Things to Know when getting an Ex Race Horse!

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Things to Know when getting an Ex Race
Horse!
By
Tom Kress
Written to help you save time, trouble and possible injury to horse or
rider
It’s easy to get a horse. Ex Race Horses are cheap and plentiful.
Then you have to deal with it.
Education is crucial!
More great information, as well as links to suppliers of horse related
information and products are available at
http://thehorsehelppage.blogspot.com.au/
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Disclaimer and Copyright
All rights reserved. All copyrights for the individual articles
in this e-book remain with the author. Reproduction of this
e-book in any form is forbidden.
Information in this book was derived from research and personal experience
when starting, training and re-training horses – including off the track race horses.
No guarantees are made and the information in this book is general only.
While the author has used best efforts in preparing this book, no representations
or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this
book are made.
The author specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or
fitness for a particular purpose.
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Table of Contents
What a great dream ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Types of Race Horses .................................................................................................................................... 8
The Thoroughbred ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Standardbred ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Brands for identification ............................................................................................................................. 10
Disciplines ................................................................................................................................................... 11
My Shilo ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Ex Racehorses can be Cheap Horses – but are they? ................................................................................. 13
Basic skills.................................................................................................................................................... 14
Foundation .................................................................................................................................................. 15
You WILL be a trainer .................................................................................................................................. 16
What to do .................................................................................................................................................. 17
Horsemanship ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Feed............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Things to think about .................................................................................................................................. 19
The Goal ...................................................................................................................................................... 20
Epilogue....................................................................................................................................................... 21
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Off the Track
I called her Shilo. She was a beautiful 4 year old dapple grey Thoroughbred mare.
She had trialed twice and was slowing down after 600m, so the owner wanted her
gone - she wasn’t winning. A friend told me about her. I went with my trailer
hitched up to look at her and they already had her ready to go. She was hot, still
bouncing off the walls from the high energy feed she had been on. She was
sweating and dancing around. It was hard to tell what we were dealing with here,
but she seemed sound, so I loaded her in the trailer and started the 2 hour trip
home. She was wound up, nervous and soaked in sweat. Not a happy horse.
I finally got her home, unloaded her and let her out with the other horses. That
was the last time I was able to get near her for the next week and a half. I don’t
know what had been done to this
horse during her training and
racing, but she would have nothing
to do with me or anyone else. Any
time I went to get near her, she
would hide behind one of the
other horses. It took that long
before I could get up to her and
touch her. By then she had come
down off the racing fuel and was a
bit calmer.
Shilo at 4 years old
That was the beginning of a partnership with a horse off the track that had major
issues, but turned into a soft, beautiful horse, that I now mostly work cattle on.
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What a great dream – having a magnificent horse to ride off into the sunset on.
What a great feeling, saving a horse from being put down because it is not making
any money on the race track. The dream is great, but you need to know what you
could be getting yourself into and how to deal with it, or what can become an
awesome partnership could easily turn very sour.
Horses are wonderful creatures. They can be great to have around and be a lot of
fun to ride and compete with. Everyone has a different reason for wanting to
have a horse. Some people want them as company, but most want to ride. That
can mean just trail rides or it can be competition, such as dressage, hacking,
jumping, rodeo, showing, cutting, endurance…. There are lots of different
disciplines and many people may go through a few to get to the one(s) they really
want to stick with.
Different disciplines require different training for the horse and rider. However,
the basics remain the same.
The horse has to go, stop,
back up and bend. They
should be able to go over
rough terrain and not freak
every time they see or hear
something. Movement
should happen softly and
easily from leg pressure, seat
and maybe slight pressure
from the bit or other bitless
bridle.
Oscar, a Thoroughbred we got for my daughter
That’s how a well trained horse should feel. The Horse should be relaxed while
working.
Most race horses are anything but that until they have been appropriately retrained and de-sensitized. De-sensitizing includes exposing the horses to many
things that frighten them in a controlled manner until they accept them without
flinching or spooking. This makes the horse far safer to ride and handle, as a
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sudden reaction to something the horse may see or hear, can leave the rider
laying in the dirt.
