Elizabeth

Elizabeth Wood
photo by Phil West

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TRAINING NOTES from Elizabeth

 

 

 

 

Relax and the horse will relax.

If you are scared your body will tell the horse that there is something to be fearful of. He will then be uptight and ready to spook at anything that is out of the ordinary. Relax and the horse will relax as in the photo above. Read the training note about getting your horse to relax and lower his head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching an OTTB about a mounting block.

Make sure your horse is not scared of the mounting block. If the horse will not stand when you climb up on the block, get down and back him up while carrying the mounting block. Try again when he is willing to stand quietly. If he does not stand, repeat the process until he does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a ground person who understands horses as your safety line.

Have a ground person who understands horses. If the horse suddenly spins, and the ground person lets the lunge line get under the horse's tail, you could be in for a ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get your OTTB out of the ring ASAP.

Go to our sister Web site:

www.OTTBSuccessStories.com

and read about the first ride experiences of buyers of Bits & Bytes Farm Thoroughbreds.

training notes from elizabeth

Our horses > training notes from elizabeth > December 28, 2008

Our training notes often show schooling at the farm but may also include cross country schoolings and trail rides away from the farm. Go back through our notes to see how we train our off-the-track Thoroughbreds and prepare them for new careers as sport horses.

Training Notes - Riding Your OTTB for the First Time

This update from our OTTB Success Stories Web site prompted this long over due training note.

I have to knock on wood when I tell you this, but "Qu" has been so good to work with. Christmas gave us all a relaxed start and we did ground work until Saturday when I got on him for the first time. He was a little nervous but settled in quickly. All we did was walk, halt and go over poles and he was a champ. I love his attitude. I'm hoping to go on a hack with him fairly soon. I'm using a Happy Mouth mullen mouth right now but will probably try others too.

This e-mail from one of our first time buyers, reminded me that not everyone knows what to expect from their first ride on an off-the-track Thoroughbred. We have been getting Thoroughbreds off-the-track for many years now and we take a safe yet relaxed approach to the first ride. There are a few simple things to remember . . .

This is not your horse's first ride and it won't be a rodeo!

Thoroughbreds are used to being ridden everyday. They walk to the track, they jog and canter slowly and they gallop on some days - but not every day. The horses doing their slow work ride on the outside rail (clockwise) in the opposite direction as the horses on the inside rail (counter clockwise) doing the fast workouts. There are also horses in the center of the track doing medium speed workouts. Just think of their morning workout like training for the schooling ring at a horse show - only with better riders and more organized chaos.

Horses work both directions on the track at the same time.
Horses work in both directions at the race track - at the same time. The slow horses are ridden clockwise and the fast horses work counter clockwise. The faster horses are on the inside rail.

The horses at the track have riders that are confident and they instill that confidence in the young horses. YOU need to be confident when you get on your off-the-track Thoroughbred. I am not surprised by the OTTB Success Stories of new owner's first rides. Many people expect OTTBs to be hot or difficult to ride when, in reality, the opposite is usually true.

Thoroughbreds are sensitive and pick up on the emotions of the people around them. It is important to relax and open your heart when working around your Thoroughbred. If you are not confident enough to train your OTTB then don't buy one. It does not take a lot of skill but it does take patience and confidence. You can walk your horse for a year if you are not confident to trot and that will be good for the horse as long as you can relax at the walk. Sit all stiff, fall off or scare yourself or the horse, and your training will take a big step backwards. OTTBs like to have a job and they like to be ridden. If they could not be controlled by a rider, they would never make it through a race - they would run out of gas before the finish line.

The race horse waits for the rider to tell him to make the push at the end of the race to win. He is used to a rider telling him what to do and when. He needs to learn your cues when asking him to do something. Sending a Thoroughbred to a trainer will cause the horse to learn how the trainer is asking and then he will need to relearn the cues from you. The trainer can tell you how he/she taught the horse but you will not do it the same way. It is better to work with a trainer with you as the rider. The Thoroughbred needs to respect you and learn what YOU are asking him to do.

Bubba's last race.
This is a photo of Lynn's Vision aka "Bubba" in his last race. Read Bubba's Success Stories and see more of "Bubba's" racing photos.

If your Thoroughbred is hot tempered or bucking out sideways on the lunge line, you might want to look for a pain issue and take care of that before trying to ride him. Read the Training Note - "How do I know if my horse needs chiropractic care? "

Choosing the right Thoroughbred at-the-track can make the difference between success and failure with OTTB. You want to make sure he has been properly cared for and handled well. A horse that is currently sound and racing who passes the vet check will most likely be very easy to ride when you get him home. A horse is quiet and well behaved at-the-track will be even better away from-the-track. Horses that are sour at the track can turn 180 degrees and become the biggest pet you ever had, but starting with a sound, happy horse will almost guarantee a great first ride. If the horse is in pain, you need to fix that problem first if you hope to have a quiet first ride.

