How long of a break do Thoroughbreds need after the track before being retrained?

Most TBs come off the track very lean, they look skinny, but this is because they have a racing build as oppose to a sport horse build.

My trainer, who has taken on many OTTBs for many years has taught me her methods of dealing with OTTBs. Retraining isn't the issue, the main issue is condition. She puts the horse out to pasture on basic hard feed, plenty of hay and grass and water. She normally leaves them for at least 2 weeks to 2 months (depending on the horse) on pasture 24/7 before she starts working with them, this gives them time to unwind, relax and let most f the drugs start working its way out of their system.

After the horse has had its RnR time, she starts on ground work, lunging, long lining etc. She does this for 2 to 4 months and then starts riding work from scratch, she treats each horse as though it has never been backed before, starting at the very beginning.

Most of the time horses go 6 to 12 months before serious training even begins. She does plenty of flatwork, hacking, games etc with the horses, taking them to fun days and small shows (even if not competing)

While all this is going on, feed is kept at a very basic. The reason being is the horse needs to drop all his racing condition and muscle in order to re-establish himself in a sport horse condition. I've seen some of these horses look absolutely atrocious, dull coats, thin, lacking muscle etc. This is a very necessary step as most often when OTTBs are not allowed to do this in their later years they suddenly drop and lose condition for no apparent reason, but actually this is because their bodies have just given up as they have been overworked and used.

After this sudden drop, generally between the 6 to 8 month mark, you can start increasing feed and adding supplements in order to get the horse up to an optimal weight.

The key with OTTBs is taking your time, you have to be very patient in order to get things right.

I have seen OTTBs take 2 years before being able to start a showing career and some being able to start showing in under 12 months.

My own OTTB I had for 8 months when I started serious competition on him, albeit he had been off the track for 4 months before I got him and had his last race 3 months before he was sold on to the person I bought him from. He was a few days shy of 5 years old when I got him and had had 8 starts with 1 win. He was actually bred by a local breeder who is good friends with my trainer. He was the cream of their crop coming out of their best mare and sired by one of the top sires in the country, his dams sire was the best sire in the country, he sold for a very large sum of money and was bought by a syndicate, unfortunately they had the wrong trainer working for them and he didn't help his racing career, he's a one person horse and they had jockey trouble and changed jockeys for every race so he never settled with a jockey.

One last thing, even though he had a full pre-purchase vet examination before I bought him, one thing never came up until I started working with him. He was very head shy when it came to touching his left ear. Putting on a bridle or halter was fine but clipping his ears or putting tick grease on was a nightmare. Upon asking his breeders, I was told that he 'bashed the side of his head in the stable' when he was young. After a vet examined it, I found out he was partially deaf in that ear and had some minor swelling which if not treated could have become a lot worse in years to come. This was something that no one could have predicted and even after a thorough vet check it was overlooked. The vet who diagnosed it was a different vet to the one who did my pre-purchase exam and he said that he wouldn't have noticed it unless I asked for head scans which is very rare. He still remains a little head shy, not a fan of the tick grease, but his hearing has neither gotten better nor worse. It hasn't ever been an issue and it shouldn't ever cause an issue. He has gone one to become a champion show horse.

Well, you have training experience so start at the beginning.I'd start him as you would any other horse, You know he's used to being led, shod, vaccinated , wormed, bathed, and saddled. So you don't "need' to retrain all of that but going through the basics will get the two of you acquainted and allow him time to know you, and your ways of doing things. The only thing I would watch for is him wanting to speed up and be in front when riding out with others, so I'd practice that. And he may be stiff on one side, especially if they only every ran clockwise on the track. I think you're going to like this challenge. Since he already knows alot, you will be able to just review it and move on to the more interesting training, leg, seat, and & rein cues.

