Ex-racehorse champions at Greatwood Open Day

Some celebrity ex-racehorses will be strutting their stuff at Greatwood's Open Day on Sunday, 14th June. Bindaree ( former Grand National winner turned dressage star!), New Seeker, Cool Dawn and Edredon Bleu are just a few of the former champions who will be parading to delight the crowds. Also there, of course, will be Greatwood favourites Deano's Beano, Montendre, and Potentate, as well as all the current ex-racer 'guests' in the various stages of their rehabilitation.

As you'll no doubt already know, Greatwood Retired Racehorse Centre, ( on the A345 just outside Marlborough in Wiltshire) is a charity that relies on donations to fund its tremendous work rehabilitating and rehoming ( where possible) ex-racehorses that have fallen on hard times. ( And there are an enormous number of them these days!) Not only that, but Greatwood has now expanded its activities so that children with special needs can visit and interact with the horses. Two 'Special Needs' groups helping each other ! - the way the world ought to be.

So, the annual Open Day is an important opportunity for Greatwood to show what it does, and hopefully attract those much-needed funds and sponsorships. This year's event is sponsored by William Hill, and will be a fun-packed occasion. Apart from all the horses, there will be a display of working sheepdogs ( and ducks and geese!) by Bob Hogg,as well as various family entertainments, trade stands, refreshments, and a picnic area.

Tickets cost just £5, and children under 12 get in free. Dogs are welcome on a lead.
Sunday 14th June 12.00noon - 4.00pm
For more info tel: 01672 514535

Royal Predica - Veteran Champion

Ange and Perds have done it again ! Royal Predica won the Veteran Section in his TB/ex-racehorse class at Devon County Show , and came 5th overall. Not a bad achievement for this ex-Grand National steeplechaser who had never even seen a showring when Ange got him just over two years ago. Ange is thrilled. "He was an absolute star," she says. "He was sooo chilled, and went the best he's ever gone."

Perds' preparation for the show had been delayed due to him having a cough, so schooling and getting fit had only really been possible in the two weeks prior to the big day. Just proves, you can't keep a great champ down ! Well done, Ange and Perds.

ROR Showing classes rule change

Some of the extra funding given to ROR by ROA is to go to supporting development of the ex-racehorse showing classes sponsored by ROR and Tattersalls. This is great news, as these classes are a wonderful opportunity for ex-racers to prove how well they can rehabilitate and strut their stuff successfully in the showring, once allowances are made for their history and any blemishes they may have acquired during their racing careers.

So often, otherwise beautiful and well-schooled ex-racers have been marked down because their legs carry the honourable battlescars of their racing days. In other cases, recently re-schooled ex-racehorses new to showing have lost out due to typical new-ex-racer behaviour letting them down compared to their less-lovely, but better-behaved, competitors. So, showing classes just for ex-racehorses are a much-needed development.

Precise judging criteria varies, depending on which organisation is sponsoring the classes, but generally allowances are made for racing-acquired blemishes , the length of time the horse has been out of racing, and the amount of rehabilitation progress made. In the ROR classes, judging is as for normal Riding Horse classes. Each horse is ridden by the judge, and marked separately for conformation and action.

This year, ROR has amended the entry rules so that every horse must have actually raced. In the past, any Thoroughbred that has 'been in training' was eligible to enter. This meant that some horses - perhaps already singled out for a showing career - have merely spent a few weeks in a race-trainer's yard to qualify for ROR and other ex-racer classes. They then left the yard as physically ( and psychologically) perfect as they went in, ready to trounce more genuine ex-racers in the showring. The rule-change will put an end to this, and leave the true battle-hardened ex-racehorses a level playing field to compete on. It will also make it easier for the amateur owner/riders, with their less-than-perfect ex-racers, to compete against the better-resourced professional producers.

The ROR/Tattersalls showing series is now in its fifth year with qualifiers’ nationwide going forward to the final at Hickstead's Show Jumping Derby meeting from 25th to 28th June (exact date to be confirmed). Those who qualify after the South of England Show in June, compete in the final in 2010. Judges will be from the RoR panel.

