Mills Stables Retraining Racehorses

19/01/2025

We have a bunch of lovely horses ready and waiting to find their new people so please share our posts and if anyone is looking, do get in touch.
Most of them are on our website, plenty more nearly ready to go on there and loads waiting to come back in to get restarted!
We would love to find the right places for this lovely bunch by the end of this month so please help 🙏🏇
Details on their photos

www.millsstablesretrainingracehorses.co.uk

17/01/2025

I love working with mares and we have a very special one with us for some help with retraining and getting her back on track with her owner.
She is 8 years old and we need to help her both mentally & physically as we try to unravel why she is feeling so frustrated with her life and people at the moment!

I love working with mares and we have a very special one with us for some help with retraining and getting her back on track with her owner. She is 8 years o...

16/01/2025

I thought the weather was getting better but I have been freezing cold again today 🥶
A nice little video of how we coped with some of the horses living out, getting them hay and breaking the water and watch out for Lola's herding skills 😂
I also ramble away about why and how we look after them the way we do in this kind of weather, hopefully a few helpful tips!

The last big freeze day and what a day!Breaking waters and getting hay out to all the horses.Join us as we take the hay out and chat about keeping the horses...

14/01/2025

Shanty came to us 5 1/2 years ago to have some rehab for a tendon injury and then be retrained and rehomed.
Once he was ready we did actually advertise him for rehoming but then his owners decided it would be really nice to see him produced as a Dressage horse and come and watch him out competing.
We have a few horses stay with us because their owners like to support them in second careers!
Shanty was a quirky boy and we soon realised he preferred a short person riding him so I took over the ride on him from Matt who had done all the hard work getting him started.
I adore this horse and his quirks! He is talented, super smart, has an air of arrogance about him, is very opinionated, always knows best and likes to be ridden his way! Just my type of horse! ❤️ 🏇
We have had loads of fun together and he won a lot of classes with me and his owners enjoyed coming to watch their Racehorse turned Dressage horse.
Our last show together was the RoR Championships in 2023 and he was amazing in both the Dressage and an in hand showing class with me.
Unfortunately due to his owners ill health and Shanty now needing to find a permanent home, he has gone to live out his days at Greatwood.
I would have loved to keep him but I can't keep them all and financially, things are tough at the moment. We have our own oldies and loads of horses in our fields still waiting to come in for rehoming.
We dropped Shanty off yesterday and he seemed to settle straight in.
Shanty, thank you for the amazing times we have had together and all the memories. I will hopefully get to visit!
Thank you to his lovely owners who trusted us to do the best we could with him and give him a second career to enjoy.
I hate times like these but I am so lucky to get to enjoy these horses and make sure that they get the best possible future!

11/01/2025

This cold weather is causing so many issues for people and animals 🥶
I didn't video anything whilst Baki was getting medicated because she was snuggled into me so we could kep her head still but the video clips of her reactions before we medicated her might be interesting to some people.
I had never had any dealings with arthritis in the jaw before she started suffering a few years ago.
Before she was first diagnosed, neurological issues were considered and I am just so glad we figured it out quite early for her.
So far she is still doing well 🙏🏇

What started off as a normal but very cold day turned into a nightmare when Baki started suffering with her arthritis in her jaw again! I was so worried we w...

10/01/2025

What a week! 🥶
The last two days have been especially hard because I have had a very poorly Baki 😢
She is 26 this year and as some of you might remember, I had to retire her at the end of the summer in 2023 due to arthritis in her jaw. She has had it medicated twice now and since no longer getting ridden she has been absolutely fine but yesterday it hit her hard again and she was in some awful pain!
Huge thanks to Belmont Farm & Equine vets for coming to her rescue and coming out to her yesterday afternoon to try and relieve her pain. She has had her TMJ medicated again and so far she is much more comfortable but for how long we have no idea. Hoping for the best results and that we don't see any more issues again for a long time but we can only hope and pray 🙏
It has definitely been a very tiring couple of days and night for me with worry but hoping I sleep better tonight as she still seems comfortable and is eating fine again.
She means the world to me!

