retraining race horse

Question
i am thinking about buying an ex race horse . i was wondering how the training of flat horses difer from the training of normal english style ridden horses.

should a race hrose know how to lung ?
will it respond to leg aids ?
will it need to be thought how to bend around a turn or cirlce ?  

Answer
Hi Niamh,
I approach any horse not expecting anything ...  Even if one buys a horse with obvious accomplishements (a jumper who won this or that competition) I would stil start the next day warming up as if this horse was a colt.   Of course, if it turns out the horse does respond to you in an appropriate manner, you move on quickly to more advanced requests.

So, if you approach a horse you just get from the track without expectations, you'll do well... check the horse for how he/she leads the first time you get to hold his lead.. check the horse for how or if they respond when you ask them to lower their heads to put on a halter.  Check and see if the horse yields to you .. looks at  you...etc.  Basically, approach a new horse as if the new horse was a young, unstarted greenie.

If you yourself have never trained a horse, never started a young one, then it is best to do it with professional help.  Find a trainer/instructor who is willing to teach you as well as help your new horse.

Also, there is very little of what might be called a normal English style.  Everyone has different ways of going about things, and horses are aware of details.  When it comes to leg aids, or bending or circling, two horses at about the same level coming from different barns / different riders will still respond in slightly different fashion.

Just ask whomever is handling a horse  you are interested in buying to show you how they do things.  But do not expect a horse to know things the same way the horse you are riding now does.

It is up to you to change how you ask a horse to do anything depending on where the horse is at that very moment.

Rena