Coming dates are here:

MAY 3rd & 4th May* - LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Leicestershire10th May - NEWARK & NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SHOW, Nottinghamshire Results: 1st TROPPI GUAI - Rebecca Peace; 2nd DOUBLE SPEY - SALLY Beeden; 3rd RUSTY PLUMBER - Miss D. ParkerVeteran - TROPPI GUAI15th May - ROYAL WINDSOR HORSE SHOW, Berkshire 23rd May – DEVON COUNTY SHOW, Somerset 23rd May - HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Hertfordshire23rd May* - HEATHFIELD & DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SHOW, East Sussex24th May* - HAMBLETON SHOW , Yorkshire27th May - SUFFOLK SHOW, Suffolk 28th May - ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOW, SomersetJUNE 6th June - MIDLAND COUNTIES SHOW , Staffordshire 11th June - SOUTH OF ENGLAND, West Sussex QUALIFICATION FOR HICKSTEAD 2010 17th June* - YORKSHIRE SPORTS HORSE SHOW, Yorkshire 20th June* - EAST OF ENGLAND, Cambridgeshire23rd June - CHESHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Cheshire24th June* - LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Lincolnshire27th June* - POTENTIAL COMPETITION HORSE SHOW, Merseyside28th June* - DERBYSHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Derby25th to 28th June - FINAL 2009, Hickstead Derby Meeting (exact date to be confirmed) JULY 7th to 10th July - THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW, Stoneleigh 19th July - KENT COUNTY SHOW, Kent 24th to 26th July - TATTERSALLS IRELAND/WARD UNION SHOW, Ireland25th July* - BORDER UNION SHOW, Roxburghshire28th July* - RYEDALE SHOW, Yorkshire 28th to 30th July* - NEW FOREST & HAMPSHIRE COUNTY SHOW, Hampshire AUGUST 1st August* - BICESTER & FINMERE SHOW, Oxfordshire13th August* - WALES & WEST HUNTER SHOW, Monmouthshire23rd August* - NOTTS DERBY CHARITY HORSE SHOW, Derbyshire 31st August* - EDENBRIDGE & OXTED SHOW, SurreySEPTEMBER 5th September* - DORSET COUNTY SHOW, Dorset9th September* - NATIONAL HUNTER SUPREME CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW, Buckinghamshire12th September - THE BRITISH ELITE HORSE SHOW, Lincolnshire12th September - ROMSEY SHOW, Hampshire19th to 20th September* - ROYAL COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE, Berkshire

ROA gives more to ROR

In other words - the Racehorse Owners Association is boosting its annual donation to the Retraining of Racehorses organisation - which is great news, especially in the present economic climate, when all horse owners and carers are feeling the pinch. This is from the ROR website:

Racehorse owners, mindful of welfare concerns, have taken steps to bolster the funds they give to Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), as racing's central charity involved with promoting the welfare of the industry's retired racehorses.
The Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) has approved that the surcharge paid by racehorse owners on entry fees will be increased from 50p to £1 as from 1st May 2009.
Michael Harris, Chief Executive of the ROA, said: "The increase is a response to the ROA's concern about the welfare of retired racehorses and the need to ensure that there is an effective structure in place to monitor and respond to their needs. We hope it will enable RoR to continue its excellent work in promoting the options available to retired racehorses."
Peter Deal, Chairman of RoR, said: "This is terrific news. Unsurprisingly, RoR's funding is under pressure this year and, at the same time, we are expecting greater demand on our services. It is really very reassuring that the owners are prepared to increase their support, and the ROA Council agreed so readily, particularly in this current climate. This demonstrates again the responsible attitude of owners towards the welfare of their racehorses."

So well done, ROA and ROR - carry on the great work you both do.

Grand National to dressage - Royal Predica makes the leap!

What happens to Grand National runners when they retire from racing ? If they’re anything like Royal Predica, they start a whole new life and career !

