Who has an ex racer?

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Stenners

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Out of interest who as an ex racer here and what are they like? Would love to see photos!

I'm potentially on the lookout for my next one - having had a tricky one before hoping to find a more chilled out person this time!

I'm not expecting them to be easy but have a friend who literally has the most chilled out boy in all situations!
 
I've owned two over the years, and reschooled/competed dozens of others (back in the US, not here in the UK). My first horse ever was a nine year old Thoroughbred mare, who had been off the track a few years (13 starts) and reschooled as a hunter and school horse. She was quiet, generous, and would quite literally do everything for you. She was a wonderful first horse. My last was a gelding I bought off the backside of a small track as a seven year old with 52 starts. I had him over four years and he was an excellent all around athlete, excelling in dressage, show jumping, hacking, and even some XC (we didn't formally event). He was also the most rational animal I've ever met, a complete professional. He really became the love of my life, and when I lost him a couple years ago, it broke me. Photos/videos of him in the articles below:
www.chronofhorse.com/article/amateurs-like-us-my-summer-with-giants
www.chronofhorse.com/article/amateurs-like-us-collateral-beauty

My personal opinion is that if you get the right TB, they're impossible to beat in terms of heart, work ethic, intelligence, and athleticism. The trick is to find the "right" one for you. A long career at the track usually makes a very sensible all-around animal, who has just about seen it all. It seems like some potential buyers shy away from the older racehorses, fearing injury or thinking they might be completely brain-fried after years on the track. It's been my experience that the "war horses" (30+ starts) usually are the most sensible TBs around because of their experience, and usually transition easier to new careers.

That said, those are generalizations. Thoroughbreds are usually still sensitive animals. I wouldn't classify any of mine as hot/sharp, to include my current TB, Sig, who never raced and by all accounts is very quiet. However, a bad decision on the rider's part or a bad pairing with the wrong type of rider could certainly make them very sharp and upset. While that's true for all horses, I think it's especially true for TBs who usually require a more tactful ride, because that line between happy/quiet and sharp/upset is typically thinner than with other horses.

If you're seriously looking again I'd recommend looking for one that's been off the track for awhile and reschooled in a new discipline already, so you don't have to deal with all the recently-off-the-track faff and can get a better feel for their personality and how you two will fit. Good luck!
 
I've just bought one. Hes brilliant! Really lovely person, sane and sensible to ride and has really good paces and a big jump. Hes an ex flat horse who ran 12 times up till coming 5, hes now 6. Terrible racehorse as he just couldnt be bothered, which shows in his laid back personality. Hes big and very chunky for a flat horse. nearly 16.1hh and wide saddle fit. I wouldnt have bnought him if he'd been one of the little spindly types!

In an ideal world I would have bought myself a nice eventing school master, but in the current market there was no chance! Its all worked out well anyway as I am thrilled with him.
 
I have a 25 year old mare. She’s retired now. She probably wasn't one of those amazing honest types. In fact she could be an arse but a gallop along the beach was like flying. Unfortunately I wanted to hack and she didn’t care for it much so never fulfilled her potential. But I love her and felt like I was riding a HOYS show horse when I was on her. (She is a giraffe necked gangly tb ?) I want another someday!

edit- I should say she had raced for several years I think and had clearly seen so much she wasn’t fazed by vet/farrier etc or any traffic, even an enormous artic lorry and never did anything stupid if she did have a spook at a goat or something else as scary ?
 
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I’m new to owning a ex Tb normally a cob girl. i had mine straight of the track, people laughed at me, thought I was Crazy.
best thing I did, so far all is perfect, started hacking no issues in company or alone, very much a kick a long sort. Schools ok, no drama. Holds weight well without having to ££ for hard feed.
most have seen the world, travels, have been handled/shoed etc.. so basics all in place.
it is like every breed you get a mix of personalities, most will have some kind of knock or blemish, it’s just finding one you think will click with.
 
