Our best results were when new thoroughbreds spent many hours on slow rides around the farm (our farms were bigger than here in Canada) and if possible time spent working with cattle – just herding them to different pastures. Only after they had settled and were comfortable with slow work, did we start specific “English” schooling and Polo-Crosse training.

When they were calm with stick and ball and other horses, we would use them as umpire horses, then in slow practice before subjecting them to harder competition.

Our lifestyle was quite different there, many of us were farmers with the ability to keep 20 or more horses on our farms, wages were low so we had grooms, our mild climate allowed us to ride all year round. We rode most days often having time to work 2 or 3 horses personally, each day. Polo-Crosse was very popular so we had many tournaments and practices. It was common for each of us at our club to play 12 practice chukkas on a Sunday using 3 or 4 different horses. We also had frequent tours to or from South Africa and less frequently Australia and New Zealand.

Despite all the advantages we had there, with many world class horses being produced (little Zimbabwe won the first World Series) we and other players all had our fair share of failures in re-training race horses. Some were easy, some difficult, a few absolutely dangerous. Some became good A division horses and some stayed at C division.

So yes it can be done, but it is not an exercise for the faint hearted or in-experienced horesman/woman.

It depends on the horse, the longer they have been on the track the more difficult the change. It take a lot of patients and understanding on your part and a willingness on the horses part to relearn. If they were given some good foundation work prior to the track you have a much better chance of success. It take a lot of patients and gentle teaching to get them to come around and enjoy their new work. Once they start to have fun they will start to try for you your away.