This big and beautiful chestnut gelding ( 16.3 hands and gorgeous – see photos! – despite some old battle-scars) won some £126,000 racing, mostly over the big chasing fences. He started his career as a 3-year-old in France, then went to UK trainer Martin Pipe’s yard to race over jumps. He won numerous chases – at Ascot, Warwick, Aintree, etc – over a long career, and in 2003 won the Kim Muir at Cheltenham at odds of 33-1 ! He tackled the Grand National no less than four times, completing the course twice to finish 8th and 12th. As he got older, he did a spell of point-to-point racing too. The snag there was that, due to his impressive reputation and form, he was usually asked to carry a stone more in weight than the other runners. So, great horse though he was, he wasn’t very successful.

Around this time, some three years ago, Anj Hughes was looking for a horse. Her friend Helen ( herself the proud owner of another famous ex-racer, Akarus) had a contact at the training yard and heard that Royal Predica was available. Anj saw him and fell in love. After a nail-biting few days, when another party was interested, the deal was done and Anj carried Royal Predica off to her Devon home for a whole life-makeover. His racing days were over – it was on to new stuff. And a new petname – ‘Perds’.

At first, says Anj, he was a typical racehorse – quick to take off at the gallop ( “an exhilarating experience, to say the least!”), a bit too handy with his back legs ( they knicknamed him Pistol Pete), and quite ‘institutionalised’, in that he was only used to the strict routine of a busy racing yard. He also had a scary nap-spin-rear trick that took some sorting out. “The first Boxing Day he was home,” recalls Anj, “I went to go on a circuit and spent 45 minutes in the same spot! Now, though, he may hesitate a minute, maybe bounce a little, but then he will settle and carry on. Loads of tight circles, and my hand on his neck for encouragement and reassurance, have worked wonders.”

Now, Perds is “the perfect gentleman” to ride in company ( though sometimes a bit sharp and playful when out alone). “ He cruises round the village as if he owns it.” He’s good and quiet to handle too, though Anj has to add that he still kicks holes in his wooden stable, flicking a back leg “just to hear the noise”!

He is a fantastic hunter. Hedges and ditches are easy-peasy for this Grand National veteran, and hunter trials are a piece of cake. Not only that, but Perds has also turned his hooves to both dressage and showing, with great success. He made his showring debut ( with Helen aboard) just six months after leaving racing, and drew admiring compliments on how well he was taking to his reschooling. This year, Anj has entered him in the Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier at the Devon County Show in May, as well as the Honiton Show in August.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, of course. In particular, Perds has had a lot of time off due to foot problems. “He’s got typical TB feet,” explains Anj. “He’s had several bouts of pus in the hooves, and then a piece of flint pierced his sole, so now his feet are padded in front.” But good farriery and remedial diet mean Perd’s hooves are steadily improving.

So Royal Predica, now 15 years old, is really enjoying life. He has a 2-acre paddock which he shares with Tara, a Connemara-cross mare, with the stable doors open 24/7 for free access. The yard owners, meanwhile, provide a constant supply of apples, carrots and polo mints. And with all his new activities – hunting, showing, dressage, hacking out ( sometimes ride-and-lead with his girlfriend Tara) - Perds is never bored. Like many ‘retired’ people, his life seems fuller, if less strenuous, than ever.

“I’ve ridden loads of horses in my 52 years,” says Anj “ but none quite like Perds. I’m so lucky to have had this opportunity to not only ride, but to own, the most athletic, speedy, intelligent, comfortable horse in my life. He’s my sports-car in that midlife crisis ! I love him to bits, and he has a home with me for life.”

Grand National winners parade

There are ex-racehorses - and then there are ex-racing superchampions ! It was lovely to see eight of the Grand National's former winners strutting their stuff before the grandstand once more as they paraded before last Saturday's big race.

They may be leading quieter lives now than in their super-champ heydays, but they still all looked marvelously well and happy. And probably twice the weight they used to be ! Some looked more like chunky-hunky hunters than racehorses - and all had a very contented air.

