a day off to go to the sales.

I do ride out occasionally for a couple of trainers (mainly to get my speed fix if mine are on hols at the end of the season :p) so I have a rough idea of what I like to look at, but I have never thought about it in terms of it being MY horse before.. Tres excited!
 
Be warned the ones I normally think will make cracking eventers normally go for good prices as race horses. But it really gets your eye in quickly and then means if you see any at a trainers you have a really good idea of where it fits in the scale of things (rubbish to stunning).

It will also give you a very good idea of prices to pay as sometimes I think they are a bit expensive if not going through the sales ring.

I prefer NH bred over flat but I am 5'9 so probably has something to do with it.
 
If buying from a trainer then go and ride it- a good potential event prospect should be willing to go away from home on it's own, walk out with purpose and be a quick learner. I work a lot in walk just testing the response to flexions and seat aids. Have a feel of the trot and canter to check the length of natural stride and the balance- if horse has no concept of canter leads, quietly see if you can educate it to strike off correctly in a short space of time.

I always ask them what the horse is like up the gallops- how do they canter it? Do they do any road work? The girls will probably know the horse quite well and I've always found people to be very truthful!

Good luck, I like getting little ex-racer projects but it's taken me a few to get one which has more than average potential
 
I quite like them NH bred but not to have jumped - I find it easier to teach them to jump from scratch than re-educate the speed-freaks. If they've run in a couple of bumpers and then been chucked out due to being too slow then that's perfect!
 
Make sure its got the right attitude, and good feet.

I do prefer the NH type ones, however, dont discount the flat breds, providing they havent had to much hammer as a baby.

For example mine is reasonably well bred (and a mare so possible for potential brood mare resale if she turned out useless), has excellent feet (not had shoes on since November, saved me loads of pennies!) and has a lovely temperment. Not only that, but as she had been brought up properly (plenty of manners), and ridden a bit, she was more or less ready to go when I got her.

She shows potential over a fence, and seems to be quite brave. She may not make an eventer, only time will tell, but for a flat bred TB, shes not bad. Shes about 16hh, scrawny, and I am 5ft7 and dont look stupid on her
 
My now show horse ex racehorse evented when he first came out of racing and did okay up to novice - he was a flat racehorse, ran three seasons, won and placed. Has superb conformation and good paces so good for the dressage marks but turned out not to be brave enough into water, so my advice would be - see if it walks through water! As with him, if they have the conformation even if they don't make it eventually as an eventer, they can turn their hooves to something else.
 
I think you know when you see the right one, stick to instinct.

Do NOT however pick one with bad feet, if it has really flat feet, crumbly feet walk away.

I just look for something thats not built downhill, has good feet, no obvious conformation problems and that looks bold and willing. I decided on mine because he jumped a lunge whip laying in the sand when I went to try him. Probably seems silly to some but I thought if his first instinct is to jump if he spots something unusual under its feet then thats good enough for me!! He also moved nicely and held himself nicely, very active.

We choose my mums ones (current one and the last one) because they both had smashing conformation, moved like dressage horses and had genuine, sweet faces.

It sounds a bit awful really but none of ours look like TB's really :o, not the stereotypical sort. People always think mine is TBXWB and my mums new one could be a ISH type. We like them to look decent :o.

One of the senior vets at the LEH is always saying you can't beat a good TB as a competition/event horse, he see's allsorts, specialises in performance horses, and I have to say I agree with him :D.

Have fun looking and post lots of pics when you find the right one! :D
 
ditto firewell, its got to be uphill with good feet and a nicely set on neck, look for the traits that will help not hinder progress.

mine is by Daylami, and whilst plenty big and strong enough/enough bone, to event, has no interest in jumping, so maybe a line to avoid???(might just be him obv!), but does REALLY move.
 
Ditto what Gamebird says
NH bred every time. Preferably just done a few bumpers and been too slow.
Nothing that raced as a 2 year old (learnt that the hard way with my first ex racer :( - plagued by his joints from a relatively young age)
Feet - very important and avoid flat feet

Ditto LEC that the ones that take the eye to make cracking eventers are often out of price league but sometimes you get a nice surprise :)
 
DarkHorseB said:
Ditto what Gamebird says
NH bred every time. Preferably just done a few bumpers and been too slow.
Nothing that raced as a 2 year old (learnt that the hard way with my first ex racer :( - plagued by his joints from a relatively young age)
Feet - very important and avoid flat feet

Ditto LEC that the ones that take the eye to make cracking eventers are often out of price league but sometimes you get a nice surprise :)
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The best one I bought was a 4yo that ran 3 times on the flat and was far too slow. I got him straight over some poles and 3 weeks after his last track appearance he jumped clear round a 75cm at a local show. I sold him shortly after and he's now 5 and being reasonably successful at BE100. He was quite unusually laid back though.

Whether I buy a TB or a cob, attitude and temperament are my first priorities (heaven knows why I bought Fugly mind you ;)).
 
William Miklems article is rather unhelpful as a lot of TBs have the horses he mentions (Hyperion etc)! He does not delve down into the nitty gritty!

