Retraining racehorses for showing takes time, patience and repetition. Not all former racehorses are suitable to go on to succeed in the show ring as their second career as only a horse of a certain quality can reach the highest levels in showing. There are, though, many retired racing stars who have gone onto excel in both specific showing classes for former racehorses and in open show horse ranks.
An ex-racehorse can be a popular choice for many riders as they are often readily available and, in lots of instances, can be bought for considerably less money than their unraced counterparts. Buying an ex-racehorse with the intention of it becoming a show horse is a gamble as even though the animal might look the part, their temperament must be right for the job.
There are many opportunities in the showing world for former racehorses and their owners. Most local and county shows schedule retrained racehorse classes, either unaffiliated or affiliated to Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) or SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse (R2R).
The main showing finals for ex-racehorses are held at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in October, and at the Hickstead Derby meeting in July. The RoR national championships is also a major occasion for former racehorses with the overall supreme being one of the most coveted titles on the circuit. There are also specific classes for amateur and home-produced riders who own racehorses, including at the London International Horse Show. H&H created this extensive guide on showing ex-racehorses.
How long it takes a former racehorse to adapt to showing will depend on the horse’s temperament, breeding and racing history, but sympathetic and well-thought-out training can also go a long way in ensuring they enjoy success in another sphere.
Retraining racehorses for showing: 9 key areas
H&H speaks to two of the circuit’s most established show horse specialists who have won titles with former racehorses in recent years to find out how they approach retraining racehorses for showing.
Jo Bates is a show horse specialist with many championships to her name. She is one of the circuit’s most consistent retrained racehorse producers, having guided several of these horses to the top of their game in the show ring. Jo was HOYS R2R champion aboard Grandeur in 2019, and she is the producer of Katie Dashwood’s history-making ex-racer Minella Rebellion, who was R2R champion at HOYS in his first season before he was crowned riding horse of the year in 2023, becoming the only former racehorse to achieve wins in both open and R2R divisions at HOYS. He is also a multi-RIHS winner. Other stars Jo has ridden include Slightly Trendy and Simbad.
Jo Bates produced Katie Dashwood’s versatile champion, the retrained racehorse Minella Rebellion. Credit: Peter Nixon
1. Time and patience
Jo maintains that the two main ingredients that go into re-training are time and patience.
“Give yourself the smallest of goals to begin with,” Jo starts. “They can grow into big dreams but if you get too ambitious too soon, you’ll likely fry an ex-racehorse’s brain. You need to give them confidence and trust in you, so they know you’re going to hold their hand and guide them through any situation. Thoroughbreds are such people pleasers, and they need to know that you’re there for them.”
Kirstine Douglas is a leading show horse producer who is based in Dumfries. Her current top middleweight hunter contender, Rich Man Poor Man, was formerly in training with Philip Kirby. He is a dual weight and RoR champion, having stood supreme hunter and supreme RoR at the Royal Highland, and having been to HOYS under both guises.
Kirstine Douglas with Rich Man Poor Man, who took to his new career fantastically well, excelling as a top-class middleweight hunter. Credit: Grossick Racing
Kirstine agrees that rushing a horse rarely produces the intended results.
“I never rush any show horse to get them out into the ring and just because the shows have started doesn’t mean you have to rush to get out,” she confirms. “I might spend time on the ground before dropping a horse down for time to mature, then I’ll pick them back up again. If they’re still not ready, I’ll give them even more time to develop. For racehorses, this implies to mental maturity as much as physical maturity. If you’re patient, a horse will pay you dividends in the long run.”
2. Is my former racehorse right for the show ring?
“The moment I first sit on the horse I must think ‘yes, I can do something with this’ – it’s an innate feeling,” Jo says. “The horse must let you ride them, and they must feel comfy and manoeuvrable.”
One of Jo’s most loved former racehorses was Yvonne Jacques’ grey gelding Grandeur. During his racing career he won almost £600,000 in prize money. As well as being one of the biggest winners on the RoR circuit, he was also a top large hack, finishing second and third on his visits to HOYS.
“I knew he had a certain something special”: Jo Bates on Grandeur, a winner of 10 races before turning his hoof to success in the show ring. Credit: Peter Nixon
“I first rode him at his most raw stage and as soon as I sat on him, I knew he had a certain something special, the makings of a top show horse with the right training,” Jo recalls.
Roan Prince was bought by Jo’s mother at a sale for £500 before he went onto become a successful eventer and dressage horse. He was later sold to Holland.
“He was another incredible horse who tried so hard and threw himself into anything asked,” Jo says. “Thoroughbreds have unique brains, and I love their attitude to life. They are so keen to learn and can soak so much up.”
3. A full MOT
When a former racehorse lands at her yard, Jo will ensure the horse is given a full health check-up prior to beginning their re-training to ensure they have no physical issues or ailments.
“Producing any show horse, but especially a racehorse, takes a village,” Jo says. “It’s not just down to me as a rider; I couldn’t do it without the peripheral team around me.”
Kirstine confirms just how important it is to let the horse readjust to their new routine once they leave training.
“When I get the horse home I give them a month or two to settle in,” Kirstine says. “We find out their preferred routines, especially when it comes to turnout. One of our current ex-racehorses, Richard Strauss, must be first out in the field in the morning – he’ll stand shouting over his stable door – but he likes to come in the moment he’s ready!