Leading the parade came Miinnehoma, at 26 the oldest surviving Grand National winner and showing some venerable grey patches now. He won the National in 1994 for trainer Martin Pipe, with Richard Dunwoody in the saddle. Even at his great age the old warrior looked in good shape.

Then came Rough Quest ( winner 1996), and Lord Giyllene ( 1997) who is now enjoying life back at Hilda Clarke's. Papillon was led up by Katie Walsh, sister of jockey Ruby who rode Papillon to the winner's enclosure in 2000. A real family affair, Papillon was trained by Ruby and Katie's father, Ted Walsh. Pappillon is now a much-loved family pet.

Glowing chestnut Red Marauder looked rather smarter and shinier than when he battled to victory through the mud-plastered National of 2001, when only four horses managed to finish ( and two of them had been remounted after falls ! One of them was Papillon, under Ruby Walsh. He may not have won that time, but he still earned £25,000 for coming fourth.) Richard Guest, Red Marauder's jockey at the time, now keeps the horse at his Nottinghamshire yard. Richard said : " It gives him a real boost coming back here. He goes away and he's a different horse for a few months afterwards. He lives with us in a field with my fiancee's mare, Annie. He fell in love with her and I fell in love with Alison. He's 19 now and he's looking his age - he's had a few problems but coming here really perks him up."

Next came Bindaree ( 2002) and Monty's Pass, the 2003 winner who, we're told, never forgets he's a champ and is "very bossy" at home !

Last in the parade came the most recent winner, Numbersixvalverde, who won in 2006 and gave jockey Niall 'Slippers' Madden victory in his first-ever ride in the race. Trainer Martin Brassil explained that Numbersix only retired from racing at Christmas last year, so this was his first time in the parade of champions. He certainly seemed to enjoy it, and will doubtless be back for more. It will be a treat to see him, and the others, again next year.

R.O.R Helpline for Ex-racehorse Owners

The Retraining of Racehorses organisation has long been a tremendous source of information, advice and support for ex-racehorse owners. Their website www.ror.org.uk is a goldmine of information, whether you need advice on care matters like diet and schooling, or are looking for competitions and events to take part in. They have had an email query service for some time.
Email: asktheexperts@ror.org.uk

Now they have also set up a telephone helpline for worried ex-racehorse owners.

The telephone number is 01780 740773

This is the phone number for the RoR consultants Fred and Rowena Cook of Equine Management & Training. If they are unable to answer your call immediately you're invited to leave a message and they will return your call as soon as possible. The helpline is available seven days a week.

Both Fred and Rowena Cook have extensive experience and expertise working with all types of horses from the various equestrian disciplines whether it be ground training, backing, schooling and jumping young horses or re-schooling and corrective training for older horses. Over recent years more and more horses off the track have benefited from their retraining and progressive schooling programmes, subsequently taking up new lives hunting, show jumping, eventing, dressage etc.

It's good to know that help is around when you need it. ( And with ex-racehorses, bless'em, that can be pretty often !)

Hohlethelonely takes a rain check

The 3.40 race at Uttoxeter on Saturday (14th March) showed us an example of a racehorse apparently doing his utmost to become an ex-racehorse. Hohlethelonely (aptly named, since he was left on his own by the tape as all the other horses charged off !) quite simply refused to start. He was decently polite about it - no bucking or rearing or anything unpleasant. He just dug his toes in and said 'No'. And refused to budge.

I know I really shouldn't laugh ( though much of the crowd did, as well as cheering, when Hohlethelonely eventually consented to lope casually past the grandstand on his own while the rest of the field got on with the race.) It must have been bitterly disappointing, and frustrating, for his connections, especially since the horse has won and been placed before. "Plenty of ability, but a bit quirky," was how one TV commentator described him. Too true !

He had cantered down to the start well enough ( as far as you could tell from the TV screen, anyway.) And he seemed to walk up to the starting tape with the others OK . But then there was a false start ( not his fault), and that's where Hohlethelonely seems to have given up on the whole idea.

