OTTB Success Stories

Posts Tagged ‘Training’

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.

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.

Hi Elizabeth,

I wanted to give you an update on Wise Young Sage. He is AWESOME! Everywhere I go I feel like I’m with a celebrity. People literally stare at him with their jaws dropped all oohing and gooing over his beautiful floating trot & rocking horse canter. He has amazing potential to be competitive at the highest levels in eventing.

Wise Young Sage - May 2010

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I have had several people asking me if I want to sell him and I said HELL no! Sage has had some trouble with his feet so he has had the month of April off, he has no heel so I don’t know If that will ever grow out. He had a bad shoeing which didn’t help. He will be fine just some bruised heels.

Molly cantered him for the first time tonight and he was fabulous! He learns everything so fast. He now longes with voice commands and goes at the walk and trot over poles and now she can work on his canter leads! We just love him. I hope all is well at Bits & Bytes Farm.

We are very proud of Molly and Antioch. They are learning together with the help of a competent trainer and a supportive mom. Molly is in Pony Club and she is learning all kinds of new riding and training skills while working with this wonderful off-the-track Thoroughbred.

I am very happy to report that Who’s Cindy Sue aka “Quinn” will be attending her first dressage schooling show this weekend. We are making our debut in the Intro Test A.  I have found a dressage trainer that has worked with us and has determined that her gate irregularity that the vets were deeming as “lameness” was truly a training and balance issue (I was ready to hop off and hug this woman!) In just two weeks of working with her and  using classical dressage techniques, I have a new, relaxed horse and she is becoming more and more regular.  Unbelievable how you train and ride can affect your horse!

I am new to dressage so I too am a student.  I am coming from the hunter/jumper world (25 years of this) where we hover in two point, dressage is a challenge but makes so much sense.  Here are two clips of us practicing pieces of our dressage test. We are getting longer periods of time where she is able to hold herself….the all important self carriage. No canter work yet except brief periods on a circle, she’ll get there!  She is also able to trot cross rails, but she does want to go, go go! Jumping is not going to be an issue for her. This summer our goal is to do Intro Tests A and B, and start schooling eventing at the amoeba/elementary level!

Rebecca Bonner Austin

Many horses coming off-the-track seem to have soundness issues but most of these are resolved with some chiropractic work and proper exercises. They use different muscles at the track and they need to be relaxed and rebuilt with proper exercise. Doing a chiropractic adjustment is not enough, you need to do exercises to build the muscles to hold the adjustment in place. If you can’t find a good chiropractor you can still do the exercises. Work on the lunge line at walk and trot and don’t do canter work until the horse is moving freely on both sides. Back your horse up when on the ground and see if she reaches under equally with both back legs. At first the horse will not reach very far underneath and there may be a large gap between the front and rear feet. Keep backing the horse every day until the feet almost touch when backing up. This will mean that the hips are unlocked and the horse can now reach underneath herself and build up the back and hind end muscles. When your horse is backing well, back her up a hill to increase the difficulty of the exercise. Find more information about “Does your horse need chiropractic care?” on the Bits & Bytes Farm Web site.

Antioch and Molly take their first lesson together.

The lesson went so well! They worked on a little ground work and then walk and halt and steering and backing with lots of circles and serpentine. The also practiced mounting from both sides with the mounting block and having him stay still. He learns so fast! Lots of praise and patting was used. At the end she did a little trotting and it was awesome! Antioch was so great and our trainer really did seem to understand him and how to teach Molly on him. The trainer was skeptical of our decision to buy him, but I think she is seeing how wonderful he is! We are going to try to do two lessons a week for a while to really get Molly confident.

Off-the-Track Thoroughbreds are easy to train but it sometimes helps to have someone coaching and encouraging you. Too often all you get is criticism because of peoples’ lack of knowledge about ex-race horses.

Reign Day at the race track in December 2009.

Reign Day was listed on the  Bits & Bytes Farm Web site as a Thoroughbred Horse For Sale – Prospect Horse at the Track. He was purchased by John Reynolds, DVM and his wife Valeri to be a new Pony Club mount for their daughter Julia. Julia was busy with school commitments in February so we were asked to bring Reign Day to Bits & Bytes Farm for some training.

