Im thinking of buying a x race horse can they be retrained for riding pleasureand what do i need to

Ex-racers, or OTTBs (off-track Thoroughbreds), are excellent horses and often move onto productive lives after racing. They are athletic and usually intelligent, and prime candidates for hunter/jumper, eventing, dressage, and even western prospects. But they are not horses for the novice or even intermediate rider, especially fresh from the track. I've seen too many people buy OTTBs because they're cheap only to be overwhelmed by these horse's tremendous agility, personality, and their severe lack of knowledge.

The way they train horses for the track is completely different from any other discipline of riding. Furthermore, these are animals that spend roughly 22 hours a day in their stalls. They are prone to vices like cribbing, weaving, and chewing. They are usually flighty and at least a little hot. They often react with fear to normal barn sights, smells, and activity because they've never been exposed to it before. You need to have infinite patience in order to calm and coax and OTTB into accepting its new home, position, and lifestyle. All TBs from the track will need at least two or three months of solid turnout where they can learn to be horses again. You might do a little be of ground work at this stage, but for the most part let them be around other horses and let them work out some of their pent-up energy from the track.

The first person to get on an OTTB that's fresh from the track should always be a professional trainer. These horses respond to pressure by running. They respond to almost anything by running, for that matter. As a result, they need someone who can relax, let them have a looser rein and just ease the horse into relaxing, too. Novice riders tend to grab reins when they get nervous, and that will just send the horse into a flight. Re-training should be a slow, gradual process. The first part should always consist of light hacking, building up the horse's muscle tone again and familiarizing them with the riding ring, trails, and road work. Just start by walking and trotting. You shouldn't even think about cantering until the horse has had a solid two weeks to a month of walking out and trotting.