As the horses regrouped, you could see jockey Sam Thomas working hard on the leg-aids to try to coax Hohlethelonely to join up with the others. All seemed well - until 'They're off !' Well - they were, but Hohlethelonely wasn't. The field charged off down the track, and left him firmly planted behind at the start. You could glimpse poor Sam Thomas kicking away at Hohlethelonely ( who by now was probably being called something else) like Little Jimmy on a stubborn riding school pony, to absolutely no avail. Neither the best efforts of a top-notch professional jockey, nor the call of instinct to follow the herd, had any effect on Hohlethelonely. He had said 'No!', and that was that.

Which just goes to show that:
a) Thoroughbreds are clever beasties with minds very much their own.
b) No-one can 'force' a horse to race if it chooses not to.
c) Sometimes racehorses - even successful ones - just suddenly decide they don't want to do it.

There can be all sorts of reasons, physical and mental, for a horse to refuse to start. No doubt Hohlethelonely's trainer, Venetia Williams, is delving into all this right now and will come up with the answer. It could be something as simple and easy to fix as a small change in diet or tack. Then Hohlethelonely will be back winning races, which everyone knows he can do. But the answer may be something more complex, serious and longterm. It could be that Hohlethelonely was not just being 'quirky' ( ie. naughty, stubborn, and infuriating!), but was saying in the only way he could that he was deeply unhappy with something, mentally or physically. In that case, his connections may be considering giving him a long holiday, or even a retirement package to a different career and lifestyle.

Some horses love to race, and thrive on it. (Sometimes these can be the ones that are hardest to 'rehabilitate' into different, quieter lives. Like human high-achievers, they can seem to get addicted to the adrenalin, find it hard to wind down, and don't enjoy being under-employed.)

Other horses tolerate racing happily enough as an OK day-job. They are the 'good servant' types, that will probably adapt well in any lifestyle. Others hate it all, never settle to it, and don't usually last long because, deliberately or otherwise, they are just no good at it.

Whatever a horse's racing history and success, though, they all have to retire eventually. Sometimes injury ends their careers, or advancing age and slowness. Sometimes, it's a change in the horse's mindset. Their heart is just not in it any more, and they say so in their own way. Who knows what was going through Hohlethelonely's mind on Saturday ? ( Other than the word 'No' !) But if he says 'No' again, as emphatically as he did then, I fancy his connections will be starting to consider giving him a career change!

Ten Tips for Loaning Out Your Horse

1. Decide exactly what you want before you start.
Be clear in your own mind what kind of home and workload you want your horse to go to, how far away, and for how long. You can always be flexible later if you choose, but don’t let other people decide these things for you. This will also help in your search for a borrower eg choosing local or national advertising, word of mouth, club networking, etc.

2. Check out all interested parties thoroughly, and don’t rush it.
Unless you know the potential borrower well, ask for formal references. Even if you do know them, check the grapevine and local gossip for opinions on their suitability. Don’t rely simply of personal recommendations (people can have blindspots about their friends.) Explore people’s motives and circumstances. (eg: if a person cannot afford to buy a horse, can they nevertheless afford to keep your horse properly ?) If more than one person is interested, take time to ‘vet’ them all.

3. Do mutual visits.
First, have the prospective borrower visit you and your horse at home, so they get to meet each other where the horse is comfortable. Watch how the ‘candidate’ handles your horse – catching, leading, grooming, tacking up. Then, if the horse is to be loaned for riding (and after you have given an appropriate demo) watch how the partnership tackles ridden work in the school, and maybe on an accompanied hack. If you have any doubts, say no.
If all seems well, though, do a visit yourself to the place where your horse will be kept. Check out all the facilities for safety and appropriateness to your horse’s requirements. If the new home is to be a livery yard, look up their website, and meet the Yard Owner/Manager. Ask him/her about the prospective borrower’s ability to look after and pay for your horse.
Ask about professional and emergency back-up (vet, farrier, dentist) and – especially if the horse will not to be kept on a big yard – cover for holidays and illness.

