Will your ex-racehorses gallop off flat out when I ask for canter?
Not very likely. If the horse hasn’t been ruined by lack of knowledge when it finished racing, it should have a soft mouth, a good back, and respond to the lightest aids. These horses have only been ridden in the kindest of bits by professional riders, if they come to us straight from racing they are not difficult to retrain.
Are they scatty and bad tempered?
Not in my stables! Most racehorses are broken as yearlings and first ridden as two year olds, so they are used to being handled and being ridden out with other horses. All our horses live in all year round, but far from being hyped up are able to offer enjoyable hacking and tuition to the vast majority of riders.
Are ex-racehorses suitable for anything else?
Racehorses are the ultimate performance horse. They are natural athletes and have the advantage that about 25% more of their weight is made up of bone and muscle compared with other similar sized horses.
Many have gone on to compete at top level in other equestrian sports, and their increase in popularity has been encouraged by Her Majesty the Queen's continued interest in the sport, as well as Retraining of Racehorses (RoR)- British Horseracing's official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing. This means that many more thoroughbreds are now being offered a life outside of racing after their career is over, and are increasingly being considered as an option by amateur horse owners.
