I’ve owned ex racehorses for over a decade, and can honestly say that I would always look to buy an ex-racehorse. The wastage of the racing industry makes taking on a retired racehorse the ultimate in equestrian recycling, and after years of seeing the benefits of owning and riding these equine Ferraris I can’t imagine another model. It would be false to say that ex racehorse ownership is easy or for everyone, but here are a few of the things I’ve learnt along the way…
- Most horse owners appreciate their farrier. As an ex-racehorse owner you will learn to revere yours, seeing them more often than your close family and putting their number on speed dial for all of those “lost shoe” emergencies
- Similarly you will be able to spot an abscess or a stone bruise a mile away and have a huge supply of “just in case” poultices and wraps
- You will be partly exasperated by and partly envious of your horse’s metabolism which allows them to constantly eat and yet remain supermodel slender
- Even racehorses that had disastrously rubbish racing careers will have an innate desire to win. Eventually they can be taught that life itself does not need to be a competitive event, but expect the backwards pinning of ears as you teach them that (a) the Field Master does indeed need to be in front out hunting and (b) a lovely hack with the local cob needs to be taken at the latter’s pace
- Your ex-racehorse is likely to be excellent to load, travel, and shoe, having been handled and transported from a young age. White road markings, errant leaves, and your neighbour’s Shetland will be terrifying will all be monsters in disguise and require careful investigation and potential flight
- There is no feeling quite like letting your horse extend into gallop and relive their career highlight (even if that was 7th in the 5.15 at Wolverhampton)
- It is very difficult to find a thoroughbred that isn’t conventionally beautiful. Your horse will receive more compliments on its looks than you
- Never look up your horse’s pedigree while on a ten minute tea break. You will fall into an internet wormhole and resurface several hours later, wondering why your boss wants a “quick word”
- Despite the success of ex-racehorses across all equine disciplines, including eventing, you will find yourself having to defend their credentials- and explain that no, you don’t want to spend £10k on a four year old Danish warmblood with extravagant movement but dubious IQ
- While a strong will and clever mind can make training an ex-racehorse a challenge (especially when the horse also has a short attention span) it can be very useful to ride an animal that can detect a bog, find its way home when you get lost, and associate the trailer with exciting adventures
- Some people will try to tell you that your horse is just highly strung, but I know that when mine lunges to bite an ex-boyfriend it is because of his keen judgement of character…
What have you learnt from owning an ex-racehorse?