4. Make clear what the borrower will be taking on.
Take care to plainly point out any physical/medical conditions your horse has which will need special attention. Explain his diet, reactions to particular feeds, any allergies, and particular likes/dislikes. (Note the borrower’s responses to this information.) Make special mention of dates for flu and tetanus jabs, and any other regular treatments.
Be sure, before you agree anything formally, that both you and the borrower are happy with the kind of lifestyle and workload you want your horse to have.

5. Take are with identification
All British and European horses now need to have a passport, but it’s a good idea to take extra measures such as DNA testing, microchipping, freezemarking, etc. Make sure the prospective borrower knows these measures are in place.


6. Don’t be afraid to say ‘No’
If at any stage before making the agreement you feel that something is ‘not quite right’, or that a better loan home may be available, just say ‘no’. It’s your horse’s welfare and happiness at stake, after all.

7. Insist on a formal written Loan Agreement
Essential if you don’t know the prospective borrower – but equally important if you do! It’s vital that both parties understand and happily accept all the conditions of the loan, and that it’s quite clear who is responsible for what, and when, throughout the period of the loan. In particular, the exit strategy for both parties needs to be clear. Informal, verbal agreements (especially between friends) can very easily get forgotten or wrongly remembered – and much trouble and heartache can result.
When loaning to strangers, it may be best to use a solicitor to draw up the agreement. If you do not, then at least make sure you use a well-written document, like the sample on the BHS website.( http://www.bhs.org.uk/ ) Make sure you have it formally witnessed., and both you and the borrower have a copy.

8. Keep records
Take dated photos of your horse just before handing it over, to keep a clear record of the horse’s condition as it left you. This could prevent disputes later on if things go wrong.
Make sure you have all the borrower’s contact details easily accessible and backed up.

9. Stay in touch
Establish the fact that you will always care about your horse and want to be kept informed of its progress. Phone the borrower within 24 hours of the horse arriving at its new home, to make sure it has travelled and settled well. Ask for the borrower to send you photos at intervals (dateable ones are good.) Build in to the Loan Agreement opportunities for you to visit your horse, by mutual arrangement. Visit within the first two weeks if you can, then at intervals, to check on your horse’s wellbeing. Don’t natter – the borrower must be allowed to enjoy the loan! – but keep in touch, send congratulations if your horse has achieved something, enquire after it’s health if you hear it’s been ill, and always be available to offer information or advice if the borrower asks. Also, keep contact with any other people in your mutual network ( vet, farrier, instructor, friends, shows, social events) so that you can get information on your horse from other sources. This will also help to publicly reinforce the nature of the loan arrangement.

10. Amend passport
If the loan is working out well and you both want it to continue long-term, you can notify the horse’s passport issuers, who will note the loan on the passport and their records. This clarifies the owner/loaner situation to any outsiders who may view the passport.

And finally – however successful the loan arrangement is, never forget that the horse still belongs to you, and it’s welfare is ultimately your responsibility.

Horse Loan Arranger to the rescue

I had almost committed to a new livery yard for Count. It was seven miles from home base, so not ideal logistically, but the facilities and people looked good.



And then, my friend ( and riding instructor) Laura mentioned a young pupil of hers. Meg was nearly eighteen, and an enthusiastic, capable and sympathetic rider who had long outgrown her pony. She ached for an ex-racehorse, but couldn't afford to buy one. Laura's suggestion: how about letting Meg take Miraed on loan ?



Out of the blue, a whole new scenario to consider! Actually I didn't need to consider long. I'd felt for some time that I'd taken Miraed as far as I could myself. We'd got past the ex-racer tantrums, through the re-schooling, and right up to winning at dressage and taking ridden showing championships. It had been long and hard, but we'd made it and I felt a real sense of achievement.



But Miraed was bored with all that now. ( She's a Lara Croft type of gal, and likes action !) Miraed needed to be going on now, doing more jumping, hunting, eventing - whatever - than I am fit enough for these days. I'd been vaguely looking out for a young ( and fearless!) rider for her ..... And here, it seemed, was the answer. I'd never intended for Miraed to actually leave the yard - but now, if she did, it would make room for Count.



