July 11, 2024, 5:55 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Former racehorses can be attained for little money. They are keen to perform, smart, and spirited. If they are successfully retrained, they can become the perfect leisure horse. But keeping them is highly demanding. We explain what riders should bear in mind.
At first glance, racehorses like English thoroughbreds seem to only have advantages. They are swift, elegant, sensitive, and they can be affordable, especially when they retire from the racetrack. Many gallopers (the name given to any racehorse that is used on the racecourse in gallop races while under the saddle of a jockey) have their careers ended after a few years. That is mainly because they have slowed down or become injured. Their owners then typically sell them for a few thousand euros.
For leisure riders who also enjoy competing, the cost of a horse typically ranges from 8,000 to 25,000 euros. The offer of a trained and powerful large horse of good riding age for less than 10,000 euros sounds like a bargain. And it certainly can be. However, the fine-boned ex-racehorses, usually between 1.50 and 1.70 meters tall (4.9 to 5.6 feet), are not suitable for every leisure rider.
Overview
“A few will always remain racehorses in their minds”
Thoroughbreds compete in their first races at the age of three, which is also the earliest age they are broken in. This is very young. Their racecourse career often lasts between three and seven years, so they are still young at the end of it. Only the successful mares and stallions are bred. The rest is sold to leisure and competition riders, often directly from the racing stable.
In Germany, there are only a few people who professionally train ex-gallopers into riding horses. One of them is Anke Dahlhaus, who retrains gallopers into riding horses at her stable, “Liberty’s Home” in Weeze. She advises people to think carefully before buying directly from the racecourse. That is because racing horses can be a challenge even for experienced riders: “Some are like sheep, but with most of them, the beginning is rough. And a few always remain a racehorse in their minds.”
Having a test ride in the racing stable is also rarely possible. And it does not tell you very much, as the horse has not yet been retrained. “When buying, you should pay attention to whether their legs are in the correct position, among other things, as this is not the main focus in thoroughbred breeding,” says expert Putz. These physical abnormalities make the horse more susceptible to illness. It also makes sense to have the horse examined by a vet before buying. Especially if it has been taken out of racing for health reasons.
Unfortunately for some, the future is bleak
But even if, in theory, the racehorse can be retrained as a riding horse, you should still think carefully about the purchase. “They are definitely not suitable for beginners or for anxious people,” explains master horse trainer Michael Putz from Buckenhof in Bavaria. “You shouldn’t necessarily aim for a dressage career with them, either.” The horses are specially bred for fast galloping, whereas dressage horses have different physical requirements. However, thoroughbreds can often jump well and have great stamina. This makes them suitable for disciplines such as eventing and endurance riding.
Unfortunately, the futures of some of these horses are bleak. Especially when the owners are overwhelmed by their needs. Such horses are constantly changing hands and are sometimes given away. This has been confirmed by the German Animal Welfare Association in Bonn: some horses pass through countless hands or end up at the slaughterhouse, they say.
Racehorses speak a different language
For thoroughbreds, switching from a racing stable to a riding stable is like entering a completely different world. Most notably, the riding style for racehorses is new. “In racing, there are no leg aids, and if the reins are taken short, that means acceleration” Dahlhaus explains.
In their new life, the horses have to learn these different aids, which the riders communicate by using their weight, legs, and reins. For the ex-gallopers, this is like learning a new language. The movements of the rider’s leg don’t mean anything to them. Pressure on the reins now signals “whoa” instead of the encouraging “go” they were accustomed to on the racetrack.
Out of all things, galloping is particularly difficult for thoroughbreds at first. This is because in racing, the small and light jockey is enthroned above the saddle. Now the generally larger and heavier rider sits in it. This puts a strain on the back muscles and is a challenge for the horse’s balance. Many thoroughbreds are also new to running uphill, downhill, on uneven ground, in different directions, and most of the time within riding halls and arenas.
Although their fast canter develops impressive muscles on their hindquarters, the muscles on their back and upper neck, which are important for riding, are only slightly developed. They also struggle to bend their bodies to the right and left, being only “as flexible as a railroad crossing gate”, as Dahlhaus puts it. Expert Putz recommends a jumping or eventing saddle and a normal snaffle as equipment to start with. “It’s best to treat and ride a former galloper like a young horse,” he says.
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For training purposes, the rider should also know what type of ex-racehorse he is dealing with. Did the horse run as a galloper on a grass track? If so, the rider should avoid large meadows for the time being, unless he is planning a fast lap. Was the thoroughbred a “stayer”, i.e., a specialist in long distances? If so, you should never take it on long rides, as you will get tired before it does.
Thoroughbreds are also unaccustomed to their new living and feeding routines. According to Dahlhaus, racehorses in training are given enormous amounts of oats, eight kilograms (seventeen pounds) a day is not uncommon. They also have to get used to grazing, as racehorses usually live in individual boxes and have little direct contact with fellow horses. At “Liberty’s Home “, new arrivals are first let out into the paddock with a compatible horse and then slowly integrated into the group.
The thoroughbreds usually stay at the stables in Weeze for a few months, after which they are sold with a touch of basic training. This is because many racehorses learn impressively quickly after the initial shock of their new world, as Dahlhaus explains.
With contributions from dpa