Re-training an ex racer can be more difficult than starting a young horse from
scratch, as habits have already been formed and issues may be ingrained. You
may start with a horse that only knows how to go in a straight line at top speed
with the rider hanging on its mouth (the bit) to balance. The horse now needs to
learn to stop, turn and back up. To move off pressure instead of leaning into it.
To go over rough and undulating terrain, where the horse may be used to just flat
ground. One ex race horse we had even had to be taught to drink from a water
hole with the other horses, as it only knew to drink from a tub.
It is important for the handler to be confident and display leadership. There is
only one leader. If it is not the human, it will be the horse. That happens all too
often and is not a good arrangement
to have, as the horse can then be unsafe to handle and ride.
It is easy to get a horse, but it is
important to also get an education.
Without the necessary skills and
mindset, the excitement of getting
the horse can be short lived. The
horse will most likely be difficult to
handle and may then be passed on
to the next un-suspecting victim.
Somewhere along the way someone
will probably get hurt. The horse is then labeled a “bad horse”, where the issue is
actually usually a human one from start to finish.
Regardless of all that, many ex race horses are successfully re-trained and
perform beautifully for the owners in many different disciplines.
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Types of Race Horses
Most race horses off the track, be it Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds have been
trained to go, with little attention to stopping or turning. They go in a straight line,
flat out and on even ground. They are usually shod, so their hooves may need
attention and they are often started
too young (as 2 year olds).
Both TBs and SBs are bred by the
thousands for the race track. Many
don’t make it to the races, as they
may be too slow or have other
issues. These are often the lucky
ones if they find a good home. Many
horses that are doing well and make
the track, may break down due to issues such as joint and ligament damage and
even broken legs – mainly horses that are started too young.
Starting Young
A 2 year old is nowhere near mature and the last of the growth plates in their
bones don’t close until the horse is around 6 years old. Some breeds even older.
This is often not a problem, but when a young horse (physically and mentally) is
made to perform at its absolute limits, there are casualties. Many horses suffer
damage to their limbs, joints and ligaments from the exertion and stress during
the hard runs. Sometimes they are drugged – either to enhance performance or
to cover up injuries and still be able to race. Australia is strict on drugging but
horses still slip through. Some horses end with broken legs or other injuries on
the track and are put down right there. Many are abused, leaving them with
psychological issues. Some develop problems such as early arthritis in their joints
later on. Apart from all that, these horses are usually not trained to be ridden in
the way most of us want to ride them. That’s not to say that they can’t be retrained, but it requires a person with some experience to do that well and safely.
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The Thoroughbred
Thoroughbreds were first bred in the 17th and 18th century in England from a
handful of stallions
imported from the Orient.
They were Arabian, Barb
and Turcoman breeding
and put over many
foundation mares. The
Thoroughbreds are hotblooded horses, known for
their agility, speed and
spirit. Early Thoroughbred
racing was a four mile race,
but horses were more mature and able to handle the work. These days horses are
started at a very young age and run hard in short sprints. That is exciting for the
spectators and pulls in large crowds and lots of money. It is not so good for the
horses and leaves many damaged, injured and dead.
For that reason, care needs to be taken to make sure the horse you end up with is
sound.
Standardbred
Standardbreds on the other hand tend
to be a bit more even tempered,
although we must remember what they
were trained to do – pull a sulky (light
2-wheeled cart) at full speed. They have
been trained to go at a gait that is not
normal for most horses (pacing).
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The Standardbred was bred in America in the 17th and 18 century and a number
of breeds have gone to make up the Standardbred breed as it is today, including
Thoroughbreds and Morgans.
The Standardbreds were bred for harness racing and this is where they excel.
They are not one of the hot-blooded breeds, so tend to be more calm and gentle
in nature.
A Standardbred off the track has to first learn to go, stop and bend before
learning to carry a rider. Then comes the job of getting the horse to forget the
“pacing” gait it has been taught and instead to trot, canter and gallop. This can be
quite a job and many SBs will revert back to pacing from time to time. This is not a
huge problem in many disciplines, except that it can be quite un-comfortable for
the rider and the horse can tend to trip and stumble when changing gaits.
