Retraining a racehorse part 2

 
Retraining a racehorse to become a leisure or competition horse can be very rewarding and enjoyable. Here are a few things to consider to help you introduce groundwork and make the transition to ridden work as stress free as possible for both horse and owner.
Beginning Education groundwork
Racehorses have usually been well handled by professionals from a young age and as such they are generally polite to lead load clip etc. It is not uncommon for them to begin longreining and the backing process at 18 months of age. This can be a good place to restart them assuming you are familiar and confident with the procedure yourself.

Lunging can also be useful but remember they will not be used to working to a contact or on circles so it is best to start without side reins and to keep sessions short 20 min max Start as you would if backing a horse. Seek professional help if in any doubt.
Begin with a safe area such as an arena or lunging pen with good footing. Establish the principles of lunging keeping sessions calm and work on rhythm and balance. Keep to walk and trot.  When the time comes to introduce side reins start with them long and allow the horse time to understand how to begin to use his abdominal and back muscles and engage his hinquarters. So far most of his life has been spent going in straight lines and using completely different muscles so be patient and dont rush him.
Ridden work
Remember your racehorse may not be used to people mounting from the stirrup. Jockeys often have a leg up or simply spring on! Start teaching you new arrival to stand next to the mounting block and get used to some weight in the stirrup.
Tip In the early days it can help to have someone stand by his head and even offer a treat as the rider mounts to avoid any conflict or confusion. Try to be agile and not to spend ages getting on initially as he will be used to the rider getting on and getting going. It is better to work on standing still towards the end of your session rather than at the beginning.
Most racehorses are familiar with riding out so assuming you have somewhere safe off road tracks ideally then this is a good place to start after an initial walk round in the arena to check all is well and he accepts you.  He will be used to riding in a string or group so start by taking him out with a sensible companion horse as opposed to on his own. Start with slow work so he learns to walk even when on grass. Only try solo trips once he has gained confidence.
Tip Try to