What to expect for your first ride on your new OTTB.

Expect the worse and don't be surprised when you have a quiet ride. Expect the worse? What? What will happen?

We always take safety precautions on our first ride. Better safe than sorry. We wear a protective vest like the jockey's wear under their silks. We wear a helmet and we have a ground person holding the lunge line attached to the horse's bridle. Lunge the horse before getting on to see how he is feeling and to take the edge off of him.

Lunge the horse before getting on to see how he is feeling and to take the edge off of him.
Lunging will help you to assess the horse before getting on.

Better safe than sorry

Your horse is used to a rider getting a leg up - sometimes from within the stall and sometimes while walking to the track. Use a mounting block if you are not agile enough to take a leg up. Kick the mounting block, stomp on it and throw it around in front of the horse before getting on. Make sure he is not scared of the mounting block. If the horse will not stand when you climb up on the block, get down and back him up while carrying the mounting block. Try again when he is willing to stand quietly. If he does not stand, repeat the process until he does. You may have to do this each time you mount for several days but eventually he will learn that is it easier to just stand and let you get on. Make sure to stay towards the center of the arena away from the fence in case you have problems.

Make sure to stay towards the center of the arena away from the fence.
Have a ground person with the lunge line attached to your horse's bridle as your safety line.

Have your ground person with the lunge line attached to your horse's bridle as your safety line. Stand on the mounting block and lean on the saddle. Put your foot in the stirrup and add weight but don't get on. If he stands quietly you can proceed to get on. If he moves, repeat the above steps until he stands quietly for you to mount.

Ready, Set, Mount!

When you are ready to really get on, do it quickly and quietly. Hold the reins and some mane and put your leg over his back quickly and quietly put your weight on his back - gently. Now your heart is racing. You are sitting on a RACE horse!

Make sure to stay towards the center of the arena away from the fence when mounting.
Make sure to stay towards the center of the arena away from the fence when mounting.

Calm down and breathe. Reach down and stroke your horse's neck. Have your ground person with the lunge line lead you around in the center of the arena. Within 30 seconds you will know what to expect. 95% of the time the horse is totally relaxed - unless you are making HIM scared. Let yourself be led around the arena until YOU are calm, then extend your circle out on the lunge line. If you feel safe and have a calm horse under you then trot when you are ready. If you feel the horse is not explosive under you and you are not making him scared, then you can come off the lunge line and enjoy riding your new OTTB. If the horse seems too up, get off and lunge him some more. If you are nervous, do not get on. You will scare the horse with your fears and tense body.

Be safe and have a ground person holding a lunge line on your first ride.
Be safe and have a ground person holding a lunge line on your first ride.

Sometimes I will canter on the first ride and sometimes it will take a few rides or even longer before I ask a horse to canter.

You may feel safe enough to canter on your first ride.
Many times you may feel safe enough to canter on your first ride.

You need to remember that your horse is not used to cantering on tight circles or having a rider sitting on his back. Jockeys are usually up in the irons with little or no weight on the horse's back. OTTBs can get back sore easily which could lead to bucking if you move to quickly with his training. Do not do sitting trots or canter circles until you have built up the top line muscles with lunging and hill work.

Hill Work? Ride My OTTB Outside of the Ring?

YES! Get your horse out-of-the-ring as soon as you feel you can safely control him. Thoroughbreds seem to love going for walks in the woods and up and down hills. It is so different than a wide open, flat track. Their back ends are weak when they come off-the-track and the hill work is good for their minds and their bodies.

Crossing wide streams is an easy way to teach horses to cross water.
This ex-race horse learned to cross creeks on his first trail ride away from the farm.

Do lots of hill work and walk, trot transitions. Teach your horse to respond from your seat with half halts before a transition. Look in the direction you wish him to move and you will find you hardly need to apply rein. When trotting be sure to not lean forward or post too fast. Your horse will automatically match your tempo. If you wish him to slow down, slow down your posting and bring your shoulders and chest back. Breathe. Your horse will slow down.

Stay off your horse's back until he has built up muscle.
Walk and trot your horse until you feel safe enough to canter.

Think about walking and do a half halt and he will be walking. Off-the-track Thoroughbreds are very sensitive and learn quickly because they want to please their person. Be sure to reward him by lightening your hands and telling him he is good with your voice.

Remember this always . . . You can never go too slow with the training but you can go too fast. Never scare your horse or yourself. Develop a partnership unequaled by any other breeds by taking it slow and steady. Be confident and your horse will be too. A confident horse is a safe horse.

Read more Training Notes from Elizabeth.

 


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