FAQs
Am I suitable for an ex-racehorse?
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Am I a good enough rider?
A thoroughbred is not suitable as your first horse. Be honest about your ability as a rider. You do need a certain level of skill to care for and successfully ride a thoroughbred. Therefore if your experience is limited, then an ex-racehorse is probably not for you. -
Am I confident enough to handle an ex-racehorse?
Try to guage your confidence level as a rider/handler accurately. As a rule, ex-racehorses are sensitive, highly charged individuals that need sensitive, confident and experienced handling both on the ground and in the saddle. If you are nervous around and on horses, you don’t want to get yourself in a situation you can’t handle safely -
Do I have the right facilities for an ex-racehorse?
You are going to need adequate turn out for your horse (1 horse to 1 acre) with no barb wire fencing and a suitable stable. Also access to a ménage is in many cases essential as some ex-racehorses can be cold backed which could mean they need lunging before you get on or they need schooling to keep their mind occupied. -
Do I have the finances to afford the horse?
A horse of any kind, not just an ex-racehorse, is a huge financial commitment and with horses one must always plan for the unexpected such as vets bills. It is a good idea to take out an insurance policy at least to cover these and for third party liability if not for the value of the horse. It is a condition of loaning a horse from the TRC that you take out adequate insurance. You should expect keeping a thoroughbred to cost between £3000.00 - £4000.00 per annum at least. -
What do I want to do with my new horse?
Be realistic in your expectations and your ideas of what you want to do with the horse. If it is essential to hack alone in heavy traffic you must make sure the horse you choose can do this safely. If eventing or showjumping is your thing do not choose a horse with leg or back problems or with the sort of personality that will make this difficult.
What should I feed my ex-racehorse?
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Is there one particular diet to feed ex-racehorses?
If you get your thoroughbred from a centre such as ours then the horse will already be accustomed to a low energy, high fibre diet. If, however, you have purchased your horse from a sale or directly from the trainer he will have been fed on a high protein, low fibre diet which supplied him with quick release energy. Gradually you need to change this around as you give him a period of let down time.
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Is feeding an ex-racehorse different from feeding any other type of horse?
Any horse requires a balanced diet to meet requirements for energy, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and salt, taking into account age work and temperament. However, thoroughbreds are natural flight animals and can be sharp, which can be accentuated by feeding sugars and starches. Even some chaffs are advertised as calmer chaffs or suitable for horses prone to laminitis, however it is important to read the nutritional information as they may have molasses in (this is a sugar). Molasses licks can also have a diverse effect on a horse’s temperament. Also, carrots have natural sugars, so only give a couple in a feed.
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What should I give my ex-racehorse to eat?
Choose a high fibre diet with a balancer to provide all vitamins and minerals. We use Top Spec feed balancer which is kindly donated to us by Top Spec. The fibre part of the diet can be fed in the form of Top Spec Top Chop Lite as this chaff has no molasses at all and is for more excitable horses. If you are feeding a horse that requires higher protein levels i.e feeding a younger horse that is growing; an older horse; a weak horse; or one that requires more energy Alfa A oil is a good source of protein and fibre.
As a succulent we feed Speedy Beet or non-molasses sugar beet. If your horse is poor and you want to put weight on, we use Allen and Page Veteran Vitality (this must be soaked before feeding). It is actually designed for older horses and aids digestion and improves joint mobility. It is also important that your horse has salt each day so we provide a Himalayan salt lick in each horse’s stable.
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Why is it important to feed fibre?
Fibre is especially important to ex-racehorses as while in training their lifestyle and diet pre-disposes them to stomach ulcers. Therefore it is essential to make changes to the horse’s lifestyle and diet to improve these areas. Turnout is essential as not only does grazing benefit the digestion, but it also allows the horse to chill out and relax.
How can I improve the way my ex-racehorse goes?
If you get your ex-racehorse from a recognised centre such as the TRC then his basic level of training should be established. We are always here to offer advice and assistance.
If your ex-racehorse has come out of training then it will be a whole different ball game. Remember that racehorses are usually not stirrup mounted so even that first step of getting on must be done with caution and that all important common sense.
When you are starting out with your new thoroughbred it is essential to work him from the ground initially so that you can build a relationship with him and establish essential confidence between you. We use the Richard Maxwell technique and head collars to help the horse connect and respect us before starting any ridden work.