Photo of her sleeping after having her jaw medicated yesterday and having cuddles after eating a packet of polos this afternoon ❤️🏇

30/12/2024

Happy New Year everyone! 🥂🍾
Thank you so much for the photos and comments about all the lovely horses we have rehomed.
If anyone wants to add anymore please do, we are loving seeing them all and it means so much to us to know that they are in the best homes we could have ever found for them ❤️🏇
We couldn't do this job without all the support we get from you all 🥰
Hopefully next year we can keep pushing forward to get more horses some retraining before they are allowed to be rehomed. This will help make sure that as many as possible are placed in the right homes from the very start and are given that emotional and physical support they need before getting rehomed!
We want to do more clinics and lessons and videos to help support new owners of Racehorses so please do keep following and supporting our social media pages.
It hasn't been an easy year for us as a family with a couple of bereavements which turned our lives upside down but we keep going and it is the horses and what we do that keep us going!
Thank you again and don't forget to give all your Racehorses a big Birthday kiss & hug tomorrow as it is their official Birthday on the 1st January 🎂🏇

As the year is coming to an end we would love to share some updates on some of the horses we have rehomed 🏇
Even if it is just a photo it would be great to show how much they have changed and what they are up to now since leaving us.
I would love to message everyone individually for this but hoping this reaches as many people as possible who have rehomed horses from us 🙏
Please comment and share your photos, we would love to see them!

A video of the horses who started all this off!
Taken on Christmas Day and they are all now retired happily in our fields ❤️❤️❤️
Downpour ( on the left ) will be 27 next year
Baikaline ( on the right ) will be 26 next year
Norwegian ( in the middle ) will be 24 next year

29/12/2024

A New Year is coming and we will have up to 5 spaces in our lovely big rehab barn!
Huge stables and treatments available with our Equissage and Lumina
Box rest, treatments for tendon, ligaments, post surgery, lymphangitis, wound management and bringing back in to work.
Walker, lunging, ridden

* Large stables
* Small turnout pens
* Horse walker
* Individual or shared paddocks
* Large holiday and retirement fields for small herds
* 2.5 furlong round gallop leading onto a 3.5 furlong uphill incline
* 20x40 all weather arena

Contact us for more information 🏇

Please share!

A New Year is coming and we have more spaces available for Rehab, Retraining & Rehoming.Follow us on our other social media accounts and see what we have to ...

25/12/2024

A bit late but wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from us all! 🎄🎅🏇
Hope all our two & four legged friends all had a wonderful day!

18/12/2024

What a day, one that I don't mind not repeating again!
It was always going to be a hard and emotional one because we had a lovely horse who was sadly booked in to be put to sleep today 😭
The morning should have been quite normal apart from that and me cooking sausage rolls for Marshall to take in to school for his class party. Up early and all put in the oven and then POWER CUT 🤬
A mad rush through the cupboards to find something else for him to take and it was breakfast by candle light 🕯
Matt was not happy he couldn't get his caffeine fix and went out holding an empty coffee cup 😂
Off to school and loads of traffic from 3 way lights and then when we finally got there I realised Christmas jumper day was just jumper day and school uniform! Poor Marshall had his green combats on with his Christmas jumper because I hadn't read the message correctly 🤦‍♀️
Back home and thankfully electric back on so I tried catching up with updating our website which I had tried doing the night before and failed miserably because I was too tired to concentrate 😴
Brain seemed to be finally working a bit better and I managed to sort out a couple of things and add Ritchie on to the for sale page. Still got quite a few more to be added so keep an eye on it over the next few days if you are looking!
Headed off to the rehab yard to check the horses over there and ride one before saying goodbye to DT.
DT came to us just a few weeks ago to be rehabbed and then the hope was he would be rehomed sometime next year but when he arrived quite lame we got him checked by our vets and x rays taken and unfortunately there was no hope of recovery for him, he wouldn't even come sound enough to be comfortable in the field. It is always a horrible decision to make but the best for him and we are just grateful we got to spend some quality time with this gorgeous boy in the short time he was with us. It is never a nice time and this one hit me hard today, he was such a gentleman and a kind boy. He went peacefully munching a packet of polos and handfuls of grass 🏇💔
Home for a bit and then off to school pick up and I was still feeling quite rubbish when a squirrel ran out and hit the wheel of the car travelling in front me! That was nearly it! I really didn't need to see that after everything else today 😢
Now finally I am enjoying watching the puissance and trying to chill after nearly slipping over in what was supposed to be a relaxing bath before the jumping started!
I think bed is where I need to be and tomorrow is another day 😒
RIP DT, sleep well beautiful boy

13/12/2024

Sorry can't help it!
Someone has posted a photo of their former young Racehorse sleeping and the best comment so far is 'poor boy, he looks as though he is in pain!!!'

