Hello, I know nothing about this breed and need help. My mother in law just bought a 10 year old thoroughbred and she seeming to be having difficulty with him. Any ideas as to what she can do to clam him down before ridding? This is her first horse, and she is a very green rider. Please help me help her....
help thoroughbred people
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You're going to hear this a lot; Get an experienced person out to help or get a new horse.
Without writing you a novel, that is the best advice I can give. A green rider shouldn't be out by themselves anyways, there should be someone out there who knows how to handle things for safety reasons for both the lady and the horse.
Without writing you a novel, that is the best advice I can give. A green rider shouldn't be out by themselves anyways, there should be someone out there who knows how to handle things for safety reasons for both the lady and the horse.
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Why would a greenie buy a TB??
Don't get me wrong, my greatest love in this world is a TB. I positively adore him.... but after a year and a half of TB ownership, I have to say that it's been a memorable experience.
Ours was fresh off the track when we bought him, and he was a handful. Now he is a big gray love bug....very well behaved and respectful of humans. BUT it took an entire year of CONSTANT AND DAILY ground work/training by my 20 yr. old son (the horse's owner) to get him to this point. And I do mean EVERY SINGLE DAY....of training. And as a mother, there were moments when my son faced off with this big gray beast and my heart was in my throat....he reared, he slashed out with his hooves, he whirled, he bucked....all because he wanted to go out to graze and he wasn't allowed to. He lacked even an ounce of manners or respect.
Your MIL is going to need help with this horse. Count on it!! She needs to find a professional to train HER to train her horse. Because even with the greatest trainer in the world training your horse....any horse, but especially a TB,..... in the end...YOUR MIL and not just the trainer, MUST know how to gain this horse's respect and cooperation. and neither of those two things start in the saddle. They start on the ground.
Just my two cents.
Don't get me wrong, my greatest love in this world is a TB. I positively adore him.... but after a year and a half of TB ownership, I have to say that it's been a memorable experience.
Ours was fresh off the track when we bought him, and he was a handful. Now he is a big gray love bug....very well behaved and respectful of humans. BUT it took an entire year of CONSTANT AND DAILY ground work/training by my 20 yr. old son (the horse's owner) to get him to this point. And I do mean EVERY SINGLE DAY....of training. And as a mother, there were moments when my son faced off with this big gray beast and my heart was in my throat....he reared, he slashed out with his hooves, he whirled, he bucked....all because he wanted to go out to graze and he wasn't allowed to. He lacked even an ounce of manners or respect.
Your MIL is going to need help with this horse. Count on it!! She needs to find a professional to train HER to train her horse. Because even with the greatest trainer in the world training your horse....any horse, but especially a TB,..... in the end...YOUR MIL and not just the trainer, MUST know how to gain this horse's respect and cooperation. and neither of those two things start in the saddle. They start on the ground.
Just my two cents.
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If I may add to the above: It's not JUST a thoroughbred thing. sure, a greenie working with ANY horse is in for a commitment...BUT TBs are a challenge in and of themselves...generally speaking. They can present a horse owner with a whole set of challenges that a calmer horse, like a draft, wouldn't. I know. I own one of each.
TBs as a breed oftentimes present with certain temperment characteristics ...i.e. they tend to be more repsonsive to leg aids and rider cues, etc. than your average QH or draft. They, generally speaking, have high energy levels oftentimes....kind of like how a Jack Russel terrier is more active than a ....basset hound.
So, add high energy to high responsiveness and put a greenie on it's back and there is the potential for disaster.
And more often than not, with a TB you will get both the high energy and the high responsiveness.....
thank you all...I have suggested a trainer but my MIL feels that she is capable of doing it herself (iv had standardbreds my whole life n know that no matter how experienced or not you always need help) I never thought she was ready for a horse of her own since she has yet to canter, and now will only take lessons on her horse and no other....frustrated from my end...just looking for something simple to tell her to do, other than lounging the horse for 2 hours which is what she told me she did today bc he's not paying attention.
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Well, first off I'd tell her to stop lunging him for so long - not only is it possibly doing damage to his joints/muscles etc, but its only going to make him fitter!!!
My coach suggested that before I even hop on my OTTB (who is very VERY sensitive and also can have high engery moments) is to do ground work with her on a long lead rope. I.e. walk her forwards a few steps, then get her to stop, then back up a few steps, then do it all over again. Then when she is calm with that I add in asking her to step sideways/forwards a few steps etc etc. Only when she is calm and relaxed looking, do I then get on. If she jigs/walks forward when I try to get on, I start all over again!!!
THEN when I am finally in the saddle, I WALK until she is walking with a relaxed and calm manner and walking a clear 4 beat walk. My first lesson with my coach, we walked for the WHOLE 45 mins! And it was the best thing for her! After that initial lesson, the amount of walking we needed to do deminished greatly. Now when I ride her, I might need to walk her for 5 mins one day, 15 mins the next etc, but I do it all with my body sending out the RELAXED signals.
Then when I do trot, again - its all about being relaxed....
I know it sound tedious and slow, but trust my, my mare has come along in leaps and bounds. After 10 rides riding in this manner, she is walking and trotting in a (mostly) relaxed manner, and her paces are even and regular! Plus she is more likely to pay attention to me!
My coach suggested that before I even hop on my OTTB (who is very VERY sensitive and also can have high engery moments) is to do ground work with her on a long lead rope. I.e. walk her forwards a few steps, then get her to stop, then back up a few steps, then do it all over again. Then when she is calm with that I add in asking her to step sideways/forwards a few steps etc etc. Only when she is calm and relaxed looking, do I then get on. If she jigs/walks forward when I try to get on, I start all over again!!!
THEN when I am finally in the saddle, I WALK until she is walking with a relaxed and calm manner and walking a clear 4 beat walk. My first lesson with my coach, we walked for the WHOLE 45 mins! And it was the best thing for her! After that initial lesson, the amount of walking we needed to do deminished greatly. Now when I ride her, I might need to walk her for 5 mins one day, 15 mins the next etc, but I do it all with my body sending out the RELAXED signals.
Then when I do trot, again - its all about being relaxed....
I know it sound tedious and slow, but trust my, my mare has come along in leaps and bounds. After 10 rides riding in this manner, she is walking and trotting in a (mostly) relaxed manner, and her paces are even and regular! Plus she is more likely to pay attention to me!
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Work work and more work! Start from the ground, what, where and when makes him nervous/frantic? We need just a leeetle more information in order to help you out, the difficulties could be a range of things!
If you could tell us:
1.) What the horse does
2.) When he does it
3.) How your friend reacts
4.) How the horse reacts to your friend
Agreed agreed agreed. If this was an Arabian someone would be saying it's an 'Arabian' thing. If this was a Hanovarian someone else would say it's a 'Hanovarian' thing.
It's a human thing. And there's no shame in that :wink:
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Sorry for the double post but I just saw this. When I say 'work' I don't mean badgering work with little direction or goal in mind. Every session must have an aim. Wearing a horse out will never teach him anything other than to resent work.
she seems to be having trouble getting him to paying attention to her weather its under saddle on a lead or lunging. When prince (the horse) sees a new horse enter the ring he will automatically start to do whatever that horse dose. My MIL gets frustrated and usually brings him back to his stall. I know that prince is just testing her to see how much he can get away with, I explain that to her and she dosnt get it.
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This is where those exercises I told you about will really come in handy. It just takes patience and persistance!
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