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Have come to a conclusion

5K views 63 replies 13 participants last post by  TBforever 
#1 ·
so after riding my off the track arabian this week and dealing with..ALOT...of issues..i have done alot..of research..and have realized..i should just be doing ground work with him..starting from the bottom in otherwords..as dissapointed i am over that..i tell myself..it is better to not rush it..for both our sakes..hes only 7..and i will have plenty of time to ride..AFTER he is retrained into a ridable member of society..what made me realize this..is when i was on him..his track mentality hit..hard..head held high..prancing sideways..he will not move straight..nope..and the fact he just wanted to take off at a run the entire time...he loves me and is bonded to me already..so it shouldn't be too difficult...but i would be greatful for some pointers here...i have never had to rehabilitate a off the track arabian..and i cannot afford a trainer so i am on my own here lol..so..what help this wonderful community can give me..would be greatly appreciated..thanks all..and Phoenix will thank you too.

 
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#2 ·
Sounds like you have some good ideas about needing groundwork. There are many here who use it much more than I, so I will let them speak to that.

When I get one that acts goofy I start even more basic than ground work. What is the horse's diet and what is his opportunity for turn out? What are those, and do you have any options regarding either? From your photo, it looks like you may be in a boarding situation.
 
#3 ·
Besides addressing feed and turnout time (being out 24/7 would be the best) I would ask how long since he was on the track. There is a 'let-down' time where it is really pretty pointless to try to train them at all. Stalling during that time will never work. They have to completely let down from the hot feed and conditioning they got on the track.
 
#4 ·
hes been off the track for approximately 4 months, and no i cannot have him turned out 24/7 as i do board him and the only turn out we have is in the arena..which is huge, even when i am not there though, my friend whom i trust turns him out with her horses and he loves that,his diet is low protein..he is underweight still due to neglect and i have him on rice bran for it as well as his normal hay
 
#5 ·
For an off-track, I would try to lease a pasture for him and just turn him out for a month or so and then moving him back to your boarding facility, if you can. He really needs turnout and lots of it. Off-tracks need time to come off the environment they were in and all the feed and stress.

Then start with ground work.
Arabians are complex to work with anyway and in my experience harder to retrain off the track than TB's. The need more time to adjust to a new life and more time with their beginning ground work until they accept that this is their new life.
 
#6 ·
Something that is easy and has seemed to help my Arabian mare a lot is just walking her around on a lead rope. If she is getting too nervous, I try to turn her around before she melts down. Over time, we went from being able to walk her 100 yards until we could go for miles. It helped me learn to read her body language, and her to gain confidence that she can follow me anywhere. That can pay some big benefits if she is facing a nervous situation on a trail.

BTW - it took 4 months from her arrival before Mia stopped sweating herself into a lather while just standing in the corral. Some horses take a while to relax...:?
 
#7 ·
A little off topic, but im wondering. The racing Arabians I saw in Germany were nowhere near being hyper or hot. I went to several races. There, they don't pony the horses, a groom leads the horses to the track and releases them. My favourite spot, I love it when they take off:). But the Arabians never did. They walked up to the starting gate, an occasional one trotted. No sweat, no dancing no prancing.
I found no explanation, other than there most Arabians are owner- trained.
 
#12 ·
yes thats his stall..unfortunatly i dont have the $300+ for a box stall, this is california and they charge a hell of alot , he is eating 4 way currently and his rice bran and yes he was checked for ulcers and had a full blood panel done because im paranoid
 
#13 ·
anyway i went out this morning and worked with him in the round pen..hes fine on the ground..listens to me..is calm and happy,does what i want with no issues..didnt even freak out at a tarp that was blowing due to the wind, its only when im on him that he gets into that must run,hyper active state..hell..he even ground ties with no issues
 
#14 ·
Try jumping on him and just laying over his back, even if it's on off to teach him to stand. He will come to associate your getting off as a reward for standing still. As he becomes more relaxed with it, stay in a little longer and rub him. You are teaching him that your weight doesn't mean go. Never allow him to move while you are on him. Bend his hend around so that if he moves it will be in a circle and not straight ahead. That is less comfortable for him as well as controlling his movement.
 
#15 ·
Hi, it sounds like you are doing alot of good things for him to get him back into shape and weight. I am working with a trainer with a TB who wanted to run too when I was riding him. We do a lot of groundwork, walking on lead rope, turning, stopping, backing up. We also kindof lunge him on lead rope too getting him to yield his hind and changing directions. We also use a lunge line, but he's never allowed to go faster than a trot and that is with constant transitions, walk, trot a little, back to walk. No cantering until he learns that slow is okay and not to try to go faster all the time.

When riding, she says its important to keep hands light, have contact with the bit but not too much, light hands. Then we walk and trot him in transitions and if he tries to move faster without being asked, we use little half-halts (just basically opening and closing fingers) to slow him down and/or stop. It seems if I tighten my reins, its a cue to him to run, so light contact works well. He is doing much better, not there yet, but he is getting it. Maybe some of this would be useful for you, I'm certainly no expert, just trying to give you an idea of what we are doing for a similar situation. Best of luck to you.
 
