How to Retrain a Racehorse (for dressage!) | Riding With Rhi, Equestrian YouTuber

Join me and Thoroughbred Dressage as she shows us four horses, all at different stages of their retraining journey from racing. Louise shares her tips for your own ex racers and how to get the best out of them. Huge thanks to Louise for taking the time to show us around!
This video is brought to you by the British Racing’s Horse Welfare Board, who have launched the first ever thoroughbred census in Great
Britain, in collaboration with Hartpury University. If you are an ex racehorse owner in the UK, you have until December 31st 2023 to take part:
Learn more here: bit.ly/3QPDgDH
Complete the census here: bit.ly/3slOmXy
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Meet Louise
2:19 Yard Tour
9:04 Corni - a few weeks out of racing
15:32 Wills - working at Novice/Elementary
19:26 The Thoroughbred Census
21:06 Greg - working at Elementary/Medium
23:20 Quadrille - working just below Grand Prix
28:26 Outro
Thank you to my wonderful partners:
Champion Equestrian.
Toggi Clothing - in this video, I'm wearing the Saturn waterproof jacket.
Riding With Rhi is a UK based equestrian KZbinr who shares her experience of first time horse ownership alongside her London career.
Work with me: [e-mail]

[@brendayawn6463]

Wow, great video! Louise is inspiring with her empathetic training philosophy. My chestnut OTTB boy and I have fun with training level dressage (prelim, I think is equivalent for BD), and it's easy to get a bit frustrated when his sort of movement isn't what judges are looking for. But Louise is so right--he's trying his heart out to do something that he wasn't bred to do. I love his kind soul and TB work ethic.

[@RidingWithRhi]

❤️❤️❤️

[@AimeeandApollo]

Thanks Rhi! What a great video! Louise is so knowledgeable and really liked how she explained everything. I've not had my ex racer long and what she really made so much sense ❤

[@faibishclassical]

Beautiful horse he can go far

[@rhpm]

Thankyou so much for this video! I've had my x racer for a year now, so many things explained and talked about has really made sense and will absolutely help me and my lovely boy move forwards ❤

[@RidingWithRhi]

I’m so glad to hear that! She’s such a brilliant lady.

[@chelsigardner9056]

Hero’s is an amazing charity I went there and the love they have for the horses is amazing ❤

[@RidingWithRhi]

❤️

[@Loocarrx]

Exactly what I needed ❤

[@RidingWithRhi]

Ah I hope you love it!

[@Loocarrx]

@@RidingWithRhiabsolutely loved it. I bought a racehorse from a trainer and I’m wanting him for dressage. It was so interesting hearing what Louise was saying and describing what the horse is used to that we don’t really realise if we are not in the racing industry ourselves. I’d love my horse to have some training with Louise or someone alike. ❤

[@GeorgiasEquineDreams]

This is super helpful! Recently took part in one of Louise’s zooms and was super helpful too as I recently started working with a ottb who has done nothing! Thank you Rhi!

[@RidingWithRhi]

This is so awesome to hear - she’s got such a great way of articulating things ❤️

[@LucyJackson-om2dc]

Such an interesting video… 😊

[@RidingWithRhi]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Katherinekirbydressage]

This was absolutely fascinating!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙌🏻

[@RidingWithRhi]

So glad you enjoyed it! ❤️

[@zedy33]

Loved this and learned a tonne about how to work with the TB’s natural way of going to get the most of them. Will bear in mind when working with my TB share 😊

[@RidingWithRhi]

❤️

[@lizgarland2241]

Fabulous vlog full of inspiration and information 🙏🇮🇪💚🍀

[@RidingWithRhi]

So glad you enjoyed it! I had the best day with Louise.

[@clarionash]

Super interesting to see the different levels of progression, and of course wonderful to see these horses getting a second chance in a new career!

[@diane9071]

Wonderful content, hopefully this will reach and educate individuals who are thinking or who already own an ottb that you really have to take the time for a successful positive outcome with these beautiful horses, I'm in my third yr of owning an ottb and loving his progress, the first yr was spent on downtime, rehabilitation (mental and physical, )building the soles of his hooves and providing him with a support companion (pony) to help his anxiety issues, constant weaving was a major concern, due to him having a blown tendon, yr 2 light ground work light walk and trot light hacks, and again downtime, yr 3, great feet, great attitude, no weaving , moving forward with more training, and am loving every moment of the process ❤️

[@jeniferrinehart1107]

Louise is amazing! So interesting. ❤

[@user-qy5qi8gp7q]

Super insightful! I've worked with many OTTB's through the years and now have a sweet 6 yo that I'm preparing, gently, to be my upper level horse. I really respect how Louise gets to know each horse and parallels the dressage training with their experience on the track. Good Stuff!

