Buying an ex racehorse
- Thread starter Mad Dog
- Start date
V
vieshot
Guest
Contact a racing barn near you. Most will very often have ex racers they need to rehome and will oftne give away free or dirt cheap.
Ascot bloodstock sales. My Tb Belle came from there (her previous owner bought her there for £700) and I had the catalogue to go but found Belle privately first. Check out the Brightwells website http://www.brightwells.com/equine they have all the details of buying at auction. Get a catalogue and go through all the possible ones first before seeing them at the auction. Good luck. I intend to go at some point in the future.
Last edited:
ring all your local racehorse trainers and ask if there are any needing re homing,they mostly have a list you can go on too.
Good luck in your search.
Good luck in your search.
depends where you are, doncaster, ascot.
usually auctions are cheap because they go for meat money.
or a yard, you just have to know what you are looking for
usually auctions are cheap because they go for meat money.
or a yard, you just have to know what you are looking for
I went up to doncaster bloodstock sales at the beginning of April and got my new boy from there for £900, i didn't have much to spend so was a good option for me as i wanted another racehorse retrain. And i think i have found my perfect horsey! I had looked into rehoming one from a rehab centre, i.e. Greatwood, but they were taking for ever so on the spur of the moment went to the sales. Rehab centres normally ask for a donation and the horses are already re-schooled to some degree i think.
Thoroughly recommend Ascot sales-turn up with money and transport: friend of mine has bought straight from the track for £500 each.
*Sez*
Salsa & Solstice Twilight
Try the Ex Racers Club. They often have horses at all stages of re-schooling for sale, and there are folks there who own horses currently in racing, so there are some straight off track.
Don't forget that reschooling an ex racer isn't a "cheap" option - often it's more cost effective to buy one that someone has already started to work on.
Don't forget that reschooling an ex racer isn't a "cheap" option - often it's more cost effective to buy one that someone has already started to work on.
As above. The sales are all very good if you know what you are looking for. Also try the charities, as they will also continue to offer support.
I got mine straight from his trainer who is a member here vicijp maybe try her, although i dont know where your based she may be too far- she has a website i will look it up now and get back to you
I've always been headed for the sales and then found one somewhere else
In order of having them.. newest first
Stanners was in training (as a NH horse) but so far we think he never raced. I bought him (un-retrained) from some friends of his poor previous owner who had bought him from his trainer but had not had the chance to ride him more than a couple of times it seems, before she sadly passed away. It seems she bought him directly off the racing yard.
TheG came straight from his trainer - 72hrs after his last race
Monty - who had chased and P2P I bought from an ad in H&H the week before the Ascot sales.
Del - was a Standardbred who had raced (trotting).. So not strictly a TB ex-racer - but had very similar probs - he came from a reschooling job I was doing - owner couldn't cope so I bought him.
Dunc - Came straight from a trainer on his holidays to see if he would recover from a wind op - he didn't so he stayed
Laurel, Temba & Shortie - all straight from the trainers - we played Polocrosse & evented them.
Witch - via a polo yard for me to play Polocrosse on - she was my first ex-racer and my first "big" horse as a kid - she was teeny really - 14hh ish - but coming from a 13hh she seemed HUGE! lol.
In order of having them.. newest first
Stanners was in training (as a NH horse) but so far we think he never raced. I bought him (un-retrained) from some friends of his poor previous owner who had bought him from his trainer but had not had the chance to ride him more than a couple of times it seems, before she sadly passed away. It seems she bought him directly off the racing yard.
TheG came straight from his trainer - 72hrs after his last race
Monty - who had chased and P2P I bought from an ad in H&H the week before the Ascot sales.
Del - was a Standardbred who had raced (trotting).. So not strictly a TB ex-racer - but had very similar probs - he came from a reschooling job I was doing - owner couldn't cope so I bought him.
Dunc - Came straight from a trainer on his holidays to see if he would recover from a wind op - he didn't so he stayed
Laurel, Temba & Shortie - all straight from the trainers - we played Polocrosse & evented them.