All of ours must be in loads of pain 🤣
No more words 🤦‍♀️

11/12/2024

Every day I see more and more posts about people having problems with their former Racehorses!
Where does most of the advice send them, kissing spine!
From what I see, there will soon be no horses that haven't had some form of surgery because it is the go to which is going to solve all the problems that you are having with your former Racehorse.
Obviously they are all buggered from their horrendous Racing career?
Or is it the fact that when they leave Racing, many of them need specialised retraining to allow them to adjust both their bodies and minds correctly and at the right pace and with people who know and understand how to do that for them?!
How many people send their horses away to be started by a professional because they don't have the time or knowlegde to start them correctly under saddle and want to give them the very best possible start in their ridden career?
Why do Racehorses not get this and why do so many people not consider that they need the same, the best possible start to their new ridden career by people who know what they are doing?
I backed many, many horses over the years, many years ago and I can honestly say it was easier backing and training a young untouched horse to what it is retraining a Racehorse.
So, why??? Because these Racehorses have already been taught how to be ridden but many in a completely different way to your average riding horse. They are bred to be athletes and their whole world in Racing is completely different to anything your riding cob or warmblood have ever experienced. They live in a very structured lifestyle and are ridden to gallop! Even when I backed young Racehorses, although they also had some schooling education they were ultimately produced to go into racing rather than be a dressage horse or happy hacker and when they come out of Racing we have to re produce them all over again.
Why isn't this always easy? Because they have already had a job and a career and these intelligent, hard working animals will still be a Racehorse even after they leave Racing. Just because you have turned them away for 6 months and fattened them up or long lined them for miles and miles and done hours of ground work, when you get on they haven't miraculously forgotten what it was like to be a Racehorse and most never will.
Is that a problem? NO? It isn't if we ubderstand them for what they are and realise that not only are you teaching your Racehorse how to be a ridden horse, you have to adjust your whole way of riding to help produce them in the best possible way.
Post aftert post I see people saying my horse goes like a giraffe, their tongue is over the bit, they are lame, why? Because you are making them go that way!!!! You are riding them in a way they don't understand, you are making them uncomfortable, you are creating more physical and mental issues than they ever had whilst they were in training!
In training, they walked to the gallops, either galloped up a hill or round a few very huge circles, they had a blast and they went home. The riders were light on their backs, they were not put under loads of pressure, they were galloping, doing what many horses love doing in the fields with their friends, we were just getting to enjoy doing it with them. Yes, there is pressure when in the races and some schooling days at home when you are really working them but unless you have sat on a Racehorse on the gallops up sides his friends and felt that tug as they put their heads down and want to race their friends you will never understand how much so many of them love their job!
When you are trying to retrain your Racehorse and it looks like a giraffe and doesn't want to trot or canter for you, is that fun for them, NO!!! Are they enjoying their new life with you, NO!!!
Is it entirely your fault, NO, but do something about it. Realise that unfortunately you may need help from people that know what they are doing. Don't get an instructor who has no idea about Racehorses and how they need retraining, they won't help you do anything apart from cause more pain and misery to your horse as you battle on trying to turn it into a riding horse!
Why now does the physio say your horse has a sore neck and back, why now does the horse not want you to ride it, why now is it uncomfortable in their guts?
Why do you think?
Because you are trying to ride something you don't understand how to ride. You have bounced about on their back, they have carried their heads so high trying to tell you they don't understand and it is uncomfortable for them, you are probably heavier than the jockeys that used to ride them, you need to be balanced and light in the saddle so they can try and carry you as well whilst you bounce about trying to learn to ride them, you are pulling them in the mouth as you try and send them forward. They either don't want to go forward or run away, why? Because they have no idea what you want them to do!
And when it keeps going wrong under saddle, strap them down in gadgets and lunge them. And then what do they do? Some will gallop around like idiots because they are trying to tell you that they can't physically carry themselves on a small circle with their heads strapped down and then they stop and spin! But in all this, they are crying out for us to understand that they are struggling and what you are doing is really uncomfortable for them, they are now deemed to be just naughty or dangerous!
So let's get the dentist, the saddle fitter, the vets, the physio. Let's spend a furtune on finding out why these horses are reacting like this, well it must be kissing spine or it must be ulcers. It probably is ulcers now because they have got so stressed because you don't understand them that now they are both physically and mentally in a bad place.
Do we look at the bigger picture and could it possibly all come from us?!
Of course not, we just have a Racehorse who was obviously treated badly in Racing and has kissing spine because it was started to young. Now just think about that!!! Had we actually given the horse proper training with a professional who knows and understands Racehorses, maybe we wouldn't have all these issues!
Most horses are probably going to have some form of kissing spine, if we manage and produce them correctly we can avoid many back issues, just like looking aftrer ourselves.
It doesn't just come from the start of their retraining we have to manage our training to suit these horses as they progress, listen to them when they are struggling and they don't understand, don't push them too soon but equally spending 6 months trotting around a school waiting for their heads to drop from the sky because they need time is NOT helping your horse! You are creating these issues, get help from the right people!
It frustrates me because we are always the last people they turn to and yet we are the ones that know what we are doing!
If more people looked at getting support from retrainers and people who understand Thoroughbreds then there would be far less horses suffering at the hands of people who have no idea how to retrain them and then just sending them off to get sliced and diced because they now have a sore back!
Retrainers are out there to help give these horses the best possible start in their new lives, instead of spending all your money on fancy new saddles, bridles, fluffy headcollars & rugs maybe actually spend it on finding the right people to help you and your horse.
If you would never ever feel 100% confident you could back your own youngster, why do you think you have the ability to retrain a Racehorse. Believe me it is harder sometimes.
Yes, the journey of retraining is great but when things are going wrong, ask for help from retrainers, don't keep letting your horse suffer!
Well if you got to the end, well done!
I am sure I am going to get all the know it alls and keyboard warriors telling me I am wrong. Of course I am 😂
Just come and see our happy, relaxed horses as they enjoy their retraining with us!
I know that there are plenty of happy, well trained horses out there in a fab homes and I love seeing those success stories.
This post is honest and aimed at trying to help and educate people not to put anyone down. We all love our Racehorses, I just want people to open their minds to understanding them better 🏇

