Retraining a racehorse

 from a trainer as they will offer advice and will have begun the retraining process.

It is also a good idea to have in mind your future plans for your new horse; a potential dressage horse or event horse would need to be more athletic than a general leisure/hacking horse. In all cases the more correct his conformation (the way he is put together) the more likely he will be to stay sound throughout his life. Also consider if any old injuries could cause problems in the future.

Getting your new horse home

Biosecurity is important with any new horse and your racehorse is no different. Check his vaccinations are up to date and it is a good idea to isolate all new arrivals and follow normal biosecurity procedures. Check out our Biosecurity blog for more details.

Your new horse will also need to be wormed or have a worm egg count done-find out more here

A change of home can be a stressful time for any horse, but some pre-planning will help. Your racehorse will be used to a very routine life and also to having lots of horses around, so if your new ex-racehorse is being isolated for biosecurity reasons, ensure that he can see other horses. If possible, try to keep him and his neighbours in the same routine too.

TIP: Even if you are on a DIY yard, try to get together with friends and feed the horses at the same time – your racehorse will be used to this and may become stressed if his routine is different from the other horses. The same applies to turnout. Establish a routine that you can keep to.

Feeding: he will need access to plenty of fibre such as ad-lib meadow hay but will no longer need the high energy feed that he is likely to have had when racing. Choose a low energy, high fibre cube, mix or balancer. It can be helpful to contact a feed company to seek advice if you are unsure.

Settling in and turnout

Turnout is generally a good idea if weather conditions and facilities allow, unless the horse has restrictions due to previous injury. It will give him time to relax and just ‘be a horse’ but it may be something he will need to get used to; it is not unusual for many racehorses to have been permanently stabled during their racing career or given access to a small turnout pen to have a roll. Introduce his turnout and access to grass carefully starting with a couple of hours and gradually extending the time. He may also feel the cold more than other horses and need rugging accordingly.

Tip: Finding him a calm companion who will quietly graze will be a big help and encourage him to settle. Also it’s a good idea to pick a quiet time on the yard for his first turnout, when there are not too many people or horses coming or going.