I have one :) She's 21 now; bought her as a 'happy hacker/ companion' when she was 16 (she'd been reschooled as a dressage horse in previous home, but owner wanted a younger model and couldn't afford two horses).

Bought her for peanuts pretty much from the field which was a HUGE risk, but I just had a good feeling about her.

She's got a beautiful, soft, affectionate nature. She's bold and confident out hacking (as long as she's with company), and she's a delight to do in all ways :) She has a massive appetite so it's not tricky to keep weight on her and she doesn't like or need loads of heavy rugs in winter. She's also barefoot and just has hoof boots for hacking.

I believe she'd had a successful racing career, was retired and used as a broodmare for 3 foals before being re-homed.
 
Have my boy for ten years now 13 he have had our moments some serious ups and down but I would never part with him.

we have done everything xc, sj, fun rides, dressage different types of camps. Love the very bones of him but for us it has been a hard path.
 

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Had my current ex NH/pointer coming up 4 years. I've done most things on him. He is a real character. Love him to bits. He was retired from racing around 9 and spent around a year doing other stuff before I bought him from his trainer. I've had 2 previously but unfortunately one was pts and I removed one as I just couldn't get it to work out . Thus boy is with me for life.
 

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I'm on my second! Mine is the sweetest, easiest and most willing little horse I have ever had. The best hack in the world, an absolute saint in any traffic, cantering with others/alone/in open spaces and in general is just the easiest horse to deal with both on the ground and ridden. She is 5 and I bought her straight from the trainer early last year. She's no world beater but worth her weight in gold for her temperament.

Absolutely love her and wouldn't change her for the world, however is the most expensive walking vet bill known to man. Hugely sensitive/thin skinned, every tiny scratch ends up being a vet visit with ABs, EVERYTHING rubs her and is the most typical TB when it comes to financial costs of feeding and vet bills!e.jpge1.jpg
 
Skips11 said:
I'm on my second! Mine is the sweetest, easiest and most willing little horse I have ever had. The best hack in the world, an absolute saint in any traffic, cantering with others/alone/in open spaces and in general is just the easiest horse to deal with both on the ground and ridden. She is 5 and I bought her straight from the trainer early last year. She's no world beater but worth her weight in gold for her temperament.

Absolutely love her and wouldn't change her for the world, however is the most expensive walking vet bill known to man. Hugely sensitive/thin skinned, every tiny scratch ends up being a vet visit with ABs, EVERYTHING rubs her and is the most typical TB when it comes to financial costs of feeding and vet bills!View attachment 77071View attachment 77072
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I love that you have pictures of her racing! I would love some of my mare but had no luck searching online and having raced in the late nineties it’s probably unlikely to find any. Your girl is stunning. ?
 
Peglo said:
I love that you have pictures of her racing! I would love some of my mare but had no luck searching online and having raced in the late nineties it’s probably unlikely to find any. Your girl is stunning. ?
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Thank you, she is a pretty little thing :)

I spent a very long time trying to find any photos (maybe too long :D)

Easiest way I found was to go on her racing record, look at the racecourse website to see who their photographers were and then search photographers back catalogues on the dates of the races. On racing post you can also see what time the races were which is helpful. You'd be surprised how far they go back, and if you know they were there on the day, you can email them to see if they still have the photos. A lot of racecourses also have quite old photo albums on their websites or Facebook pages :)

I also used this website to watch videos of her races (might be a bit obsessed), so if you find the dates, times and names of the races you can search them on here for free! This is one of hers: https://www.racingtv.com/videos/wat...227019-www-countysligoraces-com-handicap-d-ii
 
Skips11 said:
Thank you, she is a pretty little thing :)

I spent a very long time trying to find any photos (maybe too long :D)

Easiest way I found was to go on her racing record, look at the racecourse website to see who their photographers were and then search photographers back catalogues on the dates of the races. On racing post you can also see what time the races were which is helpful. You'd be surprised how far they go back, and if you know they were there on the day, you can email them to see if they still have the photos. A lot of racecourses also have quite old photo albums on their websites or Facebook pages :)

I also used this website to watch videos of her races (might be a bit obsessed), so if you find the dates, times and names of the races you can search them on here for free! This is one of hers: https://www.racingtv.com/videos/wat...227019-www-countysligoraces-com-handicap-d-ii
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Wow! I didn't know you could search footage of old races! Going to see if I can find any of my mare's :) Thanks!
 