Reign Day arrives at Bits & Bytes Farm. February 7, 2010

We used this opportunity to keep a diary of Reign Day’s training show how we retrain a Thoroughbred that has just finished racing. We took photos and wrote stories about the training we did with Reign Day documenting his transition from race horse to sport horse.

Reign Day goes home to Pittsfield, MA on March 20, 2010

Julia and Reign Day with the red ribbon.

Reign Day left Bits & Bytes Farm on March 20, 2010 to begin his life with Julia.

Hey Elizabeth!!

So much to report about Tru Native!!! This last month has had it’s up and downs with Truman. Now, we have made HUGE progress under saddle in just these last six days, in a row, mind you, which is a record!! It is really funny for me to learn about all of the “first’s” with a young, green horse.

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One day, during my ride, my cell phone started going off. What was the problem, oh yeah, my young, green horse knows nothing about technology, HA-HA, my older “made” horse that I sold before Truman, would just stop politely and let me answer my phone. Well, Tru’s head went straight up sooooooo far and he started taking off. Of course, I couldn’t let go of even one of my reins to get my phone out of my pocket to shut the thing up, and it rang for about 30 – 40 seconds, which seemed like an eternity. I just went along for the ride, trying to circle, using the one-rein stop, and calm him down. After my phone ceased it’s ringing, he was huffing and puffing and couldn’t believe that noise came from me!!! After we finished (I had to calm myself as well), I put him away and I went into his stall and had a friend call my phone. I was holding it, and it rang. Well… he came right over to it and tried to eat it, couldn’t care less!! Wasn’t the least bit frightened of the noise. I am assuming his fear of it under saddle was because I was on his back and the noise was over his head. He freaked out wondering why I would be making that wierd noise! We have been working on this under saddle. He is getting better about my phone going off now but is not totally convinced that it is nothing to worry about yet. Anyone heard of VIBRATE mode, what a concept, duh!!!

Then, there are the sun spots in the arena, which he attempts to jump. So funny, but now he just plows through them. Oh yeah, he loves to do ground poles, the more the better. He even loves to jump cavelletti’s. I want to work on a bit of jumping along with the dressage. Three or four ground poles are excellent for getting a horses back up and good for their mind. Truman just loves all of that and I think he would love to jump. He doesn’t seem nervous to go over anything I lay down in the arena.

We have still had more stubborn, grouchy days than good in the first two months I have been riding him. His work attitude has been difficult to deal with under saddle. Lots of huffing and puffing, throwing his head in the air, running off, anything he could think of to get out of work. Even some bucks. I did start using a running martingale. I noticed that on your website, you use them on all of your horses you ride. So that has been a help with the head tossing. But, things are NOW sooooo much better and he is actually FUN to ride. Before, he was been putting in a bit of bucking and crow-hopping. So, I had a new chiropractor out hoping to get some answers to his grumpiness. He said his pole/neck were out, which led to his neck being a little crooked and the odd muscle bulgings, which was causing pain under saddle. Now, his neck issue might have been this way a very long time, we don’t know for sure. But to have developed odd muscling like that didn’t happen over-night. He also adjusted his right hip. The hip wasn’t bad, but if we don’t get the neck fixed, everything else will suffer. From the moment I started to ride Truman after he arrived from Ohio, he would huff and puff, and seem to be VERY stubborn and grouchy. He always seemed to get better by the end of the ride, so I assumed it was just his greeness, stiffness and lack of confidence at the start of the ride. So everyday, was to say the least, not fun under saddle. Now he is getting the proper adjustments he deserves! Hopefully over time this will relieve the pain and he will become the willing, agreeable guy under saddle I know he can be. The change in his attitude already is super.

This horse has the most powerful hind end I have ever seen. Everyone who meets Truman comments on his amazing, powerful hind quarters! Now, that he is getting the adjustments and building more confidence under saddle he is my Super “TRU”per. That is what I say, when we are cantering all around the arena, I say to him over and over, SUPER TRUPER!!!!!! He loves it. This horse is so powerful, that he can even canter right off from the WALK!!! All on his own, I just sit there and let him do it. He has the most lofty canter and seems to have great control over his hind-end to lengthen and shorten his stride or even slow it down and sit, all on his own accord. A dressage rider’s dream! HOLY COW, what I am seeing in the mirrors and feeling about that natural, uplifting, front legs off the ground canter gives me chills. Of course, when we gets to the corners, he is back on his forehand and downhill, which is to be expected. It is just so exciting to see the possibilities in that gait. After all of that cantering, we go down to trot, and that is when I see his true trot stride, relaxed, long and floaty. It does go away of course when he looses his rhythm and balance. But I am seeing glimpses of the things to come down the road as he learns his balance and develops strength and rhythm.