#19 ·
Like Cherie said, he needs to be on pasture and let to kick back properly. Pasture board would probably be less expensive than a boarding stable with arenas & whatnot, wouldn't it?
 
#22 ·
Oh, one other thing, an insider tip I got some years ago. When he gets his head up and goes into running mode, don't keep him short...throw away the reins( not literally, lol, but obviously lengthen). Lots of racehorses go faster with more contact on the bit. It takes guts and an enclosed space;-)
 
#36 ·
I had huge difficulties getting my off-tracks to just stand still. Now mine were from harness racing, not flat racing, but it's still the trained in go-go-go that you're dealing with. I spent a lot of sessions "riding" about 1/8 mile into the bush (no arenas here :) ) and then just standing there. I would fixate an object relative to my position and try to stay in that one spot for 5 minutes. It took a long time. I think I was actually retraining the rein control that desertwoman was talking about.

If the ground control is good, then the next step is to teach the horse to be still when you mounted until you ask for walk. I don't think that I would do the lying on top thing since the horse is already saddlebroken and you've already been up there yourself. I'd move right to mounting and standing still. Be patient with that. It took quite a while for one of my horses to learn that -- many sessions of 1/2 hour of just trying to stand still! :)

Good luck.
 
#38 ·
The TB I was talking about earlier was a rescue. When in full health and flesh, he was downright dangerous. I had him tied in the barn, tacked him, got me a chair, to not put weight in the stirrup, mounted, got myself settled, unhooked the leadrope while a helper opened the barndoor and out we went in a dead run until we hit the first fence. Not funny.
Luckily I found a western trainer who had done cross country with TB's before switching to western. She knew what she was dealing with and how to handle him. He turned around completely within 6 weeks and remained my favourite riding horse up to his last day. I learned a lot from him.
 
#42 ·
Hi;

This may sound stupid but try to visualize him being calm and quiet before you get on him and keep that picture in your mind the entire time you are on him. It really can help.

Horses and people are often what we expect.

For example: My horse (although not an ex-race horse) Everytime I would get on her I would assume the crash position, so to speak. Every muscle was tight on me and I was ready for whatever hell she was going to put me through. So, of course we went through hell.She spooked at everything I knew she would spook at and ran down the middle of the road, just like I knew she would. Once I saw some video of my riding I realized that there was no way she could ever be a normal horse with the amount of stress I was putting on her and transmitting through my body. I relaxed and stopped all my thoughts of all that would go wrong and only thought about how perfect a horse she is and she is now a perfect horse. She always was. It was just me making her crazy.

Not that I am saying you are doing that. Just be aware of what you are thinking and your stress level etc. It would be great if you could find a trainer becuase I know mine helped me so much. Is there anyone you could try to work out a deal with? Like work off lessons etc. Even a race horse rescue or the likes might be able to point you in a direction of someone willing to help you.

I know about the costs of keeping a horse in southern california. It is crazy expensive. I am lucky only paying $275 for board, but I only have a 24x50. Wish I could do pasture, but I can't. A friend of mine does and it costs her over $500 a month and she shares with another horse.

Good luck, you have a great looking horse.
 
#43 ·
well you are right..i do the same damn thing..im so damn sore when i get off of him due to my muscles being tensed the entire time its rediculous..guess both him and me have alot to learn..and yeah i have asked around..but so far..all trainers are way out of my price range..and the few horse savvy friends i have have never worked with an off track horse before
 
#44 ·
so have made a list of things to do...starting off this week..i will be working on tying with him..beings he refuses to tie to the rail..so..that is our first goal...unfortunatly cannot do squat with him today due to 30mph winds..but still gonna go and groom him and spend time with him :)
 
#46 ·
There ya go:)
Be careful with tying to a rail. He doesn't know that, was probably either in cross ties or tied inside his stall all his working life.

I found inhaling deep and exhaling with a deep "sigh", a couple of times relaxes me AND a nervous horse. I also sing....;-)
Remember, he's looking to you for guidance, you stay relaxed, he will relax. As simple as that:)
 
#47 ·
well i tend to just have conversations with him..be it they are one sided...but i like to think he understands what im saying lol..and as for tying..i will be draping the lead over the rail for awhile first..getting him used to the idea..not going to actually "tie" him yet
 
#54 ·
Khainon...it's amazing how fast a horse can show us all the things we don't know! I bought one like that 12 years ago (Arab/Saddlebred). She forced me to educate myself, and I have had horses most of my life. I thought I had a pretty good handle on things. HA! I'm a lot smarter now and she is a much better partner.
Take it slow, be patient, and every minute with him is a training session even if it's just grooming and looking at each other.
You both are going to learn a lot. Please keep us posted!
 
