Horse Training Question ???

Question

I just got a 4 year old TB Gelding who was an ex racer, for more than a year ago. But the previous owner who got him from the track hasn't trained or worked him since, in any kind.

I rode him a couple times, I tried him out before I got him and now rode him 3 times in the ring, but just walked with him. He was doing fine and he knows his stuff, but I wanna do it slowly.

I lunged him twice, walk and trott.

I want to slowly bring him back to shape and build some muscle as well.

I'm not going to show, just pleasure and basic dressage.

Its probably good if I just lunge him first and start ride him little by little, but I would like some advise or tips maybe a good training plan, anything what helps. Thank you ! :)

Answer 1

Well, okay.  People generally don't agree with me... but i don't promote lunging for horses that are out of shape/don't know what they're doing.  And ESPECIALLY for ottb's that are just coming into their new jobs.  

The way I see it, when your lunging a horse, you can't tell what he feels, you can't see/feel all the ways he’s reacting to new things, and you can't tell when he’s tired or frustrated... and I think that for training in general (but mostly TB's) that being able to stop before it gets bad is *the most important thing* that you have to be able to do, and on a lunge line you might not necessarily know when he’s done.

I love tb's, but honestly they have a short attention span and get frustrated easily, so in training them you always want to be on the border of them ready to just quit... because that’s when they try their hardest (they'll work and work and work, work TWICE as hard, and then stop.. you have to find this in your horse)

Another thing about lunging TB's to get muscle is he’s getting all this great muscle, and you standing in the middle... you need to increase your fitness together or one day you'll get on and he'll figure out he’s stronger then you!

And finally, with lunging, tb's haven't ever done little circles, so they don't have the muscle to support themselves in a lunge circle... when your riding you can use the whole arena but lunging he’s just gunna rush to stay upright (which isn't any good)

In saying that, I would have to ride your horse to tell you when he’s ready to trot, when he’s ready to canter, when he’s ready to do a trot circle... that all comes from you.  Remember, work slowly...  I start rides without a plan, and decide what to do once I’m on and have done a lap or two of walk... so I can feel what the horse is like, and then choose what will be the most helpful ride I can do (when a horse just wants to run through you hands, don't jump or go cross country.. work on spelling and dressage.. you know what I mean?)

So, that being said... there is no "time schedule" that you must follow.  If you get on one day and he starts out stupid, and ends with him doing everything you want (like walking a circle calmly or whatever) then be done. Even if you've only been on for 15 min.. He did what you asked so he gets to be done.  

But then, if you get on one day and he just "clicks" with what to do in the walk, and you feel ready to trot and he feels ready to trot then TROT.  And if he gives you one lap of trot (even if it isn't pretty) then be done... you wanted him to trot and he did so that’s it.  

If he’s anything like the tab’s I’ve worked with it will be obvious when you can move on, when you need to take a step back, all of it is obvious if you know your horse.  

Btw, I’ll probably be back to write more later..

EDIT: also, remember that race horses are taught that the harder you pull, the faster he'll go.. so don't tense up or pull when trotting/cantering..  this is why i say you need to decide because you need to know if you can keep cool calm and collected while trotting.. (or cantering..)

EDIT 2: theres no "sign" or signal that hes ready to trot.. its just a matter of thinking "can he go/stop/turn/accept pressure at the walk" does he FEEL ready, would you trust him to trot nicely (speedy fast stupid trots don't count.. he has to feel ready for a GOOD trot)  and do I (you) feel ready.  everything just CLICKS and you'll have a ride when everything goes right, and thats when your ready to trot..

when it gets into things like this i just can't write it out, i just go by feel alone.. so it could the horses 2nd day riding and i'll trot because he feels ready.. you just have to go with the flow.. and tankfully, tb's are pretty forgiving, so if you deicide to trot and it goes badly bring him back to a walk, get something good out of the walk, and then be done... even if you have to go back to something easy you HAVE to stop with something good..