I've loaned out - and borrowed - horses before. It can work very well for all parties, but it can also go very wrong, and it needs lots of checking out and safeguards. This time, though, it was all looking good. Although I didn't know Meg, I knew the livery yard she used very well - the facilities, the proprietors, and several of the horse-owners. I go there regularly for shows and socialising. Miraed would be in a well-run yard, with the same farrier, and same instructor, as before. I would have plenty of 'spies' to monitor her situation! And, lots of witnesses to the nature of the arrangement, to avoid any possible future 'misunderstandings' or wrong-doing. Importantly, Meg had the enthusiastic support of her parents. It was about as safe as these situations can be.



Even so, I took it step by step. First Meg came to see and try Miraed . Her Dad came too - a good sign. Meg stroked and talked to Miraed in a way I liked. We went into the school and I rode first, as you do when showing off a horse. Miraed was not at her most obliging but, thankfully, not too stroppy. Meg then climbed aboard and the two got to know each other while I watched carefully. Meg was quiet and tactful. Miraed tried it on. She jogged, swerved, and ran about with her jaw clenched and her head up in the air. Typical Miraed stuff. Meg sat through it, and then made her behave properly. I was impressed. Miraed is by no means an easy ride suitable for a novice, but Meg quickly had her sussed. After fifteen minutes Miraed had given in and was going sweetly, while Meg wore a great, soppy grin. She was in love.



We discussed loan terms, and I was glad to see Meg's Dad (clearly a horse-lover himself) was actively involved. We agreed a two-week trial.



I delivered Miraed the following weekend. Getting her ready to go, with all her kit, was like sending your kid off to college - and just as emotional. Miraed was finally growing up and going out into the world. When I led her down the horsebox ramp, and handed her leadrope over to Meg, there was a lump in my throat.



Miraed was not in the slightest perturbed. She walked into her new stable, received all the pats and polo mints from the assembled welcome committee, and tucked into her hay. Grub's Ok, job's a good'un!



There was never any doubt about the final decision two weeks later. Meg, and her parents, were both besotted with Miraed, and the yard owners told me the mare had settled in well. I made sure that they, and everyone else, understood exactly the nature of the loan, and in fact the yard owner signed as witness on the formal Loan Agreement.



We used the template of the sample loan agreement from the British Horse Society website. It's very comprehensive, and can be customised to suit your requirements. The BHS strongly advises that a legal advisor checks through any contract you might draw up and agree, but having already checked and used this document in the past I knew it was sound for my purposes. The BHS also advises that you seek references for any potential new keeper of your horse before you agree anything, and also that the keep facilities are approved in advance . Sound common sense - I can't imagine letting a horse go without doing that.



The BHS sample loan agreement can be found at http://www.bhs.org.uk/ . Click on Welfare, then click on Leaflets (at the side). There is a link at the top right corner to the sample contract. Also on this page is an advice leaflet on Loaning and Leasing Horses, which you can download. The direct web page address for this is http://www.bhs.org.uk/content/leaflets.asp?id=20&page=Welfare&area=4

Ex-racehorse livery needed!

Count’s arrival presented me with a problem. Where was he to live? The yard had no spare stable for the winter, and even the summer grazing was just about full to capacity.(Yes, it would have been sensible to sort this out beforehand. But sensible and ex-racehorses seldom go together. Sensible can mean missing golden opportunities. I try not to do sensible these days.) I had to find somewhere for Count long-term, with the right facilities for re-schooling a racehorse – and I’d been given only three weeks to do it!

Finding the ‘right’ livery yard ( for those of us without our own personal country estates, ie most of us) is always tricky. So many things have to be taken into consideration: facilities, like types of stabling, amount and condition of grazing, outdoor and indoor schooling areas, off-road riding, and so on; number of other horses present; distance from home; care and management packages offered, safety and emergency measures, and, of course, cost. Not only that, but for people like me, who like to do as much of the ‘looking after’ stuff with their horses as possible, it is also important that the yard owner/manager, and any staff, are happy with this, and don’t get upset by owners coming in and messing up their tidy routines.