For me the PERFECT eventing stallion would be Presenting. His pedigree makes me weep with how wonderful it is just a shame he is so expensive as they are rather useful on a racecourse.

I would NEVER touch a Lauries Crusador horse as none of them can jump. He is a renowned jump killer but luckily you will not see them in racing.

Alflora's are looking pretty useful for eventing but check the conformation. Beneficial horses are others to keep an eye out for. I would not touch Double Triggers because of the temperament. All the Kayf Tara's I have seen have wonky legs.
 
LEC said:
Alflora's are looking pretty useful for eventing but check the conformation. Beneficial horses are others to keep an eye out for. I would not touch Double Triggers because of the temperament. All the Kayf Tara's I have seen have wonky legs.
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I'd definitely check out the breeding, because lots of them have similar characteristics. Following from this, I'm seeing more Alflora horses out and about (good, because Reg is!) but most of them are described as 'worriers'... All fine, but if you don't want one like that you have to know who to generally steer around!

But mostly how willing and polite they are in case you need to sell on again quickly, and how bold- so how willing are they to say yes because you say it's all ok...
 
Just as an aside, I love this horse (and am very tempted!) who is NH bred,
http://www.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/horses/2244609
He also looks the type of event horse, which is always useful when selling :) No idea if he jumps though :p

He looks nicely put together, cannons maybe on the long side & possibly tied in at shoulder but very hard to see, but good let down hocks and a kind eye :)
 
LEC said:
Alflora's are looking pretty useful for eventing but check the conformation. Beneficial horses are others to keep an eye out for. I would not touch Double Triggers because of the temperament. All the Kayf Tara's I have seen have wonky legs.
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Yeah the Double Trigger ones are quirky and sharp, I am riding one for someone at the moment, not for any other reason than the mare likes me, plenty better people have tried and failed, so I would also avoid them.
Just as a point of interest, Emerald had pretty good Flat bloodlines and was amazingly athletic over a fence, he had dreadful feet but we did keep him sound but his brain was his biggest issue. He always did well at dressage despite me handicapping him as he had lovely floaty expressive paces.
Alflora is a definite positive for me, but then I just like pretty horses! ;)
 
Oh, and Silver Patriarch? Useless on the racecourse, a bit dopey (I rode one who RAN OUT!!!!! in a bumper race!) but if you can work through that they're pretty decent at other jobs. There's one on a yard I ride at who's done 3 Novices and won 2 of them :eek:
 
Lolo said:
Do you have one as well? If you do, do they all have the same 'face' as the 3 I know of all have nigh on identical heads barring a tiny bit of white here and there...
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No, mine is by a stallion who was 24 when he was born, Aristocracy (Lord Gayle) his dam's breeding was better.
Alflora is just one of the sires that throw the sort of horse I like.
 
only_me said:
Just as an aside, I love this horse (and am very tempted!) who is NH bred,
http://www.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/horses/2244609
He also looks the type of event horse, which is always useful when selling :) No idea if he jumps though :p

He looks nicely put together, cannons maybe on the long side & possibly tied in at shoulder but very hard to see, but good let down hocks and a kind eye :)
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I loved Flagship Uberalles!
 
Mine is by Desert Prince. Went to race in Hong Kong as 2.5 yr old, didn't race due to injury. Came back to England(which I have heard is unusual for an unsuccessful horse) and did NT flat and a few hurdles (did moderately well). Most trainable horse I've had. I've taken my time, but he's short coupled, moves well, brilliant attitude and he wants to work. And he makes a brilliant shape over a fence! Which is probably why he was too slow racing. Having worked with several ex racers, I would say conformation, balance and good attitude to training are the most important things you need for a successful competitive career whether it be dressage or eventing or indeed anything else you would want a highly versatile TB to do!
 
For me it has to be temperament, temperament, temperament! I looked at two and couldn't decide between, I chatted to someone I have lots of lessons from and who has retrained loads and she said buy the one with the better temperament. Her reasoning was that if it didn't take to eventing it would be much easier to sell on for another job. However, by buying the better temperamented horse I have been priveledged to work with a horse who is a pleasure in everyway to retrain- he is simply the easiest horse to do EVERYTHING with. He qualified and went to BRC eventing champs this year and was a pleasure all weekend- so the advice I was given has been so benefical.

LEC I love the fact that you say Presenting as your sire of choice. My boy is by presenting and I think his eventing potential is going to be limited by my riding rather than his ability- he is the complete package so I would echo this if you can find one.

Best of luck!
 
i've crossed sovereign path line stallion who jumps, with northern dancer line and got size, bone, huge rear end, beautiful head and neck, but very clever, not yet ridden , but i would look for something like that if i was buying, with a very good walk, for me important, shows its going somewhere, as always good bone and feet, that faraway look of eagles, presence and here i come attitude, i would'nt be interested unless it looked the part, personality, personality, personality, i would not look at the pussycat type to resale if no good, i'd go for the best one i could afford that looked like it was going to do the business.
 
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