with my OTTB, i only ever ride for a half hour, i would consider 45 long.. with him (and alot of them) hes either gunna get it that day or hes not, and if hes not i decide to put that new thing away for a while, and go back to something we're good at... but i also know him very well so i can tell.. but with him i ALWAYS follow the "10 min of good work is better then 2 hours of nothing"

and i know about the lazy TB thing.. my horse is SO freaking lazy sometimes.. he jogs and lopes on the buckle like a western pleasure horse.. so that whole "crazy tb" thing is such a joke.. its a matter of channeling the energy into something.. when you try and ride them like a lazy horse and they're not doing anything with their brain they get fast and stupid... its just how they are

EDIT 3: i don't know if you read fugly's blog (its worth it if you don't already!) but this is also by her.. and intersting point of veiw!

http://verylargecolt.blogspot.com/2008/0...

Answer 2

well I just trained my 3 year old from the ground up, but the way I did it was I really formed a bond with him. I didn't trot until I felt we were ready. Just go with the flow and if the time seems right, then try a trot and work your way up. Also try and work on desensitizing him. It really helps if you are going to shows and it will get him used to alot more and make him calmer at shows. TBs tend to have a higher spirit, so I would suggest really warming him up good lunging him. Personally I just go with the flow and see when I feel we are both ready for the next step. I hope this helped a little.

Answer 3

I know a trainer. He trained my horse. www.wagontrailfarm.com

Answer 4

well you i bet you could start cantering on the lunge line and trotting with you on top if he is doing fine on the lunge that is

Answer 5

You are right about taking it steady but don't worry it isn't cruel to push him a bit. There are Bach flower remedies you can use, massage it around his stiff areas. (see Internet) Bach rescue remedies don't need a prescription and you cant give a drug over dose as they are an approved food.

Good Luck i hope i have helped!

Alice L

Answer 6

when re-training a race horse, you have to remember that the muscles on the left are stronger then the right cuz they have been running that way for most of there lifes, so lunge mostly to the right to make the muscles stronger.

Answer 7

Purchase a book about OTTB's called "Beyond the track" that will help a lot teaching you how to control an OTTB. They are a whole new breed of horse, really :).

I've got my own who went through much more trama then off the track work, she got 2 years of stalling without any turn out (She got aggressive and wouldn't let anyone in her stall) then went to a hunter-jumper rider who used a martingale and the nastiest bit I've ever seen and kept her head to her chest the whole time. She's so afraid of cantering, of doing everything!

The things I've noticed are: headshy, panicy about being touched on the neck (where they give injections) with the farrier/vet being around [she's over most all of these things already, but, these are things i noticed!], afraid of the pressure of the leadrope (this MIGHT have come from the track...), fears from backing out of a trailer (They turn them), fear of confinment (from the stalling probably?), she had a fear of turnout but that was because of how much she was stalled o_O... , at first most OTTB's have a fear or have issues of legs being put against them because they are not used to it. A friend of mine has a very relaxed OTTB. Both of ours have had enough trama they will occasonally just FLIP and run laps around their pen/pasture. My mare used to do it because she was afraid of being near poeple in a large area, for fear of being hit on the hindquarters (don't know why, she was panicy about you even stroking her hindquarters... who knows), so she (and I've heard others do) run random chaotic circles when stressed.

I'm not going to give you a specific training plan, but for SURE you need to be able to get the horse to walk, trot, canter, whoa and extend and collect their gates ON THE LOUNGE LINE. Teach them what "eeaasssy" means, and when they do, say 'good good good!' then cluck when you want them to go faster and get them to extend their trots (i'd never have them extend their canters in the lounge, with a tb you want calm canters). Also, OTTB do not know how to "canter" at the pace that most riders want, their "Canters" are usually a fast paced canter that is used for exercise, that or a gallop. I know a lot of OTTB i've seen don't know how to trot, they just do this awkward jog of sorts.

Good luck, trust people who know about these things, be careful what you read on answers. :) Just make sure to try to do the best for the horse, and I wish you the best of luck!