The people at the yard are almost as important as the horse facilities. If the management is any way unsympathetic, unreasonable, unhelpful or inefficient, it can affect a horse’s wellbeing and make an owner’s life an anxious misery. Every bit as bad, for an owner anyway, is any type of feuding, cliques or bitchiness.

It’s also a good idea to check out the other horses at any prospective new yard. Ideally you are hoping for happy, calm, well-behaved animals that will be a joy to accompany when out hacking, and will befriend your own horse in stable and paddock. Any nastiness ( eg persistent kicking, biting) , or infectious habits like weaving, or refusal to be caught, or bad behaviour in traffic, should act as big warning signals.

Finding suitable accommodation for an ex-racehorse, where his rehabilitation and retraining can make calm and steady progress, means considering all the above plus some additional ‘ex-racer issues’. Here is a list of what I look for.

The ideal yard for ex-racehorses should have :

Large and airy stables, with other horses in view for companionship.

Facilities for daily turn-out, all year round. Preferably grass paddocks, but an outdoor school, lunge-ring or sandpit is better than nothing. All horses love to roll, buck and stretch their legs, and it’s a great way for up-tight ex-racers to let off steam and relax.

Sound, safe, and well-maintained fencing and gates. Avoid barbed wire if at all possible. Electric webbing fencing is fine so long as the current is ON at ALL TIMES. Slack pig- or sheep-netting is just great for getting horses feet caught in it.

Constant clean water supply, in field and stable.

Well-maintained, clean and plentiful grazing, for summer at the very least. A regular poo-picking regime is a must.

Safe schooling area. Outdoors or indoors ( both would be great ) Indoors is super-safe for scatty recently-retired ex-racers – but used exclusively does not fit them for riding outdoors later on. An outdoor manege with a high, solid-looking fence ( post and rail, sleepers, etc.) is fine for all re-schooling activities, and will help your horse to learn to work despite distractions. NB: attempting to school an ex-racehorse in an open field is optimistic, to say the least. In fact – as you soon learn when your ex-racer gets fed up and high-tails it into the sunset, with or without you on board – it’s downright crazy.

A regular, appropriate and strongly-enforced worming policy that covers every horse on the site. ( No good worming your own horse if someone else’s poor worm-raddled beastie is constantly re-infecting the pasture.)

A sensible isolation policy for new horses coming onto the yard. ( Ex-racehorses, having in many ways led cosseted, high-maintenance lives where they have seldom had to rough it , can have lower natural immunities than their humbler horse-cousins. And, if they are unused to field turnout, they may be bullied by their tougher new fieldmates.)

Clearly-displayed safety-and-emergency signs: No-Smoking, Fire Drill, Emergency Contacts, etc. A noticeboard for news and messages is also a good social tool.

Somewhere safe to store your stuff – Grooming box, First Aid kit, lunging line and whip, exercise boots, etc etc. ( I always take my saddles and bridles home with me, as so many yards are burgled for tack these days.) If you are providing your own feed, you will also need somewhere vermin-proof to store it.

Knowledgeable, conscientious and sympathetic yard owner/manager, who cares about the horses in the yard and is neither nervous nor dismissive of ex-racehorses.

Personnel on-site 24/7. I need to know that my horses will be checked last thing at night, and if one starts with colic at 2.00am someone will hear it and take appropriate action.

At least one friendly, sensible person with a quiet horse to ride out with when my ex-racer is having one of its ‘there are wolves out there!’ sessions.


OK, so 13 may be unlucky, and you’ll certainly be very lucky to find all of these points together in one place. You’re likely to have to compromise on something – you pick. I spent a couple of weeks travelling round my locality visiting different livery yards and weighing up the pros and cons for each, trying to discover which would suit Count, and me, the best. It wasn’t easy to choose. And time was running out.