Feeding The Ex-Racehorse

Hayley Ward with Red Inferno & Celestial Vision

Red Inferno is a 13-year-old ex racehorse, fed on Allen & Page’s Soothe & Gain. Soothe & Gain helps Red Inferno’s weight whilst also allowing him to compete at the highest levels. Red takes part in team chasing, Dressage, Showing, Hunting, and Arena eventing, and if this isn’t enough, also showjumping, eventing – and even side saddle training!

Red Inferno loves jumping hedges & lots of treats! Hayley loves how Allen & Page feeds soak into a mash and gives them not only the right nutrients, but also increases water intake which is extremely important for when she is out competing with Red.

Hayley loves the versatility and trainability of an ex racehorse – as shown through the variety of disciplines Red competes at! Hayley's advice for any ex racehorse owner is “Enjoy every second and take your time with producing them for whatever discipline you are looking towards”.

Hayley Ward's Celestial Vision is a 12-year-old ex racehorse fed on Allen & Page’s Soothe & Gain. Soothe & Gain maintains his weight and helps him look fabulous all year round!
Celestial Vision takes part in Dressage & Showing and has previously Evented and Show Jumped.

Celestial Vision loves treats and showing off!

Karen Beaumont & Coverdale Lady (JJ)

JJ is a 22 year old ex racehorse, fed on Allen & Page’s Muscle & Focus. Muscle & Focus has helped JJ build more topline and condition, and she is much more even in her temperament. She has always been a tricky mare, and she is so easy on this feed and looks the best that she ever has! JJ enjoys riding club, Dressage, Jumping, and hacking.

JJ loves her food! She also enjoys ‘snack hacking’ with cow parsley and sticky weed from the hedgerows! Karen likes the simplicity of feeding Allen & Page feed! It is so easy and everything JJ needs is in one bag!

Karen loves JJ’s brain and her versatility. Ex racehorses may be a challenge but once you have them onside, they are so clever! Karen’s advice for any ex racehorse owner is don’t give up. Get the basics sorted. Don’t overlook the basics of teeth, farrier, physio, saddle fit, and nutrition. Karen says, “Since changing JJ (Coverdale Lady) onto this feed, we have enjoyed competing again, she stands quietly on the lorry, behaves impeccably, leads a novice horse round pairs cross country, and hacks with my friend who is scared of hacking – it’s the best thing A & P have produced!”

Mollie Rose & Simply True (Steve)

Steve is a 6 year old ex racehorse, fed on Allen & Page Cool & Collected. Cool & Collected helps Steve cope mentally and he’s less reactive to life altogether but also his overall condition and coat improved massively after he changed to this food. Steve is retraining to Event but at the moment mainly does Dressage.

Steve’s favourite thing is eating and jumping. Mollie likes that Cool & Collected puts a really good shine on Steve’s coat but also that it is so easy to use and with them being a wet feed you know they are getting water into them even if they aren’t drinking very much.

Mollie likes that ex-racehorses are very affectionate, they love ‘their person’ and when they gain your trust, they will give you their all. They are also very adaptable once they understand what you’re asking of them. Her advice for any other ex racehorse owner would be to feed correctly from the very start, and don’t overfeed. Don’t expect miracles, they take a long time to settle into life out of training. They are generally very honest, kind, forgiving, and very rewarding when they get the hang of it! She says “Never give up no matter how hard it gets! They really are the best!”

Tracy Thirlwell and Tapaidh Frankie (Frankie)

Frankie is a 15-year-old ex racehorse, fed on Allen & Page Soothe & Gain. Soothe & Gain is suited to Frankie because she suffered from ulcers in the past and is a fussy eater who struggles to maintain weight, especially in the winter, she can also be reactive to certain feeds She loves this mash! She has Soothe & Gain along with some oily chaff and pony nuts as many times a day as Tracy can feed her as much as she will eat and this seems to help to keep weight on without making her too hot and silly. Frankie competes in dressage at small tour (PSG and Inter 1) and is training Inter 2 / Grand Prix at home.

Frankie loves to gallop, buck, and squeal up and down the hedge next to the lane while local riders are trying to enjoy a quiet hack. Lol, She also loves polo mints and carrots. She loves Allen & Page Soothe & Gain mash. Tracy is happy that Soothe & Gain keeps weight on Frankie without making her crazy as she can be a real handful at times.

Tracy loves RoRs because they are such intelligent, elegant horses with a great attitude to work who are so willing to please and quick to learn. She says “I wish I’d bought one years ago! I also really love the RoR community, such a friendly bunch of people and a great support network through the retraining of racehorse’s charity who are always happy to provide support and advice to anyone struggling and organise amazing competitions and training right from grassroots to advanced level across all disciplines, the work and passion they have for these horses is just fantastic!”

Tracy advises anyone thinking of buying/rehoming a RoR to make sure they have the time to get them into a really good routine, and have a good support network in place to help i.e. a good trainer, farrier, vet and saddle fitter. And make sure they have the right facilities; they don’t all settle on an average busy livery yard with horses getting turned out and fed/ridden all at different times.

Tracy suggests that less experienced people would do well to approach a retraining/rehoming centre where the horses have been tried and tested out of racing and started some retraining and can be suitably matched with the right horse. Tracy says “Frankie wasn’t easy for the first few years, but she tolerated me because I fed and looked after her, I had to earn her respect as she has very strong opinions about life. She wouldn’t catch, she wouldn’t load, and she was difficult to ride or even stay on her back the right way up 🤣

But once I learned how to deal with her and learnt to ride better she became my friend and what a journey she’s taken me on, she’s taken me right up the levels in dressage and may even one day compete at the very top. She’s taken me to national championships and won numerous area festival championships.
Taken me down the centre line in a tailcoat at the RoR national championships as well as the BD nationals at PSG. I’ve been nominated and made it to the top 4 for H&H Amateur Rider of the Year twice and also featured in the magazine numerous times. As well as so many other championship wins in both RoR and BD.
It has been like living a fairy tale at times, she is a horse of a lifetime. Such a special little horse trained to run and absolutely retrained for fun 💚