Me - I lost a wonderful horse unexpectedly and needed to fill the massive gap she left. Mine was a hurdler and did 1 P2P but had no heart left so the owner was looking to loan him out.

He's no slouch but very kind and so intelligent. 2 years in, we have an understanding and I love him to the moon and back.BB2.jpgBH hurdling.jpg
 
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Beautiful.... and completely useless! made a promising start but is now a write off. he has a lovely time in the field :rolleyes::p

214402026_4484837124861096_7045108479721020631_n.jpg
 
Love ex-racers. Mine was supposed to race but....well...he decided he liked doing nothing instead. He was so awful that they didn't even bother to lip tattoo him let alone race him. His sire on the other hand won a good $500K in his racing career ?? mine was so chilled that as a 3 year old, I took him to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto to show him in hand in the TB class and with hackneys, percherons, kids running and screaming everywhere, international show jumpers, etc. all around, my boy fell asleep (granted he probably didn't sleep well the night before).

The lady that I got my guy from worked at the track - thoroughbreds in the summer and standardbreds over the winter. We used to pick them up from the track and rehome them. We got some beauties through and a few times nearly traded mine. TBs are everywhere back home and never wanted one after having ridden so many but actually, would get another one - yes they have their issues but so much more mature than a lot of the warmbloods that I see. Am starting to lose hope about mine ever coming sound consistently enough and starting to look for another (nothing serious - just browsing).

PS if anyone knows where to find one here, LMK. Not looking immediately but have started browsing (nothing serious - a bit like house hunting where you have no intention to buy at this moment and now is not the right time, but want to start getting feelers out). Have found the British Thoroughbred Agency but no idea where to really even start
 
lynz88 said:
PS if anyone knows where to find one here, LMK. Not looking immediately but have started browsing (nothing serious - a bit like house hunting where you have no intention to buy at this moment and now is not the right time, but want to start getting feelers out). Have found the British Thoroughbred Agency but no idea where to really even start
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Depends on whether you're looking for something already retrained or not, but the ROR's website is really good, and there's quite a few direct from trainers on preloved if you search tb or weatherby's
 
piebaldproblems said:
Depends on whether you're looking for something already retrained or not, but the ROR's website is really good, and there's quite a few direct from trainers on preloved if you search tb or weatherby's
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Thank you!! I'm on the fence if I want to start myself which I have done or if I want something already restarted. Both have pros and cons
 
I am on the fence about buying an ex-racehorse too at the moment. Given the current market, they seem to be some of the most sensibly priced horses around without putting too finer point on it.

When you look at the ROR social media pages you realise how dynamic these horses are. They really can turn their feet to anything :). I am personally into showing which is why I am leaning this way as there are a few options for these horses from the ROR specific classes to hack.

My first horse coming off ponies about 11 years ago was an ex-chaser with many starts, and I'll never forget what a pro she was in any situation - I think you might be pleasantly surprised as although these horses can be very 'onward bound', they are often unflappable. I think sadly, ex-racehorses are often over-looked now warmbloods take the centre stage (and after spending years producing a warmblood from the ground up - there were times I wished I had something less fruity and complicated).

Good luck!
 
The chilled out ones are rare most of them didn’t go into racing so where trained differently . if you’re looking for a more chilled out horse than I would recommend a mixed breed Irish sport horse are brilliant. Full Tb aren’t for everyone.
 
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