Archive for the ‘Allegiant’ Category
Building a Bond with an OTTB
Molly and Antioch after just four months have built a bond and trust between them that could never be matched if she had purchased a ‘made’ horse. Starting a young horse or an off-the-track Thoroughbred takes time and dedication. Most teenage girls just want to be showing and winning ribbons not spending time training a horse. Molly is different, she is enjoying the training process and is taking the time to do all the little steps that will allow her to bond with Anitoch and they will become partners. Watch this video of Molly and Antioch and see how doing ground work and spending time has paid off with a special bond. Great work Molly.
Molly purchased Antioch after her friend Laura purchased Gold’s Anatomy. Read Gold Anatomy’s Success Stories too.
Amanda and Allegiant are another young team. Both Amanda and Laura are using YouTube to document the training of their Thoroughbreds. This is a wonderful way for us to see first hand the bond that is being created during the training. It also shows how to have fun while teaching these horses important basics like despooking them and teaching them not to panic if a rope is wrapped around a leg. It does not take a fancy arena or an expensive trainer but it does take love and dedication which these girls demonstrate so well in their videos.
Amanda and Allegiant videos:
See more of Allegiant’s Success Stories.
Posted in Allegiant, Antioch, B&B Success Stories | 
Tags: Ground Training, Natural Horsemanship, Training
One Year Off-The-Track – Look How Far We’ve Come
Amanda and Allegiant have come a long way in one year. Thank you Amanda for showing us what can be done with a little love and a lot of hard work. We are very proud of this young pair. Read more of Allegiant’s Success Stories.
The “A” Team #2
We have TWO "A" Teams!
We have two “A” Teams.
Alex Kemper and Tucks St. Aly and Amanda Caldwell and Allegiant. This halter belongs to the second “A” Team. We are very proud of these young women who are not afraid to train big 17 hand Thoroughbreds.
Allegiant Visits Bits & Bytes Farm for a Lesson
Allegiant was a Prospect Horse in June 2009. She and Amanda are coming to Bits & Bytes Farm for jumping lessons with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth,
The lesson was AWESOME!! Alle and I had a TON of fun. Allegiant really enjoys learning how to jump, as do I. We are hoping to be able to trailer her to your place once a month for a lesson (hopefully she’ll get better about trailering as we do it more ). I went into the trailer and hooked her lead line on, and she unloaded perfectly! I let her walk around for five minutes, then I put her in the stall so she could drink some water and have her food. The pictures are awesome!! If you have anymore, let me know.
Thanks for the lesson!!
Amanda and Alle!!
See all of Allegiant’s Photo Galleries.
Allegiant Loves Her Young Mom
I brushed Allegiant real well today. And, as I did, the kept putting her head lower and lower (even when I was trimming her whiskers a little). She really likes the attention!! I also put MTG on every cut, scrape, rain rot, etc. Then, I put swat on her cuts for the flies.
I am starting on natural horsemanship exercises. She can now flex her head all the way to my leg when I ask (and as an emergency brake, she can now do a one rein stop if she decides to take off). We first started doing it on the ground, then went and did it under saddle. I have a Clinton Anderson book that I am following the steps of. We are also working on getting that James Wofford Gymnastics book.
As soon as she started flexing her neck, she instantly became calm. It was kinda weird. And, as a plus, it pops her neck!!
Hope everything is doing good over there!!
Amanda and Alle!!
Allegiant Videos from July
July 6, 2009
I really REALLY like Allegiant, and can definitely see her potential. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. There is no way I would sell her! She hasn’t done ONE bad thing. Mom and Dad can hold her, and they aren’t even horse people. And, I love how she talks to me when she sees me! I know we will go far! Thanks for all your help!
Amanda and Alle!!
P.S. I am working on the tips you gave me when I was riding (don’t point my feet out, hold my hands straight not horizontal, bend my elbows, and move with her. She really listens and is FANTASTIC to ride!!
July 17, 2009
FINALLY!! I just made a WHOLE new video with only new clips…. Hope you like it, Amanda and Alle!! P.S. My position is slowly getting better!!
Amanda had friends try to discourage her when she purchased a Thoroughbred from the racetrack. Allegiant has proven them all wrong. She is quiet, well behaved and wants to please. Just another typical Bits & Bytes Farm Prospect Horse. We look for horses that are well behaved and well cared for at the track to list on our Prospect Horses from the Track page on the Bits & Bytes Farm Web site.
Allegiant Video
Hey, do you have any racing or baby pictures of Alle? Or a video? That would be awesome!! I haven’t lunged her in two days because I have been sick, but I should be able to tomorrow. She is riding great.
When I took her off the lunge line and we rode around and there was a deer! She wanted to go up and see it, but she didn’t spook. I thought that was pretty cool!! My friend and I are going to ride within the next few days. She is training an Arabian (she hasn’t cantered him yet, so we are both in the same boat).
Hope you guys are doing well. Oh, Alle says to say hi to Stevie Loverboy!
Amanda and Alle!!
This one is my FAVORITE!!
