OTTB trained as a cart horse?

So, I've had my OTTB for a few months now, and it's to the point where I'm ready to start cantering him under saddle. The way I approach it is to teach him the voice cues while lunging and then apply it in the saddle. Usually it doesn't take very long, he picked up trotting in three sessions. The only problem is for my life (and the life of my trainer/barn manager) he will NOT canter from the ground. Occasionally he'll pick it up, but after two or three strides he seems to realize he's cantering and drops right back in to a trot. We actually had a crowd gathered around the round pen, and the consensus was that his stride, his reluctance/confusion about cantering and the way he carried his head resembled that of a cart horse. So my question is, even though he's a registered race horse with a lengthy record (I've looked up some of his videos from the track) could he have been trained to pull a cart? What benefit would there be in training a track horse to drive? I know every trainer is different, but I've honestly never heard of something like this in all of my research on OTTB's....

Oh, and I eventually decided to try and put a saddle on his back and lunge him in full tack...sure enough, he charged forward in to a canter as soon as I asked! But he still won't canter without a saddle......

As soon as he's able to lunge again (currently he's ooc due to a kicking injury on his hock) I'll put up a video for some feedback.

Just an thought - if your horse isn't performing extremely reliably undersaddle, IMO it's a mistake to switch them to driving. Driving is about 100 times more dangerous than riding - in order to make a sucessful driving horse, he will need to respond to your cues 100% of the time, both on the ground (tackless) and undersaddle. I wouldn't use his reluctance to canter as a cue to make him a driving horse.

Thats not what i'm saying at all--I actually have no plans on driving him whatsoever. I'm just asking if there would be a logical reason why he would have been trained to drive, since he was a racehorse. Like I said, under saddle he canters on cue....but with just a line and a lunge whip, he refuses to pick up a canter and seems confused as to why I want him to....this is not just me being in experienced with lunging, I've had a professional trainer attempt it and he does the same thing. We had observers comment that he looked/carried himself like a cart horse when he was trotting. We're currently exploring the 'pain' option as an explanation for his reluctance, but that doesn't explain why he'll canter with a saddle on....

So I just want some opinions as to whether his previous training as a cart horse is a possibility or not.

this is untrue. we have many horses that drive that cannot be ridden. riding and driving are completely different.


and to the OP- most likely he was not trained to cart. driving uses different muscles than the TB horses use when they race. even our pacers VS our trotters have different muscles built on them because of their gait. also the TB racehorses (when racing, not OT) are much too high strung to be carting, and their focus needs to be on racing.

Would he be in pain going around on the lunge? Would he have a sore back? Just questions!

That doesn't really make sense....he'll canter with a saddle on, but not from the ground, so if he's in pain, wouldn't the saddle weight just add to it and he would be even more reluctant to canter?

His leg is almost healed, he might be lunge line ready by next week so I'll be able to post a video for everyone.

My driving horses move just like a riding horse. A proper driving horse SHOULD ;) I highly highly doubt he was trained to drive for the reasons other posters have said.

outof curiosity what is a ottb

Its short for off-the-track-Thoroughbred....an ex racehorse.

Yes I Know But On The Lunge Hes On A Circle So It Might Hurt On A Circle?
My Friends Horse Was Lame On The Lunge For 2 Months and They Couldnt Figure Out Why And It Turns Out He Put His Back, Pelvis And Hip Out Because He Must Have Had A Bad Fall In The Field. Has Your Horse Had A Bad Fall? Maybe you Should Get The Vet Or Physio Out Just To Rule Out Everything Out