Like thoroughbreds, the standardbred has many fans and there are many horses
doing very well for their owners after their racing careers.
Brands for identification
In Australia and New Zealand, Thoroughbred horses are
usually branded on both shoulders. The onside (left,
when looking at the horse from behind) shoulder has
the brand of the stud and the offside shoulder has some
numbers – the number of the foal born on that stud that
year and below that is the last number of the year of
birth. This can be deceiving at a glance, as the number 1
could for example mean 1991, 2001 or 2011. In the US
horses can be tattooed on the lip.
Standardbreds in Australia and NZ have a brand on the
neck on the offside (right when looking at the horse
from behind). This requires a chart to interpret, as it is
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made up of a number of different symbols. In other countries they may also be
tattooed on the lip.
Branding and tattooing is done on horses destined for the track. A horse that has
never been intended to race, could have different identifiers such as microchips,
different brands or nothing at all.
It is possible to trace the horse’s history while racing, via the information
gathered from the brand.
Disciplines
Ex Race horses can be suited to a range of disciplines and it often depends on the
rider and their experience, how well they will perform at the chosen discipline.
Thoroughbreds may be best suited for dressage, hacking, polocrosse, fox hunting,
show jumping and more. They have the ability to do endurance riding, but really
need to be thoroughly re-trained and have good speed control in order to not run
away with the rider, as they often think they are back on the race track. I know.
Off the track Standardbreds may be a bit more limited in their suitability for
things like dressage, because of their gait (pacing). However, with the appropriate
training, that can often be overcome. They can be good at polocrosse, trail riding
and some other disciplines, but mostly only at an amateur level. They tend to
have more even temperaments, so can be great trail horses.
The above are generalizations and there are always exceptions.
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My Shilo
There is nothing wrong with getting an ex race
horse. Many are beautiful and with the appropriate
training will turn out great. I still have Shilo, a
Thoroughbred, which I got off the track. She was
hard work and apart from her lack of appropriate
training she also had psychological issues from
being mis-treated. I could not get near her for some
time when I first got her. She had no trust and was
very touchy in certain areas. If I just pointed a finger
at her side, she would quickly get away to make
Shilo at 5 years old
sure I couldn’t make contact. Things like that only
make you wonder what the horse has been through in the past to cause these
issues.
Shilo was then a beautiful dark dapple grey, 4 years old, well muscled and fit and
still bouncing off the walls from the high protein diet she was on while being
worked. These horses can be like kids with severe A.D.D. until they come down
from the “rocket fuel” they are being fed for peak performance.
It took a lot of work to get Shilo’s trust and to get her to a stage where she could
be caught without a problem. It took some training to get her working softly and
well under saddle. Even now, the
rider has to really switch on to
her to keep her working softly
and not get excited.
Shilo – like many other
Thoroughbreds is very sensitive
and agile. She can perform
exceptionally well with a savvy
and connected rider. She is still a
Shilo at 10 years old – now a light flee bitten grey
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hot horse and loves to go, but I have trained her on cattle and mainly do team
penning and camp drafting on her. Working cattle is great for her, as it gives her a
focus. Doing a lot of arena work is not so great for this horse, as she gets bored
and wants to go. Of course they are not all that way. Some are more laid back and
easier to work with. Although Shilo is a very hot horse, she has a wonderful
temperament and I am quite comfortable to let anyone work with her on the
ground. She is a lamb. In the saddle is a different story. The rider has to be very
tuned in to her and she responds to the lightest cues. When riding her now, I can
usually hang up the reins on the saddle horn and ride her off the leg and seat. I
don’t use a bit on her, but just a rope halter and lead rope or bitless bridle. I do
not necessarily recommend this for the novice. It has taken a lot of time and
training to get her to this stage, however I must say that Shilo responds far better
when worked in a rope halter or bitless bridle than she ever did in a bit. This is
how I ride all my horses. I love competing on Shilo, as she is light, agile and quick
as a flash.
I also have 5 other horses, that are my core and permanent herd at present.
3 of them are brumbies from the bush, which came to me wild and un-handled.
All are different, but beautiful. Generally I would say that it is easier to start a
horse from scratch – a blank canvas – than to re-train a horse with big issues.
