Training Off-the-Track-Thoroughbreds

Hobbles. Most of the traveling clinicians will not discuss hobbling because it brings about strong emotions from those that do not understand the value or concept of hobbling. Hobbling in inexperienced hands can be a disaster for horse and handler, but in the proper hands it is invaluable training. If you have done your homework with ground work for respect and desensitizing your horse’s legs, hobbling will not concern your horse one bit. Hobbling teaches patience and builds the ultimate trust between horse and handler. Think about it for a minute. If you take away your horse’s ability to flee your horse must have 100% respect and trust in you. Hobbling comes in handy if you need to leave your horse. The following is a true story which happened at the barn where I used to board: Two ladies were enjoying the trails during hunting season one winter afternoon. A gunshot spooked one horse and threw his rider. The rider broke her hip and her friend had to go back to the barn immediately to call for help. The spooked horse had to be tied up by his reins. The horse tied by his reins wrapped himself around the tree and pulled back. The reins snapped and he took off. This caused the hurt owner to absolutely panic. She now was in complete emotional and physical distress because she was so worried about her loose horse. The horse was caught hours later running down the highway. If the spooked horse would have been trained to hobble, the second rider could have easily unbuckled one rein and hobbled the horse. The rider who broke her hip was told by the surgeon that she would not ride again. Three months later she was riding and is still riding to this day.

I hobbled Phil in the grass arena. It took him a few minutes to get the hang of the hobbles. He was content to inch along eating grass. I put some pressure on him so he could really give the hobbles a try. This is where the experience comes in. I only put enough pressure on him to make him hop. Too much pressure and you can have a horse with hobble burns or worse a broken leg. Hobbling is taught over many sessions. A good time is when your horse is cooling off.

As you can see I spent 27 days on the ground with Phil before I attempted to ride. I did not have a prescribed amount of days of ground work. I schooled on the ground until I felt I had Phil’s respect and that his balking was under control. I will continue my journal entries on a weekly basis. The ground work will continue along with schooling under saddle. Phil will be educated in the Western, English, and Halter disciplines. He obviously will have talents suited for one discipline over another, however the education of the all around horse is valuable. The one piece of advice I want to give about training is don’t develop tunnel vision.

There is a lot to learn from the other disciplines. Go out and run barrels with your OTTB, chase some cows, try saddle seat, or a side saddle, or a trail obstacle course. You’ll be amazed at how much better he’ll clock around the course or improve his dressage scores. You’ll also become a better rider.

Just have fun!

Tacked Phil up only today I used a haltermore. A haltermore is a rope halter made into a bridle only there is no bit. It does not use poll pressure like the bitless bridles that can create dangerous habits such as rearing in uneducated hands. The noseband is wrapped so it doesn’t have the “bite” of the rope halter. I had this custom made with a 22 foot mecate. I use this to start the colts, so there isn’t any worry about a bit in the mouth. I also like the mecate available so I can dismount and do ground work if I need to work through a situation from the ground. Phil has a hard mouth, so I hope to soften him by creating a trust that I’m going to stay out of his mouth. I can easily see OTTBs developing hard mouths since the horse balances himself on his jockey’s hands. A horse with a soft mouth is very important to me. He has done fairly well with my soft hands, but I wanted to see if I could get more relaxation, a lowered head, and rounded back without the worry of the bit. Since Phil has had 30 days of ground work he is familiar with pressure/release, so the haltermore will not be that difficult for him to figure out. Many clients always ask “Aren’t you worried your horse is going to run away from you without a bit?” The answer is no. If I have done my homework correctly my horse has enough respect for me that running away is not an option. I have also built in “spook in place” and I have the ability to disengage the hindquarters at any time. Any horse can be ridden without a bit or bridle if you have put in the time on the ground properly. I did some ground work and worked Phil through his transitions in the round pen. When I felt he was focused I mounted and started with flexion.

More colt behavior. I am asking Phil to flex further and further. I am now asking him to flex to my toe. He still is only flexing at the neck and hasn’t given me his shoulder yet. This will come as he becomes conditioned. Phil took this as an invitation to grab my toe with his lips. I returned with a quick jab of my toe to his mouth. I did not hurt him, I just made him uncomfortable. Many people think this game is cute until their horse takes the game a little too far and bites their foot. It is best to discourage this behavior on the first attempt. Make sure you do hit your target or it does become a game to your horse if you miss his nose. He will be quicker and smarter than you next time. It only took one discouraging jab on each side and Phil got back to business.

I navigated Phil in figure eights again. This time the turns had to be tighter since we were in the round pen. I also had loose horses around the pen which is a good test to see if Phil was going to focus on me or the other horses. Phil stayed focused on me which shows I have made great progress developing myself as Phil’s Alpha. No impulsion issues, no focus issues…..time to stop. I dismounted, loosened the cinch and let Phil relax in the shade as he was ground tied.

Catching your horse. Since Phil comes in to eat he comes to me and I halter, lead, and release him a minimum of twice daily. When I catch Phil I have actually taught him to catch me. The last thing I want to do is walk to the end of a 5 acre pasture to catch a horse. Through ground work for respect I have taught Phil to catch me.