Photos of the horse that taught me everything ❤️ Baikaline 🏇

10/12/2024

When Louise Robson from Thoroughbred Dressage asked me if I would like to chat with her about what we do, I must admit I was a bit worried that I might struggle to do it, but as always, once I start chatting about these fabulous horses, I can't actually shut up!
I do hope you all enjoy this, you might want a large glass ( or bottle ) of wine and some snacks to enjoy when you sit down to listen, it is quite long 😂
Thanks again to Lou for giving me this opportunity.
I do really hope it gives people a better understanding of what we do, why we do it and that we really are here to help give Racehorses the very best possible start to their new lives out of Racing as they embrace the journey with their new owners!

🎙️ NEW EPISODE 🎙️
Episode 28: Mills Retraining; Retraining, Rehoming, Rehab, what does finding a life past the post look like for these horses?

https://open.spotify.com/show/4LITgXQwUAHqyKAJauTzhP?si=Vg6kYi89SxefPpHmPfz-tQ

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/all-aboard-the-racehorse/id1750705353

Amanda and Matt Mills run one of the most prominent retraining yards in the UK. Having both worked in racing previously, they now have two yards that are dedicated to retraining, rehoming and rehabbing racehorses.

What does it take to take on a former racehorse? What should people consider when taking on a former racehorse? How much does it cost to actually retrain a racehorse? �
This conversation is everything it should be; honest, heartwarming, and talking about the highs and lows that come with the retraining lifestyle. Im so grateful to Amanda for being so honest and open and I think its a really insightful episode

Please share amongst everyone

Louise instagram:
Facebook: Thoroughbred Dressage
Website: www.thoroughbreddressage.com

HorseQuest Dengie Horse Feeds Glaze & Gordon Equine Exceed Retraining of Racehorses Towcester Equine Vets Amanda Mills

25/11/2024

This video is nearly 2 weeks ago but as usual I struggle to try and find time to squeeze in putting them together!
It shows the start to finish of our day and how we manage with juggling everything 😵‍💫
Hope you enjoy it!

A full day already and then we have to empty the fields for the new Racehorses coming for their winter holidays!We managed to juggle a few things and re plan...

24/11/2024

Well what a week!
Snow, ice, rain, temperatures ranging from -2 to 14 degrees and 40mph winds 🌨❄️☃️🌬💦💨☔️☁️
The great news is that on Friday Jam went off to his new home
Beryl went to her new home on Saturday
Sage went to his new home today
Three lovely horses finally found their people to start the next chapter of their lives with.
Pleased to say, we have already had updates that they have all settled in well 🥰🏇

22/11/2024

We still have snow on the ground tonight and over the weekend it is going to be 14/15 degrees!
What is going on with this weather 🙄
Hope you like the video of our morning in the snow this week 😆🏇☃️❄️🌨🏇

Hope you all like the video! Join us on our road trip around the gallop to get hay out to the field horses

15/11/2024

Beryl features in our latest YouTube video 🏇
We have loads of videos on YouTube of the horses, their training and what we get up to in a day, so do subscribe to us 🙏

This video shows a bit more about family life and an afternoon with Marshall & the ponies once the horses are all done for the day!Beryl was great on her hac...