Ex Racehorses can be Cheap Horses – but are they?
Ex race horses are usually readily available. Some look quite stunning and many
are free or very cheap. That’s because the racing industry is about money and
prestige. If a horse doesn’t measure up and show promise, it is dumped. It’s
cheaper to just get rid of the horse in any way possible than to keep feeding it.
If someone will take the horse on – good and fine. If not, it usually becomes dog
food. Unfortunately that is the reality in most countries. The supply far outstrips
demand for ex race horses. These horses are mostly just a commodity to be used
and then disposed of when they don’t make the owners money.
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Many of these horses are rescued by un-suspecting first owners. That is a very
nice gesture and a great thing to do, but often people bite off more than they can
chew. Inexperienced people should be prepared to get help from savvy horse
trainers in order to re-train these horses to be good, safe riding horses. There is
some ground work to be done to start getting the horses soft and responsive and
when ready, they can be mounted and more training done in the saddle.
If this is not done, many of these horses naturally misbehave, buck or bolt. The
person can be injured and lose their confidence and what could have been a
wonderful relationship with a horse, can end up very sad and disappointing.
This can be the case when the horse is straight off the track or even after it has
been through an owner or 2 after that, as handlers/riders without the necessary
horsemanship skills can not only fail to make improvements to the horse’s
training and behaviors, but can even cause more issues.
Although these horses can be free or cheap to buy, they can end up quite
expensive for many people because of the training required and possible injuries
carried from their racing career.
Injuries can occur if the horse is ridden un-prepared and insufficiently trained and
possible loss of confidence at riding horses if the rider has falls that could have
been prevented.
Basic skills
As long as the horse is physically sound and healthy, the re-training can usually be
done quite well by a person with sufficient experience. I may just mention, that
many people who think they are great at riding horses, often lack basic
horsemanship skills and knowledge and can do more harm than good for the
training of the horse. It is important that good basic principles are understood and
used in the training, the most important of which in my opinion is “pressure and
release” along with good timing. Timing is crucial here, so the horse can get the
message clearly and learn what we want to teach it. Pressure and release is used
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in a variety of ways, from raising and lowering our energy, to swinging a rope to
actual physical pressure, releasing the pressure the instant the horse responds
ever so slightly in early training. The release the instant the horse responds is
where the horse learns, as it is allowed back to a condition of comfort.
These principles are common to all horses and relate to going forward, sideways,
backwards, trailer loading and just about every other aspect of training.
Before starting a training session with a horse, especially a green or troubled
horse, I always recommend that join-up is done before progressing with the
session. This will get the horse mentally connected with the trainer/handler and
vice versa. It helps get the horse calmed down and listening and the whole
training session should be far easier and more constructive. There is a good video
by Monty Roberts doing join-up on my blog page at:
http://thehorsehelppage.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/join-up-by-montyroberts.html
Foundation
To provide a good foundation there are some basic things we need our horses to
be able to do. We need them to go at a controlled and relaxed walk, trot and
canter and we need them to slow down and stop – without having to pull hard on
the reins. We also need them to be able to bend and turn. They need to be able
to dis-engage their hindquarters, which means moving their rear end sideways
and crossing the back legs over. This takes the forward motion and power out of
the horse. These are the basics that need to be in place before we can progress to
achieve other more specialized skills.
Most of these things are not a big part or indeed ANY part of the training that
many race horses receive. That’s why it is not un-usual for an ex race horse to just
bolt – out of control. They grab the bit and run and an in-experienced rider often
cannot pull them up. Pulling harder on the reins can make matters even worse.
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Some good foundation training is required to ensure that the horse won’t bolt. A
racehorse being a racehorse, will get up a lot of speed at a gallop and that is not a
good time to make an uncontrolled exit off the back of the horse.
Owning a horse should be an enjoyable experience, so again – education and
training are most important.
You WILL be a trainer
When you have a horse that you handle and work with, you are a trainer – like it
or not. You will either train the horse to work with you and advance in its
knowledge, skills and respect, or you will train the horse to be difficult to handle,
ride and be around. Any issue is very rarely the fault of the horse.
