FROM RACE TO RANCH
LEARN ABOUT OUR RACE TO RANCH REHABILITATION PROGRAM
In New Zealand, retired pacing Standardbreds often find new careers as trekking horses, and we are lucky enough to have 20 “reformed” horses right here at Moke Lake horse trekking.
These horses, bred for harness racing, are known for their calm, steady temperaments and endurance, making them ideal for trail rides. Transitioning from racing to trekking involves retraining them to adapt to new cues and environments, shifting from a once fast-paced, often stressful lifestyle to a more relaxed role. Their natural fitness and strong legs allow them to handle the rugged terrain around Moke Lake, and their overall calm, gentle and friendly demeanour ensures a safe and enjoyable experience for both the horses and riders.
The Moke Lake race to ranch rehabilitation program focuses on three primary fundamental values: patience, trust, and understanding. Transitioning Standardbreds from the intense racing lifestyle they have known for their entire lives to a more relaxed and easy-going routine here involves a careful, gradual process overseen by our dedicated and knowledgeable team, ensuring that our horses health, welfare, and overall experience is always the top priority.
Standardbred horses, bred specifically for harness racing, first need to unlearn the habits and routines that were formed on the racetrack, such as intense fitness workouts, strict diets, specific pacing gaits, and their responses to particular reins and harness signals. The rehabilitation process begins with introducing them into a herd environment with lots of space to roam and explore. They will form friendships and work out hierarchy, all of which are natural behaviours for horses. We then slowly start introducing them onto new foods – often times these horses go from ‘racing fit’ to dropping weight quite fast, so in order to maintain muscle and increase body condition, we introduce them to specialised diets specific to their nutritional requirements and ensure they have the correct vitamins/minerals to keep them happy and healthy. This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on each horse and its initial condition upon arrive to our farm.
Once our experienced team is happy with our horses overall condition, they will then introduce basic groundwork aimed at building strong relationships, establishing trust, and enhancing their responsiveness to new cues, as they navigate new environments, adjust to different surroundings, and meet new horsey friends, eventually leading them to their new careers.
During the retraining phase, the Standardbreds are gradually introduced to saddles, where they learn to balance themselves correctly while carrying weight and riders on their backs, follow leg aids, respond appropriately to direct rein pressure, and adjust to various gaits (walk, trot and canter). Often, cantering is a completely new experience for these horses – as they are trained to pace on the racetrack, which can lead to moments of them looking like uncoordinated babies learning to walk for the first time.
“Standies” are incredibly smart horses, and their natural willingness and calm nature often translate to them quickly picking up new skills and adapting to their new ‘careers’ Very well. Their versatility, combined with their friendly, calm and consistent nature, makes them particularly well-suited for the relaxed trekking lifestyle that we offer. Their inherent endurance and stamina, which were honed through racing, become significant assets, allowing them to comfortably carry riders for extended periods, ultimately offering a safe and enjoyable trail-riding experience amidst the breathtaking scenic landscapes of New Zealand. With the combination of patience, expert training, and dedication, these horses transition into reliable, sure-footed trekking companions that our clients can ride right here at Moke Lake.
