( Racehorse to riding horse )
Grace week 2 canter
the horse will be happy at the new yard they will be moving to and what can be done to help them settle as quickly and happily as possible. If your horse is having some behavioural issues always look to see what can be causing them. Unfortunately as with a lot of things in life it is oſten our surroundings that can make us unhappy and stressed and this is exactly the same for your horse.
Rehoming the ex Racehorse The main things we look for in people are that they want to offer the horse a long term home. We find out what potential new owners will want to do with the horses and then if we have any that we think will be suitable they will come and try them. For us the most important thing is people are honest with us about their capabilities and expectations of the horse. A lot of people will oſten be put off by old racing injuries and vices but these are sometimes part of having a Racehorse. Some of our own best competition ex Racehorses have had tendon injuries and one fractured his pelvis whilst he was in training. He then went on to run at the Cheltenham Festival and aſter retiring from Racing we retrained him and he Evented with us for many years before retiring to our fields last year at 20! The final decision definitely comes down to whether or not the
horse likes the people viewing them! We always keep in touch with the horses we have sold and re- homed and are always on hand for any advice or help their new owners need as they start their journey with their new ex Race- horse.
Possol
Grace week 4 canter
character, Possol was obviously never going to be an easy horse to retrain and was going to take a lot of time to settle into his new life outside of racing. In the beginning he struggled to cope with turnout and would box walk when stabled. He just couldn’t allow his brain and body to relax but with patience and time and keeping him in a working routine he was used to he started to adapt and really enjoy his new life. Possol is very much a workaholic, he needs plenty to keep himself occupied and loves to learn. To this day Possol still doesn’t really enjoy hacking so we don’t
force him to do it. He gets bored quickly and there isn’t enough to entertain him, a short 10 minutes walk or trot is enough for him. Because of Possol’s highly strung character and fabulous paces we aimed him at RoR Dressage and he still sometimes produces his own un required moves in a Dressage test but when he is at his best he is absolutely amazing! In 2018 Possol won one of the Novice Dressage Championship
classes at the RoR National Championships at Aintree. Hard work does pay off! Possol is incredibly lucky to still be owned and supported by the Statham family who had so much success and enjoyment from him during his Racing career and we are incredibly lucky to have him with us to love and compete him. He wouldn’t suit many people and can be incredibly frustrating sometimes but he is and always will be a Racehorse in his head! He just allows me to turn him into a Dressage horse sometimes!
Mills Stables Racehorse Retraining is located in Worcester. Having spent 9 years in Oxford, the opportunity to rent the fabulous yard at Hill Farm was too good to miss. Mills Stables have 16 indoor stables, horse walker, 20x40 arena, full set of show jumps, XC schooling fences, one mile grass gallop, off road hacking on the 1000 acre Estate and 60 acres of grazing land.
Amanda and Matthew Mills both worked in the Horse Racing
Industry for many years before setting up their Retraining and Competition Stables for ex Racehorses. Their knowledge of horses in training means they are perfect for giving ex Racehorses the best possible start for making the transition from Racehorse to Riding Horse.
Marshall Mills is Amanda and Matt’s 2 year old Son who helps keep the horses entertained. He loves helping out on the yard and riding some of the ex Racehorses.
Possol came to us in 2014 when he retired aſter his last race having ran 38 times. Possol’s owners were looking for a home where Possol could enjoy a second career. A very quirky, sensitive
www.millsstables.com facebook page Mills Stables Retraining Racehorses
Please mention Central Horse News What’s On when responding to advertisements MAY/JUNEY 2019 81 81
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