A horse needs leadership. If the handler allows the horse to push them around, be
dominant and cheeky, then this is what he is teaching the horse to be and do.
If the handler enforces some limits, teaches the horse to conform and have
manners, then that is what the horse will learn. From my experience, a horse is
far happier and more willing to be with me if I demonstrate good and consistent
leadership.
That can involve making the horse’s life uncomfortable if it misbehaves and it also
involves reward the instant the horse responds. The reward is usually a removal
of whatever form of pressure I may be exerting on the horse to get it to listen.
The horse is usually a reflection of the handler/rider, so I highly recommend that
you get the best education you can from the best people you can find. Listen to
people, watch trainers, go to clinics, join adult riders clubs, get private lessons. If
getting lessons and training, look at the trainer’s performance and how they work
with their horses. Look at how the horses work for them. Are the horses relaxed
and respond softly or do they have their heads up, excited and require heavy
hands on reins and spurs. Results and actions speak louder than words.
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What to do
No matter what kind of horse you get, you should work on your horsemanship
skills. Spend time working your horse on the ground. Get comfortable with the
horse and discipline it where necessary to ensure that you have the horse’s
respect. If the horse does not respect you, you can be asking for trouble. If you
are nervous around the horse and it intimidates you, you can also be looking for
trouble, as the horse may start to dominate you – like a child, who will get away
with whatever he can. It is up to us to draw the line and consistently ensure that
the line is not crossed.
When handling a horse on the ground, it should walk with us without crowding or
pushing us. It should back up softly, turn and bend. It should never turn and show
us its rear end. That is a sign of disrespect and chances are that before long it will
kick out. Getting a view of the bottom of 2 back hooves coming at your face is not
a great feeling.
I expect my horses to face up to me. If I walk up to them and they walk away, that
is un-acceptable and I take steps to bring them back in line and facing up.
When the horse respects you, the partnership can be a totally wonderful
experience and you never need to worry or be afraid about being around the
horse.
Horsemanship
I define Horsemanship as: “Having a reasonable understanding of how a horse’s
mind works and what it responds to - working with the horse in a way that the
horse understands. That includes a connection with the horse and appropriate
techniques to get a horse to respond and learn naturally and with the least
amount of pressure and equipment required.”
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To get great results in our training, we need to operate in the way of the horse,
not the in the way of the human. The horse is a prey animal. We are a predator.
Horses are very intuitive, can see almost 360 degrees, take in their surroundings
and are always ready to flee from a predator. We are a predator. We look ahead
and focus.
A horse will approach in an arc. We tend to approach in a straight line, which the
horse takes as an aggressive movement. When we understand the ways of a prey
animal and behave accordingly, we will get far better results very quickly and far
more gently.
I make a distinction between “horsemanship” training and “riding” training.
Although the two overlap, many people in my experience seem to want to learn
to ride a horse.
Riding instructors usually teach how to ride a horse. That means seat, position
aids etc, but this is putting the cart before the horse. The horse and the person
should first have a reasonable understanding of what makes a horse tick. What
does a horse respond to and what constitutes a good foundation in training that
can be built on in order to have a well performing and safe horse - a horse that
works softly off the aids – leg, seat and reins. A horse that moves forward with a
soft squeeze of the legs, bends and turns softly off the leg and stops without
having to pull hard on the reins. A horse that is relaxed and carries its head low,
instead of a horse that is wound up with its head high, sweating and hard to
control.
Softness is what we should aspire to. A partnership is what we want.
We can get all manner of gadgets to help us dominate the horse, such as hard
bits, nose bands, draw reins etc, but there is no substitute for good training. If a
horse is well trained and if humane methods are used, we don’t have to torture it
in order to get the “look” some may want. Hard equipment is only a poor
substitute for a lack of training and understanding. When we “get it”, start to
understand the horse and work with it, the relationship and performance takes
on a whole new dimension and the whole relationship between horse and rider
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becomes more rewarding and fun than words can express. It has to be
experienced.
