Can race horses be ridden for pleasure?

Answer 1

Yes, but probably not straight off the track (although there are some horses who could probably be ridden out between races). Some horses are ridden extensively as part of their pre-race training (trail ridden etc.) so may be able to be ridden sooner than another race horse with less "outdoor" experience. Each horse is different and may initially require a more skilled hand post racing or a period of letdown before retraining.