Witch - via a polo yard for me to play Polocrosse on - she was my first ex-racer and my first "big" horse as a kid - she was teeny really - 14hh ish - but coming from a 13hh she seemed HUGE! lol.
Last edited:
I think in hand, yes you can view them before and have them trotted up. There is a vet on site for vetting which must be directly after the sale, cost £160 when I asked earlier in the year. Some of the horses are sold as seen I think (possibly not open to vetting, but sound - there is some review if the horse is sold not as described). You need to get a catalogue as this describes the horse in detail (race history if any, backed, windsucks etc) - very interesting stuff. There are usually horse transporters there if necessary. Hope that helps.
I bought my ex racer already retrained for just under £2000. he needed some schooling and ground work as he was very nervous at first. he was underweight and in bad condition. Buying an ex racer is far from a cheap option and if peoples opinions are that ex racers are a cheap option striaght off the track then they really shouldn't be buying a horse as that is completely the wrong attitude.
You can view them being trotted up and have good luck and check over them, most of them are sold as they stand but some are sold subject to vetting, it will tell you in the catalogue about the subject to vetting or not. There is vet on site who will do vettings although i'm not sure if they are sold as they stand if you can have them vetted before they go into the ring. When i bought Marley i had a form to fill out and on it was a section if wanted bloods taken for an extra £125 or something like that. I agree racehorses are not a cheap option, i have already had a nice vets bill for Marley, saddle checked and before i start work again i will have his back checked again and his teeth checked. I just didn't have a big lump sum to spend at the time but could afford all the other necessary things. So i guess it works in that kind of circumstance if you don't have a big lump sum to spend but have enough to afford all the other things that comes with getting a racehorse.
If you turn up with no transport, will there be someone to transport? What's the max you might be expected to pay?
Last edited:
Just a word of caution.
If buying a young ex flat racer pay a price that you would for an unbroken horse. Some yards do train their horses well some just sit a lightweight on and let them run!
Generally be prepared for a horse that has never been mounted apart from a leg up, has never had a rider 'sit' and has no idea of conventional aids.
We spend a long time desensitising, going to shows in hand etc and start from scratch on the lunge, to most ex racers lunge work means charge around while someone hangs on tight
Be prepared for a total lack of understanding with the rider, they are used to being led around, let go ,canter in straight line, be put in confined space and then go fast. A simple circle in the school can be a major acheivement.
By all means buy them but do be aware that this is not a cheap and easy way to get a riding horse. We reckon on a three year training program to turn and ex racer into a good riding horse.
If buying a young ex flat racer pay a price that you would for an unbroken horse. Some yards do train their horses well some just sit a lightweight on and let them run!
Generally be prepared for a horse that has never been mounted apart from a leg up, has never had a rider 'sit' and has no idea of conventional aids.
We spend a long time desensitising, going to shows in hand etc and start from scratch on the lunge, to most ex racers lunge work means charge around while someone hangs on tight
Be prepared for a total lack of understanding with the rider, they are used to being led around, let go ,canter in straight line, be put in confined space and then go fast. A simple circle in the school can be a major acheivement.
By all means buy them but do be aware that this is not a cheap and easy way to get a riding horse. We reckon on a three year training program to turn and ex racer into a good riding horse.
Absolutely. We've been very lucky with the ex-racer TB we got last month-8 months in a field and nothing since she proved to be 'useless' on the track. We're taking it slowly but she's a dope! Very affectionate but knows nothing, desperately unbalanced, doesn't know what apples and polos are. Luckily, my friend who is an AI has previously backed horses so is starting from scratch, although we did pop her skinny daughter on this week-good as gold. My enquiry was on behalf of Boomer's co-owner who is dying for a new horse. I feel that this is most sincerely not the way forward for her, though. There are lots of decent horses on Horsemart who aren't a fortune and have been backed in the traditional way to ride.
newrider.com