To help you along, you can find a lot of very useful information at
http://thehorsehelppage.blogspot.com.au/
Feed
Thoroughbreds, being a hot breed, can be quite sensitive to different feeds. If the
horse is very easily excited and gets very head strong and wound up, think about
what you are feeding it. Oats (including oaten hay), lucerne (Alfalfa) and other
high sugar feeds and grains can cause the horse to be like a child on chocolate or
sweet drinks – bouncing off the walls. If that is the case, these kinds of feed
should be limited or cut out and replaced with cooler feeds.
Depending on what kinds of feeds are available to you, get advice on what is best
to feed in your area. It could be meadow hay or a mixture of chaffed feed, pellets
or other things that keep the horse more cool, calm and relaxed.
Things to think about
Owning a horse requires time and commitment. It needs adequate room to move,
adequate feed and water, regular hoof trims, de-worming and exercise.
Horses evolved to live on the open range. They need room to move. In the wild
they walk 20 – 40km a day. Give them as much room as you can.
Domestic horses are no different than wild horses. They are genetically the same
and their inherent characteristics and behaviors are the same. We should think
about the horse in horse terms, not human terms. That relates to feed, lodging
and inter-action. These issues are a whole separate subject and there are links
and information available at http://thehorsehelppage.blogspot.com.au/
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The horse likes company, as it is a herd animal. Although the company does not
necessarily have to be another horse it would be preferable if it was.
The horse should be fed on the ground or close to it, especially if there is no
pasture for it to nibble on through the day. Having feed bins raised off the ground
will often help cause stomach ulcers, a common affliction with horses off the
track. If feeding off the ground, consider what ground you are feeding on. If it is
sand, the horse can ingest it with its food. The sand can build up in the horse’s
stomach and lead to colic and even kill the horse. On lose soil or sand, consider
some cover, such as old carpet or even gravel in the feed area to keep the horse
from eating a lot of sand and dirt.
Having the horse stabled for long periods or kept on its own and getting bored
often leads to wind sucking and other issues. Windsucking is another common
affliction with race horses. This is where the horse leans on a post with its top
teeth and gulps air down into its stomach, making a grunting sound. Windsucking
is a very difficult, if not impossible habit to break and can cause colic and other
problems in some cases.
The Goal
An objective that I think is good to aim toward (yours may be different) –
The horses are easy to get along with and safe to be around.
My horses have different backgrounds. Some are from the wild, the TB is off the
track, the Arabian had been spoilt and was bordering on dangerous – even on the
ground. All are now totally safe to be around. I can safely walk among them and
around them and they totally respect me. I handle them every day and talk to
each one individually, although it is not necessary to go to that extent.
I can carry their feed out and they will walk with me respectfully until I put it
down. It wasn’t always that way. I had to discipline all of them at times and
sometimes they still need a refresher, but they are all a pleasure to be around.
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I am comfortable around them and they are comfortable around me. It should be
the same for you.
Generally - if a horse is difficult, it is not the horse that should be looked at, but
the person handling it or people who have handled it in the past. Horse problems
are rarely horse problems. They are usually people problems. Our horses can
teach us a whole lot about ourselves by how they behave in our presence.
In the words of Buck Brannaman: “A horse is the mirror to your soul. Sometimes
you won’t like what you see. Sometimes you will”
Epilogue
This book is intended as a general overview to give an insight into the issues that
may be present with an ex race horse and in fact any horse. It touches on some
techniques and methods, but horse owners should ensure they get an education
on horsemanship and riding, so they may look forward to a rewarding journey of
growth and learning with their horse.
If you don’t think you can give the horse the attention, food and exercise it
deserves, then it may be best that you not consider getting one.
Owning a horse can be a wonderful experience and through it we can meet many
like-minded people, but if you don’t have the time and resources to take good
care of the horse, you may not be doing it any favors by rescuing it.
If you are about to get your first horse, think about what it takes, talk to horse
owners and keep in mind that – what people tell you, is just their opinion and
everyone has one. Listen to many, use common sense and make up your own
mind. Your horse’s life and well-being is in your hands.
If you feel that you got some value from this book, please recommend it to
your friends. The information contained in these pages can save a lot of time
and heart ache.
Good luck and enjoy your journey….
Tom Kress
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http://thehorsehelppage.blogspot.com.au/
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