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Retraining ottb

6K views 35 replies 5 participants last post by  kchfuller 
#1 ·
I just recently purchased my first OTTB to retrain by myself. This is not my first time training and a horse and I have experience with TB and Arabains. I thought it would be interesting to start a thread so OTTB owners could share their stories and tips.

My mare is a 4 year old named Hiway Threetwenty she is about 16.0 hands. My plan is to retrain her for eventing as I would like to do upper levels (Prelim-Intermediate) What are others doing with their OTTB.
 
#2 ·
I have an OTTB ... Miss Action (Maddy). She is 6 but I got her when she was 4. I have had her 2 years in one week :)

When I got her I re started her from the ground. Gave her time to just be and hang out- building a relationship with her. I started by teaching her to lounge and then added in riding. She was quite a spirited horse at the beginning. She never took off or did anything bad with me but just had the energy to go ... I just rode her through it and learned so much about her. She settled in GREAT and is such a joy to ride.

I am doing mostly hunters with her and will start teaching her to jump soon (if i can squeeze it in before the weather gets bad)... and i am going to take some dressage lessons to have something else to work with her on. She knows her job and that when she is done she gets treats. She lives to be spoiled.

My husband isn't horsey at all and Maddy has let him learn how to do all kinds of things on her ie blanketing, grooming, leading, bathing, hand walking, picking out her feet and most of all spoiling her.

I think that they know you have given them another job after the track and are grateful for it. This mare will follow me anywhere and just loves me unconditionally. She is so much fun to ride (most of the time) and I can't wait to get her jumping!

I attached some pics for fun ... The second pic is of her trying to escape- she is great at getting doors open ... and you can see how much she loves to preform with her tongue sticking out :lol:
 

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#3 ·
What a cutie? This is Sky (Hiway Threetwenty) she raced on Sept. 1st and then I brought her home on the 5th. She adjusted really well and she is actually really laid back for being young and off the track. She adjusted to turnout and her new life style quite nicely. I have her lunging both directions at walk trot and I have ridden her a couple times. She really loves people and will do anything for a carrot. Here of some pictures the first of when we first brought her home and the second of her first week in turnout.
 
#5 ·
I realize that I used my webshots url but it didn't apparently. I will try again here. I rode Sky again today and she keeps getting better and better. We are still only walking circles and whoas but she stands really well for me to get on and off of her and just really enjoys pleasing people. No wonder I call her sweet pea too.
 
#8 ·
How long have you had your OTTB? I have fallen head over heels for my girl. She has adjusted to farm life and today I trotted her undersaddle for the first time today. She has taken to becoming a riding horse like a charm. What I amazed by is her calmness, she hasn't done anything crazy or hot. She free jumps with enthusiam and does it beautiful. I am super excited to see her progress.

I would love to see pictures of your girl
 
#12 ·
Thank you! She is slowly gaining I don't want to pump her too fast plus she is is sort of a nibbler she gets all she can eat hay, grain 2 x a day and she is out to pasture with grass most of the day. I am really cautions on feeding her too high a feed as she is really calm now and I kind of like to keep her that way. I plan on going to Quarter Horse congress and getting some COCASOYA I have read great things about the soy oil and it doesn't make your horse hot but adds weight great! So by next spring she should look lovely.
 
#13 ·
Smart idea... my TB was lean when I got her too and you can see now she is fat and happy lol. Rushing the weight won't do any good at all so you have the right idea. I have also heard that LMF Super Supplement is a good one and I use Strategy with my two and it helps with weight/supplements without the energy ... I am excited to see how she progresses! :)

Here is a pic form Fri's ride :)
 

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#14 ·
I wish I could get more pictures of our progress but it is really hard to take pictures in the saddle. Normally someone is home to make sure I don't break my neck but they are busy. Yours looks wonderful nice and relaxed. I am going riding today after work and can't wait.She stands for me to mount and dismount and she really loves to learn. We will continue with walk trot transitions tonight. BTW what bit do you use, at first Sky didn't like my french link, she is getting better with it but doesn't really like it, I might consider a happy mouth or myler what do you think.
 
#15 ·
I started with a simple eggbut snaffle- OTTB's are trained that the harder you pull the faster they go. Now i ride her in a slow twist eqqbut snaffle ... I would suggest staying with the lightest bit you can so that you have a nice soft supple mouth on her.