First Ride.
Pre-ride checks. I have had 27 days to establish my relationship with Phil. The time spent on the ground will reflect how well we work together under saddle. I tacked Phil up using my roping saddle. I want as much leather under me as possible with the young horses. I did use the snaffle bridle instead of the training headstall with the distracting tassels (chose not to fight that battle). I did some ground work to see where Phil’s mental attitude was before I even attempted to mount. I was prepared to scratch my plan if Phil’s focus wasn’t on me and go back to ground work. Phil passed all “pre ride” checks. One thing I’ve noticed about horse owners is that they catch their horse, groom, tack and ride off without asking their horses “how do you feel today?’ Many “accidents” can be prevented if humans would just take the time to do a little ground work before mounting. If you have established ground work for respect with your horse, like I have with Phil, this may only be a pass to the left and right and maybe a back up from the ground. If Phil was distracted, spooky, or silly, etc. I would postpone my ride and chose to do something else constructive. Unfortunately, humans are so schedule/agenda conscious if they have made the trip to the barn, then by golly they are going to ride.

Mounting: I always use a mounting block no matter how tall the horse. Mounting blocks are the polite way to mount your horse. Now with that said you should be able to easily mount from the ground in case you are in a situation where you cannot stand on a block or tree stump. Phil stood politely as I mounted. I returned the politeness by not jabbing my toe into his side, by swinging my leg over his back gracefully and gently sitting my weight in the saddle. It is very rude to grab the saddle to pull yourself up, haul yourself onto your horse, kick him instead of lifting your leg, and plopping all of your weight into the saddle. We expect our horses to be physically fit enough to carry us, so we owe it to them to be physically able to gently mount and dismount. I purposely fiddled with the stirrups and reins. Phil stood still. Please, do not ever mount a horse that is moving. This is very unsafe. With that said, our OTTBs have to be taught to stand still for mounting. On the track the jockeys are hoisted onto a moving horse’s back; this is what our OTTBs know.

Flexion. I started by picking up one rein and asked for a soft flex. Phil, like all young horses, took this cue to move his feet. This is ok. He can turn in circles. To make the lesson correct I disengaged his hindquarters and asked him to step over until he makes an effort to give to me. As soon as Phil gives me a hint of his nose, I immediately dropped the reins. I mean I dropped them out of my hands to reward. Phil stopped turning. I continued to ask, Phil stopped turning and starting flexing without moving his feet. When he was doing this consistently I asked him to walk and flex. To reward him quicker as soon as he softened I let him change direction. An observer would accuse Phil of being drunk because we were swerving all over the arena. I was even able to pick up his foot through the feel of the rein and place it several times; this is an advanced move.

Circles. Circles, circles, circles. Since Phil is unbalanced and tends to dip his shoulder into a bend I have to really keep him between my legs. This means at all times I am supporting or directing with legs and/or hands. I make sure I am only supporting with my legs and hands and not nagging. I like to ride along the rail and turn into the rail and then turn back into the middle of the arena. Essentially I am doing figure eights along the rail. I make sure I plan, look where I am going, slightly shift my weight and support with legs/reins. I did have to modify my requests for Phil to accommodate his body build and conditioning. He cannot get under his hocks like my Quarter Horses and roll back, so I execute a little larger circle along the rail.

Test Ride: Once Phil was warmed up and fairly soft I tried out all gears. I was really surprised at how easy it was to post his trot. I didn’t have to work very hard since his trot provided the momentum. I would rate (1 being the worst and 10 the best) his canter a 10 and his hand gallop a 10+. He made an effort to turn on forehand, turn on haunches, and side pass. He even reached for the bit several times and was rewarded by a complete release.
Impulsion. Phil’s previous owner wrote Elizabeth several times about Phil’s lack of impulsion. I was even told that Phil was stubborn because he didn’t have impulsion. I want to take the time to discuss this since it is so easy to label a horse as uncooperative or stubborn. If you can’t get impulsion from your horse it is because your horse is emotionally out of control because he does not respect you. Remember, when I first met Phil I felt he was unstable. This is one of the most frustrating problems humans have with their horses. Plain and simple; Impulsion comes from respect. Respect is something you get on the ground or you don’t. You achieve impulsion by balancing your horse’s mental and physical needs. Many people will stick a band aid on a sucking chest wound and use crops, whips, or spurs to bully their horses. (NOTE: I use training spurs on some of my young prospects so I can communicate a “promise” clearly. One tap from the spur equals 100 exhausting leg kicks which only teach your horse to ignore you. I have developed a very independent leg and seat so the spur will only make contact if the ask and tell have been completely ignored). This will create dangerous habits such as rearing, bolting, ducking, bucking, as your horse will start to out think you to get away from the pressure and find a way to rid you off his back. The first time he tosses you or scares you enough to dismount you have just given him the release he was searching for and he will find his release quicker and quicker each time. Our horses are recreation for us, can we be recreation for them? As I mentioned in an earlier entry I am bored riding in circles in the arena. I try to entertain myself by trying out new things such as instead of riding along the rail going forward, I back my horse around the ring or I look at my surroundings and ask “Can I ride through, under, over, or around it”? Use your imagination.