#57 ·
i think we are too...guess thats why my friend said we need each other...and my therapist says he is good for me as well..even though hes one hell of a handful..i dont think hes too much for me...hes just a challenge..a challenge i accepted once i signed the adoption papers..i wont be like other people and dump him somewhere or back at the rescue..he is now my responsability..hes my friend and my companion..as well as partner in educating myself and him.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Mia wasn't a race horse, but she was and is a pretty intense Arabian mare. Since she didn't know to pick her feet up over small rocks, I assume she had no trail experience. I rode her bitless for a few years, with her nerves getting worse and worse, until I finally gave her a break for 8 months. Then I hired a trainer, who concluded she had never been broken to ride at all (and she was sold as 'perfect for a beginner'). Maybe the fact that they wouldn't let me lead her, and only allowed me to ride her in a tiny 30' round pen should have been a hint...

Anyways, she is getting better. I find that about 50% of what she can give me when I lead her is what she gives me when I'm on her back. But it sure as heck helps to have that 50% down pat BEFORE I get on her back!

Riding - she prances a lot. When she gets nervous, she wants to go. There is a balance there I sometimes miss. Restrain her too much, and she gets nervous. Don't restrain her at all, and she may wind up to a bolt. Some restraint is right, but how much? As a general rule, what does NOT work is trying to constantly hold her in. But after almost 5 years, it is still a challenge.

However, she is the horse that got me interested in riding. She is so strong willed, and so willing and eager to please when not nervous, interested in everything...she is too much horse for me, but no one else wants her and I genuinely like being around her. The trainer I hired said Mia was lucky, because she had a lot of clients who would have dumped her at an auction by now.

Relaxing in the saddle - always tough. I'm not sure I will EVER really relax on Mia. She hasn't done a true bolt in over a year, but the "OMG Crouch" comes very regularly. I wish there were cattle for her to work. I think riding down the trail gives her too much time to imagine things.

I use an Australian style saddle with her. IMHO, they are the easiest saddle to stay in when the horse hits the fan. Like one ad I saw said, "The only thing that can force you out of this saddle is starvation!" Well, maybe they aren't THAT good, but I like them.



This is a good video on a 'Pulley Stop'. I almost never resort to this, but it once kept Mia & I from hitting a sharp turn covered with rocks at a full gallop:



Good luck to you! Keep us informed.

Oh...and singing. Something the trainer told me, probably because she got tired of hearing me sing, was to try breathing in audibly, hold for 2 seconds, then audibly exhale. It really does seem to help Mia calm down.
 
#56 ·
Mia wasn't a race horse, but she was and is a pretty intense Arabian mare. Since she didn't know to pick her feet up over small rocks, I assume she had no trail experience. I rode her bitless for a few years, with her nerves getting worse and worse, until I finally gave her a break for 8 months. Then I hired a trainer, who concluded she had never been broken to ride at all (and she was sold as 'perfect for a beginner'). Maybe the fact that they wouldn't let me lead her, and only allowed me to ride her in a tiny 30' round pen should have been a hint...

Anyways, she is getting better. I find that about 50% of what she can give me when I lead her is what she gives me when I'm on her back. But it sure as heck helps to have that 50% down pat BEFORE I get on her back!

Riding - she prances a lot. When she gets nervous, she wants to go. There is a balance there I sometimes miss. Restrain her too much, and she gets nervous. Don't restrain her at all, and she may wind up to a bolt. Some restraint is right, but how much? As a general rule, what does NOT work is trying to constantly hold her in. But after almost 5 years, it is still a challenge.

However, she is the horse that got me interested in riding. She is so strong willed, and so willing and eager to please when not nervous, interested in everything...she is too much horse for me, but no one else wants her and I genuinely like being around her. The trainer I hired said Mia was lucky, because she had a lot of clients who would have dumped her at an auction by now.

Relaxing in the saddle - always tough. I'm not sure I will EVER really relax on Mia. She hasn't done a true bolt in over a year, but the "OMG Crouch" comes very regularly. I wish there were cattle for her to work. I think riding down the trail gives her too much time to imagine things.

I use an Australian style saddle with her. IMHO, they are the easiest saddle to stay in when the horse hits the fan. Like one ad I saw said, "The only thing that can force you out of this saddle is starvation!" Well, maybe they aren't THAT good, but I like them.



This is a good video on a 'Pulley Stop'. I almost never resort to this, but it once kept Mia & I from hitting a sharp turn covered with rocks at a full gallop:

Emergency Stop on a Horse - Pulley Rein - YouTube

Good luck to you! Keep us informed.

Oh...and singing. Something the trainer told me, probably because she got tired of hearing me sing, was to try breathing in audibly, hold for 2 seconds, then audibly exhale. It really does seem to help Mia calm down.
thank you very much..everyone here is being a huge help...i unfortunatly cannot see him today..one of my wisdom teeth is killing me..and i am on massive ammounts of morphine due to the pain..and well..i may not be the smartest..but im smart enough to know being around any horse while drugged is not wise..even to just put the topical ointment on his scrapes(he lays down and scrapes himself lol) i dont wanna put either of us in a bad situation..i am hoping the pain deminishes tomorrow so i can go spend time with him after my classes...not seeing him for a few days has killed him..im missing him like crazy
 
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