Racehorse to Dressage Horse: How to Buy, Re-train, and Compete Your Off-The-Track Thoroughbred Successfully in Dressage

RE-TRAINING THE EX-RACEHORSE Ex-racehorses often come with a bad reputation of being crazy and dangerous. The racing diet, lifestyle, and intense training push these horses to their limits both physically and mentally. No other equine sport demands so much from a horse, especially at such a young age. But if the thoroughbred racehorse is transitioned adequately into his new career with patience and understanding, these horses can be one of the most generous, kind, highly intelligent, and eager-to-please breeds that you can find. You will see thoroughbreds in many different equestrian sectors, from eventing and polo to hunting, dressage, and showing. Their bravery, willingness to work and people-oriented nature all combine to make these equines excellent all-around riding horses. We are not exaggerating when we say that these horses can turn their hoof to almost any discipline after they have retired from racing. Our specialty is dressage (the clue is in our name!), so that is what we are going to be focusing on in this book. But even if you have plans to showjump, event, show, or do anything else with your off-the-track thoroughbred, the training outlined in these pages will give you the tools that you need to form a solid training foundation on which you can build. Here’s to the start of your journey and your future success! How To Dressage xx