It differs with each horse. Keep in mind a lot of them are injected regularly so when you get them everything that has been given to them needs to exit the system. They will go through a stage of withdrawal at this point. Once again it depends on the horse for how long that'll take. With my 6 year old, now 1.35m eventer, it took 3 months until I could touch her. But with my 4 year old who never even got on the track, I've had her for a year and she's still sketchy. I've started working with her of course but she has very bad moments. She will bolt or race horses, fall down, rear up. You need to allow yourself at least 3 months of waiting. Then if you think he's okay, start doing basic groundwork. If he's acting up to that, wait longer. Patience is a virtue with ottbs. They're amazing when they're all fixed and trained, but it takes time. So don't go jumping into anything like your friend.

Edit: I asked around with my hrses and just wanted to add a bit!

First off, some of them are badly abused. My 6 year old had multiple bones broken in her face. She still has raised marks where they were. If you get an injured horse, you don't know how long that injury will take to heal. You can't put a time on that because of all the variables.

Second, I would look for a horse that hasn't raced due to lack of speed, NOT motivation. My 4 year old is plenty fast enough for ME, but not the track. So she had the motivation, but her strides weren't long enough. I saw them take her around as a demo, and you could see she was trying her hardest but she just wasn't fast enough.

Third, as the other person said, feet. You need to get their feet fixed before you even start groundwork. A lot of thoroughbreds, off or on the track, have crap feet. You will probably need shoes so that their feet are sort of held together. It'll help a lot. Also you'll have to condition, condition, condition. Look after your baby's feet! It doesn't take too long :)

Finally, you will need an EXPERIENCED horse person, trainer or rider, to help you with riding. If you don't have much experience with ottbs, you need someone who knows about them, to guide you or even put the first couple rides on them. Not all trainers have restarted an ottb well, so ask your friends or people from your barn if anyone has ridden ottbs extensively or even owns one!

Sorry to make it a lot longer but I rethought my answer. Good luck!!!

They don't go lame from a lack of a break.

They go lame because they are trimmed crappy and their feet are not held together with a proper trim.

there are some who are trimmed proper (in the bigger races) but in the smaller ones....the horses are treated like a dime a dozen. They're rushed through to being raced, raced then tossed and younger models are brought in....

So coming off the track, find a farrier or a barefoot trimmer who knows what the heck they're doing.

There's lots of farriers who think they know, but they let the feet flare out and the horse breaks down.

The reason why the horses need a break after being on the track? They're high as kites, nervous wrecks and they drop weight like crazy.

I've seen several off the track come to the barn where I board.

They're skin and bones, people think they're starvation cases!

They are scared to death of being in the stall (because a race track stall is hell to them)

They get diarrhea very easily

They're full of drugs and hot feed that need to wear off before you can get anything out of them.

They are not treated well and humanely at the track. They're an object. So, they don't get happy memories of human interaction. No trust.

They're usually damaged physically as well as mentally. So, traumatized.

I've heard from the racing professionals themselves that a horse can take 6 weeks on up to just "unwind" after coming off the track.

A horse that's had less than 5 starts on the track?

What horse?

Every one of them will have a different experience/story and need.

You might get one that's ready for work, you might get one that needs weeks or months of rest.

You're gambling when you get one off the track.

Before you go get one, you really need some real experience with one (without owning one).

They can be high strung for the rest of their lives (react easily, especially if not worked with regularly, even if they're worked regularly....)

Some can be relaxed and laid back. But some are not.

They feel like they have a fire of anxiety inside of them just bursting to get out.

You truly need tons of patience if you get a hot TB. TONS of patience. And time. TONS of time and no deadline.

-*12-*

We have had horses on the track and yes they are fed great and are kept in great shape so will have lots of strength and stamina. Their hooves are kept in good shape and they will wear aluminium shoes.

It is my opinion that anyone who will wait even a week to start working a OTT is just nuts, Get at it get it done and see what you have. Do not be putting money and time into something that may not work out for you. Take them off any grain so they will think quiet and not nuts. Put some long quiet rides on them then start training.

I have trained several OTT and it takes a lot circles to get them off the bit and cantering nice quiet circles on a slack rein.