“We scope all the ex-racers, too, as so many have ulcers, even though times have changed on racing yards and most of the horses do have turnout during the racing season. Rich Man Poor Man never showed signs of having ulcers but I knew something was niggling him. Scoping revealed he had grade-four ulcers, which we treated accordingly. Always speak to your vet before any changes to treatment.”
Scoping former racehorses for ulcers is good practice. Credit: Lucy Merrell
Kirstine adds: “Alongside this, we do teeth and back checks and get each horse on a new worming schedule.”
4. Perfecting the mount
Jo says that the focus from the beginning of your racehorse’s retraining is teaching them how to stand when being mounted. As an ex-racer will be ridden by a judge in the ring, it’s paramount that they can stand patiently while someone is being legged into the saddle.
She says: “You cannot overlook this part of retraining. The horses will eventually need to stand still in an atmosphere and the last thing you want is for them to move off before the judge has got on.
The ability to stand still in a busy atmosphere is an important skill to train, as exemplified by the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River, who has transferred to the show ring with aplomb. Credit: Hamish Mitchell
“They’re so used to jockeys just jumping on them on the run,” Jo says. “I spend lots of time with my horses, leaning across them and generally boring them with it. I have steps both inside and outside the stables and I’ll repeat the mounting process so many times until it becomes natural for them. This can take months.
“Initially, I might ask someone to stand in front of the horse, though you can still practise if you’re on your own by standing on a block, putting some pressure in the stirrup and leaning across the saddle. As soon as they move, I ask them to wait. I do it until they get it right; I’m quite fanatical with it.
“I also use treats at the beginning of this process. It’s not something they’ll be used to in a racing yard, but when they’re good or we finish the session, they will get a treat. They then associate being mounted with having a nice time. You don’t want to hold the horse down, either – they need to learn to switch off.
“Be sensible when you first begin,” Jo adds. “Choose the right situation; don’t try on a windy day or when you’re in a rush. It takes hours and hours of repetition, so you need to make sure you’re going to be patient.”
5. Muscling up
When it comes to training in the saddle, Jo strips things back to basics for good reason.
“I ride so many transitions, so the horse becomes more manoeuvrable through their body,” she confirms. “I also ride lateral work exercises such as leg-yielding and shoulder in. The horse learns to use every part of the body while sitting on their bottom and coming up in front. This all takes time and it’s not an instant change you can expect in a couple of months. It takes months and months to re-educate the muscles.
“You don’t have to do loads at one time; 20-minute sessions are great. Achieve your purpose, then move on. Note, though, that you should never end a session on a bad transition. If it doesn’t feel right, I make sure I get it right before I finish, though it can take four or five attempts after riding a bad one.”
Kirstine also takes things back to basics.
“You’re essentially re-backing an ex-racer,” she says. “I’ll do weeks of long-rein and lungeing work before we get on board, and then it’s all about correct, basic flat work done at the horse’s own pace.”
Many racehorses will effectively be re-backed for their their new job, with plenty of lungeing and long-reining before carrying a rider again. Credit: Lucy Merrell
6. Getting out and about
Prior to a first competitive outing, Jo will take her horses to shows to ride around.
“Grandeur used to come to lots of shows with me the season before he came out,” Jo says. “It got him used to standing on the lorry, riding around with others and seeing what a show is all about. He was a worrier and was quite nervous, so this repetition was essential for him. Minella Rebellion and his owner Katie also came to a few outings with us non-competitively.”
7. The right environment
Jo says that finding out what makes the horse tick can take some time.
“It took us a long time to find Grandeur the right stable on the yard,” Jo says. “He didn’t like being on one side of the barn, he hated having his window shut and it also took time us to find him the right equine neighbour. Once we’d found the right space for him, he thrived.
“We also encourage them to eat in their own ways. Some will have a haynet with adlib hay on the floor, others will have a haynet outside of their stable.
“We turnout as much as we can, too. You have to fiddle and faff around to find out what they like and you need to tailor their schedule to what works best.”
Be observant to find out how the horse likes to eat, whether from the floor or a haynet, and what kind of stable he prefers – all these details will help to make him tick. Credit: Lucy Merrell
8. Plenty of variety
“People can ride in the school too much and don’t necessarily realise you can do schooling exercises, such as leg-yield and shoulder-in, while out hacking,” Kirstine says. “It’s so important for horses to have variety in their work, but for ex-racers it’s essential so they learn to cope in different atmospheres and are able to adjust to new atmospheres and settings.”
Jo adds: “I make sure every horse has a lot of variety. We do poles, field work, clinics and even work on the gallops. This helps them be able to work in different environments.”
9. Correct tack for the job
“When the horse starts work, always get the saddle checked and fitted; you can do so much damage with a poorly-fitting saddle,” Kirstine says. “Then, I’d get it checked mid-season again – as little as six weeks later – as the horse will likely have changed shape and put on muscle and body mass as the year goes on.”
The saddle should be checked frequently – and changed if necessary – as the horse changes shape for his new career. Credit: H&H Archives
“Not everyone will agree with me on this, but using an old saddle on every single horse on the yard is quite an old-fashioned way to do things, and horse’s type and build has changed a lot since back in the day. Horses are athletes, so I treat them like they are, so regular physio sessions are important, too.”
Kirstine also advises around bitting an ex-racehorse: “Thoroughbreds can be difficult to mouth and I would never over-bit one. Some will go in a double, whereas others won’t take to it and will require a smaller, simpler bit. I always start mine in a loose ring snaffle and would even go back to the breaking bit with keys in the early stages if required.”
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