Please feel free to ask questions!

Morning feeding: uneventful.

Releasing your horse: This is a lesson I learned quite well when I was younger. First let me tackle the basics and then I’ll tell the story. Using the correct haltering and leading techniques I led Phil to his new pasture to meet his new friends. They have been nose to nose for 2 weeks now, so I have been able to get a good idea of personality matches. When Phil and I walked through the gate my horses stood far back; they have been taught not to crowd me. I asked Phil to turn on his forehand to face the gate, asked for head down and took off his halter. He has been taught to stay with me (ground tie) until I give him the signal he can leave. I build this into all my horses so I can always exit safely. When I am a safe distance I wave him off. Phil runs to join his new friends. It is a good match. I have chosen to keep Phil in a smaller pasture near the barn, so I can continue to interact with him throughout the day. Also, I can correct unwanted behavior more efficiently in a smaller area. He can still run from me in a 2 acre pasture, but it is easier than the 5-6 acre pastures. He can always catch me (notice he is going to catch me; I’m not going to catch him) and I can put him in the round pen for some thought provoking foot work.

My story. On Christmas Eve 1988, in Chicago, I let my horse, Ptarmigan (Phil looks a lot like him only think Appendix QH not TB), out on a crisp, snowy eve. He was excited to play in the snow. I opened the gate, took off the lead, and just let him take off. Of course he let out a huge rodeo broncing buck and he kicked me in the arm with a shod hind foot. I was wearing several heavy layers of clothing, thank goodness. I stood there watching him play and felt warmness down my right arm. I went back to the barn and peeled off the layers of clothing to see blood soaking everything. I felt ok, so I thought maybe he just broke the skin. I ended up putting Ptarmigan away and driving home. I had no idea I was in shock. When I got home I felt sick and had to confess to my Mother what had happened. I was rushed to the ER and had fractured my humorous and required a cast and many, many stitches. If I had known how to properly release Ptarmigan and have his respect I would not have been injured. The ER physicians said it was my heavy clothing that prevented me from going to surgery. Can you imagine if his kick was just 1 foot higher?

Releasing Summary: Face your horse towards the gate. In this position he has to turn around to run or let out a kick. This will give you a window to go to safe distance. Keep other horses away from you. It is dangerous to have your horse’s buddies on top of you wanting to initiate play with your horse. Don’t be afraid to carry a whip to shoo his anxious buddies off. Use head down cue for proper de-haltering technique and to relax your horse. If your horse is rude take him back out of his pasture and ask him to work for you….that means move his feet like he has a purpose. Try again. Repeat until he is polite and you feel safe.

It is our responsibility to teach our horses to be safe around us.

Morning feeding: We had a record setting low last night for this time of the year. I was expecting a lot of “freshness” from my group. As I entered Phil’s pen he started hopping up and down with all four legs off the ground at once. He was very animated. Since he was being polite and hopping in his own space I left him alone. He circled in and I gave him the ritual rub. I brought in his hay and asked him to leave his food dish to clear a path for me to reach his hay rack. He backed with only a wave of 2 fingers. Talking about communicating! Remember the Alpha never walks around the subordinates; they clear a path for her.

Treating: Ok, I’m a stickler for NOT stuffing my horse’s face full of treats. If you have not established respect in your relationship, treating will lead to a pushy, demanding, mouthy horse that may even bite or strike when a treat is not presented upon demand. I like to treat my horses. It makes me feel good. I feel Phil and I have come to an agreement that I am the Alpha. At this point I can introduce treats. If you absolutely must give treats I would recommend giving them in a bowl. I have a large plastic bowl I purchased from Dollar Tree. Your horse will know the treat is from you because your scent is on the treats. If your horse is demanding a treat then I would suggest skipping the treat or give him a task and then treat….on your terms, not his. I promise your horse will not hold a grudge against you if you do not treat him. The best treat a horse can get is to be left alone.

I used the treats (I like baby carrots and apple nibblets) to ask Phil to stretch. This way Phil stretched on his own without me interfering with what degree he was to stretch. This worked really well. I was able to get Phil to track the treat with his eyes. I started to teach him to bow. Incorporated into this “game” Phil was ground tied, he used head down cue, vertical/lateral flexion, backing, and disengaging the haunches. The best part was this is bonding time. We are learning how to communicate in a relaxed, non “classroom” setting, no pressures.

Evening feeding: I forgot to feed Phil his hay! As I rounded the barn after feeding and scrubbing troughs down the hill I saw Phil as polite as can be standing in front of his hay rack. He acknowledged me with “two eyes” and I saw the empty hay rack. Wow, this is a breakthrough. In the past, Phil would pace at the gate and paw if his hay rack was empty. Of course, I have been consistent in my requests and follow throughs that he needs to be a gentleman until I get to him. Phil is really starting to “get it.” Hooray for Phil!