[@bethany6148]

I really enjoyed this video! Louise is so knowledgeable and doing such a fantastic job. I've had two ex racers now and they were both the kindest horses I've ever met. I would love to have another one day... Its a long process but so rewarding. Xx

[@kippen64]

This was really interesting. My primary interest is Standardbreds who raced in harness. My current Standardbred was a complete failure. He didn't trial or race and was even a failure as a galloping pace maker. This was probably due to being very hot and having a lot of knee and hock action. So I did enjoy learning about horses with flatter action. Edited to add that I use to know someone who successfully trained a Thoroughbred off the track to Prix St George dressage. I have also read about a Standardbred in the USA who also achieved that level.

[@RidingWithRhi]

Yes, in a similar vein (though I admit I know next to nothing about the sport), it made me wonder whether ex-racers would make good 'hunter jumpers' in the US because apparently they like them to have the 'daisy cutter' action (I learned this phrase the other day and was DELIGHTED by it!).

[@kippen64]

@@RidingWithRhi Thoroughbreds are still very popular in the hunter jumper world based on what I've seen on the internet but sadly Warmbloods have become dominant. I am Australian.

[@rebeccarapetti3747]

What a super facinating vlog. I learnt such a lot. Thank you for taking me on this journey.

[@RidingWithRhi]

Thanks Rebecca! So glad you loved it.

[@rebekahbarter4686]

This was fascinating thank you! At the start of the journey with my first ex-racer and found this video very reassuring!

[@RidingWithRhi]

So glad to hear that! ❤️

[@debbiewhite8981]

Very interesting video. Lovely to see progression of the ex racehorses

[@RidingWithRhi]

Me too, super fascinating to see a few at different stages ❤️

[@hoof_lifeuk1352]

What a fantastic video. I’ve got a 6yr old exracer. Retired just over a year ago and I’ve really doubted myself so hearing some horses just take time is so reassuring 👌🏼🫶🏼

[@RidingWithRhi]

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. I'm so glad you felt a little reassured by some of Louise's words! She's fabulous (and so are you!).

[@heaven77ish]

I have an amazing boy. And hearing you say that on the right rein, just being straight is like right flexion for them may answer a lot of my boys issue. We trained with Emma woolley. Charlie Hutton and a few times with Jane peperdy. All said stunning things. He is absolutely intelligent so you can not lie fluff or force. His left canter is phenomenal and I absolutely mean that. However he struggles to always pick up right Lead, especially if hot. And I have obviously tried to get the flexion right, timing and half the time great half not. Could this be an issue. And Louise do you take in horses still for training.

[@PersonalTriumph2022]

Do they keep these horses on maintenance ulcer meds ?

[@RidingWithRhi]

I’m not 100% sure. I know that the first horse underwent ulcer treatment but unsure if he’s on a maintenance supplement. Louise will be able to answer if you ask on her social channels.

[@catrionagarde4410]

She talks faster than these horses ever ran.... 😅

[@sophiabains5140]

Hi sorry but if you want a completely realistic depiction of the the training of a young OTTB watch everyday eventers or even myself for that matter. Or Amy Bowers. This is completely false & completely far removed from the reality. Sorry I'm an avid fan of yours but had to speak up.

[@RidingWithRhi]

Hi Sophia! So glad you are a fan of my content. I'm surprised to hear that you feel the video is completely false/far removed from the reality - I had thought Louise's advice was pretty fantastic and have had some lovely feedback. That said, we are nothing if not a community of debaters and conversationalists! Curious to hear more on your point of view as I feel I'm not understanding your stance (unsurprising - the world of ex-racehorses is pretty new to me).

[@sophiabains5140]

@@RidingWithRhi I think Everyday Eventers is a good example of how/ what it's really like to retrain. You see the horse step of the box & there's no " gold star standard owner that's given the horse a full mot" . She starts the process from scratch & it can be very eye opening. The only problem I have with EE is she calls herself a horse trainer & she's not. She's just bringing on an OTTB.yp you have to gave done hundreds to call yourself that. Footloose eventing is an excellent ridden example of an exceptional rider with the help of her trainer Justine Ward that has turned around a flat racer with incredible anxiety incredible napping to a really happy & successful eventer. I literally watch her & think " yes that happened to me & yes fully relate to that & yes that's exactly what it's like". I watched this video & couldn't relate to any of it. I was thinking " it's nothing like that" I'm sure she is a trainer of sorts & has done many but to me she looked like a salaried person & the owners of these horses are wealthy people who send her their horses. At this level I would want more indepth discussion on the differences in the flat racer & the ex hurdler...as they are very different. When I worked a short time at the TRC ( TB rehab Centre) I found it to be a million dollar organisation. Huge donations & a slickly run operation. No one had actually owned ( let alone rehabbed) a TB before. Except me. When we would have lunch...we would sit & eat in a huge mansion like property....yet its a charity....which I find unbelievable! I'm sure most of the money goes to the horses....but alot goes on quite big salaries too.