Horses From Courses

Re-training thoroughbred ex-racehorses

Every year thousands of thoroughbred ex race horses, often referred to as OTTB, (off the track thoroughbreds) retire from the racing industry, their future uncertain. Many well-meaning horse enthusiasts seek to take these horses and retrain them for sport and recreational purposes. This book takes the accumulated experience and knowledge of horse trainer Scott Brodie—manager of the New South Wales Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Trust, re-trainer of hundreds of ex racehorses—and allows the novice trainer to tap into this valuable source of information previously unattainable for the average horse enthusiast. Brodie has a generously empathetic philosophy to handling horses and a unique spin on the retraining of retired racehorses. Utilising a surprisingly smooth synergy of natural horsemanship and the practical application of classical dressage, Brodie’s systematic approach to this often difficult and dangerous endeavour ensures the smoothest and fairest transition for the horse from racing machine to pleasurable riding partner.