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!
