Saturday, January 31, 2015

Get an Ex-racehorse in Midwinter? Great Idea!

It's January. It's wet, windy and icy. The days are short and there aren't enough hours of daylight to get all your outdoor stuff done. A great time to make real progress with your ex-racehorse!

No, I'm not joking. It really is. All the racehorse re-training centres will agree that this time of year is really slow on the re-homing front. People are wary of taking on a new horse when the weather may limit riding, and turnout time may be restricted or unavailable. And, of course, feed costs are higher than in the summer, when grass is, hopefully, plentiful and comparatively cheap. But with a bit of imagination and lateral thinking, mid-winter can be a productive and enriching time to spend with a new horse.

In some ways, mid-winter is much the same as mid-summer. If you take on an ex-racehorse directly out of training, you will probably not be able to turn it straight out in the field anyway, whatever the time of year. If the horse has raced recently he will still be on a rocket-fuel diet that you will have to change gradually over a few weeks. He will be used to being rugged up, even in summer, and will need to have his wardrobe adjusted very gradually too. He will not be used to living out – may, indeed , not even have had any daily turnout periods at all. Turned loose in a field, he may feel lost and uncertain, or go giddily bananas and possibly injure himself tearing around. On his own, he may panic. Put with unfamiliar horses, he may fight or be picked on. Ex-racehorses – especially new ones – and problems always go together! The clever trick is to chooses and minimise the problems. Keeping a newly-aquired horse, of any type, in an environment as similar as possible to the one it has just left is usually a good idea.

The issue of limited riding time in winter, especially for people with 9 to 5 jobs, is undeniable. But it needn't become a big problem that holds you back. Lucky people with access to indoor schools or floodlit outdoor arenas can ride in the early mornings or evenings. And there's no need to worry that the lights will worry your ex-racer – racehorses are used to working in the early mornings both indoors and out with lights blazing. And some of them have raced under floodlights too - so, easy-peasy. And if you don't have lighted riding areas on-site, perhaps you could box to a facility nearby. Your ex-racehorse will be perfectly familiar with popping in and out of transport to do pieces of work and should not mind at all. Moreover, it will do him a world of good to travel to somewhere that isn't racing – to help him get the idea of his new life. Also, these little outings will really help you get to know and trust each other. The more you do together, the closer the bond.

And don't underestimate the value of in-hand work, either. If the weather has been foul for a few days and your horse has been largely stable-bound, he may indeed be a bit fresh. So do some lungeing and/or long-reining. (It may be a new experience for your ex-racer, depending on the breaking-in and training regime he had, so it could be something new and interesting to teach him, which will keep his active little brain working as well as his body.) You could also do some loose-schooling, and practice your Monty Roberts-style 'join-up' exercises. (Yes, they really do work, I've found.) And you could simply practice leading your horse about, forwards, backwards, side-to-side, small circles and large ones, getting him to understand your instructions and respect your space. And – a crucial one for many ex-racers – getting him to stand still ! Racehorses aren't called upon to do much standing around outside the stable. And they tend to be mounted at the walk, too, with the rider getting a leg-up on-the-move. Fine if you're a jockey ready to canter to the starting stalls – but otherwise, it's probably a habit you will want to end! When rotten weather or darkness prevents riding out, teaching a horse to Stand for mounting ( and that mounting blocks don't bite!) is a great use of time together, without even having to leave the yard.

And if it's too icy/hailing/ snowing to even leave the stable – just BE with your horse. Share his space. Talk to him. Tell him about yourself, and your hopes of your new life together with him. Groom him, slowly and thoroughly, enjoying the feel of him, his warmth and silkiness. He will probably be enjoying it too – stable staff in racing yards seldom have time for long, luxurious pampering sessions with their charges. But in the depths of winter, you and your ex-racehorse DO. This unhurried, non-riding time together is precious. Enjoy it!



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