I must stop buying horses!!

eml

eml

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Apr 29, 2002
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www.ivanhoeequestrian.net
Everytime we go to see a retiring racehorse we say 'this one is definately going to be for sale'.

Last one I posted about... daughter bought in March for £500, this week he does his first Hickstead ROR showing class qualifier, next month his first mini (70cms) event, he now has a home for life with us.

Today I went to see a friend who is a trainer in Newmarket who needed to rehome a horse quickly...It was definately going to be sold on and after seeing the horse I jokingly said to my friend ..'I give it to half way home before we decide to keep him'. Unfortunately by the time she had made us a cup of tea we said...ok this is a keeper for us!!! Daughter and I will never make dealers!!!!

Pictures will follow tomorrow, just put horse in stable for tonight after a long wet drive...in the morning he has his first time in a field for at least 3 years!

Just a sad comment on value of racehorses, three years ago at the age of 3 he was purchased for £25000, today he cost me £250. :(
 
Very lucky horse! Pics of him going out on this grass please:biggrin: I cant believe how little he cost to buy - was that "mates rates" or is that the going rate for an ex race horse now?
 
Its a good thin im not good enough to re-school and ride an ex-racer or my mams feilds would be full at that price! :redface:
Glad hes got a loverly home. :biggrin:
 
A little bit of mates rates in that they know we will do the best for a rather sweet horse but general market price is what the 'meatman' would pay. Some trainers we know with cooperative owners would rather give the nice horses away to good homes on a no reselling condition or have them pts at home.

Most good trainers these days will also make sure the horses that are dangerous or never likely to be retrainable are not sold. I was offered one by his owner but the trainer said, 'I am sorry I think he is dangerous please don't have him'..three weeks later the horse killed himself bolting and ran into a building, breaking his neck .

Sadly there are others who people offer silly money to who will sell anything to anyone, we know horses bought by novices for anything from £1500 -£5000. they are some of the 'problem' horses that people seek our help with.

They are not 'cheap' horses, they cost very little to buy but you do need to have talent with them and the facilities and money too keep them as they are accustomed to. Our hardest projects are those that were bought by the wrong people initially, one starved to make her handleable, one lamed for life by being 'pulled over' to stop him rearing, one that is afraid to be turned out in a rug in case he is not brought in again, one that took a year to pat...all post racing problems..... not brought on by their life in racing:banghead:
 
Well done you! :) Sounds like another lucky ex-racer has fallen on his feet. :)

Totally agree about the 'horse being cheap' but the keeping and re-training of them being potentially expensive, time-consuming and difficult. I couldn't do it, I freely admit that. I don't have the time to. I can take cobs and the types you can chuck in a field for a few months whilst they chill, then chuck tack on and re-start knowing they're not going to really give a toss what you do with them, but not TBs. They're not my 'thing' and I don't have the inclination to retrain them. :(

Glad you do! :)
 
Iv got a BIG place in my heart for a ex racers, i have one at the moment who i have to take care of not because i ride (i can) but i just dont have time. i got her in a very bad way along with my sisters ex racehorse tht was shockingly even worse than my mare was.

I think i have spent more in vet bills than i would have paid to buy a horse so it defintly isint the cheep option i agree.

There are days when i struggle and think y do i have horses, but then when i get there and see her it all makes sense.
I do it purely because i know she is taken care of and looked after. and tht in itself makes it all worth while for me.

My family & friends go out drinking, having there nails done, sunbeds, cloth shopping etc and i have none of tht i spend my money on my horses. although i have treated myself just lately :biggrin:
 
You do have a gift with these off track fellows, you ought to sell on, everyone would benefit.
 
Lucky boy that you have taken him.

Think Wally's right. If you could find them good homes, you could help more. But then you always have the worry of what happens after they leave your control. I know I could never sell any animal, I would be forever worrying what might happen to them.

Look forward to seeing pics of your new boy.
 
Therein lies the problem, eml and her daughter do have a way with the OT TB. Not everyone does, what is a big puppy in eml's hands could so easlity be turned into a quivering wreck by another well meaning rider.
 
In field with lots of boots on and a big pile of haylage to eat and learning to speak horse over the fences to the other TBs. Very non confrontational and puzzled, can't decide if he can roll on or copy the others and eat this funny green stuff!!

Easy to handle and has had 6 weeks since his last race so we will probably give him a month out at grass before restarting and hopefully get him out and about toward the end of this season.
 
Aww ditto the others 'lucky boy'............lets hope he turns into a wonderfully
chilled and happy beasty for you both.:wink:

Sounds like he may :biggrin:
 
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