Taking on an ex racehorse could be one of the greatest moments of your life. So many equestrians turn up their noses at the thought of an ex racer, without knowing the full facts. Yes, your ex racer is likely to be challenging at first. Yes, they will need retraining and a lot of time and patience, and yes, you do need to ideally be an experienced horse person to get the best out of them, but the pluses far outweigh the cons.
So why should I take on an ex racehorse I hear you utter? Well, the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes.
Checkout below the 10 reasons why you should most definitely take on an ex racehorse.
Hearty Hackers
If you like going out for a hack or trail ride and are looking for a bit more Tally Ho! In your life, then an ex racehorse may be the perfect equine companion for you. They are absolute pros at hacking around the gallops and love nothing more than to be accompanied by their horsey friends on a hack. Just be careful about letting your riding buddies overtake you or you could find yourself getting home faster than Usain Bolt at the Olympics! Hold on tight!
Wonderful riding horses
Thoroughbred ex race horses can make such wonderful riding horses once they have been retrained. They are a sensitive breed that certainly don’t need a lot of leg or too much rein contact, but are a great choice for anyone that has experience and is looking to get a bit more out of their riding. Gone are the days of flapping your legs about in order to get your trusty steed to move off the leg, Thelwell cartoon style! (For those that don’t know -http://www.thelwell.org.uk/)
Multi-faceted
Thoroughbred ex racehorses can turn their hooves to…. well, just about anything really. They can make fantastic national hunt horses, thanks to their agile, athletic ability and often excel at other disciplines, such as show jumping, cross country or strutting their stuff around the dressage arena. They can certainly hold their own against some of the big warmbloods that’s for sure! Anyone for some eventing?
Cheap as Chips
Horses can be a pretty expensive hobby and where your average Joe Bloggs likes to think that anyone with a horse is surely loaded, us true equestrians know this is usually far from the truth, because rugs and shoeing are expensive don’t you know Mr Bloggs? Buying a horse outright can also be extortionate depending on what type of equine you are looking for, but the great news is, an ex race horse can be purchased quite cheaply. Lots of quality thoroughbreds come out of racing every day for various reasons and are sold at fantastic prices.
To the Rescue!
Many ex racers go from the life of luxury, at the height of their careers, to sadly ending up, in what seems like, the rubbish dump, once they can’t race anymore (or even worse, with the meat man!). No horse should ever have to experience that kind of treatment and every one of them deserves a loving, caring home. Many equestrians are reluctant to take on an ex racehorse and therefore miss out on some fantastic horses, that are absolutely worth their weight in gold!
No Backing
Although ex racers may still be young and learning the ropes they don’t officially need to be backed from scratch. Your ex racer is used to having a rider on their back already and although they will need to be retrained, particularly with schooling (e.g. 10 meter circles aren’t likely to be their strong point, if you get my drift), you get to miss out on some of the early training parts. To clarify, the early training parts, where you most commonly hit the deck!
Impeccable Ground Manners
Bad stable manners is a major turn off. No-one really wants a horse with the ground manners and temper tantrums that a 5 year old child would be proud of now, do they? Ex racehorses tend to have the perfect manners particularly in their stables. They are easy to load, shoe and catch for the most part. They likely came from a very busy, buzzy racing yard, where you can be sure they had plenty of human’s faffing and messing around with them daily. Time is money for most businesses and you can expect that the racing grooms had nipped in the bud any undesirable behaviours early on.
Affectionate Lovers
Ex racers just want to be loved! They love all the attention lavished on them and absolutely thrive on human interaction. They tend to be the friendliest of the bunch and are the ones you will notice with their heads poking out the stable door trying, oh so desperately to get your attention, ‘Hello’….. ‘Over here human’…. ‘Yoo-hoo’…..’Can you see me’……’I just need a neck scratch’. There’s always one at every yard and the chances are, that one little show boater, will be an ex racer.
A Proper Horse
Don’t get mad at me, but I don’t see a horse as being a horse unless it’s 16hh + (sorry to all you small horse lovers out there eek!). To those like me that love a substantially taller horse, the average size of an ex racehorse is around the 16hh mark. This means if you are lucky enough to purchase a youngster around 3 or 4 years old, your new buddy could make well over 17hh once they are fully grown. A ‘proper’ horse.
Speedy Gonzalez
Well we all know that an ex racer can reach some pretty mean speeds, but they can also be pretty speedy at learning new things too. They are always willing to try their little hearts out at whatever gets thrown at them and have a pretty active mind that needs to be kept stimulated. You can’t help but love their enthusiasm and willingness to learn new things, which is far more than I can say for some of the lazy, unenthusiastic cobs I’ve had to deal with (you know who you are!)
Have I sold you yet?
Owning an ex racer can be such a wonderful experience for the right person, but can take a lot of knowledge and patience from your side to make the partnership work. I want to leave you with a few considerations:
- Ex race horses are definitely not for novice owners and riders. They require a very knowledgeable and experienced owner and would not be a suitable mount for beginners. Be very realistic about your experience and ability.
- For those that like to hack alone. You may never get your equine friend on board with this, as they much prefer the company of other horses, but never say never.
- Some ex racers (not all) come away from racing with lifelong injuries that will need to be managed by you accordingly. Always make sure you get a 5* vetting before purchasing any horse so you know what you are dealing with.
- Professional retraining by a pro is always highly recommended. Ex racers can be a bit of a handful at first, but can go on to make amazing riding horses with the right training.
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