Hello everyone! I have recently "saved" a TB from the track that would have gone to a "kill buyer" otherwise. I am a huge fan of TBs, and this is a dream come true for me. "Sousa" is 15.3 hands, a gelding, 7 yrs old. He ran 64 times before retiring. His trainer said "he just gave up and didnt want to run anymore". (He won once by the way!) He is well bred and very handsome, out of the Deputy Minister line. He is a sweet boy and has found a "forever home".
I have had him for 3 months now. I ride hunt seat, back in the saddle after years away. I stable him with a wonderful trainer who is helping me a lot. He is in a barn with 8 other horses and has his own paddock...first time in his life not being in a stall 23 hours a day!
Here is my problem: We are having "balancing" issues at the canter, which I know is normal for a OTTB until they develop those muscles. He is cross firing in the back a bit. So, I am lunging him quite a bit to help him find his balance. I am going to hold off on worrying about the canter for now.
My issue is the trot! For the first 2 months, his head was too high, so I worked on getting him to collect. He started arcing his neck nicely and I use little pressure on him. Now all of a sudden his head is too LOW! Literally he is dropping it to the point that I wonder if he will trip over his nose! Once he crow hopped while doing it, and my trainer believes he is "testing his boundaries" with me. (its hot and he is not always in the mood to work...) But I am not sure why he is suddently dropping his head. My tendency is to want to pull his head up. My trainer is saying to give him slack and dont provide him the opportunity to "hang on the bit", instead, she believes he is "finding the right place for his head" and is still just working it out.
Anybody have any thoughts about this? My fear is that he wants to drop his head so he can buck! So I just keep driving him forward, switching it up with circles, transitions, etc.
Thanks for any advice.
I have had him for 3 months now. I ride hunt seat, back in the saddle after years away. I stable him with a wonderful trainer who is helping me a lot. He is in a barn with 8 other horses and has his own paddock...first time in his life not being in a stall 23 hours a day!
Here is my problem: We are having "balancing" issues at the canter, which I know is normal for a OTTB until they develop those muscles. He is cross firing in the back a bit. So, I am lunging him quite a bit to help him find his balance. I am going to hold off on worrying about the canter for now.
My issue is the trot! For the first 2 months, his head was too high, so I worked on getting him to collect. He started arcing his neck nicely and I use little pressure on him. Now all of a sudden his head is too LOW! Literally he is dropping it to the point that I wonder if he will trip over his nose! Once he crow hopped while doing it, and my trainer believes he is "testing his boundaries" with me. (its hot and he is not always in the mood to work...) But I am not sure why he is suddently dropping his head. My tendency is to want to pull his head up. My trainer is saying to give him slack and dont provide him the opportunity to "hang on the bit", instead, she believes he is "finding the right place for his head" and is still just working it out.
Anybody have any thoughts about this? My fear is that he wants to drop his head so he can buck! So I just keep driving him forward, switching it up with circles, transitions, etc.
Thanks for any advice.