I was so discouraged these last few weeks, feeling he just hated to be ridden. I love him so much and I didn’t want to give up. I just wanted more than anything to just have ONE good ride without resistance. But now, he is a happy-camper and a super “Tru”per. He knows I am not going to push or hurt him. It just took many weeks for him to figure this out and now that his neck is getting adjusted, he is even better. He is a strong-willed horse though and I know the road ahead with him won’t always be smooth sailing. It is an AMAZING feeling inside of pride when you have been working sooooo hard and finally accomplish something. I know that Truman feels that excitement along with me. He is a different horse under saddle this last week and I know he feels proud of himself as I am of him! He is my best friend and we have developed such a deep respect and trust for one another!! That is part of why things are going better, it just took Tru awhile to feel comfortable. Now, I can start really teaching him about dressage since he is becoming a great student.

OH, one more thing, I found out he does have a horse-challenging side to him. He does not like Jack, a black Swedish horse my friend Lucinda owns. Jack is an alpha horse. So Truman gets all worked up when Jack is in the arena. At first, I thought he just wanted to be near him trying to get out of work again, using Jack as an excuse. But then the other day, when we passed left to left, Truman spun around, ears pinned and wanted to go at him!!!!! I realized then, that he is wanting to challenge Jack. Of course, Jack totally ignores this young fellow, and I think that made Truman even more frustrated. Oh Yes… I have had quite a few first’s myself these last few weeks. Never a dull moment, that is for sure. Attached are more pictures of my beautiful baby and me.

Hope all is well with you Elizabeth, and your wonderful Bits and Bytes Farm. I still get on the website often, it makes me feel connected to other’s who are on the same journey as me. Thank you for that!!!

BEST TO YOU!!
Lauren Wittkop

We recommend all horses (not just ex-racers) get adjusted by a GOOD equine chiropractor. No horse will be able to perform well if his back or neck are out of alignment. Getting your horse adjusted and then doing the exercises to keep the muscle strong will help the horse hold the adjustment. If your horse is out of alignment he will buck and be reactive because he is trying to tell you that he HURTS. Listen to your horse and you will find that he will reward you by trying to please you. This is so typical of a Thoroughbred. – Elizabeth

Stevie Loverboy and Missy Miller learn new lessons together.

I am finally sitting down to write a long overdue update about Loverboy…I say overdue because we have been so productive and had so many great moments in the last few months that I don’t know where to begin!  Due to a run of sick kids, rain, and wicked cold weather, I actually suffered through a 2 week stretch without a single day in the saddle…needless to say, it was a very big “Mom Moment” when the next time I saddled up, I was able to hop right on Loverboy without even longeing him and he was amazing!

We have also started trying to do regular weekly lessons with Alice with the goal of trying to do a horse show, and not embarrass ourselves, by the end of the year.  Loverboy seems to really enjoy the work and the variety and is responding so well. . . Read the rest of this entry »

Tru Native and his herd leader Lauren Wittkop.

Hi Elizabeth,

Just a quick email to let you know how SUPER Truman is coming along this last week. He is even now accepting lunging with side-reins (very loose) with some cantering. He is getting stronger, balanced and more confident each day. I will be sending off another success story in the next week or so with new pictures of me riding and trotting.

I haven’t seen the story I sent you early last week up on the website but will keep checking. I love your website and look at it everyday, it is so interesting to look up different horses success stories and read them. It’s addicting and fun…

Have a great day, and I will keep in touch with a new “Tru” story soon. I just love him!

Best,
Lauren

Elizabeth’s Note: OK. OK. Lauren is really applying the lessons on training I shared with her. She is making it difficult for me because I have not gotten her Tru Native Success Stories up on the site! Lauren’s stories really give insight to how easy it is to train an off-the-track Thoroughbred if you understand some basic natural horsemanship concepts. Go back and read Tru Native’s Success Stories from the beginning and see how Lauren has learned to become the herd leader.