What i started with:
http://www.horze.com/images/products/41/7/13055_L.jpg


What i use now:
https://www.bluegrasshorsesupply.com/shop/images/products/detail_207_twisted-eggbutt.-mjpg.jpg

What i show in:
http://www.horsetackinternational.com/images/211920-full-cheek.jpg
 
#16 ·
What made you decide to use a slow twist? Did your horse need the twist. Sky is ok with egg butt french link but she doesn't seem to take to it (play with it) I hate the whole find a bit thing because you buy one and it doesn't work and you can't return it. A local shop near me does Myler rentals so I can try them but my concern is that the mylers are all accepted in the dressage ring for eventing and I hate having to swith bits around. In the lower levels I don't do bridle changes I rarely do saddle changes. I have really soft hands (I have had numerous instructors tell me that) so I am good with not pulling which will make them think go faster. I have heard others mention that the full cheek is a little better then the eggbutt for control.
 
#17 ·
I'd love to know why you started in a plain eggbut snaffle, but went up to the slow twist?

This is my boy when I first got him in Dec last year .. still in race condition..


And this is him now, well, last week. Taking my younger sister over some little poles .. he's really filled out!


Watching the other horses ..


I was using a single joint full cheek snaffle on him to help with his turning (was very stiff and didn't enjoy turning) and I found this helped. I am currently trialing a Myler bit .. but I'm not sure if he is enjoying it. He is still quite soft and responsive (better than what he was), but I don't think he's 100% happy with it. At least it's not a single joint - not a huge fan LOL

:) He's just turned 5 a few weeks ago .. love my boy!
His half sister (same Dam) has just come on the market for the same price as he was ... verrrrrry tempted to get her also hahah!
 
#18 ·
How beautiful, I hope my mare fills out as nicely as your fella did. I am not a big fan of the single jointed bits either. Which myler are you trying? Sky listens well with the eggbutt even for turning we are working on bending her body a little bit teaching her what she is to do with leg. Plus I am concerned because in eventing their is only certain myler bits that you can use for dressage and I really hate having to switch bits I truly believe that I should be able to use the same bit for all three phases (at least in lower levels)
Yesterday I rode her and she just eats it up, she doesn't get worked up or frustrated i trotted her over ground poles, figure 8's transitions and she did great. I then handwalked her up the road and jumped a ditch, walked over a grated bridge, had dogs walk walk and she did marvelous, it's almost like she was born to be this kind of horse. super proud owner!!
 
#19 ·
I needed her attention more and i too have soft hands so when i was asking her for her head/attention she wasn't listening with the snaffle- rather then just pulling i wanted a little stronger bit to do the trick. I don't like yanking on their mouths and would rather have to just pull a little and have a bit that she responds too rather then have to pull a lot with a "softer" bit. I hope that makes sense... also i use a lot of leg to direct where we go so my hands are just back up for a rainy day :)
 
#20 ·
That makes sense, I was just curious as to the reason. I don't have that problem currently with Sky so I will keep looking at different bits.
 
#22 ·
Thanks. Sorry if I sound like I am bragging but I am just so proud of my girl. Today she figured out leg yielding both at the walk and trot and I had a chute set up to free jump my friends pony so I took the jumps down but left ground poles and the chute up - i figured she hesitate a little heck no she walk right through it on a free rein. She LOVES the work. I do need to find a good pair of boots for her though as I hate using polo wraps everytime (they get dirty and it takes to much to clean them) At what point did you ask her boy to canter undersaddle. I am not planning until she gets better balanced at the trot (which I don't think will take long with how well she picks up things) but I was just curious.
 
#23 ·
i know how you feel... i was so happy with Maddy too and now i am used to her being so good haha

I started cantering her on a lounge line first that way she could get the hang of going both ways without me on her :)

Maddy has been over polls too and she is like um are you sure, and if i encourage her she is like ok whatever you say mom .. haha

i use boots too- better safe then sorry. especially since your girl is young ...
 
#24 ·
I guess I'll look at them at congress next week so my list of items has now grown - her own halter, running martingale, boots, and bits. Yipee I love that kind of shopping and she earned some new stuff. Suppose to rain tomorrow so guess will have to just enjoy a great brush job! Glad I know their are others out there that love their OTTB as much as I do and get excited over little things (A simple walk trot is pretty huge to me)
 
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