Would you buy an ex-racer off the track?

Personally no, I simply would not be up to the job. But many are passed on absolutely free to a good home. And I have been offered two in the last year.
 
No, would never pay, but have a yard full of donations who are fantastic.

If you pay, they saw you coming!!!!!!!
 
friend of mine paid £600 for a rising 4 yr old mare last November. Straight off racing owner. Raced 8 times,never done anything else! I remember thinking at the time,'what a bargain!'.

Now,I'm not so sure!! The mare is HARD work. Gets mud fever,weatherbeat,cracked feet, horrendous to keep weight on,gets horrendous separation anxiety. My friend has not ridden her yet,I believe she's too scared too.She's very sweet natured!

I wouldn't give a fiver for it personally....am I being harsh??
 
They *can* be retrained for anything - I knew a couple who did RDA. So, it would depend entirely on my level of expertise (wouldn't be great enough currently.)
 
Yes but you need to know what your looking for, what the horse has done (race history... which gives a lot away!) past injuries, what sort of races it ran, its age, who trained it, breeding, who you buy them from etc

As for price, anything from free to thousands.
 
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They *can* be retrained for anything - I knew a couple who did RDA. So, it would depend entirely on my level of expertise (wouldn't be great enough currently.)

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We have a few on my yard - they are without exception fantastic horses who have turned their hands to all sorts of things.
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Yes- but only if my dad came with me. We have had a lot of ex-racers, and they have all come straight off the track.
All but one have been truly lovely, but she was a bit mad!
All trained to play polo and hunt. They all jumped without training- very giving and honest horses we found!
But, you REALLY need to know what you are looking for in them!
Price- not over 3k... partly because the amount of effort that has to go into them.
 
I would but not alot - 600-1000max - but if your in right place at time you'll be able to pick up them free. But don't get blinded by that word 'FREE'....... as could mean expensive to keep.
 
Maybe, I have ridden a few ex-racer that have been great but I don't think I have the expertise to start one that is straight off the track, and my husband hates TBs!

But I did used to share an ex-racer, she hadn't had any re-training prior to coming to my friend as a hacker and potential competition horse which was when I rode her, but she had been a broodmare for a few years so had been allowed to wind down in a field.

I also knew several that were used in the riding school where I rode as a teenager, they used to buy promising looking ones, especially mares and use them in the school, if they weren't suitable for the school or for staff they would either be used for breeding or sold to a suitable home. Most did the job and were sold on because they had too much potential rather than being loonies!

If I was going to get one I'd want to go via one of the rehoming charities
 
No, don't have the confidence to do the reschooling myself. Bought mine from someone who has loads of experience with reschooling exracers, she had had him for 12 months, 6 months turned out and 6 months in work, she had assessed his abilities (pretty, damn accurately as it turns out) and advertised him at a price which reflected the abilities. My personal opinion (OP, not aimed at you, just a generalisation) is that unless you have the time, the confidence, the abilty and the right facilities you are better off looking at one who has already been reschooled, it's all very well getting a bargain but you could also end up with a huge problem and ultimately, the horse will be the loser.
 
Yup, I've had some, current one is a legend
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Can turn a hoof to anything, easy to keep weight on, lives out 24/7 all year round, only has front shoes, and is even teaching my friend to ride!
 
Yes I would. I had a ex racer (or though I brought her already re schooled - she was a lovely lovely horse, just a bit quirky). And the horse in my sig is a by a Saddlers well stallion out of a TB mare.

With the support of my trainer it is something i would be very willing to do. Price would depend on horse TBH.
 
An ex racer is a TB that did not go fast enough in a straight line on the day. It was ridden by a jockey perched up on its back. It probably was cheap - hence the attraction.

Such horses usually need careful rehabilitation and re schooling right back to basics. In experienced hands, with access to the right facilities - a quiet training arena and patience some of them can make it good.
Ask your self if you have the knowledge.
Ask yourself if you have readily available help at hand.

Much depends on you and what you want the horse for.