Mom didn’t get any trotting pictures, but I am working on a video. I will send you the link when I am done. I know my position wasn’t great, but I have been sick and tried my best!! She was absolutely perfect!! I borrowed a friend’s lunge line. She is everything I wanted and more!!
I really REALLY like her (Allegiant), and can definitely see her potential. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. There is no way I would sell her. She hasn’t done ONE bad thing. Mom and Dad can hold her, and they aren’t even horse people. And, I love how she talks to me when she sees me! I know we will go far! Thanks for all your help!
Amanda and Alle!!
P.S. I am working on the tips you gave me when I was riding ( don’t point my feet out, hold my hands straight not horizontal, bend my elbows, and move with her. She really listens and is FANTASTIC to ride!!
Buying an OTTB Can Raise Eyebrows
Allegiant is so quiet she can be handled by non riders (like mom and dad).
Elizabeth,
You’re welcome! I am just taking the comments all in stride. I figured I would run any by you (like the being in heat one ) before I let someone else tell me what I should do when it is my horse. I really REALLY like her (Allegiant), and can definitely see her potential. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. There is no way I would sell her just because of the comments people are telling me. She hasn’t done ONE bad thing. Mom and Dad can hold her, and they aren’t even horse people. And, I love how she talks to me when she sees me! I know we will go far!
Thanks for all your help!
Amanda and Alle!!
P.S. I am working on the tips you gave me when I was riding (don’t point my feet out, hold my hands straight not horizontal, bend my elbows, and move with her. She really listens and is FANTASTIC to ride!!
Amanda experienced what a lot of buyers of off-the-track Thoroughbreds experience – negative comments from people who know nothing about OTTBs. She was told inaccurate and totally ridiculous stories about what to expect from an off-the-track Thoroughbred. Fortunately she called us for advice.
Bits & Bytes Farm is dedicated to making your experience a positive one. We want your Success Stories. We are here to answer your questions and to clear up the myths about OTTBs. Spend some time reading the stories on this Web site and you will see a common theme: These horses are wonderful, kind and gentle. They love their owners and follow them around and nicker to them. The stories from the owners of these ex-races tell the real story. If the match is not working out, we will help the horse find a better suited match.
The Newest “A Team” – Allegiant and Amanda
Allegiant is doing fantastic!!
Allegiant is doing fantastic!! She is settling in great. Her pasture buddy is a 25 year old 13hh pony mare. But, right across the fence, she can also hang out with three geldings.
I lunged her in the round pen, and she did great for never being in one before. She got sweaty, so I rinsed her off, then dryed her hooves off, and applied hoof polish on them. I am doing the stretches about A LOT! But, her right side is slowly getting better. She is getting more smooth when I do the crossing over on the right! She hasn’t spooked at ANYTHING!! She did want to back off of the wash rack at first, but within two or three minutes she did,
Allegiant is drinking three buckets of water per day, and she is eating ALL of her food!!
so she got a treat for that! I tried giving her an apple; she doesn’t like them, haha. We even beat the apple against something to get the juices out, and she still didn’t like it. But, I found a treat she does like!! Licorice flavored treats!!
She is drinking three buckets of water per day, and she is eating ALL of her food. I think she likes it here! She knows she doesn’t have to race anymore. I have a hard time keeping up with her at the walk with those long legs of hers, but we are getting used to each other. Every time I walk into the barn now, she talks to me. She already knows who feeds her and takes care of her!!
Amanda Meets Allegiant
Amanda and Allegiant hit it off on their first ride!
Elizabeth,
Allegiant meets Amanda's family including Lily the Italian greyhound.
Yesterday was a ton of fun (even if it didn’t look like it on my face, it was)! When I first went into Allegiant’s stall, she was so calm and relaxed. I was expecting something a little more lively for just being two weeks off the track. She was gorgeous and tall. I wasn’t expecting her to be quite so tall, but it’s fine with me since I’m tall too! She stood quietly to be brushed and pick her feet out and to tack her up. She was not girthy in the least, and she put her bit right in. She EVEN put her head down to help you put it in! That was nice.
When we got to the arena, and Elizabeth got on, I was expecting an extremely fast trot. But, she just did exactly what you wanted her to do. If you sat up, she would go slower, and that AMAZED me. I am so used to my old Appy not caring what I do.
Amanda rode Allegiant on a lunge line first.
Then I got on, and we started out slow on the lunge line. She was calm ready to listen to me. After a few lessons on my body position, she really got in tune with me, and we started to click! Then, we went off the lunge line. At first, she wanted to eat the trees, but I got her attention, and we went trotting around the arena, she was GREAT!
Afterwards, we must have rinsed her off 2-3 times, and she stood perfectly still, even for her face!! And, we bathed her and scrubbed her with iodine shampoo, she still stood there.
Getting in the trailer was a little tricky with all the food bags and water buckets, but she did it well, and calmed down soon after that. We stopped about 7-10 times to make sure she was all right. She was a little sweaty, but not bad. And, she was eating her hay. We stopped at Publix for five minutes to get one thing, and she was AWESOME! Read the rest of this entry »