Remember, the real cost of a horse is not in the purchase price, it is in the maintenance cost of say £2,500- £3500 per year plus all the time spent on mucking out and exercising the animal.

Me I try to buy locally from someone I know. I am very fussy about the temperament of the animal. I like to know what it has done in the past. Then I have it vetted by a third party. I often take along a friend and ask him/her to tell me why I should not buy it. I always leave and then go back a day or so later at look at the horse again. If it has gone - then it has gone.

But the real test is to sit on its back, ask it to walk on and then listen to what my gut tells me. You can't usually achieve all this when buying a race horse - especially at auction.

So I for one would not buy an ex racehorse. But I know several folks who have.

B G
 
I took on an ex racer in May last year. He is fab , I adore him. I am re schooling him myself with the help of a wonderful dressage trainer. In my experience the key to re schooling any ex racer is time and patience. We're still in walk and trot, the canter work will happen only when he is ready and understands the aids. If you rush them ,you run the risk of blowing their brains.
They need time to adjust to being 'normal 'horses, many ex racers are very institutionalised, they need lots of TLC and really do respond to a one to one relationship. Many have bad habits - gained whilst in training, nipping being about the most common, many racehorses get lots of treats; believe it or not, and they do expect a constant supply.
Get their teeth and back checked regularly, and make sure you start with a worming programme. Many ex racers are only wormed sporadically, as they don't go out to graze as a matter of routine.

You reap what you sow, I'm enjoying every moment.

Good luck.
 
I would have done until my last experience with an ex-racer where he had developed horredous kissing spines by the age of 8. Retrained really nicely into a cracking event horse, very easy to ride, safe as anything, but now retired and in pain bless him. It has been speculated there is a high incidence of kissing spines in ex-races (esp flat horses) as they have weight on their backs while still so skeletally immature...don't know how much proof there is in that statement, but I'm inclined to believe it after my personal experience. 4 out the 5 horses I know with kissing spines are ex flat-racers.
 
YES!!! i have 2 lovely exracer both of whom i have have had to reschool regardless of the fact they had been off the track years. however i would say that on the grounds i have another pair of experienced eyes on the day and some back up support from my RI.

i wouldn't be prepared to pay alot, same as i would be prepared to pay alot of an unschooled native regardless of breeding or potential. you never know what they will do until they do it. and you can never be sure of temperment or ill health until it happens.
 
I would, but you need to know what your doing. Price ranges depending on conformation, temp, paces, bloodlines etc.

My ex racer is so chilled out! Hes much easier than my pony! Hes very easy to keep weight on (infact he sometimes creeps towards needing to go on a diet!!), fantastic in traffic, brill to do everything with, very loving and barefoot!
 
Yes I would. The most I've ever paid for one was £350. PF and others were free. On reflection I wouldn't have taken PF had she not been free because although I thought she was very pretty, she looked absolutely tiny!! She gave me plenty to do, but it was totally worth it!
 
straight of the track- personally no as I don't have the experience, however I have one that had 3 months of long reining and then another year of gentle ridden work and reschooling and hes turned out well.

I would beware of old racing injuries- they are EX racehorses for a reason, whether that be from being too slow or being injured. as others said i would also get back and teeth checked.

I would also turn away for 6 months to loose racing fitness and just rough off a bit.

best of luck to you though. they really are lovely horses.
 
definately, i bought one 8 months ago straight from a trainer. Very well behaved and have just started jumping him, wouldnt expect to pay over 1000 max.

Good luck!!
 
I have one. Paid £300 for him, and he's a fantastic horse. He's now 6..does affiliated dressage, starting to jump affiliated, and he's going to HOY too
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I can honestly say (touch wood) I've never had a single days soundness problems, he's never taken a lame step, and is generally pretty hardy.
Photos:
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[/image] over 1.20 his first time free jumping

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I will not deny though..he isn't always a simple ride. He has an extremely stubborn streak and a tendency to explode in bucking/rearing/spinning/flyleaping fits and can generally be very intimidating sometimes. But they're getting quite few and far between now..
 
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